The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

Skye Bards. 759.
printer declaring the MS. unreadable, it was given to Mr
Lachlan Maclean, who re-copied it, and obtained the
author's consent to write three hymns himself, viz., the first
two and the last.
Rev. Nigel Macneil says :— " The hymns of John
Morrison, Skye (1828), are now scarcely read."
DONALD MACLEOD.
An excellent paper on Donald Macleod, the Skye Bard
—his life and songs—has already been read to this Society
by Dr Macdiarmid. The paper is published in our first
volume, and hence I need not refer to him at any length.
In 181 1, when he was 26 years of age, he published a book
of 272 pages, containing, not only songs by himself, but
songs by other Skye bards.
Some of William Ross's songs are in it, and six by
Ronald Macdonald already referred to. On page 210 is a
song entitled " Oran do Throternish," the author of which,
though a Skyeman, I have been unable to trace. There
are ten verses in it. In later collections it is called " Oran
chlann Do'nuill nan Eilean." I shall quote the first two
verses
—
Beir soraidh uam gu m' eolas
Gu Troiternish 's e 'b aite leam ;
An talamh maiseach, boidheach.
An tir ro ordail, mhearcaiteach :
Far bheil na daoine coire,
Dh' fhas fialaidh, mor, neo-acaineach ;
Mnai-uaisl' is suairce comhradh.
Gun ghruaim, gun phrois an taice dhoibh.
An tir ro fharmail, chliuiteach, ainmeil,
Mhuirneach, mheanmnach, mhacanta ;
Bu lionmhor sealbhach iasg na fairge
Trie 'g a mharbhadh taice ri' :
Thig bradan tarra-gheal, uineach, mealgach,
Iteach, earra-ghlan, breac-lannach :
Am fonn an dearbhte 'n cinn an t-arbhar
Diasach, ceanna-mhor, pailt-ghraineach.