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Cailean Siosal

Càrn-cuimhne nan Siosalach © Gordon Brown

Rugadh Cailean Siosal ann an Liath-doire, ann an Gleann Canaich, ann an 1806. Ann an teaghlach de 11 mic agus 4 nighean, b’ e Cailean bu shine. Sa bhliadhna 1835, chaidh e a dh’obair do Sheirbheis na Cusbainn ann an Poll a' Ghrùthain. Dh’fhuirich e an sin gu 1842, nuair a chaidh a ghluasad gu Lunnainn.

Bha Cailean glè eòlach air Eòghann MacColla, bàrd Loch Fìne, a bh’ air gluasad a Chanada, agus bha e cuideachd eòlach air an sgrìobhaiche Iain MacCoinnich a dheasaich Sàr Obair nam Bàrd Gàidhealach. [Mackenzie, John. ed., 1907. Sàr Obair nam Bàrd Gàidhealach. Edinburgh: John Grant]

Nuair a chaidh e a Lunnainn, chaidh Cailean Siosal an sàs ann an Comann Gàidhlig Lunnainn. An sin, fhuair e eòlas air Seumas Logan, ùghdar Albannach a sgrìobh an leabhar The Scottish Gael (1831). B’ e Cailean Siosal an Ceannard a bh’ air Comann Gàidhlig Lunnainn eadar 1869 agus 1876, nuair a dh’fhàg e Lunnainn. Chaidh e an uairsin a dh’Inbhir Nis, far an robh e na bhall de Chomunn Gàidhlig Inbhir Nis. Mun àm seo, sgrìobh e pàipearan mu bhàrdachd, eachdraidh, cor sòisealta nan daoine agus dualchas air Ghàidhealtachd a tha air am foillseachadh anns na Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness.

Air 11mh Màrt 1885, rinn e òraid mu phàipear a sgrìobh e fhèin, Old Gaelic Songs, with Illustrative Traditions. Anns an dà earrainn a leanas, chithear gun deach dèiligeadh ri measgachadh mòr de chuspairean:

“Donull Gobha was at a wedding in Comar, Strathglass, where the elite of the neighbourhood were assembled. In the evening, after having enjoyed themselves to their heart's content, the guests were wending their way home, when by accident or design the brother of the bridegroom, Iain Mac-Thòmais, appeared to a party of the young men, and soon had them inside a sabhal feoir, where he tapped a cask of genuine Ferintosh whisky. Their drinking cup was a two-handled wooden cog (meadar cluasach), which was charged and sent round and round again and again until, as Donull Gobha avos in the following couplets, their vision was so much increased that they saw the handles of the cog getting longer and longer, the hoops doubling, and their good opinion of themselves immensely elevated at each successive round of the magic cog!

Dhèanainn sùgradh ris an nighinn duibh,
Agus èirigh anns a' mhadainn.
�� �� ��Dhèanainn, etc.

Iain 'ic Thòmais 's Dhaibhidh,
Thug thu càl dhuinn nach robh againn.
�� �� ��Dhèanainn, etc.

Cha b' e glaine bheag no strùbag,
Thug thu dhuinn ach cupa' maide.
�� �� ��Dhèanainn, etc.

H-uile strachd rachadh mun cuairt dheth
Chìte chluas a' fàs na b' fhaide.
�� �� ��Dhèanainn, etc.

'N àite cearcaill chìt' a dhà air,
Barail àrd a bha fàs againn.
�� �� ��Dhèanainn, etc.

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Cailean Siosal
© Highland Council's Am Baile website

“As it is now getting late, and the time for us to wend our way homewards, I will conclude with an altachadh laighe. 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 Laighe

Laighidh mis' a-nochd
Le Moire 's le' Mac;
Màthair mo Rìgh
Gam dhìon bhon olc.
Laighidh mi le Dia.
'S laighidh Dia leam;
Cha laigh mi leis an olc,
Cha laigh an t-olc leam.
Èirigh mi le Dia
Mas ceadach le Dia leigeil leam.
Deas-làimh Dhè,
A Chrìosda, gun robh leam.
Bho throighean mo bhuinn
Gu mullach mo chinn
Guidheam Peadar, guidheam Pòl,
Guidheam Moire òigh agus a Mac,
Guidheam air an dà Ostal deug
Gun mise dhol eug a-nochd.
A Chrìosda chumhachdaich na glòire,
A mhic na h-Òighe as glaine cùrsa,
Seachain sinn bho thaigh nam pian,
Tha gu h-ìosal, dorcha, dùinte.
Fhad 's a bhios a' cholainn na cadal
Biodh an t-anam air bharraibh na fìrinn
An co-chomann nan Naomh. Amen.”

[Chisholm, Colin, 1884-85. Old Gaelic Songs. Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, Vol XI.]