MacLeod's Lilt
Sitting here on the knoll, forlorn and unquiet, I gaze upon Islay and marvel the while; there was a time I never thought, till my times took a change, that hither I should come to view Jura from Scarba.
I hurabh o.
Hither to come and view Jura from Scarba! Bear my greetings to the land that lieth shadowed by the rugged peaks, to the young renowned Sir Norman that hath won headship over an armed host, for it is said in every land that one of his name were worthy thereof.
In every land they say one of thy name were worthy thereof, one of thy prudence and thy wisdom, thy courage and thy spirit, one of thy hardihood and valour, of thy mien and of thy mould; and thy lineage and thy nobility were no trifle to trace.
Thy lineage and nobility were no trifle to trace; from the blood of Lochlann's kings thine ancestry unbroken takes its rise; thy kinship is not far to seek with every earl that is in Scotland, and with the nobles of Ireland no lie is this but a proven tale.
No lie but a tale well proven, thou son of the renowned sire that was open-handed and far-famed, that in wisdom excelled every one of Scotland's knights, in war and in peace and in the bestowal of silver.
In war and in peace and in the bestowal of silver; no marvel that his son should be prudent, great and spirited should be liberal and free-handed, since ye have received that character as an inheritance, ye sons of Roderick of war-banners! My sorrow, that so many of you are dead and gone!
So many of you are dead and gone, ye sons of Roderick but thou one that remainest, news of thy death may I never hear; thou treasure among men, though I am sundered from thee, thou whose form is so fair, without flaw of fashioning.
Thou of form so fair, without flaw of fashioning, thou heart manly and generous, well do red and white become thee; thy clear-seeing eye blue as the blaeberry, set by thy cheek ruddy as the berry of the dog-rose.
Thy cheek is ruddy as the berry of the dog-rose, and under the choicest head of hair thy curling locks entwine. In thy dwelling would be found, ranged upon the weapon-rack, powder-horn and shot-horn and the pick of every armoury.
Powder-horn and shot-horn and the pick of every armoury, and sword-blades slender-tapering from hilt to tip; would be found on each side of them rifle and carabine, and bows tough and sound with their bowstrings of hemp.
Bows tough and sound with their bowstrings of hemp, and narrow culverins would be bought though they be dear; a handful of polished arrows thrust down into quivers, fledged from the plumage of the eagle and the silk of Galway.
Fledged from the eagle's plumage and the silk of Galway; the hero hath my love, may Mary's Son prosper him! It would be my dear one's pleasure to be a-hunting in the peaks, taking joy of the forest and ascending the rough dells.
Taking joy of the forest and ascending the rough dells, letting slip the young hounds and inciting the old ones; of that incitement it would come that blood would flow on the bristles of the folk of white flanks and russet mantles.
Blood on the deer white-flanked and russet-mantled, at the hands of thy company of nobles that bear hardly on their weapons; men that well would read the day, and speed over the ocean, and fit to sail the vessel to the haven wherein she would be beached.
I hurabh o.
Hither to come and view Jura from Scarba! Bear my greetings to the land that lieth shadowed by the rugged peaks, to the young renowned Sir Norman that hath won headship over an armed host, for it is said in every land that one of his name were worthy thereof.
In every land they say one of thy name were worthy thereof, one of thy prudence and thy wisdom, thy courage and thy spirit, one of thy hardihood and valour, of thy mien and of thy mould; and thy lineage and thy nobility were no trifle to trace.
Thy lineage and nobility were no trifle to trace; from the blood of Lochlann's kings thine ancestry unbroken takes its rise; thy kinship is not far to seek with every earl that is in Scotland, and with the nobles of Ireland no lie is this but a proven tale.
No lie but a tale well proven, thou son of the renowned sire that was open-handed and far-famed, that in wisdom excelled every one of Scotland's knights, in war and in peace and in the bestowal of silver.
In war and in peace and in the bestowal of silver; no marvel that his son should be prudent, great and spirited should be liberal and free-handed, since ye have received that character as an inheritance, ye sons of Roderick of war-banners! My sorrow, that so many of you are dead and gone!
So many of you are dead and gone, ye sons of Roderick but thou one that remainest, news of thy death may I never hear; thou treasure among men, though I am sundered from thee, thou whose form is so fair, without flaw of fashioning.
Thou of form so fair, without flaw of fashioning, thou heart manly and generous, well do red and white become thee; thy clear-seeing eye blue as the blaeberry, set by thy cheek ruddy as the berry of the dog-rose.
Thy cheek is ruddy as the berry of the dog-rose, and under the choicest head of hair thy curling locks entwine. In thy dwelling would be found, ranged upon the weapon-rack, powder-horn and shot-horn and the pick of every armoury.
Powder-horn and shot-horn and the pick of every armoury, and sword-blades slender-tapering from hilt to tip; would be found on each side of them rifle and carabine, and bows tough and sound with their bowstrings of hemp.
Bows tough and sound with their bowstrings of hemp, and narrow culverins would be bought though they be dear; a handful of polished arrows thrust down into quivers, fledged from the plumage of the eagle and the silk of Galway.
Fledged from the eagle's plumage and the silk of Galway; the hero hath my love, may Mary's Son prosper him! It would be my dear one's pleasure to be a-hunting in the peaks, taking joy of the forest and ascending the rough dells.
Taking joy of the forest and ascending the rough dells, letting slip the young hounds and inciting the old ones; of that incitement it would come that blood would flow on the bristles of the folk of white flanks and russet mantles.
Blood on the deer white-flanked and russet-mantled, at the hands of thy company of nobles that bear hardly on their weapons; men that well would read the day, and speed over the ocean, and fit to sail the vessel to the haven wherein she would be beached.
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