Fhir-tighe Naomh Moire, 's oid-altrum a Mic! 'S tu dhiongas dha'n choigreach cùl taice 's ceann aoidh Fhuair Iosa agus Moire sàr chobhair fo d' iùl O Ioseph nam beannachd! cha b'fheagal domh chaoidh O Ioseph fhuair giftean 'us earras 'us cliù, THU RIAMH GUN SMAL. A Mhoire! 's eibhinn m'fhonn 's gur eutrom, Fhuair m' anam braon do dh-aighear Phàras. Fonn. An am bhi cuimhneachadh air do staid, Thu riamh gun smal, thu riamh gun smal! 'S miann-sùil le Iosa do chruth rò ghlan Togaidh ainglean binne ceolmhor, Suas fonn òrain a chinnidh-dhaonn' 'S thig naoimh Neamh na'n ioma comhlan Do ghin gun smal! Rinn Dia riut gràs MOIRE AN DU-BHROIN. Sheas lamh ri Crann-ceusaidh Iosa a Mhàthair.-Eoin xix., 25. Bu trom a bròn, Bu ghoirt a leon Bu dlù na deoir Bho shuil na h-Oigh, Ga cheusadh bed 'S i 'g amharc air. Co chuala no chunna, Tè eile a dh' fhuilig Do chruadalsa, Mhuire! Co è a b'urra, 'S gun shuil struthach, 'Sé mhiaduich a cràdh A mhin Mhoir-Oigh! Air Calbhari. 'S gach troidh 's gach dearna Mo pheacadh bais-se 'S m' aithreachais ! An crochadh ri craoibh Tearmunn 's dachaidh an taobhsa Crann-ceusaidh mo ghraidh, Sud leabhar an aigh As an ionnsuichear crabh, Umhailteachd gu bás, Olc a mhathadh do chách, 'S priomh-shubhaile a ghràidh Sior-mhaireannuich. As it is now getting late, and the time for us to wend our way homewards, I will conclude with an altachadh laidhe. In my young days in Strathglass the words of this altachadh were invariably the last words the people used after going to bed and before sleeping; and during the last 60 years I have never, on any night in my recollection, failed to say them myself : AN T-ALTACHADH LAIDHE. Laidhidh mis 'a nochd Ga m' dhion bho'n olc. Cha laidh an t-olc leam. Eiridh mi le Dia Ma 's ceadach le Dia leigeil leam. Deas-lamh Dhia, A Chriosta, gun robh leam. Bho throidhean mo bhuinn Gu mullach mo chinn Guidhim Peadar, guidhim Pol, At the meeting on this date the Secretary, on behalf of Mr Charles Fergusson, Cally, Gatehouse, Kirkcudbright, author of the Gaelic Names of Plants, &c. (vide Transactions Vol. VII.), read a paper entitled-"The Gaelic names of birds, with notes on their haunts and habits, and on the old superstitions, poetry, proverbs, and other bird lore of the Highlands." The paper was as follows:: THE GAELIC NAMES OF BIRDS. PART -I. The collecting and preserving of the Gaelic Names of Birds is a most important but much neglected work, and one which is getting every day more difficult, from their being less used now, and from the death of old people who knew them. Not only are the Gaelic names dying out, but I am sorry to say many of the birds themselves are dying out as well. Many of our noblest native birds the Great Auk, the Bustard, Stork, Bittern, &c., are totally extinct in the Highlands; whilst the Golden Eagle, Sea Eagle, Osprey, Ger Falcon, Goshawk, and a score of other noble birds, though quite common in every glen half a century ago, are now only to be found in the most remote and inaccessible corners of the Highlands and Islands; and if the ruthless slaughter that has been going on for the last generation goes on a few years longer, they will soon all be as extinct as the Great Auk, or the Dodo of New Zealand. I am glad to say, however, that some of the more patriotic proprietors in the Highlands are now trying to preserve the eagles, and other large birds of prey. One great cause of their destruction is the large price offered by sportsmen and collectors to gamekeepers and shepherds for the eggs of those rare birds, as well as for the birds themselves for stuffing. * Air bharraibh na firinn-On the roads of truth. |