FOOTNOTES[1]Not published yet.[2]Parching.[3]Chill.[4]A tidy young woman.[5]The Egyptian Hagar was a foreigner, not a free-born; so is the English not to be permitted to assume authority, but to keep her own place as a slave, and not as the mistress.[6]A word taken fromgruag(hair), and given to females on account of the long hair which they wear, and means a young woman, also a household goddess, and is often used in irony, as here.[7]Elizabeth, the Queen of England.[8]Mary, a name given to the Gaelic, which was the name of the Queen of the Scots whom Elizabeth beheaded.[9]A loch between Athole and Strathardle.[10]The Atholites used to provoke the Ardleites with a tune which they played on the bagpipes when leaving them—Bodaich dhubh Sratharduil, gu’n d’fhag sinn nan cadal iad—The black churls of Strathardle we have left them asleep. In the Free Church of Kirkmichael, Strathardle, there has been no Gaelic preached for several years, and it is going and almost gone in the Established Church. I wish with all my heart that a company of the Atholites would cross over with a piper at their head, and play the following on the street of Kirkmichael:—Bodaich dhubh Srathàrduil,Cha Ghàel iad ach Sasannuich,Thréig iad mar na tràilleanCainnte bhlath an athraichean.And that they on their part would play the following:—Tosdaibh, bithibh sàmhachCha n’ àill leinn sibh bhi magadh oirnn,Bheir ar crìdh do n’ Ghàelic,’Sa chaoidh gu bràth cha dealaich ri.’S ’n uair thig rìs do ar tìrLe ceòl pìob ’us cridhcalas,Aran grinn, ’s còmhdach’ ìm’Agus cīr-mheala leisGheibh sibh uainn gu càirdealA shàsachadh ’ur stamagan,’Us seinnibh do na GhaelicNa h’-Ardlich ’s na h’-Athalich.Nuair bhios Goill mar na doill’Us an oidhch a’ luidhe orr,Gu ro thruagh, crith gu luath,’Us le fuachd ’g am meileachadh,Bidh sinne air ar blàth’chadh,’Sa Ghàelic ’gar teasachadh,’Us caoimhneas, gean ’us càirdeasSiòr fhàs ann ar n-anamaibh.Although my native country, I am quite ashamed of them. Is the schoolmaster a Highlander? Was it he who wrote the inscription “Mile failte” (a thousand welcomes) on the top of the arch on the occasion of a certain gentleman up the country taking home his English bride? I passed under it, and expressed my astonishment to see it, as the children spoke nothing but English on the street. Is the spark still alive in his soul? Is that spark capable of being enkindled into a flame?A thraill! Na’m bithinn ann ad ait, bheirinn oidhearp air mo chainnt-mhathaireil a theasairginn, ged a bhiodh i mar an t-uan ann am fiaclan casgraidh an leomhainn.Ye slave! Were I in your place, I would endeavour to rescue my mother-tongue, should it be like the lamb in the devouring teeth of the lion.[11]A channel from a river to a mill, or a mill-dam.[12]An t-alltan burn.When the Gaelic was spoken in Glenisla, the name of the stream wasan t-alltan, the same as we would say in broad Scotch, the burnie, that is the small stream. But when the Gaelic ceased to be spoken, and the broad Scotch came in its place, they called it an t-alltan-burn. Now burn is taken from the Gaelic wordburn, which means water, as the word whisky is taken fromuisge(water), also. In singing this poem, where two, or three, or four verses are following one another without the chorus, let them be sung to the same key. It will sing to the air of “Och nan och, ’us och mo leon!”
[1]Not published yet.
[1]Not published yet.
[2]Parching.
[2]Parching.
[3]Chill.
[3]Chill.
[4]A tidy young woman.
[4]A tidy young woman.
[5]The Egyptian Hagar was a foreigner, not a free-born; so is the English not to be permitted to assume authority, but to keep her own place as a slave, and not as the mistress.
[5]The Egyptian Hagar was a foreigner, not a free-born; so is the English not to be permitted to assume authority, but to keep her own place as a slave, and not as the mistress.
[6]A word taken fromgruag(hair), and given to females on account of the long hair which they wear, and means a young woman, also a household goddess, and is often used in irony, as here.
[6]A word taken fromgruag(hair), and given to females on account of the long hair which they wear, and means a young woman, also a household goddess, and is often used in irony, as here.
[7]Elizabeth, the Queen of England.
[7]Elizabeth, the Queen of England.
[8]Mary, a name given to the Gaelic, which was the name of the Queen of the Scots whom Elizabeth beheaded.
[8]Mary, a name given to the Gaelic, which was the name of the Queen of the Scots whom Elizabeth beheaded.
[9]A loch between Athole and Strathardle.
[9]A loch between Athole and Strathardle.
[10]The Atholites used to provoke the Ardleites with a tune which they played on the bagpipes when leaving them—Bodaich dhubh Sratharduil, gu’n d’fhag sinn nan cadal iad—The black churls of Strathardle we have left them asleep. In the Free Church of Kirkmichael, Strathardle, there has been no Gaelic preached for several years, and it is going and almost gone in the Established Church. I wish with all my heart that a company of the Atholites would cross over with a piper at their head, and play the following on the street of Kirkmichael:—Bodaich dhubh Srathàrduil,Cha Ghàel iad ach Sasannuich,Thréig iad mar na tràilleanCainnte bhlath an athraichean.And that they on their part would play the following:—Tosdaibh, bithibh sàmhachCha n’ àill leinn sibh bhi magadh oirnn,Bheir ar crìdh do n’ Ghàelic,’Sa chaoidh gu bràth cha dealaich ri.’S ’n uair thig rìs do ar tìrLe ceòl pìob ’us cridhcalas,Aran grinn, ’s còmhdach’ ìm’Agus cīr-mheala leisGheibh sibh uainn gu càirdealA shàsachadh ’ur stamagan,’Us seinnibh do na GhaelicNa h’-Ardlich ’s na h’-Athalich.Nuair bhios Goill mar na doill’Us an oidhch a’ luidhe orr,Gu ro thruagh, crith gu luath,’Us le fuachd ’g am meileachadh,Bidh sinne air ar blàth’chadh,’Sa Ghàelic ’gar teasachadh,’Us caoimhneas, gean ’us càirdeasSiòr fhàs ann ar n-anamaibh.Although my native country, I am quite ashamed of them. Is the schoolmaster a Highlander? Was it he who wrote the inscription “Mile failte” (a thousand welcomes) on the top of the arch on the occasion of a certain gentleman up the country taking home his English bride? I passed under it, and expressed my astonishment to see it, as the children spoke nothing but English on the street. Is the spark still alive in his soul? Is that spark capable of being enkindled into a flame?A thraill! Na’m bithinn ann ad ait, bheirinn oidhearp air mo chainnt-mhathaireil a theasairginn, ged a bhiodh i mar an t-uan ann am fiaclan casgraidh an leomhainn.Ye slave! Were I in your place, I would endeavour to rescue my mother-tongue, should it be like the lamb in the devouring teeth of the lion.
[10]The Atholites used to provoke the Ardleites with a tune which they played on the bagpipes when leaving them—Bodaich dhubh Sratharduil, gu’n d’fhag sinn nan cadal iad—The black churls of Strathardle we have left them asleep. In the Free Church of Kirkmichael, Strathardle, there has been no Gaelic preached for several years, and it is going and almost gone in the Established Church. I wish with all my heart that a company of the Atholites would cross over with a piper at their head, and play the following on the street of Kirkmichael:—
Bodaich dhubh Srathàrduil,Cha Ghàel iad ach Sasannuich,Thréig iad mar na tràilleanCainnte bhlath an athraichean.
Bodaich dhubh Srathàrduil,Cha Ghàel iad ach Sasannuich,Thréig iad mar na tràilleanCainnte bhlath an athraichean.
Bodaich dhubh Srathàrduil,Cha Ghàel iad ach Sasannuich,Thréig iad mar na tràilleanCainnte bhlath an athraichean.
Bodaich dhubh Srathàrduil,
Cha Ghàel iad ach Sasannuich,
Thréig iad mar na tràillean
Cainnte bhlath an athraichean.
And that they on their part would play the following:—
Tosdaibh, bithibh sàmhachCha n’ àill leinn sibh bhi magadh oirnn,Bheir ar crìdh do n’ Ghàelic,’Sa chaoidh gu bràth cha dealaich ri.’S ’n uair thig rìs do ar tìrLe ceòl pìob ’us cridhcalas,Aran grinn, ’s còmhdach’ ìm’Agus cīr-mheala leisGheibh sibh uainn gu càirdealA shàsachadh ’ur stamagan,’Us seinnibh do na GhaelicNa h’-Ardlich ’s na h’-Athalich.Nuair bhios Goill mar na doill’Us an oidhch a’ luidhe orr,Gu ro thruagh, crith gu luath,’Us le fuachd ’g am meileachadh,Bidh sinne air ar blàth’chadh,’Sa Ghàelic ’gar teasachadh,’Us caoimhneas, gean ’us càirdeasSiòr fhàs ann ar n-anamaibh.
Tosdaibh, bithibh sàmhachCha n’ àill leinn sibh bhi magadh oirnn,Bheir ar crìdh do n’ Ghàelic,’Sa chaoidh gu bràth cha dealaich ri.’S ’n uair thig rìs do ar tìrLe ceòl pìob ’us cridhcalas,Aran grinn, ’s còmhdach’ ìm’Agus cīr-mheala leisGheibh sibh uainn gu càirdealA shàsachadh ’ur stamagan,’Us seinnibh do na GhaelicNa h’-Ardlich ’s na h’-Athalich.Nuair bhios Goill mar na doill’Us an oidhch a’ luidhe orr,Gu ro thruagh, crith gu luath,’Us le fuachd ’g am meileachadh,Bidh sinne air ar blàth’chadh,’Sa Ghàelic ’gar teasachadh,’Us caoimhneas, gean ’us càirdeasSiòr fhàs ann ar n-anamaibh.
Tosdaibh, bithibh sàmhachCha n’ àill leinn sibh bhi magadh oirnn,Bheir ar crìdh do n’ Ghàelic,’Sa chaoidh gu bràth cha dealaich ri.’S ’n uair thig rìs do ar tìrLe ceòl pìob ’us cridhcalas,Aran grinn, ’s còmhdach’ ìm’Agus cīr-mheala leisGheibh sibh uainn gu càirdealA shàsachadh ’ur stamagan,’Us seinnibh do na GhaelicNa h’-Ardlich ’s na h’-Athalich.Nuair bhios Goill mar na doill’Us an oidhch a’ luidhe orr,Gu ro thruagh, crith gu luath,’Us le fuachd ’g am meileachadh,Bidh sinne air ar blàth’chadh,’Sa Ghàelic ’gar teasachadh,’Us caoimhneas, gean ’us càirdeasSiòr fhàs ann ar n-anamaibh.
Tosdaibh, bithibh sàmhach
Cha n’ àill leinn sibh bhi magadh oirnn,
Bheir ar crìdh do n’ Ghàelic,
’Sa chaoidh gu bràth cha dealaich ri.
’S ’n uair thig rìs do ar tìr
Le ceòl pìob ’us cridhcalas,
Aran grinn, ’s còmhdach’ ìm’
Agus cīr-mheala leis
Gheibh sibh uainn gu càirdeal
A shàsachadh ’ur stamagan,
’Us seinnibh do na Ghaelic
Na h’-Ardlich ’s na h’-Athalich.
Nuair bhios Goill mar na doill
’Us an oidhch a’ luidhe orr,
Gu ro thruagh, crith gu luath,
’Us le fuachd ’g am meileachadh,
Bidh sinne air ar blàth’chadh,
’Sa Ghàelic ’gar teasachadh,
’Us caoimhneas, gean ’us càirdeas
Siòr fhàs ann ar n-anamaibh.
Although my native country, I am quite ashamed of them. Is the schoolmaster a Highlander? Was it he who wrote the inscription “Mile failte” (a thousand welcomes) on the top of the arch on the occasion of a certain gentleman up the country taking home his English bride? I passed under it, and expressed my astonishment to see it, as the children spoke nothing but English on the street. Is the spark still alive in his soul? Is that spark capable of being enkindled into a flame?A thraill! Na’m bithinn ann ad ait, bheirinn oidhearp air mo chainnt-mhathaireil a theasairginn, ged a bhiodh i mar an t-uan ann am fiaclan casgraidh an leomhainn.Ye slave! Were I in your place, I would endeavour to rescue my mother-tongue, should it be like the lamb in the devouring teeth of the lion.
[11]A channel from a river to a mill, or a mill-dam.
[11]A channel from a river to a mill, or a mill-dam.
[12]An t-alltan burn.When the Gaelic was spoken in Glenisla, the name of the stream wasan t-alltan, the same as we would say in broad Scotch, the burnie, that is the small stream. But when the Gaelic ceased to be spoken, and the broad Scotch came in its place, they called it an t-alltan-burn. Now burn is taken from the Gaelic wordburn, which means water, as the word whisky is taken fromuisge(water), also. In singing this poem, where two, or three, or four verses are following one another without the chorus, let them be sung to the same key. It will sing to the air of “Och nan och, ’us och mo leon!”
[12]An t-alltan burn.When the Gaelic was spoken in Glenisla, the name of the stream wasan t-alltan, the same as we would say in broad Scotch, the burnie, that is the small stream. But when the Gaelic ceased to be spoken, and the broad Scotch came in its place, they called it an t-alltan-burn. Now burn is taken from the Gaelic wordburn, which means water, as the word whisky is taken fromuisge(water), also. In singing this poem, where two, or three, or four verses are following one another without the chorus, let them be sung to the same key. It will sing to the air of “Och nan och, ’us och mo leon!”
GLASGOW: PRINTED BY WILLIAM GILCHRIST, HOWARD STREET.