CUCKOO 261 



But the beginning of May is usually associated with its arrival, 

 or being seen and heard ; at this season there are often cold 

 blasts from the north, which are said to be called " Glas fhiontachd 

 na cuach," the heavy storm of the cuckoo, or glas fhionnarachd na 

 cuthaige, the grey cold of the cuckoo, now in June ; and from the 

 East the expression "glasadh na cubhaige/' or "ullamhachd na 

 cubhaige/' means just the dawn or the dark turning to grey when 

 the cuckoo prepares to chant, which it does right early and late, 

 as if being so short a time with us, it was desirous of making the 

 most of its time : it even sings or chants when on the wing, 

 which no other bird does. Despite this, strange to relate, owing 

 to its peculiar and erratic flight, it has not only been mistaken but 

 shot for a hawk by gamekeepers, the belief even going so far as 

 the cuckoo being called the "hawk-bird," a sad misnomer. 



The mere assertion (in a poem) that this bird said " gug, gug," 

 cost a man his life, which had been promised him on condition 

 of his composing a poem in which there would not be a single 

 truthful statement. A portion of this poem has been discovered, 

 by a famous and indefatigable Celtic - lore scholar, " Iain," as 

 further referred to under Article " Lark," the fatal lines being : — 



'* A chuthag is gug gug aice 'si toirt nan sul a caorich." 



The " Song of Lies," or " Oran nam breug," before referred to, 

 is partly as follows : — 



" Fhuair mi nead na liath-chirce 

 Air barr na tuinne fiadhaich, 

 Bha 'n ron glas a' dol do 'n iarmailt 

 Agus cliabh air bac a ghaoirdean. 



Tha cumha 'n deigh do ghaoil orra 



Tha mulad mor as d' aonais 



Tha cumha 'n deigh do ghaoil orm. 

 Chunnaic mi na sgaireagan 

 A sior dheanamh bhuntata dhuinn, 

 'S dreathain-donn 's da ramh aige 

 'Cur bata 'n aghaidh gaoithe. 



Tha cumha, etc. 

 Chunnaic mi na cudaigean 

 A' sniomh air an cuid chuigealan, 

 'S a chorra-ghriobhach 's buideal aice 

 'Falbh air cuideachd dhaoine. 



Tha cumha, etc. 

 Chunnaic mi na donnagan 

 A' falbh 'us eallaich chonnaidh orr'. 

 An fhaochag as an tomadaich 

 A' falbh 'us dronnag fhraoich oirr'. 



Tha cumha, etc. 

 Chunnaic mi na h-easgannan 

 A' danns' air an lar fhasgnaidh, 

 'Us a ghuilbneach agus bat' aice 

 S i 'cur a steach nan caorach. 



Tha cumha," etc. 



