Prayer of the Clan MacKenzie

With a daughter whose hobby is genealogical research, some interesting historical tidbits cross my path occasionally. One such morsel is this prayer of the Clan MacKenzie. My daughter found it (and the crest at right) a few months back on the website of the Clan MacKenzie Society in the Americas. Apparently the prayer was found in the genealogical records of the late Father Ewan MacDonald of Glengarry, Canada. The original is printed first, followed by a “plain English” translation. Interesting that a MacKenzie prayer was rediscovered in the hands of a MacDonald. :)

Original
Bless a’ the MacKenzies an’ a’ the MacKenzie childer; their sons an’ son’s childer and their dochiter’s for a thousan’ years to come. Be ye gracious an’ send doon mountains o’ snuff, an’ rivers of whiskey. An’ oh Lord send doon swords an’ pistels an’ daggers as monie as the sands on the seashore to kill the MacDonalds, the Clan Ranalds, and the Campbells. An’ oh Lord, bless the wee coo, an’ make it a big coo. An’ oh Lord bless the sucklin’ and make it a grand board. An’ oh Lord, bless the wee bairns, yon Angus, Alex an’ Bessie an’ Maggie an’ Florrie. An’ oh Lord, build up a great wall between us an’ the Irish, an’ put broken bottles on the top, so they cannae come over. An’ oh Lord, if ye hae anything gude to gie, dunna gie it to the Irish, but gie it to your chosen people, the Scots, especially to the Clan MacKenzie an’ a’ their friends. Glorious ye are for ever more.

Translation
Bless all the MacKenzies and all the MacKenzie children; their sons and son’s children and their daughter’s for a thousand years to come. Be ye gracious and send down mountains of snuff, and rivers of whiskey. And oh lord, send down swords and pistols and daggers as many as the sands on the seashore to kill the MacDonalds, the Clan Ronalds, and the Campbells. And oh Lord, bless the small cow and make it a big cow. And oh Lord, bless the suckling and make it a grand board. And oh Lord, bless the small children, yon Angus, Alex and Bessie and Maggie and Florrie. And oh Lord, build up a great wall between us and the Irish, and put broken bottles on the top, so they cannot come over. And oh Lord, if you have anything good to give, don’t give it to the Irish, but give it to your chosen people, the Scots, especially to the Clan MacKenzie and all their friends. Glorious you are for ever more.