Seanchas am measg nan Lasair "An Lasair: An Anthology of 18th Century Gaelic Verse" le Raghnall Seanchas am measg nan Lasair ri fhaighinn aig www.gaelicbooks.net lèirmheas le Eachann MacCoinnich	Tradition amongst the Flames "An Lasair: An Anthology of 18th Century Gaelic Verse" by Ronald Black; Birlinn, English/Gaelic, £16.99 softback available from aig www.gaelicbooks.net review by Eachann MacCoinnich
Abair obair. Gun teagamh tha an t-ùghdar, a bha na òraidiche ann an Roinn na Ceiltis an Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann, ag innse dhuinn san ro-ràdh gu bheil rèis beatha de thorrachas agus fad fichead bliadhna de cho-obrachadh le oileanaich air cùl na h-obrach a tha san leabhar seo. B' ann san fhoghar a bhòn-uiridh a nochd An Tuil (Cothrom 23, d52), co-chruinneachadh tomadach de bhàrdachd agus beath-eachdraidh nam bàrd air an taghadh às an 20 linn leis an dearbh fhear a tha a-nis a' toirt dhuinn a thaghadh às an 18 linn.	Some undertaking. Certainly the author, who was a lecturer in the Celtic Department of Edinburgh University, tells us in the preface that behind the work in this book there is a lifetime of gestation and over twenty years of co-operative exploration with students of traditional Gaelic verse. It was in the autumn two years ago that a weighty volume entitled An Tuil made its appearance (Cothrom 23, p52), containing poetry and the biographies of the poets belonging to the 20th century and chosen by the self-same author who now presents us with his selection from the 18th.
Anns an ro-ràdh tha MacilleDhuibh a' coimeas an 18 agus an 20 linn ri chèile, leis gun robh an dàrna deichead de gach linn aca thar tomhas buaireasach, ainneartach, calldach do na Gaidheil agus bha a' bhuil air a' Ghàidhlig mar chomach ri sin. San 18 linn thug ar-a-mach leibideach nan Seumasach sa bhliadhna 1715 air falbh bho na Gaidheil na ceannardan a bu cheannsgalaiche a bh' aca mu choinneimh cumhachd nan Caimbeulach, agus lom-sgriosadh neart cinneadh cho bunailteach 's a bh' air a' Ghaidhealtachd aig an àm, b' e sin Clann Choinnich. San 20 linn b' e an Ciad Cogadh Mòr a thug crathadh eagalach air na Gaidheil agus a' Ghàidhlig.	In his introduction, Black compares the 18th and 20th centuries in that the second decade of each were immeasurably turbulent, violent and detrimental to the Highlanders and consequently to the Gaelic language. During the 18th century the inept Jacobite Rebellion of the '15 robbed the Gaels of their most authoritative chiefs who could square up to the power of the Clan Campbell, while it left the most powerful clan in Gaeldom, the House of Seaforth, in ruins. During the early part of the 20th century, the Great War dealt a stunning blow to the Highlanders and their language.
Am measg nan Dòmhnallach, nan Leathanach, Clann Choinnich is eile bha fhathast aig toiseach an 18 linn bàird ann a bha a' moladh an ceann-cinnidh is a' faighinn duais mar thoradh air sin, ach mar a bha an dàimh eadar an tuath agus an tighearnan a' lasachadh agus ri ùine a ' bristeadh (dar a bha na fuadachaidhean aig an àirde) bha a' bhàrdachd ag atharrachadh, is mean air mhean leigeadh ruith leis na riaghailtean molaidh a bh' ann o shean bho nach robh na suidhichidhean ùra ag agairt an leithid.	At the beginning of the 18th century among the MacDonalds, MacLeans, MacKenzies and others there were still poets who praised the chieftains and were rewarded for doing so, but as the bond between tenant and lord slackened and ultimately was broken (when the evictions went into top gear) the poets' compositions changed, and progressively the old panegyric code was abandoned because altered circumstances precluded it.
A thaobh nan riaghailtean molaidh, tha clàr aig deireadh an leabhair a tha sònraichte feumail gu soilleireachadh a thoirt dhuinn air co-dhiù pàirt de na beachdan a bha aig na h-aos-dàna, feadh 's a bha iad ri bàrdachd. Tha an clàr de naoi riaghailtean air a bhonntachadh air pàipear a leugh an t-Oll Iain MacAonghais do Chomann Gàidhlig Inbhir Nis o chionn beagan is 20 bliadhna bhuaithe. Fad nam bliadhnaichean bhon àm sin tha MacilleDhuibh e fhèin, le cuideachadh bho na h-oileanaich aige, air cinnteachd nan riaghailtean sin a dhearbhadh agus mar thoradh air an t-saothair sin tha clàr nan naoi riaghailtean againn aig deireadh an leabhair.	In connection with the panegyric code, there is a particularly valuable list at the end of this book which sheds light on at least some of the ideas the ancient poets entertained as they produced their poems. This catalogue of nine rules is based on a paper given to the Gaelic Society of Inverness over twenty years ago by Dr John MacInnes of the School of Scottish Studies. During the intervening years Ronald Black himself, with the assistance of a succession of his students has tested the validity of this thesis, and as a result of that research we have the nine rule panegyric code at the end of this book.
Ged a thuirt mi gun deachaidh leigeil ruith le na seann riaghailtean, cha b' e sin buileach fìrinn na cùis. Bha riaghailtean fhathast air an leantainn ann an tomhas air choreigin, ach far an robh b' ann air cuspairean eile seach na cinn-chinnidh a bha iad ag amas; fiù 's na bàird a bha a' moladh nan Seumasach, is bha iad uile ris - Rob Donn, Uilleam Ros agus Donnchadh Bàn nam measg - b' ann mar àrsairean a' toirt sùil air ais far an guailne a tha iad ga dhèanamh aig deireadh an 18 linn.	Although I stated that the panegyric code was abandoned, my statement should have been qualified. Within limits the rules were still observed, but generally the object of praise was not the chieftain; even the poets who lauded the Jacobites, and they all did that - Rob Donn, Uilleam Ros and Donnchadh Bàn amongst the rest - it was in the manner of antiquarians towards the end of the 18th century casting a backward look over the shoulder.
Bha luchd tadhail nan taighean cèilidh ag agairt gum biodh bàrdachd sam bith fiùghantach anns an t-seadh seo, gum biodh i coileanadh a cinn-uidhe, gum biodh i tarbhach. Anns an taghadh seo de 63 òran tha dà eisimpleir àraidh den tarbhachd seo, is iad gu math eadar-dhealaichte anns a bhuil a bh' orra!	The audience of the cèilidh house judged poetry by its effect - it should accomplish its object by accomplishing the purpose for which it was intended. In this selection of 63 poems, two in particular achieved their objects - objects which happen to have been in stark contrast!
Rinn Calum Macilleathain (Calum a' Ghlinne) òran dhan mhnaoi is dhan nighean aige, agus tha sinn a' tuigsinn, a dh'aindeoin gòraiche a h-athar, gun d'fhuair i duine òg stòrasach a phòs i. Rinn Coinneach MacCoinnich aoir cho dubhailceach, nimheil do dh'Alasdair Mac an Tòisich a dhiùlt airgead a thoirt dha mu choinneimh cosgais foillseachaidh a chuid bhàrdachd, is gun do chaochail Alasdair an ceann trì lathaichean an dèidh dha an aoir a leughadh. Chan eil iongnadh sam bith orm, oir tha i eadhon nas sgaitiche na an aoir a rinn Donnchadh MacCoinnich, Bàrd Cheann Loch Iù, do dh'Fhear Gheusto, an siamarlan a bh' air oighreachd Gheàrrloch. Bha obair fhèin aig gach dàn ri choileanadh, agus gun cheist sam bith thug an dà òran seo a-mach na cinn-uidhe aca.	Calum Macilleathain (Calum a' Ghlinne) composed a eulogy to his wife and daughter and we learn that despite her father's fecklessness his daughter married a wealthy young husband. Coinneach MacCoinnich composed as vicious and virulent a satire on Alasdair Mac an Tòisich, who had refused him a donation towards the publication of his book of poems, that poor Alasdair died three days after reading it. And small wonder, for his satire is more scathing than Donnchadh MacCoinnich, the Kinlochewe Bard's poem directed against Teàrlach MacLeòid of Geusto, the Gairloch Estate factor. Each poem had its own function and without question these two achieved their end.
Aig fìor dheireadh an leabhair tha còrr is 500 facal neo-àbhaisteach air an clàradh gu aibidileach, le àireamhan nan taobh-duilleag far am faighear iad a' nochdadh mu choinneimh gach facal dhiubh. Tha an clàr-amais beag-fhaclach seo air leth feumail dhan leughadair bhon a tha, cuideachd, eadar-theangachadh den Ghàidhlig mu choinneimh gach duilleig de bhàrdachd air feadh an leabhair air fad. 'S e goireas anabarrach feumail a tha an seo.	At the very end of the book is listed alpha- betically more than 500 unusual words, followed by the numbers of the pages where they are to be found. This glossarial index is particularly useful to the reader since there is also a translation of the Gaelic given for every page of poetry through- out the whole book. This is an extremely useful feature.
Agus tha mathas eile an lùib na cànain a tha againn an seo nach eil e air a chuingealachadh gu lethoireach ri iomall na dùthcha ach gu bheil e tighinn bho sgaoilteachd fharsaing de dh'Albainn far an robh a' Ghàidhlig ga labhairt san 18 linn.	And there is a further excellent quality in connection with the language we have here - it is not confined to a geographical periphery but surges from the wide sweep of Scotland where Gaelic was spoken during the 18th century.
Tha a' bhàrdachd aig barrachd is 40 bàrd is bana-bhàrd againn anns An Lasair, air an taghadh le sgoilear mion-fhiosrachail, ealanta, ach a thuilleadh air sin tha ulaidh de sheanchas is de dh'eachdraidh bho Ghaidhealtachd na h-18 linn aige dhuinn a bheir fiosrachadh tlachd is toileachas dhan luchd leughaidh.	In An Lasair we have the output of over 40 poets and poetesses chosen by a well-read expert, but in addition we have a treasure trove of 18th century Highland tradition and history which will instruct and delight the reader.

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