Appendix A. 477 



II. XCIX 



Eirich a Bhricle mhin-glieal, Alexander 



Glacsa do chir agus d'fholt, Carmichael. 



O rinn thu daibh eolas gu'n aura 

 Ga'ii cumail o chall 's o loc, 

 Ga'n cumail o chall 's o loc. 



III. 



O chreag, o chabhan, o allt, 

 O chara cam, o mhille sluic, 

 O shaighde nam ban seanga sith, 

 cbridhe mhi-ruin, o shuil an uilc, 

 O chridhe mhi-ruin, o shuil an uilc. 



IV. 



A Mhoire Mhathair ! cuallaichs an t-al gu leir ! 

 A Bhride nam basa-mine, dionsa mo spreidh ! 

 A Chalum chaoimh, a naoimh is fearr buadh, 

 Comraig-sa crodh an ail, bairig am buar, 

 Co.nraig-sa crodh an ail, bairig am buar. 



The Herding Blessing.— Close Translation. 



I. 



I place this flock before me, 

 As 'twas ordered by the King of the world, 

 Mary Virgin to keep them, to wait them, to watch them, 

 On ben, on glen, on plain, 

 On ben, on glen, on plain. 



II. 

 Arise thee, Bridget, the gentle, the fair. 

 Take in thine hand thy comb and thy hair ; 

 Since thou to them madest the charm, 



To keep them from straying, to save them from harm, 

 To keep them irom straying, to save them from harm. 



III. 



From rocks, from snow-wreaths, from streams, 

 From crooked ways, from destructive pits, 

 From the arrows of the slim fairy women, 

 From the heart of envy, from the eye of evil, 

 From the heart of envy, from the eye of evil. 



IV. 

 Mary Mother ! tend thou the offspring all, 

 Bridget of the white palms ! shield thou my flocks, 

 Columba, beloved ! thou saint of best virtues, 



Encompass the breeding cattle, bestow thy protection on the herds. 

 Encompass the breeding cattle, bestow thy protection on the herds. 



