MS 29901 (formerly Acc.13249)
© Catalogue record by National Library of Scotland
242 + [2] pp., quarto, paper, ca. 1834. Spiritual poetry of John Maclean, known as Bàrd Thighearna Chola, 1787-1848, in his own hand. In a bound quarto volume with a label on the spine reading "Gaelic MS". The manuscript was probably the printer's copy made for the edition of Maclean's poems printed in Glasgow in 1835 by Bell & Bain. This follows the order and orthography of the songs contained in this volume but does not the print the last ten (from p. 149 onwards), a fact which probably ensured that the manuscript was not discarded after printing. Paginated 3-242, with a further unnumbered page of text following p. 242. Pp. 233-240 are written on four sheets of laid paper, dated 1816, pasted into the back of the volume. Wanting the first leaf, containing title and part of contents list. The current first leaf is worn, suggesting that the binding was added somewhat later.
Provenance. Inscription "Gavin R. L. Brown" on front free endpaper. This is likely to be Gavin Robert Lockhart Brown, the donor's grandfather and son of Gavin Brown, stevedore in Glasgow (1824-1898) and Elizabeth Lockhart Shirlaw (died 1932), daughter of Elizabeth Lockhart and Thomas Shirlaw, Glasgow. Elizabeth Lockhart was a daughter of Robert Lockhart, schoolmaster in Carluke (d. 1843). It is likely that any Gaelic connections of the family were on Gavin Brown's side, but due to the loss of the first leaf of the present manuscript, any evidence for tracing these is lost.
Presented, 2011.
Contents
The contents listed below have been compared with John Maclean, Laoidhean Spioradail, le Iain Mac Gilleain, a rugadh ann an Ellain Tirreadh, an a shioramachd Erraghaidheal, ann an Alabuinn, sa tha n drast a n America mu thuath, Glasgow: Bell & Bain, 1835 (cited as Maclean 1835) and A. Maclean Sinclair (ed.) Dàin Spioradail le Iain Mac-Gilleain, Edinburgh 1880 (cited as DS 1880). John Maclean's own edition follows the contents of the manuscript up to and including the hymn beginning on p. 139, and leaves the rest unpublished. Sinclair's edition — which prints some additional songs not found here - does not print all of the songs contained in the manuscript, either, and makes significant changes to those that it does print. A number of songs in the manuscript therefore remain unpublished or are published in an edition not true to the poet's own text.
P. 3 "Neo churan an t-sluaidh"
Gur tric mi smaointeachadh air an t-sluagh / A tha neo churamach ann 's
gach uair. 22 stt. of 4 lines
Maclean 1835, pp. [5]-7; not found in DS 1880.
P. 8 "Iartas a n' fhireinn"
'S o Righ tha gu h-ard / Deun sealtuin na thra
16 stt. of 12 lines
Maclean 1835, pp. 7-12; not found in DS 1880.
P. 16 "Fiorisleachadh air slanuigh-ear"
'S ir a chruthaich a 'n tùs mi / Thoir dhomh tùr agus leirsin
24 stt. of 8 lines
Maclean 1835, pp. 12-16; DS 1880, pp. 14-20, "Am Fear-Saoraidh".
P. 26 "Na h-uaibhrich amaideach"
Gur mulladach na smaointinn / Th aig daoinibh ann 's gach am
27 stt. of 8 lines
Maclean 1835, pp. 17-22; DS 1880, pp. 48-54.
P. 34 "Smuaintinn a Chriosdaidh mun bhàs"
S tric a tighin fo shuim dhomh / Gu bheil againn ri striochdadh do 'n
bhàs
23 stt. of 8 lines
Maclean 1835, pp. 22-27; not found in DS 1880.
P. 45 "Dusgadh madainn a Chriosdaidh"
Nam dhuin eridh sa mhadain / Sinn a cadal a dùsgadh
26 stt. of 8 lines
Maclean 1835, pp. 27-32; not found in DS 1880.
P. 55 "Turus a Chriosdaidh"
'S e mo sgeula ri innse / Ma 'r dh'fholbh an criosdaidh air thurus
25 stt. of 8 lines
Maclean 1835, pp. 32-37; DS 1880, pp. 79-82.
P. 65 "Saighdearabh Chriosd"
'S ann tha 'n uram go strigh / A staighdearabh Chriosd
23 stt. of 6 lines.
Maclean 1835, pp. 37-40; DS 1880, pp. 85-89.
P. 72 "Uamhas a bhàis"
So anam thruidh nach duisg thu suas / Nach smuaintich thu na thràth
23 double qtt.
Maclean 1835, pp.41-45; DS 1880, pp. 119-122.
P. 81 "Breith agus bàs air Slanuighear"
Eiridh anam neo bhàsmhor / Seall a 'n aird ris a 'n triath
29 stt. of 8 lines
Maclean 1835, pp.45-51; DS 1880, pp. 23-28, "Irioslachadh Chriosda"
P. 93 "Cuirreadh an t-Slanuighear"
'S e n cuirreadh grasmhor a thug air slanuighear / Do pheacaidh dhana
bhi tarruing dlùth
17 stt. of 8 lines
Maclean 1835, pp.51-54; DS 1880, pp. 40-43.
P. 100 "Leantuinn a 'n uain"
'S ann le leantuinn a 'n uain / Tha na naoimh a toirt buaidh le
strigh
23 stt. of 8 lines
Maclean 1835, pp.55-59; DS 1880, pp. 82-85.
P. 109 "Air foghlum an t-soisgeul ann sa n aite
so"
Tha naidheachd an sa 'n Righeachd so / A ruigeas linn na dha 21 stt.
of 8 lines
Maclean 1835, pp. 59-63; not found in DS 1880.
P. 117 "Tuiteam air sinnsreabh"
'S e tuiteam air sinnsreabh / thug di air an t-sluagh
30 stt. of 8 lines
Maclean 1835, pp.64-69; not found in DS 1880.
P. 129 "Cumhnanta nan gràs"
Le tuiteam Adhamh an sa ghàradh / gun do dh'fhag e ruisgte sinn
24 stt. of 8 lines
Maclean 1835, pp.70-74; not found in DS 1880.
P. 139 "Neo chinnteachd air beatha"
'Nuair mhothaich an criosdaidh / Gu robh bheatha nea chinnteach sa
chuairt
23 stt. of 8 lines
Maclean 1835, pp.74-78; DS 1880, pp.110-114.
P. 149 "Gleann na h-Irisleachd"
'S tha bheatha so neo chinnteach / Ann 's an tir a bheil air cuairt
26 stt. of 8 lines
Not in Maclean 1835; DS 1880, pp.65-70.
P. 159 "La a Bhreitheanais"
'S eisd a pheacaich tha gun churam / 'S gabh ri cumhnanta na 'n gràs
32 stt. of 8 lines
Not in Maclean 1835; DS 1880, pp.132-139.
P. 172 "An Duine Diomhain"
S a dhuine dhiomhain nach dean thu eiridh / O thir na leir-sgrios a
bheil thu 'n dràst
19 stt. of 8 lines.
Not in Maclean 1835; DS 1880, pp.54-56.
P. 179 "Cuntart a pheacaich"
Eisd a pheacaich 's deun dusgadh / Nach gabh thu curam do t-anam
28 stt. of 8 lines
Not in Maclean 1835; not found in DS 1880.
P. 190 "Am Bruadar"
Gur a neonach am bruadar / Th'aig an t-sluagh 's iad nan dusgadh
29 stt. of 8 lines
Not in Maclean 1835; DS 1880, pp.46-48, "Bruadar Faoin nam Peacach".
P. 202 "Comradh edar am biobul agus am
peacach"
Latha dhomh bhi sràidimeachd / Feadh fàsichn na 'n glean
32 stt. of 8 lines
Not in Maclean 1835; DS 1880, pp.70-79.
P. 215 "Moladh an Leigh"
O moladh do Leigh rinn feum dar tinneas / 'S a dhluthaich sinne ris
fein
22 stt. of 8 lines
Not in Maclean 1835; DS 1880 has a poem entitled "Moladh an Leigh", but
text seems entirely different.
P. 224 "Bron an fhirean"
Gu bheil mulad air m inntinn / Ann 's an tir 's air mo chuairt
22 stt. of 8 lines
Not in Maclean 1835; not found in DS 1880.
P. 233 "Cadal a pheacaich"
Gur bochd an cadal samhach, / Th' air aireamh do'n t-sluagh
24 stt. of 8 lines
Not in Maclean 1835; Cf. DS 1880, pp.56-58, "Teich 's tu 'n cunnart",
with most of the text very different.
P. [243] Untitled poem of 12 lines,
beginning
'S fhir a leubhas mo dhàn / Thoir an aire na thra / Ma'n tarruing a m
bàs ad choir