The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

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236 The llig/dand Monthly
Translated
The herb of St Columba [St John's Wort]
Unsought-for, unasked
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Fortunate is he who would get it.
I will cut [or pluck] the Foliage of Prosperity
As commanded by the High King.
Wherever it is put up
It will win victory and command homage.
Another version of the Incantation was thus :
Translated
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Achlasan-Chalum-Chille
Gun sireadh, gun iarraidh,
Air sliabh chaorach tha mi ga d' spionadh.
St Columba's herb,
Unsought-for and unasked—
On the sheep hills I pluck thee.
Another version was—
Luibh Chalum-Chille gun sireadh, gun iarraidh ;
'S a dheoin Dia cha bhasaich mi nochd.
Translated
St Columba's herb (or wort) unsought-for and unasked ;
And please God, I will not die to-night.
The plant, carried about the person, was believed to act
as a charm or protection against all manner of evil agencies.
Old persons preserved it in the hope that their cattle and
.sheep would increase, and that prosperity in general
would attend them ; while school children carried it in
the hope of protecting themselves from the teacher's tawse.
The Eigg schoolboy who loitered on the road from school
in the evening was satisfied he would escape parental
reproof if, in course of his wanderings, he came across this
precious herb, unsought-for. On thus finding it, he said
Achlasan-Chalum-Chille, gun sireadh, gun iarraidh ;
'S a dheoin Dia cha 'n fhaigh mi achmhasan an nochd.
Translated
St Columba's herb, unsought-for and unasked ;
And please God, I will not be reproved to-night !
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