Appendix A. 481 



II. cix. 



Thoir am baine bho dhonn ! Alexander 



Tlioir am baine gu trom 's gu torracb, Carmioliael 



Tboir am baine bho dhonn, 



'S na h-uaislean a tigh'nn an bhaile 

 Ho m' adhan, &c. 



III. 

 Thoir am baine bho dhonn ! 

 'S gu'n ann daibh ach an t-aran ! 

 Thoir am baine bho dhonn, — 



MacneiU ! Macleoid ! MacAilean ! 

 Ho m' adhan. 



The Milkmaid's Lullaby. — Close Translation. 



Chorus. — Ho my heifer ! ho my heifer fair I 

 Ho my heifer ! ho my heifer fair ! 

 Ho my heifer ! ho my heifer fair ! 

 Thou heartling, heart I love thee ! 



I. 

 Behold that cow on the plain, 

 With her frisky calf before her ; 

 Do thou as she did a while ago — 

 Give thy milk thou calf of Fianach. 



Ho my heifer, ho my heifer fair. 



II. 

 Give thy milk brown cow, 

 Give thy milk so abundant and ricli ; 

 Give thy milk brown cow. 



And the gentles coming to the townland.. 

 Ho my heifer, &c. 



III. 

 Give thy milk brown cow, 

 And that there is nothing for them but bread. 

 Give thy milk brown cow, 



Macneill ! Macleod ! Clanranald ! 

 Ho my heifer, &c. 



Mar Chikein Nan Stuagh. 



The following verses are said to have been composed in Benbecula in the 

 time of bows and arrows. They are singularly chaste, beautiful, and elevated. 

 They indicate, I think, the wonderful natural refinement of the people who 

 could appreciate, preserve, and repeat these, and whole libraries of similar oral 

 literature, throughout the past ages. 



The oral literature of the Highlands and Islands is singularly pure in tone 

 and poetical in expression. I have taken down large quantities of thi.s 

 literature, probably a small library in the mass, and I have never heard, either 

 in this or among the people, an unbecoming word or an impure storv. 



