Bha Mo Leannan Ann
(My Love Was There)

Poem supposedly, and inconclusively, by John MacDonald (1665-1725).
Known as Iain Dubh Mac Iain 'Ic-Ailein (John of black locks, son of John, the son of Allan).

He lived on the farm Gruilean in Eigg, and appears to have belonged to the Morar branch of Clanranald. He fought at the battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715, and most of his poems were composed around 1715.

The song, under the heading 'Oran Gaoil' (Love Song) and no author ascription, is printed in the publication:
Clarsach na coille: a collection of Gaelic poetry, by Alexander Maclean Sinclair, 1881, pp. 265-267.

No other songs in this publication ascribed to John MacDonald.


The song was attributed to John MacDonald by Keith Norman Macdonald in his publication: Macdonald bards from mediaeval times, 1900, p 99.

In a paragraph under Iain Dubh Mac Iain Mic Ailein, he writes:
There is another song that may be mentioned here for want of a more suitable place. "Sean Oran a rinn bana-chombanach do Dhonull gorm Mac Raonuill Mhic Ailein 's a leannan."
(An old song composed by a lady-companion to blue-haired Donald MacDonald of Clanranald and his sweetheart)

This song is printed in the publication:
Comh-chruinneachidh orannaigh Gaidhealach, by Ronald MacDonald, of the Isle of Eigg, 1776, pp. 166-167.
This is known as the Eigg Collection.

There are four songs ascribed to John MacDonald in this publication 1. p49; 2. p64; 3. p97; 4. p227.

No other publication has ascribed this song to John MacDonald. Keith MacDonald may have simply lumped this unauthored song with songs by John MacDonald. Though it was common for poets to submit, or have their poems and songs printed anonymously.
It is inconclusive whether this song can be ascribed to John MacDonald.


The song is believed to have been composed for one of the MacDonalds of Knoydart.



ORAN GAOIL

Clarsach na coille: a collection of Gaelic poetry, by Alexander Maclean Sinclair, 1881, pp. 265-267.

This is a very old love-song. A few verses of it appear in Ronald MacDonald's collection. It is there called, "Sean oran a rinn Bana-chomhunnach do Raonull Gorm Mac Raonull mhic Ailein, a leannan."
(An old song composed by a Lady-companion to blue-haired Ranald MacDonald of Clanranald, her lover)

Luinneag:
O bha mo leannan ann;
Bha mo leannan bòidheach, barail
Anns a' bhaile ud thall.

1
Ged tha mi 'm ònrachd 's na gleannaibh
Gur beag mo shunnd ris na fearaibh;
Thug mi-fhìn mo bhòid 's mo ghealladh
Nach deanainn mo cheann a cheangal
Gus am faighinn fèin ort sealladh, —
Mo rùn air sealgair na h-eala.

2
Gur h-e mo rùn an t-òg uasal,
'Shiùbhladh an oidhche ga fuairead;
Is a dhùisgeadh às mo shuain mi;
Bhiodh do dhagaichean gam fuasgladh
Is d' adharc fhùdair an taobh shuas diom,
'S farum a crathadh do ghruaige.

3
Gur h-e mo rùn an t-òg gasda
'S cùirteile 'shiùbhladh an fhaiche;
Gur-a math thig dhuit 's an fhasan
Còta is fèile air a phleatadh:
'S tric a bha mi 'n cirb do bhreacain
'N àite nach biodh càch 'g ar faicinn.

4
Tha mo chion air seircein saighdeir,
Gorm-shùil a mhealladh nam maighdean;
Cridhe cruaidh air chùl na saighde,
Làmh dheas a bhualadh nam poichdean;
Dheanainn coinneamh riut 's an oidhche,
'S cha chreidinn gu 'm biodh tu 'm foill dhomh.

5
Cha dean mi seudan a ghabhail
A dh' aindeoin co thig a'm' rathad;
Tha mo shùil ri d' làimh-sa fhathast,
Oganaich a's deise gabhail
Fo d' ghunna, fo d' sgèith, 's fo d' chlaidheamh:
'S ùr a' choill an d' fhàs an t-abhall.

6
Mo rùn mac na mnatha Slèiteich
A chumadh 'sa dh' fhuaigheadh an lèine,
'Chuireadh an siod' air a' phearlainn:
Bu mhòr m' earbs' às do laimh threubhaich;
B' fheàrr leam gu 'n deanainn beairt rèidh riut,
'S cha dean mi sin gu là m' euga.

7
'Dhòmhnuill mhic Nèill mhic lain bhuidhe,
Chaidh do shaothair ort am mugha;
Dh' fhalbh a' ghruagach bhuainn air siubhal
Le fear àrd na gruaige duibhe
'Dhìreadh 's a thearnadh am bruthach,
'S 'dh fhàgadh calp an fhèidh na sprudhar.

8
Chaidh sibh air choinnimh do dh' Uibhist, Slàn gu 'n till sibh as gun phudhar; Càirdeas nam fear òg o 'n Bhudhainn,
'S an oighre sin o Ghleanna-Cumhann
A bha uasal mar bu chubhaidh,
Is Raonuill o Cheapaich nan ubhall.

9
Gur-a h-e mo cheist an gille,
Beul meachair nam briathraibh milis;
Ghabh mi mo chead dhiot 's an linne,
'S thug sin air mo shùilean sileadh,
'S chaidh do chridhe tlàth gu tioma;
Gu ma slàn gu 'n dean thu tilleadh.



Verse 4
saighdeir = means an archer. The standing armies of the Gael had, at one time, no other weapons of offence than bows and arrows; hence, in process of time saighdeir became an arbitrary term, and now signifies a soldier of any description.

poichdean/poicin
poicean = a short squat fellow
poichean/puichean = a little stinking impudent fellow


A LOVE SONG

Chorus:
My love was there,
My beautiful love, I think
In that town yonder.

1
Though I am alone in the valleys,
I have little interest in men;
I took my oath and my promise,
That I would not bind up my hair,
Until I got another sight of you,
My love for the swan hunter.

2
My love is the noble young man,
Travelling in the coldness of night;
And to wake me from my slumber;
Your pistols are untied,
And your powder horn is above me,
It's a noise that shakes the hair.

3
My love is the fine young man,
And courtly went to the fields;
May it come to you well in fashion,
A coat and a pleated kilt:
I was often in the fold of your plaid,
In a quiet place where others could not see us.

4
It is my wish for a beloved soldier,
To beguile the blue-eyed maidens;
A hard heart behind the arrow,
The right hand to strike the short impudent fellow;
I would meet with you at night,
And I did not believe that you would deceive me.

5
I will not take jewels,
Regardless of who comes my way;
My eye is still at your hand,
Youngest of the fairest to take;
Under your gun, under your wing, and under your sword:
The grove of apples has just grown.

6
My love, son of the Sleat woman,
Who shaped and sewed a shirt,
And applied silk to fine linen:
Great was my trust in your valiant hands;
I would prefer to make a loom ready for you,
And I will not do that until the day of my death.

7
Donald son of Neil, son of yellow-haired John,
Your labors went on in vain;
The girl departed from us on a journey,
With a tall black-haired man;
Climbing and descending a steep hill,
And leaving the calf of the deer's leg in a firewood heap.

8
You went to meet him in Uist,
Good health, you will return without harm;
The friendship of the young man from Boyne,
And the heir from Glencoe,
Was noble and decent, as was,
Ranald from Keppoch of the apples.

9
My darling is the lad,
The tender mouth of sweet words;
I took my leave of you in the firth,
And that made my eyes water,
And your tender heart softened;
With good health until your returning.

----------


"Sean oran a rinn Bana-chomhunnach do Raonull Gorm Mac Raonull mhic Ailein, a leannan."
(An old song composed by a Lady-companion to blue-haired Ronald MacDonald of Clanranald, her lover).
Printed in:
Comh-chruinneachidh orannaigh Gaidhealach, by Ronald MacDonald, of the Isle of Eigg, 1776, pp. 166-167.


1
A Dhonuil mhìc Niel mhic Ean Bhùidha,
Chuidh do shuathir ort a mudha,
Lig u ghruagich fuait ar shiul,
Le fer ard nu gruaiga dùi,
Cruinna chas a dhioridh am bruthach,
Fhagidh cnaibhan fhèigh ina spruther,

Lunneig:
S e mi lennan hann, ho so ghelliadh,
Na cou chuiradh tram orra mar sein.

2
Mhoira se mo chuoil an tuasil,
A shiubhladh an oìchu ga fuarid,
Our dhùsgidh as mo shuain mi,
Fathrim bhi crathadh do ghruaige,
'S do dhaggichin bhi gu fhuasglidh,
'Stadhirc fhudir an taobh huaìs diom.
&c.

3
Cha dean mi shedin a ghabhail,
Na sgeinin begu ambi faidhin,
Gos an dig mo ghaolsa fathist,
Oganach ba ro mhaith gail,
Fou ghunna fou sge 's fou chlaithimh,
Cha biunidh shid se bo chathair,
Sur an choilt an d fhas an ta bhuil,
&c.

4
Mhoire se mo rùn an soider,
Bruinn shuil a mhelladh na moidin,
Labh dheas a bhualidh nam poicin,
Criodh cruaigh ar chùl na soida,
Mariut a chaidlinn an oicha,
&c.

5
Chuala mi fosglidh as doris,
Shaol lium gum be graidhin goire,
Ou n fhir fou chnodairt chorrach,
Ga muth gan dig cota is coiler,
Truishin gorm 's brog 's bonnet,
&c.

6
Mhoire se mo gradh an gilla,
Bha roir an eilin no cillu,
Bel mechir a chomhraidh mhilist,
Bell tana derg mar an tirist,
Ba mhìonnich lium riut bhi mirag.



The abbreviated spelling in this version makes for some perplexing translation.

1
Donald son of Neil, son of yellow-haired John,
Your labors went on in vain;
The girl departed from us on a journey,
With a tall black-haired man;
Climbing a steep round hill,
And leaving the deer's bones in a firewood heap.

Chorus:
My love was there,
?

2
Mary, my love is the noble young man,
Travelling in the coldness of night,
And to wake me from my slumber,
It's a noise that shakes the hair,
Your pistols are untied,
And your powder horn is above me.

3
I will not take jewels,
Or the knife that will be found,
May my love still come,
Youngest of the fairest to take,
Under your gun, under your wing, and under your sword,
He will not sit in his chair,
The grove of apples has just grown.

4
Mary, it is my wish of the soldier,
To beguile the bright-eyed maidens;
The right hand to strike the short impudent fellow,
A hard heart behind the arrow,
As you slept at night.

5
I heard an opening of the door,
I thought it might be my lover's noise,
Oh you men beneath the rugged Knoydart,
A coat and collar will never come,
Blue trousers and shoes and bonnets.

6
Mary, my love is the lad,
Who was last night on Chapel Island,
The tender mouth of sweet words,
Thin red bell like the thunder,
I promised to you to be merry.


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