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A Thrianaid Bheannaichte, tha Thu ann an Ameireagaidh agus Astràilia ... anns a’ Ghàidhealtachd agus ann an Inbhir Nis ʼs air na stìopallan àrda ... Tha Thu a’ toirt taigh sglèata do na h-uaislean, ach thug Thu dhomh a-mhàin bothan dubh sùitheach nach cum a-mach boinn’ uisge, agus a h-uile deur a’ tuiteam ann am brochan Fhearchair.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Chan ann tric a bhios mi a’ tòiseachadh na Litreach le ùrnaigh! Ach chan e ùrnaigh àbhaisteach a tha innte. Seo beagan a bharrachd dhith: Beannaich ... a’ bhò bhàn, am bainne agus na caoraich. Beannaich ... na h-eich, na cairtean, na crainn agus na cliathan, an coirc, an t-eòrna, am buntàta, an teine ...

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ʼS e seo an ùrnaigh aig Fearchar a’ Ghunna. Bhuineadh Fearchar do Shrath Chonain faisg air Inbhir Pheofharain. Rugadh e ann an seachd ceud deug, ochdad ʼs a ceithir (1784). ʼS e falbhanach a bha ann. Bheir sinn sùil air a bheatha an-ath-sheachdain. Ach tha mi airson tuilleadh dhen ùrnaigh a thoirt dhuibh.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Beannaich na craobhan, am feur agus mòine, an conasg, am fraoch, an raineach agus an t-aiteann. Beannaich mar an ceudna, a Thrianaid, na gunnachan, am fùdar agus luaidhe, na ròcaisean, na pioghaidean, cearcan-fraoich, maighich agus coineanan. Beannaich mar an ceudna na fèidh, na h-earban, na lachan fiadhaich agus callaidh, na geòidh, na faoileannan, na coin agus na cait, na luchan, radannan agus famhan. Beannaich an t-iasg anns a’ mhuir, loch, abhainn agus sruth, ach beannaich gu h-àraidh an sgadan mòr math a tha sinn a’ faighinn leis a’ bhuntàta.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Abair liosta! ʼS e ainm na h-ùrnaigh seo Ùrnaigh na Creubhaig. ʼS e ainm car annasach a tha ann. Mar as trice, bidh am facal creubhag a’ riochdachadh boireannach beag, seach fear beag. Co-dhiù, airson crìoch a chur air an Litir, seo agaibh deireadh na h-ùrnaigh: 

Blessed Trinity, You are in America and Australia ... in the Highlands and in Inverness and on the tall steeples ... You give slate-roofed houses to the gentry but You gave me only a black, sooty bothy that will not keep out a drop of water, with every drop falling into Farquhar’s porridge.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý I don’t often start the Litir with a prayer! But it’s not a normal prayer. Here’s a bit more of it: Bless ... the white cow, the milk and the sheep. Bless ... the horses, the carts, the ploughs and the harrows, the oats, the barley, the potato, the fire ...

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý This is the prayer of Fearchar a’ Ghunna (Farquhar of the gun). Fearchar belonged to Strathconon near Dingwall. He was born in 1784. He was a wanderer [a person of no fiexed abode]. We’ll look at his life next week. But I want to give you more of the prayer.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Bless the trees, the grass and peat, the gorse, the heather, the bracken and the juniper. Bless likewise, oh Trinity, the guns, the (gun)powder and lead, the rooks, the magpies, grouse, hares and rabbits. Bless likewise the red deer, the roe deer, the ducks wild and tame, the geese, the seagulls, the dogs and the cats, the mice, rats and moles. Bless the fish in the sea, loch, river and stream, but particularly bless the good, large herring that we have with potatoes.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý What a list! This prayer is called Ùrnaigh na Creubhaig [the poor little person’s prayer]. Usually, the word creubhag represents a small woman, rather than a man. Anyway, to finish the Litir, here is the end of the prayer: