THE BIRD PARLIAMENT. 277 



CONALTRADH NAN IAN (Fragment). 



" Nuair 'bha Gaelig aig na h'eoin, 



'Sa 'thuigeadh iad g!6ir nan dan, 



Bu trie an comhradh anns a choill 



Air iomad pong, ma's fhior na Baird. 



Thainig piaid luath na gleadhraich, 



'S slmidh i air grod mheur c6sach fearna, 



Ma choinneamh cb'chaig a ghuib chminn, 



'Sa caog-shuil dhonn na ceann mar airnaig. 



'N so dh'eirich a phiaid gu grad, 



'S thubhairt i 's i 's tailceadh a bonn, 

 ' An tusa sin a'd mheall air stop 



Jfuair a bhi's do cheod-cheann trom ? 



Am bi do theanga 'ghnath fo ghlais 



'S tu gun luaidh air reach na ili, 



'S tu cho duinte ri cloicb bhric 



'Bhi's air nieall a chnaip gun bhrL' 



" Bu treis dhaibh mar so a comhstri, 

 Gearradh, 'bearradh g!6ir a cheile, 

 Ach gus an d'leum a nois an glas-eun ; 

 'S rinn esan gach cuis a reiteach, 

 'S crog a phiaid air a ceann 

 'S dh-fhag e i gu fuar, fann, 

 'Jf sin bh'eirich fireun nan gle*us 

 A shinbhlas an speur ga luath." 



[Ccetera desunt.] 



This curious poem seems to have been throughout of a dramatic 

 form. Maclachlan says that, as he heard it repeated, almost all 

 our better known wild-birds were introduced, and had appropriate 

 speeches and parts assigned to them. He particularly referred to a 

 very funny speech by the wren, who finally quarrels with the 

 wagtail, by whom he had been insulted, and gives him a good 

 licking. The end of it all is that the eagle is unanimously elected 

 king of birds, with the glas-eun or falcon-kite as his lieutenant. 

 The throstle cock is elected bard of birds, and the dipper admiral 

 and commander-in-chief of the wild-bird fleet. Any one recovering 

 the whole poem would be conferring no small boon on Gaelic 

 literature. 



