“Dùin an uinneaga tuath, ’S gu luath an uinneaga deas; ’S dùin uinneag na h-àirde ’n iar, Cha d’thainig ole riamh o’n àirde ’n ear.” [22] Am bi thu mar sin daonnan, a bhuineagag? [23] The man in Flodigarry got rid of his Fairy assistants by telling them to bale out the sea. [24] Cìream, càrdam, tlàmam, cuigealam, Beairt fhighe gu luath, ’S bùrn luadh air teine, Obair, obair, obair. [25] Dùn-Bhuirbh ri theine Gun chù, gun duine, Mo chearslagan snàth ’S mo phocanan mine. [26] The natives preserve the true name of the place when they call it “The Lairgs.” [27] “Mar an eidheann ris a chreig ’S mar an iadh-shlat ris an fhiodh, Mar an fheòil mun chnàimh ’S mar an cnàimh mun smior.” [28] “A phiuthrag, ’s a phiuthrag chaidreach, An cuimhne leat oidhche nan capull? Seachd bliadhn’ on thugadh as mi, ’S bean mo choltais riamh cha-n fhacas, Ialai horro, horro, Ialai horro hì.” [29] “Is glas do leanamh.” “Is glas am fiar ’s fàsaidh e.” “Is trom do leanamh.” “Is trom gach torrach.” “Is eutrom do leanamh.” “Is eutrom gach saoghaltach sona.” “Is glas an duilleach ’s glas am feur, ’S glas an tuadh am bheil a chas, ’S chaneil ni thig roimh thalamh, Nach eil gnè ghlaise na aoraibh.” The first two lines of this quatrain occur also in a song on the deceitfulness of women, by a young man, whose first love had forsaken him. She “killed him with a stony stare,” and merely asked, “whence comes the sallow stripling?” (“_Co ar tha’n corra-ghille glas?_”) [30] Ma tha tùr aig marbh, nach bi thu oidhche dhìth do leabaidh. [31] My informant could not say whether this was seed-time (_màrt cur an t-sìl_) or harvest (_màrt buain_); probably the former (cf. Campbell’s _West Highland Tales_, ii., p. 98). [32] It may interest the reader that the man (a shrewd enough person in ordinary life) from whom this story was heard, adduced it as proof of the existence of Fairies, of which he said there could be no doubt; he had heard the story from his father, who knew the weaver. [33] Iarr air choìr e, ’s gun agam ach mi fhìn. [34] Dh’iarr a mhugaill a mhagaill Iased an du-lugaill lagaill Thoirt a mhagaill as an t-siòl. [35] “Muc dhearg, muc dhearg, Muc leth-chluasach dhearg, Mharbh Fionn le Mac-a-Luin, ’S a thug e air a mhuin gu Druim-dearg.” [36] Tha e na each bagais aig na sìthchean an càrn na Sleabhach, agus gad seillich na bhialthaobh. Alasdair used to say the men of the present day were very small compared to their ancestors, and to prophecy with his teetotum, they would continue growing smaller and smaller, till at last it would take six of them to pull a wisp of hay. [37] “Ged bu mhath an cala dh’fhàg sinn, Seachd fearr an cala fhuais sinn.” [38] “Màrt a threabh mi, màrt a chuir mi, màrt a bhuain mi; Fhir a dh’òrduich na trì màirt, na leig na bheil san ròp’ uamsa.” “Làmh t’athar ’s do sheanar ort, bha feum agad labhairt.”