Chapter III: Part 3

I am convinced that the teaching of nature has not been attended to as it ought. A person properly influenced by it, and humbly receiving its teaching, is conscious that he is under the guidance of a safe teacher. I will give one instance of nature’s teaching. I have two grandchildren in my house, a boy and a girl, about four years of age, who are very fond of their grandpapa, so fond that they wish to be oftener with him than he considers desirable. Should he only request them to go out in the usual way, they only laugh at him. If he rises to put them out, they run under the table like kittens. When he is on the one side they are on the other, where his hand cannot reach them. He then has to take the strap and threaten them severely and, even when putting them out with that severity, they put their backs to the door to prevent him from shutting it, and sometimes weep bitterly, which is very painful to his feelings. Nature, however, has taught him a different lesson: to speak kindly to them in a low tone of voice, and instantly they go out quite happy, and even saying, “Put the snib on the door, grandpapa.”

THE GAELIC BANNER.

BRATACH NA GAELIC.

’S gu’m b’éibhinn, gu’m b’éibhinn,
Gu’m b’éibhinn a’ Bhrataich i,
’S gu’n leumainn, gu’n leumainn,
Gu’m leumainn le h-aiteas rith:
Teannaibh dlùth le aon rùn,—
Teannaibh dlùth gu cabhagach,
Cuiribh ’n àird i ’s gach àit
Biodh gu h-aluinn ’crathadh i,
’S aig éigheach, aig éigheach,
Aig éigheach gur maireann i.
’S gur spéiseil, gur spéiseil,
Gur spéiseil ri labhairt i!
’S gibht o Dhia i gach ial
Chaoidh nan cian cha dealaich rith?
Fhuair i àit ann ar gràdh,
Tha ri ’r nàdur ceangailte,
’S cha tréig sinn, cha tréig sinn,
Cha tréig sinn ’n ar n-anam i;
’S cha ghéill sinn, cha ghéill sinn,
Cha ghéill sinn, do’n t-Shasunnach,

An e so seana Chabair-féidh?

Cumaibh suas a’ Ghàelic ghrinn
Ann ’ur srathaibh ’us ur glinn;
Deanaibh ’teagasg do ur cloinn,
’S na cuireadh Goill fo’n casan i.

Labhraibh i gu sgairteal dàn
Gun aon rugh ’n ’ur gruaidh le nàir;
Anns a’ bhaile ’s air an t-sràid,
Ged bhiodh e làn do Shasunnach.
Cumaibh suas, &c.

Cainnt na h-aoigheachd ’us na fàilt,
Cainnt a’ chaoimhneis ’us a’ ghràidh,
A bheir aoibhneas ’s gean gu fàs,
’S a chuireas blàth’s ’n ’ur n-aignidhean.
Cumaibh suas, &c.

Cha b’ionnan i ’s Bhanshas’nnach mhòr
’Rinn àrd sgoileirean na h-Oigh,
Le Gréigis thioram, ’s Laidionn reòt,
’S ann chuir iad còmhdach’ sneachdaidh oirr.
Cumaibh suas, &c.

Cha’n’eil i tioram, [2]crainntidh, fuar,
Mar bhean mhòr-chuiseach na h’uaill,
Mu bhios sibh pòsda ri bidh truagh,
’Us ni le fuachd ’ur [3]meileachadh

’S dh’ fheumadh pige dh’ uisge sgàld,
A chuir fo bhonn ’ur cos ’se làn,
’S còmhdach tlàth o’r ceann gu’r sàil
Mu’m blàthaich sibh ’san leaba leth.

Cha b’ionann i ’s a’ [4]chruinneag chòir,
Nighinn a’ Ghàel ’s a’ cridh a’ teòth,
Tha innte blàth’s ’us tlus gu leoir,
’S i gun mhòrchuis ceangailt rith.
Cumaibh suas, &c.

A bhan-[5]Ephiteach ’s a’ bhan-tràill
Na gabhaibh steach an caidreamh blàth,
Na bean-taigh’ na biodh gu bràth,
Biodh i ghnàth ’na ban-oglaich.

Cumaibh i ri obair chruaidh,
Biodh i mach ri am an fhuachd,
(Ged tha i làn do ’n stràichd ’s do ’n uaill);
Oir tha [6]ghruagach cleachdta ris.
Cumaibh suas, &c.

Tha ’feachd ’sa h-armailt ri dian strì,
Gach bochd ’us beairteach thoirt fo ’cìs,
’S a cuir ’n a suidhe mar bhanrìgh,
Anns an tìr mar [7]Ealasaid.

Ach fhad ’s a bhios an fhuil gu blàth,
’Ruith ann an cuislibh nan Gàel,
Cha dean iad strìochdadh dhi gu bràth
Ged ni sgàin ’s a chraicionn i.

Cha cheadaich iad d’am [8]Màiri ghrinn,
Mhàlda, bhanail, cheolmhòr bhinn,
Bhi gun tròcair call a cinn
Leis a’ mhilltear Shasunnach.
Cumaibh suas, &c.

Am maighstir-sgoile anns gach àit
Deanaibh ghrad chuairteachadh gun dàil,
’S abraibh ris gu daingean, dàn’,
“Cha leig ’ur cànain seachad sinn!”

“’S dean thusa ’teagasg do ar cloinn,
A chum ’s gu ’n leugh iad i le sgoinn,
’S nach bi iad uimpe mar na doill
’Us na Goill ri fanaid orr’.

“’Us àill leinn thu dhoibh theagasg beurl,
A chum ’s gu ’n tuig iad i ’s gu ’n leugh,
Ach do ’n Ghàelic thug sinn spéis,
’S thoir-sa éisdeachd ealamh dhuinn.”
Cumaibh suas, &c.

’S gach neach ’n ur measg a chi ’ur sùil
’Us earball peacaig air a chùl,
’Le uaill ’s le mòr-chuis a chion-tùir
A’ diùltadh bhi ga labhairt ruibh.

Labhraibh ris gun mhodh gu grad,
Abraibh ris gun sgeig, gun mhag’;
Tha sinne ’faicinn mach troimh t’aid’
Cluasan fad na h-asail ort!
Cumaibh suas, &c.

Tha Goill ’us Sas’nnaich tigh’nn ’nam brùchd
A nios le carbadan ’n a smùid,
’S ni iad a fògradh as an dùth’ch
Mar grad dhùisg na h-Athalaich’.

Dùisgibh, dùisgibh, ’luchd mo ghaoil,
Seasaibh le dùrachd air a taobh,
’Bratach gu sùrdail deanaibh sgaoil,
A chum ’s a ghaoth gun crathadh i.

’S na bodaich dhubh ’n taobh thall [9]Lochbraon,
Abraibh riu le h-iolaich glaoidh,
Nach ’eil sibh uile gabhail nàir,
’S gu’n d’fhàg sinn n’ ur [10]cadal sibh?

Nach ’eil fo nàir sibh thaobh ’ur dùth’ch’,
Ris a bhan Ghàel bhi cuir ’ur cùl,
’S mar na tràillean lub ’ur glùn
’S toirt ùmhlachd do ’n bhan Shasunnaich!
Cumaibh suas, &c.

Gach creag ’us coire, stùchd ’us càrn,
Gach lag ’us cnochd, ’us slios, ’us learg,
Gach glaic ’us tullaich, eas ’us allt,
Tha ’labhairt cainnt ar n-athraichean,

Tha guth ri chluiantinn o gach fonn,—
Gach dail, ’us bail’, ’us dùn, ’us tòm,—
Gach beinn, ’us coill, ’us leachduinn lòm
Tha gu pongail ’labhairt iad.
Cumaibh suas, &c.

Nach ro mhuladach an sgeul,
Ma bhios ’ur gincil thig ’n-’ur déigh
Gun aon smid dhi ann am beul,
Ach i gu lèir mar Laidionn doibh.

[11]Dal-an-amair an Gleann Ile?
Cha tuig aon anam tha ’s an tìr
An [12]t-alltan _burn_ rinn iad na bhurn;
Ach ’n a bhurn ’us cabhbaig air.
Cumaibh suas, &c.

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 from _gruag_ (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 tràillean
Cainnte bhlath an athraichean.

And that they on their part would play the following:—

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.

[12] _An t-alltan burn._ When the Gaelic was spoken in Glenisla, the name of the stream was _an 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 word _burn_, which means water, as the word whisky is taken from _uisge_ (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.