An gaidheal - National Library of Scotland

166 AN GAIDHEAL. Coinl llhios an l-'hogharaidh, 1873.Mo chrodh-laoigh,Hug .:.,Dol gu àiridh,Hao-ri, ho-i'!S mo chroclh-;lliig Ò,Ciil a' ghàraidli,Hao-ri, ho-iVi.Thig ant eathar,Hugo,'N seo am maireach,Hao-ri, liò-ròBidh m' athair ann,Hug Ò,'S mo thriiiir bliràithrean,Hao-ri, hò-rù ;Bidh Mac-ant-Sliaoir,Hi.g u.Air ràinb-braghad,Hao-ri, horo.Gheobh iad mise.Hug 6,An deigh mo bhàthadh,Hao-ri, hti-rò :Mo cbuailein donn,Hug o,Feadh na tràghad,Hao-ri, hù-rò.Note. —The esteemed friend to whom I am indebted for the words of the foregoingWail, explains, in his accompanying letter, the incident to which it owes its origin.It is represented as having been addressed to her servant maid upon the beach, by awoman who had gone to the shore at low water to gather shell-tish and dilse, but wascaught and surrounded on a rock by the rising tide. The cruel-hearted maid, in theexpectation of being herself in due time installed in her mistress' place, lent a deafear to her entreaties, refused to render any assistance, and allowed the haplesswoman to perish in the rising billows. The miscreant's purpose was frustrated,however ; her heartless conduct having been suspected, or having become kiio\vn, shebecame the object of such universal execration that she was obliged to remove fromthe district, in order to escape the treatment which she so richly merited.The music attached to the Wail is exc3edingly touching and simple ; and notwithstandingthat it contains none of the sad or sensitive tones of the scale—consisting asit does almost entirely of d'l, me, and .so/i—it has a most weird and desolate effect.I should like that some one of the best versifiers or translators among your contributorswould furnish a version of it for the benefit of English readers.A most interesting reminiscence connected with this Wail is, that it was sung byan Easdale man. now no more, while ferrying Her Majesty and the Prince Consortacross Loch Tay, in a barge under the command of Macdougall of Lorn, on the evermemoraldeoccasion of the Queen's visit to the late Marquis of Breadalbane at TaymouthCastle, in 1842. In chronicling the iinparalleled splendours of the princelywelcome and entertainment which she then received, the Queen herself pays atribute to the singing of the rowers. She says, in Learea from the Journal of ourLife in the Hiijldands, "The boatmen sang two Gaelic l^oat-songs, very wild andsingular ; the language so guttural and yet so soft."—J. W.CEOLFhir mo chridhe,—Tlia na gilleaii-truisirnischo lioumhor, falbhauacb,'s nach 'eil annas agani dLut anturas seo. Mu 'n gann a dh' aithrisearsgial-ùr, gheobhar air ais As a'Ghalldachd e air na carbaid tboite 'seach, na'eige de cblòtli-dubh Cbille-Math - Chùc ; a bhuidheachas sindaibhsan, na gillean ceanalta, agusdo 'n dealan a tha nis, ach beag annsgach baile. Mm- teid mi cliromadhair " a' blialg-tliionàil," ma ta, cha'n'eil fhios agam ciod a thairgeas midhut. Na'm biodh tu làmli-riumghabhaiiin port-à-bial dliut, bho 'nNAN GAIDHEAL."Is trie a bhà sinn, fhir mo chridhe.Gun jdiiob gun f hidhill a' dannsa."Cleas ioma rud eile, tha na jjùirt a'dol air cliall. Gheobhar, gun teagamh,morau diubh an leabhraicheanciùil,agus sin gu trie fo ainm Gallda.Ach c' àite bheil na facail a tha nacamagan dubh ud a' riochdachadli 1Is culaidh-ioghnaidh nach beag gu 'nleigteadh aog fuinn agus puirt a bhaliaithin 's an daoine bho liun gu linnag èisdeachd 's ag cluith mu seach aira' chlàrsaich 's air a' phiob, gun urad's lorg am buinn f liàgail. Is ann debhuaidhean a' chiiiil, mar is math tha