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DEER 



tlie spade and plough, and sow steadily for bread, your cows are 

 in the glen, milk is good " kitchen." 



A famous deer-stalker and poet was also Uilleam gobha, alias 

 Uilleam Ridhe-naomh (William Gow or Smith), of Abernethy, 

 Strathspey. He composed "The Stalker's Dream," and other 

 poems in Gaelic and English. 



The following verses in praise of deer are from a Lochaber 

 song by James Munro, entitled "Am Fiadh." 



O cait am facas a falbh air faiche, 

 A' siubhal leacann no 'g astar sleibh. 

 Le bhian dearg nuiiseach, le sheang- 



cruth bras-inhear. 

 B'u bhoidhiche pearsa, na mac an 



fheidh ? 



A chuinnean fiata 's a ghaoith 's e 



dian ruith, 

 Feadh thoman riabhach nan cian 



bheann ceo, 

 Le ard-uchd aluinn, le chabar craeach 

 'S le eangaibh sar-chlis an am na toir. 



Gur binn 'am chluasaibh an langan 



uaibhreach 

 'A thig 'on raa'-ghreigh o'n chruachan 



ard 

 Gur grinn air fuaran an eilid 



chuannda. 

 'S a laogh mu 'n cuairt di ri luaineas 



bhath. 



An cluas gu claisteachd, an suit gu 



faicinn. 

 An cinn 's an casan co-ghrad gu leir, 

 Bi 'n obair uasal a bhi ga 'n cuartach 

 'S a caitheamh luaidhe le buaidh nan 



deigh. 



Oh where have you seen o*er meadows 



so green, 

 Hillsides a-roaming, or speeding o'er 



braes, 

 With red hide so sleek, slim, active 



and bright. 

 Of statelier shape than the son of the 



deer ? 



With nostrils distended, mad racing: 



up wind 

 O'er grey mountain peaks enshrouded 



in mist. 

 Their high breasts so lovely and tree- 



antlered heads 

 Showing nimblest of footsteps in the 



chase that they dread. 



Oh sweet to my ears is the bellowing 



chanson 

 That comes from the red troop on 



mountains so high, 

 The hind at the fountain so shapely 



and handsome. 

 Her foolish fawn restless, but frisking 



near by. 



With ear true for hearing, with eye 



keen for seeing. 

 Her head and her feet both so neat 



and so trim ; 

 The manliest labour is their very 



surrounding. 

 Then powder and lead puts an end to 



the scene. 



R. Mac Donald again gives a verse as follows, which shows the 

 ardent love hunters have and had for their "cattle." 



Fhad 's a bhithinn beo na maireann 

 Deo dhe 'n anam ann am chorp 

 Dh' fhanainn am fochar an fheidh 

 Sin an spreidh an robh mo thoirt. 



So long as I lived or survived, 



A breath of the soul (life) in my body 



I'd remain in the neighbourhood of the deer. 



These were the cattle I esteemed. 



