1. Beannachadh Luinge

Being a ship-blessing, together with a sea-incitement made for the crew of the Birlinn of the Lord of Clanranald

Gum beannaich Dia long Chlann Raghnaill
A' chiad l� do chaidh air s�l,
E f�in 's a thr�in-fhir ga caitheamh,
Tr�in a chaidh thar maitheas ch�ich.

God bless time craft of Clanranald
When brangled first with the brine,
Himself and his heroes hurling;
The pick of the human line!

Gum beannaich an Coimhdhe naomha
Iunnrais analach nan speur,
Gun sguabte garbhlach na mara,
Gu ar tarraing gu cala r�idh.

The blessing of holy Triune
On the fury of the air;
The sea's ruggedness smoothed away
Ease us to our haven there!

Athair a chruthaich an fhairge
'S gach gaoth a sh�ideas �s gach �ird,
Beannaich ar caol-bh�rc 's ar gaisgich,
C�m i fh�in 's a gasraidh sl�n.

Father who fashioned the ocean
And winds that from all points roll,
Bless our lean ship and her heroes
Keep her and her whole crew whole!

A Mhic, beannaich fh�in ar n-acair,
Ar s�il, ar beairtean 's ar sti�ir,
'S gach droinip tha crochte ri ar crannaibh,
'S thoir gu cala sinn led i�l.

Your grace, O Son, on our anchor,
Our rudder, sails, and all graith
And tackle to her masts attached,
And guard us as we have faith!

Beannaich ar racan 's ar slatan,
Ar croinn 's ar taodaibh gu l�ir,
Ar stagh 's ar tarraing c�m fallain,
'S na leig-sa nar caraibh beud.

Bless our mast-hoops and our sail-yards
And our masts and all our ropes
Preserve our stays and our halyards,
And confirm us in our hopes!

An Spiorad Naomh biodh air an sti�ir,
Se�laidh e 'n t-i�l a bhios ceart;
Is e�l da gach longphort fon ghr�in -
Tilgeamaid sinn fh�in fo bheachd.

Holy Ghost be you our helmsman
To steer the course that is right.
You know every port under Heaven.
We cast ourselves on your sleight!

2. Beannachadh nan Arm

The Blessing of the Arms

Gum beannaicheadh Dia ar claidhean
'S ar lannan Sp�innteach geur, glas,
Ar l�irichean troma m�illich
Nach ge�rrte le faobhar tais;

God's blessing be on our claymores
And flexible grey toledos
And heavy coats of mail-harness
Through which no dull blade can bleed us.

Ar l�mhainnean cruadhach 's ar g�rsaid
'S ar sgiathan ion-dealbhach, dualach;
Beannaich ar n-armachd gu h-iomlan
Th' air ar n-iomchar, 's ar crios-guaille;

Bless our shoulder-belts and gorgets
And our well-made bossy targes,
Bless each and all of our weapons,
And the man who with it charges.

Ar boghachan foinealach iubhair
Ghabhadh luthadh ri uchd tuasaid,
'S na saighdean beithe nach spealgadh
Ann am balgan a' bhruic ghruamaich.

Bless our gleaming bows of yew-wood
Good to bend in battle-m�l�e,
And birchen arrows, not to splinter
in the surly badger's belly.

Beannaich ar biodag 's ar daga
'S ar n-�ile gasda ann an cuaichean,
'S gach trealaich catha agus c�mhraig
Tha 'm b�rc MhicDh�mhnaill san uair seo.

Bless every dirk, every pistol,
Every kilt of noble pleating,
Every martial apparatus.
With us under this ship's sheeting.

Na biodh simpleachd oirbh, no taise,
Gu dol air ghaisge le cruadal,
Fhad 's a mhaireas ceithir b�ird dith
No bhios c�raid sh�dh dhith fuaighte;

Lack no knowledge then or mettle
to do brave deeds with hardihood
While still four planks of her remain
Or pair of overlaps holds good.

Fhad 's a shn�mhas i fo ur casaibh
No dh'fhuireas cnag dhith an uachdar -
Dh'aindeoin aon fhuathas dam faic sibh,
Na meataicheadh gart a' chuain sibh.

With her drowned boards yet for footstools
Or a thole-pin above water
Let ocean not numb your resource,
your hearts inchoate horror shatter.

Ma n� sibh a cothachadh ceart
'S nach mothaich an fhairge sibh d�blidh,
Gun �slich a h-�rdan's a beachd,
'S dur cosnadh sgairteil gun str�ochd i.

Keep up a herculean struggle.
If the sea detects no weakness,
Her pride at last will be overcome
And reward your prowess with meekness.

Do ch�ile-c�mhraig air t�r,
Mur faic e thu cinntinn tais,
Is d�ch' e bhogachadh san str�
Na cinntinn idir nas brais'.

As your foe in a land battle
Seeing your strength is left untouched
Is more apt to weaken in onslaught
Than be in fiercer furies clutched,

Is amhail sin ata mhuir mh�r -
Coisinn i le colg 's le s�rd,
'S �mhlaichidh i dhut fa-dhe�idh
Mar a dh'�rdaich R�gh nan D�l.

So with the sea ; if you maintain
Set resolve and dauntless spirits
She will at length, as God's ordained,
humble herself to your merits.

3. Brosnachadh Iomraidh gu Ionad Se�laidh

Incitement for Rowing to the Saling Place

Gun c�irt' an i�bhrach dhubh dhealbhach
An �ite se�laidh,
S�thaibh a-mach cleathan r�ghne,
Liagh-lom, c�mhnard;

R�mhan m�n-lunnacha, dealbhach
Socair, aotrom
A n� an t-iomradh toirteil, calma,
Bas-luath, caoir-gheal,

Oars smooth-shafted and shapely,
Grateful for gripping
Made for lusty resolute rowing,
Palm-fast, foam-whipping

Chuireas an fhairge na sradaibh
Suas sna speuraibh,
Na teine-sionnachain a' lasadh
Mar fhras �ibhlean;

Knocking sparks out of the water
Towards Heaven
Like the fire-flush from a smithy
Updriven

Le buillean gailbheacha tarbhach
Nan cleath troma
Bheir air na b�c-thonnan onfhach
Lot len cromadh;

Under the great measured onstrokes
of the oar-lunges
That confound the indrawn billows
With their plunges,

Le sginean nan r�mh geal tana
Bualadh chollainn
Air mhullach nan gorm-chnoc gleannach,
Garbhlach thomach.

While the shrewd blades of the white woods
Go cleaving
The tops of the valleyed bluehills
Shaggily heaving.

O s�nibh, t�irnibh is l�baibh
Anns na bacaibh
Na gallain bhas-leathann ghi�thsaich
Le l�ths glac-gheal;

O stretch you, pull you, and bend you
Between the thole-pins,
Your knuckles snow with hard plying
The pinewood fins

Na fuirbidhnean troma treuna
Laighe suas orr'
Len g�irdeanan d�ideach, f�itheach,
Gaoisneach, cnuacach;

All the big muscular fellows
Along her lying
With their hairy and sinewy
Arms keep her living,

Thogas 's a leagas le ch�ile
Fo aon ghluasad
A gathan liagh-leobhar r�idhe
Fo bh�rr stuaghan;

Raising and lowering together
With a single motion
Their evenly dressed poles of pinewood
mastering the ocean.

Iorcallach garbh an t�s cl�ithe
Ag �igheach shuas oirr'
Iorram a dh�isgeas an sp�irid
Anns na guaillean;

A Herculean planked on the fore-oar
Roaring '' Up, on with her!"
Makes all the thick shoulder muscles
Glide better together,

Sparras a' bhirlinn le s�itrich
Tro gach fuar-ghleann,
Sgoltadh na b�c-thuinne beucaich
Le saidh chruaidh chruim,
Dh'iomaineas beanntaichean b�isteil
Ro d� ghualainn.

Thrusting the birlinn with snorting
Through each chill sea-glen
The hard curved prow through the tide-lumps
Drives inveighing,
On all hands sending up mountains
Round her insistence.

H�gan le cuan, nuallan g�ireach,
H�ig air chnagaibh,
Faram le bras-ghaoir na b�irlinn
Ris na maidibh;

Hugan, the sea says, like Stentor
Heig, say the thole-pins.
Rasping now, on the timbers,

R�imh gam pianadh 's balgain fhol' air
Bois gach fuirbidh,
Na suinn l�idir, gharbha, thoirteil
Is cop-gheal iomradh,

Of the shirred surges
The oars jib; blood -blistering
Slowly emerges
On each hard hand of the rowers
in berserk fettle

Chriothnaicheas gach b�rd de darach,
B�th is iarann,
'S lannan gan tilgeil le staplainn
Chnap ra sliasaid.

hurling on the trembling oakplanks,
Caulking, and metal,
Though nailheads spring with the thunder
Thumping her thigh.

F�irne fearail a bheir tulgadh
Durrgha, d�icheil,
Sparras a chaol-bh�rc le gi�thsaich
An aodann �ibheis;

A crew to make a right rocking
The deeps to defy,
Working the lean ship like an auger
Through walls of water,

Nach tillear le fr�th nan tonn dubh-ghorm,
Le l�ths gh�irdean:
Siud an sgioba neartmhor s�rdail
Air ch�l �laich,

The bristling wrath of blue-black billows
No daunting matter.
They are the choice set of fellows
To bold an oarage

Phronnas na cuartagan c�l-ghlas
Le roghainn r�mhachd,
Gun sg�ths, gun airsneal, gan l�badh
Ri uchd g�bhaidh.

Outmanoeuvring the dark swirlings
With skill and courage,
Without a point lost or tiring,
Timely throughout
Despite all the dire devilment
of the waterspout !

4. Iorram

An sin, an d�idh do na sia fir dheug suidhe air na r�imh chum a h-iomradh fon ghaoith gu ionad-se�laidh, do ghlaodh Calum Garbh mac Raghnaill nan Cuan iorram oirre, 's e air r�mh-br�ghad, agus is i seo i:

A-nis, on rinneadh bhur taghadh
'S gur coltach dhuibh bhith nur roghainn,
Thugaibh tulgadh neo-chladharra d�icheil.

And now since you re selected
-No doubt true choice effected! -
Let rowing be directed
Bold and set.

Thugaibh tulgadh neo-chearbach,
Gun airsneal, gun dearmad,
Gu freasdal na gailbhinne s�il-ghlais.