THE BIRD PARLIAMENT. 277 



CoNALTRADH NAN Ian — (Fragment). 



" Nuair 'bha Gaelig aig na h'eoin, 

 'Sa 'thuigeadh iad gl6ir nan dkn, 

 Bu trie an comhradh anns a choill 

 Air iomad pong, ma's fhior na B^ird. 

 Thainig piMd luath na gleadhraich, 

 'S shuidh i air grod mheur cbsaoli fearna, 

 Ma choinneamh cb'chaig a ghuib chruinn, 

 'Sa caogshuil dhonn na eeann mar kirnaig. 

 'N so dh'^irich a phiaid gu grad, 

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

 ' An tusa sin a'd mheall air stop 

 Nuair a bhi's do oheodcheann trom ? 

 Am bi do tbeanga 'ghnath fo gblais 

 'S tn gun luaidh air reach na tii, 

 'S tu cho duiute ri cloich bhric 

 'Bhi's air meall a chnaip gun bhrL' 



" Bu treis dhaibh mar so a cfimhstri, 

 Gearradh, 'bearradh glbir a cheile, 

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

 'S rinn esan gach ctds a rMteach, 

 'S crog a phiaid air a ceanu 

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

 'N sin bh'feirich firfeun nan gl^us 

 A shinbhlas an spfeur ga luath." 



[Cwtera desunt.] 



This curious poem seems to have been throughout of a dramatic 

 form, MaclacUan says that, as he heard it repeated, almost all 

 our tetter 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. 



