fcicuV- a^>it READING BOOK FOU THE USE OF STUDENTS OF THE GAELIC CLASS UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH. PART I. 'S i labhair Padruig an Innis-fml nan High 'S amfàidh tiaomh sin Calum caomh an I. EDINBURGH: MACLACHLAN & STEWART. 1883. ^s- ^30 Wy.^ì '^ 19 Ro The following extracts in Gaelic prose and verse are printed as a Reading Book for the use of students who attend the Class in connection with the Celtic Chair, The orthography and idiom of the authors differ in many cases, but it has been thought desirable to preserve this variety, as it illustrates the dialects of the various districts in the Highlands, and the want of uniformity among authors in writing the Gaelic language. A few apostrophes and a considerable number of accents have been removed from the page ; and the number of both might be still further reduced with advantage. The extracts now printed are selected simply for their style, and are intended to form a First or Junior Reading Book. A second volume of extracts, containing specimens of the higher efforts of modern Gaelic poets, along with specimens of older Gaelic and middle and old Irish, will afterwards be published. The College, Edinburgh, November 1, 1883. —— — CONTENTS. Rev. Norman Macleod, D.D. — PAGE Long mhor nan Eiltliireach , 1 Comhradh, 13 Lith- o Fhionnlailh Piobaire g'a Mhnaoi, . 23 Comhradh nan Cnoc, 29 Sealladh o MhuUach Beinne an Earra-Ghaidheal, ... 42 Sgeul mu Choire-na-sithe, 47 J. F. Campbell's " Tales of the West Highlands " Mac na Bantraich Bharraich, 55 Fionn an Tigh a' Bhlair-Bhuidhe gun chomas eirigh no suidhe, 67 [Rev. Neil Maclean, M.A.] Comhradh a' Chladaich, • . John Mackenzie— Tearlach fo Thearmunn Cheathairneach Ghlinne-Mou-er.ston, . Rev. John Macleod, D.D. Comhradh nan Cnoc, 94 Comhradh nan Cnoc, 104 vi Contents. [Lachlan Maclean]— PAGE Litir o'n Bhuirdeiseach Bhàn 113 Mary Macleod {Nighean Alasdair Ruaidh)— An Talla 'm bu ghnath le Mac-Leoici, 123 Luinneag Mhic-Leoid, 125 John Macdonald {Iain Lorn)— Oran air crunadli Kigh Tearlach II 129 Alexander MacDonald {Mac- Mhaighstir-Alasdair)— Oran do'n Phrionnsa, 132 Oran an t-Samhraidh, 134 John MacCodrum {Iain Mac-Fhearachair)— Di-moladh Piob Dhomhnuill Bhàin, 141 Oran na h-Aoise, ......... 147 DuGALD Buchanan— Am Bruadar, 153 An Claigeann, 157 Robert Mackay {Rob Bonn)— Jlarbhrann Eoghainn, 1G7 Marbhrann do chloinn f.hir tigh Euspuinn, .... 169 Marbhrann do Iain Mac-Eachainn, 171 Duncan M'Intyre {Donnachadh Bun)— Cead deireannach nam Beann, 175 Coire-Cheathaich, 178 William Eoss— Mac-na-Bracha, 184 OranGaoil, 186 EwEN MacLachlan— Marbhrann do Mhr. Seumas Beattie, 190 — Contents. vii Eev. James MacGregor, D.D. — PAGE Craobh-sgaoileadh an tSoisgeil, 196 William Livingston — Fios thun a' Bhaird, 203 Anonymous— An Gaidheal a' fàgail a Dluitlicha, 208 Miann a' Bhaii-d Aosda, 215 OlSEAN Earrann de "Fhionnghal," 221 Sean Dana— Earrann de "Dhàu an Deirg," 228 LOXG MHOE NAN EILTHIEEACH. [The five following extracts are by the late Rev. Norman Mac- Leod, D.D. Dr. MacLeod was bom iu the manse of ^lorven iu 1783, and died in Glasgow in 1862. He was successively minister of Campbeltown, Campsie, and St. Columba's, Glasgow. He was, in conjunction with Principal Baird of Edinburgh, the founder of the General Assembly's Education Scheme. He was Moderator of the General Assembly in 1836. He was Dean of the Chapel- Eoyal, and one of Her Majesty's Chaplains for Scotland. He was the author of many Gaelic publications. In 1829-31 he edited and for the most part wrote the Teachdaire Gaidhealach. In 1840-43 he edited Cuairtear nan Gleann. He also contributed to the Mountain Visitor, a Gaelic monthly edited by his son-in-law, the present minister of Kilmallie, the Rev. Dr. Clerk. He trans- lated the Psalms for the use of the Irish Church, and they are published in the Irish character. A selection from his vvorks, edited by Dr. Clerk, and with a "Biographical Sketch of the Author" by his gifted son, the late Rev. Norman MacLeod, D.D., of the Barony Parish, Glasgow, was published under the title of Caraid nan Gaidheal in 1867. Dr. MacLeod is admitted to be the best of our Gaelic prose writers. Of the first extract, Professor Blackie says that " for graceful simplicity and profound pathos, it is second to nothing that I know in any language, unless, indeed, it be the account of the death of Socrates in Plato's Phxdo, and some well-known chapters in the Gospel of St. John."] Am pilleadh dhomh air m'ais o I Chaluim Chille, thainig sinn, air an aon fheasgar shamliraidh a b'aillidh a chunnaic mi riamh, do àite tearuinte fasgach, a tha ann an ceann nm thuath an eilein A 2 Long Mhor nan Eilthireach. Mhuilich. Ar learn nacli faca mi caladh luingeis idir a tlia air a dbion o eirigh fairge agus o chumliachd stoirme mar tha e. Tha eilean fada caol 'g a clmairteachadh air an taobh a mnigli, a' sgaoileadh a sgiatlian gu cairdeil niu'n cuairt air gach soitheach beag agus long a tha 'g iarraidli fas^aidh 'n a tliaic o dhruim a' chuaiu, no tha feitheamli ri sid mara gus an rudha-mor a ghabhail. Air an laimh dheis mar chaidh sinn a stigh, tha 'm fearann ag eirigh gu corrach, cas, Bha sinn a' seoladh ri bile nan creag, agus bha geugan nan craobh a' lùbadh dluth dhuinn. Thainig fàileadh a' bharraich oirnn air oiteig an t-samhraidh, agus bha mile eun beag le'n ceilearadh binn a' seinn air gach preas, a' cur failte oirnn 'n uair a bha sinn a' seoladh seachad orra gu reidh, sàmhach. Cha robh taobh a thionndaidhinn mo shùil nach robh 'u sealladh taitneach. Bha na beanntan arda Morchuanach, 's iad uaine gu'm mullach ; Saaineart le chnocan 's le thulaichean boidheach, 's an Leathar- Morthairneach a' deanamh gairdeachais ann am bias an fheasgair shamhraidh. Aig ceaun shuas a' chaoil chi mi, " — Bheinn avd a's aillidh sgiamh, Ceann-feadhna nam mllte beann : Bi'dli aisling nan damli 'n a ciabh, 'S i leaba nan nial a ceann." An uair a dhluthaich sinn a stigh, cha robh r'a fhaicinn ach croinn nan luingeas, am brataichean a' snamh gu fann ris an t-soirbheas ; 's cha robh r'a chluinntinn ach farum ramh, 's torman nan allt agus nan eas, a bha tuiteam o iomadh sgairneach ard do'n clialadh a bha nis a' fosgladh gu farsuinn romhainn. ; Long Mhor nan Eilthireach. 3 thaobh gu taobli de'n traigh air an dara laimh, tha sraid de thighean mora cho geal ris an t-sneachd 's gu grad air an cul tha uchdacli chorracli chas, far am bheil an calltuinn, an caorann, agus an t-uinseann a' fas gu dosracli, cho dluth, direach os cionn nan tighean a tha fòpa, 's gu bheil an geugan, ar leat, a' Kibadh m'am mullach. Air braigh a' bhruthaich chi tlui a' chuid eile de'n bhaile eadar thu 's fàire, ionnus gur duilich dhuit àite 's boidhche agus a's neo-chumanta fhaicinn. Ach 's ann a mach 's a' chaladh a bha 'n sealladh a b'fhiach fhaicinn ; na ficheadan soitheach eadar mhor agus bheag, iomadh eithear caol le'n raimh uaine, a' bhirlinn riomhach le 'siuil gheala, 's an long- chogaidh le 'croinn arda, 's le 'brataich rioghail. Ach 'n am measg uile chomharraich mi aon long mhor a thug barr orra air fad : bha iomadh bàta beag a gabhail d'a h-ionnsuidh, agus mhothaich mi gu robh iad a deanamh deas g'a cur fa sgaoil. Bha aon duine leinn a thainig oirnn aig culaobh Mhuile, a's gann a thog a cheann fad an latha, a bha nis ag amharc gu h-iomaguineach air an luing mhoir so, " An aithne dhuit," thubhairt mi ris, " ciod i an long mhor so?" " Mo thruaighe," a deir esan, " 's ann domh is aithne ; 's duilich learn gu bheil barrachd 's a b'aill leam de m'luchd-eolais innte ; innte tha mo bhraithrean agus moran de m'chaomh chairdean a' dol thairis air imrich fhada, mhuladaich do America mu Thuath ; agus is bochd nach robh agamsa na bheireadh air falbh mi cuideachd." Tharruing sinn a nunn g'an ionnsuidh ; oir tha mi 'g aideachadh gu robh toil agam na daoine blàth- chridheach so fhaicinn, a bha 'u diugh a' dol a 4 Long Mhor nan Eilthircach. ghabhail an cead deireannach a dh'Albainn, air tòir duthcha far am faigheadh iad dachaidh bhunaiteach dhoibh fhein agus d'an teaghlaichean. Cha'n 'eil e comasach a thoirt air aon duine nach robli 's an lathair an sealladh a chunnaic mi 'n so a thuigsinn. Cha tig an la a theid e as mo chuimline. Bha iad an so eadar bheag agus mhor, o'n naoidliean a bha seacbduin a dh'aois gus an seann duine liath a bha tri fichead bliadhna 's a deich, Bu deistinneach ri fhaicinn an trom nihulad—an iarguin inntinn—an imcheist, 's am briateadh-cridhe a bha air an dearg- adh gu domhain air aghaidh na cuid bu mho dhiubh, a bha 'n so cruinn o iomadh eilean agus earrann de'n Ghaidhealtachd. Bheachdaich mi gu h-araidh air aon duine dall, aosmhor, a bha 'n a shuidhe air leth, 's triuir no cheathrar de chloinn ghillean mu'n cuairt da, a sheana ghairdeanan thairis orra, iad a' feuchainn cò bu dluithe a gheibheadh a stigh r'a uchd, a cheann crom os an cionn, fhalt liath agus an cuaileanan dualach, donna- san ag amaladh 'n a ch(^ile, agus a dheoir gvi trom, frasach a' tuiteam thairis orra.