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Some of our minor Scotch poets take a great
interest in Gaelic literature and complain bitterly
that we don't give them full translations from
the works of our Highland bards, whom we
praise so much. They say that poems in any
other European language they can guess at with
the assistance of Latin, German, Greek, French,
etc., but Gaelic to them is a sealed book, and
they cannot believe that either Iain Lom, Mairi
Nighean Alasdair Ruaidh, Alasdair MacMhaighstir
Alasdair, or Duncan Ban Maclntyre, could
produce anything like Byron, Scott, or Burns.
The complaint is natural, and it is to be hoped
that someone with a competent knowledge of the
Gaelic language will come to their assistance by
translating the best Gaelic poems that have not
hitherto been done. There are, however, a good
many translations of poems and songs if people
knew whei'e to find them. The late Rev.
Thomas Pattison, of Isla, Professor Blackie,
Alexander Nicolson, and others, have produced
• very good translations of some of our best Gaelic
poems, and Messrs Henry Whyte, Lachlan Mac-
Bain, M. MacFarlane, and others have done the
same for many of our songs. The late Professor
Blackie studied the Gaelic language late in life,
and produced very good translations of Duncan
Maclntyre's best poems and some others, but, of
course, as we all know, translations into such a
hotch-potch language as the English, must
always fall far short of the original.
RAONALL NA SGEITHE
(RANALD OF THE SHIELD).
Ranald MacDonald, or Ranald of the shield,
was a son of Allan MacDonald of Achatriachadan
in Glencoe. He distinguished himself as a soldier
under Montrose and Dundee, and was also with
the Highland army that defended Worcester
against ten times their number so gallantly as to
make even their enemies regret their sufterings
until the king himself at length ordered them to
retreat. He was killed at the horrible massacre
of Glencoe on February 12th, 1691 or 1692. He
left two sons, Donald and Alexander, who escaped
from the massacre by having stolen away a few
days previously after a servant from Glenlochy to
visit their aunt who was married to Campbell of
Achariach. Donald on his return found his father
murdered and his home burnt down and desolate.
The traditional story regarding the soubriquet of
"Ronald of the Shield" is as follows :—An
English dragoon who had been taken prisoner by
Montrose's army, on discovering that the Highlanders
had not been trained to use the sword
without the target despised their swordmanship.
He said in Ronald's presence that if he had not
been a prisoner he would fight the best Highlander
in Montrose's army with the sword alone against
sword and target. " Man," exclaimed Ronald
indignantly, " do you think any Highlander
would take such an advantage in fighting you ?
I will fight you with dirk and target against
your sword which puts the advantage on your
side. Your being a prisoner need not deter you,
for I pledge my honour, if you beat me, you will
beset at liberty." " Get me a promise to that
effect from the General," said the dragoon, " and
our wager of battle is complete." "Montrose
is a disciplinarian," said Ronald, but if you beat
me, there is not a MacDonald now present, or in
the royal army, who will not feel himself bound
in honour to make my pledge good." The
Englishman kneAv the clan faith and feeling
and Avas satisfied. The instant the men
stood ready for action they were intercepted
by the sudden appearance of "Ailean
dubh nam fiadh," the celebrated Dalness deerstalker,
who hearing of the duel hastened to take
the place of Ronald and fight the Englishman.
Ronald refused to allow any man to take his
wager of battleoutof his own hands, on which Allan
said to him in Gaelic :
" 'S fhearr an claidheamh,
gu mòr na' bhiodag 's an targaid. Gabh mo
chomhairle, oir cha'n'eil fios ciod a dh'èireas
dhuit " (the sword is much better than the dirk
and target. Take my advice, or there is no knowing
what may happen to you). "Cha'n'eil,"
replied Ronald sternly, "fios 'de a dh'eireas
dhomhsa, ach eiridh an diabhol fhein dhasan " (no
there is no knowing what may happen to me, but
the very devil will happen to him). The result of
the combat is incomplete but the dragoon did not
gain his liberty, and Ronald gained his traditionally
celebrated soubriquet— " Raonall na Sgeithe."
He composed several songs, one entitled " Latha
Raon Ruari,"* is a very long one of 216 lines, of
which the following stanza will give an idea :
'S do la, a Raon Ruari
A dh'fhàg luaineach mo dhùsgadh,
Mu na thuit de Chlann Dònihnaill
'S cha bu leòn o'n taobh cùil daibh,
'Toirt a mach an ra-treata
'Choisinn ceuta le diùbhail,
'S gedbu thèarnadh gu leir dhaibh
Bha bàs Chleibhers r' a chùnntadh.
Captain Campbell gives a free translation of the
song which relates to the battle of Killiecrankie,
fought on the 27th of July, 1687, and the repulse
at Dunkeld on the 21st of August following.
* The battle of Killicrankie was fought on Saturday,
July 27th, 1689, and on August 21st the Highlanders
attacked Dunkeld, but were repulsed with the loss of
300 men.
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