Gaelic Waulking Song Group
... The Old Wives' Quarrelling
The source is Annie and Calum Johnston of Barra.
Part 1: Prelude (Translation below)
Bha bana-bh�rd aig Mac N�ll Bharraidh uair air an robh Nic Iain Fhinn mar ainm, agus bha i �na bana-bh�rd ainmeil �na latha fh�in... Bha bana-bh�rd aig Mac �ic Ailein cuideachd, dha �m b� ainm Nic a� Mhanaich; agus is iomadh uair a thilg Mac N�ll air Mac �ic Ailein nach digeadh i an uisge na sti�rach do Nic Iain Fhinn air b�rdachd ... agus is e thachair gun do chuir na fir geall r� a ch�ile gum b� e a� bhana-bh�rd aige fh�in a b� fhe�rr; agus shuidhich iad gun deante luadhadh ann an Caisteal Ormaclait ... agus gum faigheadh an dithist aca cothrom air i fh�in a dhearbhadh.
Seo mar a bh� ann. Dh�fhalbh sgoth is sgiobadh a E�iligearraidh le Nic Iain Fhinn a dh� Uibhist... Ghabh i suas chon a� Chaisteil, far am faca i c�mhlan bhoireannach cruinn. Nuair a thanaig i faisg orra, �s ann a chual� i te dhiu �ga caineadh fhein; �s e �m facal a bha �na bial:
"Nic Iain Fhinn, ban-eileineach,
Cailin sp�gach, uinneineach!
Blad-chraois leathan, dealanach,
Str�n ghorm, ghoirid, mheallanach,
Bus is spor is spreillean ort,
Taobh dearg a seicheadh a muigh!"
Cha do dh�eisd Nic Iain Fhinn ris a� chorr, ach leum i a stigh am miosg nam ban Uidhisteach, agus ghlaodh i an aird a claiginn:
Nic Iain Fhinn (A� Bhana-Bharrach):
"Thig thusa a mach, �s lig mise steach,
gun dianainn an trod sunndach, sanntach,
ris a� chaillich chutaich, chataich,
ulpaich, alpaich, uinneinich!� ...
Once upon a time Mac Neil of Barra had a bardess called Nic Iain Fhinn ... who was a famous poetess in her day ... Macdonald of Clanranald too had a bardess, called Nic a� Mhanaich... Many a time MacNeil was casting it up to his brother-in-law Clanranald that Nic a� Mhanaich could not come anywhere near to Nic Iain Fhinn in composing poetry. Clanranald, who was better off than MacNeil in every worldly respect, was vexed at this, and eventually they each made a wager that his bardess was the better. They decided that there should be a waulking at Ormaclate Castle in South Uist, and that ... the two of them should have the chance to prove themselves.
So it came about. A boat with a crew went from Eoligarry in Barra to Uist with Nic Iain Fhinn. Tide and wind were against them, and it was rather late before Nic Iain Fhinn reached her destination. But she went up to the castle, where she saw a band of women gathered together.
When she came near to them, she heard one of them abusing her, in these words:
"Nic Iain Fhinn, she-islander,
The club-footed, thick-ankled quean,
With broad, greedy, flashing mouth
And short, lumpy blue nose;
Snout and claw and blubber-lips,
And the red side of her hide outside!"
Nic Iain Fhinn did not listen to any more, but jumped in amongst the Uist women, yelling at the top of her voice:
"You come out and let me in
so that I can enjoy the argument I�ve been looking forward to
with the stumpy, catty,
lumpy, greedy, thick-ankled hussy! ..."
2. A Dhia, 's gaolach leam an gille
3. Cha teid Mor a Bharraidh bhronach