MS 14879
Poetry of Iain Lom and Sìleas na Ceapaich.
© Catalogue record by National Library of Scotland
A notebook, 21 × 17.2 × 1.4 cm, bound in dark blue, half leather over cloth boards. In the hand of Rev. Dr. Alexander Irvine, minister of Little Dunkeld (1773–1824) and Gaelic collector. Section headings and contents description at the start were added by a later family member. The manuscript is undated; the paper is watermarked 1803.
It contains, in two sections, poetry of two MacDonald of Keppoch bards: (i) 18 songs ascribed to Iain Lom (ca. 1624–ca. 1707), with the 13th song stated to be by his son; the 8th song is misascribed and is in fact by the MacDonald poet Iain Dubh mac Iain mhic Ailein (ca. 1665–ca.1725); (ii) 16 songs ascribed to Sìleas na Ceapaich (ca. 1660–ca. 1729).
According to the later testimony of Irvine's son, the poetry was taken down directly from the recitation of John MacDonald of Dalchosnie (d. 1809), whose family was a branch of the MacDonald family of Keppoch (cf. NLS MS.14882, ff.i–ii, letter of Alexander Robertson Irvine to his own son Alexander, 23.1.1867.)
The manuscript was in the possession of the Irvine Robertson family until it was presented to the National Library of Scotland in 1961. A note on the front paste-down records the family's ownership of the manuscript at a point at which it left their hands for a while. It states that the volume was "lent to the University of Glasgow per Rev. Dr. George Balder for one year from 1 February 1921 per Rev. Dr. Maclean Watt, St Stephen's, Edinburgh." A paper label pasted onto the front cover says "Collection of Gaelic songs &c. The property of the family of Irvine-Robertson. Lent for a year to Glasgow University 1/2/1921". A paper label of similar text is pasted onto the spine.
The songs from this notebook have been included in Annie M. Mackenzie (ed.), Orain Iain Luim: Songs of John MacDonald, Bard of Keppoch, Scottish Gaelic Texts Society 8 (Edinburgh 1964) and Colm Ó Baoill (ed.), Bàrdachd Shìlis na Ceapaich, c. 1660–c. 1729: Poems and Songs by Sileas MacDonald, c. 1660–c. 1729, Scottish Gaelic Texts Society 13 (Edinburgh 1972). The manuscript is the subject of a bilingual learning resource, Bàird Ghàidhlig na Ceapaich/Gaelic Bards of Keppoch, on the website of the National Library of Scotland Dachaigh/Home — Gaelic Manuscripts (nls.uk).
The contents are in two parts, paginated separately 1–73 and 1–45 by the scribe. The songs are given titles and individual numbers, although for each poet the numbering is abandoned about half-way through. In most songs, the stanzas are also numbered. Refrains are given at the beginning, headed 'Corus'. There are no indications of tunes, but some singing instructions such as repetition of lines are included. Some of the texts bear scribal corrections and insertions.
The descriptions below begin with the titles given in the manuscript and give the pagination as found in the manuscript. The contents are:
A: Section One, headed "Orain le Iain Domhnulach — Iain Lom":
1 – 9 "Oran do Mharcus Atholl agus a thurras da dh'Earraghael sa bhliadna 1685", beg. Slan a chi mi thu Marcuis / Direach, masach, gun chromma. 24 stanzas of 8 lines.
10 – 15 "Murtadh na Ceapaich", beg. S tearc an diu' mo chuis ghaire / Teachd nan roidean an iar. 15 stanzas of 8 lines.
16 – 23 "Uilleam agus Marie", beg. An diu chualadh mi naigheachd / Air achd sgum b' amhalrach linn. 20 stanzas of 8 lines, with spaces left for two missing lines in stanza 7.
24 – 25 "Oran air morfhear Chloinn Domhnuil, Aonas og mac mhic ic Alistair — Le Ian Lom", beg. Deoch slainte a mhic ic Alistair / Lion barrach i sa chorn. 14 stanzas of 2 lines, with instructions to repeat the first line (?or both lines). The scribe omits number 5 in the numbering of stanzas and therefore arrives at 15 stanzas.
26 – 27 "Oran eile dan mhorfhear cheudna — Le Ian Lom", beg. Ach Aonais og Ghlinnich, / Gur tu m' fireanach seolta. 11 stanzas of 2 lines. The singing instructions suggest that the first 2 stanzas are to be sung together and followed by a refrain of 3 lines, Challain i ri ò ro / i ri aig ho, / Challain i ri o ro; then stanzas 2 and 3 are sung together, then 3 and 4, etc.
27 – 33 "Oran eile don mhorfhear ceudna — Le Ian Lom", beg. Ach Aonais oig Ghlinneach / Cha robh sinne umad suarach. 15 stanzas of 8 lines.
33 – 35 "Marbh-rann da 'n aon ceudna — Le Ian Lom", beg. S beg an t ioghna mi leatha / Si so bhliadna bhual brog orm. 15 stanzas of 2 lines, with instruction to repeat the first line (?or both lines).
35 – 36 [MacDonald, Iain Dubh mac Iain mhic Ailein]. "Marbhrann eile, dan aon cheudna, - Le Ian Lom", beg. Cha be bas mo cheann-cinne / So chuir mi fhein gu trom iomairte. Ascribed here to Iain Lom, but in fact by Iain Dubh; see C. Ó Baoill, Iain Dubh, p. 17. 6 stanzas (7-stress strophes), written as 4 lines each. With note at the end: "incomplete". Other versions of this song begin Ge fada nam dhùisg mi.
37 – 40 "Oran da Dhuic Gordan — Ri linn fogradh Righ Tearlach a dha. — Le Ian Lom", beg. Mi gamhrac Strath-Chuaiche / Smor mo ghruaim, scha bheg m' easlainte. 8 stanzas of 8 lines, with a refrain of 8 lines headed 'Corus', beginning Lamh Dhia linn a dhaoine / Cuin a chaochails a bheart so.
41 – 42 "Cumhadh air bas Aonais mac Raothail Oig na Ceapaich, chaidh mharbhadh latha Stron chlachan", beg. Righ gur mor mo chuid mhullaid / Ged as fheudar domh fhulang / Co be dheisteadh rim uireasibh aireamh. This stanza is written at the end of the song, marked "1st verse of the song", and the stanza that is wrongly placed at the beginning (Eun bochd mi gun daoine) is marked with a bold "2". 9 stanzas (7-stress strophes) of three lines.
42 – 44 "Oran da mhoirfhear Chlann Domhnuil", beg. Sga fadda a thuath mi / Slan iomradh da 'm uaislibh / Gur mithich dhomh gluasad gum thir. 13 stanzas (7-stress strophes) of 3 lines, with instruction for these to be repeated.
45 – 48 "Oran air crunadh righ Tearlach 2d. Le Iain Lom, air dha bhi chomhnich 'n clachaig", beg. Ga fadda am thosd mi / Mu se 's olc luibh / Thig an sops' e m' bhraighe. 20 stanzas (7-stress strophes) of 3 lines.
48 – 52 "Oran le mac iain Luim — air latha Rinruari", beg. Tha mi fo ghruaime / O luan gu madduinn dimairte. 11 stanzas of 8 lines (or 4 five-stress lines), with space left for two missing lines in the 10th stanza.
52 – 55 "Oran a rinn Iain Lom nuair a bha e fagail Lochaber", beg. Smi gam fhogairte e Clachaig / Smi gun mhaus, gun aitraibh. 18 stanzas (7-stress strophes) of 3 lines. Stanzas 5 and 10 are written on a separate slip of paper bound into the volume.
55 – 61 "Oran do Shir Eun Cameron Lochiall", beg. Gur muladach tha mi / 'G 'amhrac iommall nan raidean. 37 stanzas (7-stress strophes) of 3 lines, and an alternative reading for stanza 31 given at the end.
62 – 65 "Cumhadh air bas Mhontrose agus cor na rioghachd san am", beg. Mi gabhail Strath Dhruimuachdair / Sbeg m' aidhir anns an uair so. 15 stanzas of 4 lines.
65 – 69 "Cumhadh air bas Alastair mhic Colla, ceanard feachd an cogadh Mhontrose", beg. Smi bhi m shuidhe a Strath-Thardal/ A gamhrac trupan Thighearn' Adie. 26 stanzas (7-stress strophes) of 3 lines.
70 – 73 "Cumhadh air Sir Domhnul Sleite, agus a mhac Sir Seumas", beg. Sga fad tha mi m' thamh / Gu bheil 'm aigne fo phramh / On nach cadal domh seamh-'stim eiridh. 23 stanzas (7-stress strophes) of 3 lines. Pages 70-73. Pages [74]-[76] are blank except for the later heading "Section Two" on p. [75]
B: Section Two, beginning a new pagination sequence and headed on page 1: "Orain Ghaidhleach agus laoidhean le Silis ni' mhic Raonail".
1 – 5 "Oran 1. Air Latha Siorradh-miar. Sliabh 'n t-Sirradh", beg. Tha mulad, tha gruaim orm, tha brone [the -e in 'brone' possibly erased], / Fo dh'imich mo chairdibh air falbh. 16 stanzas of 5 lines in a Limerick-like metre.
5 – 8 "Oran air Latha Sliabh 'n t Siorradh", beg. Si sgeul a thaineadh 'n draste oirne / A dh'fhailnich air mo chioll. 10 stanzas of 8 lines.
9 – 10 "Oran, cumhadh bas a fir, agus a h ighinn." Beg. Siumadh smuanacha bochd, truagh, / Tha tighin eadar mi, smo shuain. 9 stanzas of three lines in 7-stress strophic metre, with the last line to be repeated.
11 – 13 "Oran air bais a fir & a h ighinn &c.", beg. Si so bhliadhna sfaidde chlaoidhe mi / Gun cheol, gun aidhir, gun fhaoilte. The second stanza was mistakenly written first, then given the number "2", followed by number "1"; stanzas 8 and 9 written after completion on an inserted sheet, and the numbering of stanzas adjusted accordingly. 14 stanzas of 4 lines, with a refrain (headed 'Corus') of 4 lines beginning Scomadh leum hein na co dhiu sin / Mirreadh na aidhir na sugradh. The refrain is written at the beginning and repeated at the end.
14 – 16 "Oran a rinn i, air dhi chluintuinn gun robh Righ Seumas a tighinn", beg. Sbinn an sgeuls' tha 'd a grathainn, / Mo Mhallie bheg o. 7 stanzas of 8 lines which incorporate recurring refrain lines.
16 – 17 "Oran a rinn i da Gilleasbuic a mac", beg. Ma stu Gilleasp Gordan / Sfearr cor air a chinneach thu. 3 stanzas of 8 lines with a refrain ("Corus") of 8 lines beginning Mo laochan mo laochan / Mo laochan Gilleaspachan.
18 – 19 "Oran da Mharie a nighean", beg.'Smath thig a mhuislin duit / Cuid ris a phearluin. 17 stanzas of two lines, with a refrain ('Corus') of 2 lines, Mo Mhari, mo Mharie, mo Mharie bi speisail.
20 – 23 "Oran Rioghail", beg. Righ! s diumach mi 'n iomairt / Chuir gach finne air fogradh. 6 stanzas of 13 lines, 3 of which are recurrent refrain lines (Dh'fhag e [or sibh] gun chadal am dhuisge mi).
23 – 24 "Oran comhairle da Mharie a h ighean", beg. Sbha mi uair dur a bha mi 'm ghruagaich / Gum faighinn uaigneas gun fhios do chach. 4 stanzas of 8 lines. In Ó Baoill's edition, pages 6-10, this song has 10 stanzas; Irvine's stanzas are versions of stanzas 5-8 of the song as it appears there.
25 – 28 "Oran na h obair notha", beg. Gur mise air mo bhothradh / Le tomhnadh na h obair notha. 10 stanzas of 8 lines, the fifth stanza missing lines 5-8.
29 – 32 "Cumhadh do Lachlain dall clairsfhear", beg. Slan a chaoidh le ceol na clarsich / Nis, on charadh tu Lachlain. 9 stanzas of 8 lines.
32 Song in praise of the harp, untitled, beginning Do bheatha a chlarsaich a nis / 'N deighs domh do thilgeadh uam. 4 stanzas of 4 lines, written as 2 stanzas of 8 lines.
33 – 35 "Laoidh, ga fear agus ga nighinn", beg. Smor mo mhulad 'smi m aonar / Smi 'm shuidhe an seomar gun luaidh. 8 stanzas of 8 lines.
36 – 40 "Laoidh, air breath agus fullangas an t Slanuifhear", beg. Si do bheatha Mhuire mhaidinn / On sgille do mhac na ghrian. 13 numbered stanzas of 8 lines, each written in two sections of 4 lines and published as 4-line stanzas in Ó Baoill's edition (pages 94-100). Heavily edited by the scribe, with two smaller sheets bound in containing stanzas to be inserted.
40 – 43 "Laoidh air a bhas agus an caochladh bheir e man cuairte", beg. Sgearr gus am bi an ceann so / Na chlagainn lom air grodadh. 16 stanzas of 4 lines.
43 – 45 "Comhraig an Aoige", beg. Ochoin! An nochd mar ata / Thanig am bas orm gun fhios. 12 stanzas of 4 lines. Page [46] is blank.