The poems of Ossian : vol. 1 - Index of - Université Rennes 2

Université Rennes 2 - SCD - 2008

TO 

JOHN MARQUESS OF BUTE 

AT WHOSE REQUEST THIS WORK WAS UNDERTAKEN 

AND THROUGH WHOSE LIBERALITY IT 

IS NOW PUBLISHED 


ERRA TA. 

Vol. 1. p. 2Oi, 1. 180, for " fal!," read " falls," 

Vol. II. p. 139, 1. 18, for " seire," read "seire." 

Vol. II. p. 214. 1. 544,flYT' "Glac," read "Ghlac." 

DISSERTATION 

0 :\ THE 

AUTHEKTICITY OF THE POEMS ·OF OSSIAN 

W l T H AX 

ACCOLXT OF THE VARIOUS GAELIC EDITIOXS, 

TRAXSL t\.TIOXS, ETC., 'YHICH HA.VE 

BEEX HITHERTO PUBLISHED 


xl 

l 

The seventh 

Duan of 

"Temora " appears 

to have 

been copied 

from sorne 

ancient .1lIS. 

DISSERTATlüX. 

will not enlarge on it here, but merely observe that there is a 

remarkable absence of secondary or subsidiary words, of pronouns, 

prepositions; and conjunctions; that generally, instead of an 

adjective qualifying a nOUTI, we have two nouns in regimen; that 

the same word is used in an extraordinary variety of different 

meanings- homonymy, as linguists calI it ; · and that there is 

an almost utter disregard of infiections, whether of nouns or of 

verbs, as there is also of the present order of syntax. I am quite 

aware that at a certain early period in the history of language, 

before "phonetic decay " has made many ravages on it, infiections 

are much more abundant than at a later stage, when the friction 

of lonz-continued e 

use has worn down an its distinctive marks. 

But there is a period older th an this still, " when language knows 

no inflections ;" 1- and th e language of Ossian seems to me clearly 

to belong to such a period as this. :j: 

Unfortunately nothing can be deduced from the spelling of 

th ese poems, as they were modernised before being published, 

and we have not even Macpherson's own transcript oftheru. The 

only specimens of his Gaelic which, as far as I kn ow, remain to 

us are the seventh book of "Temora," which he pnblished at the 

end of his Collection in 1763, and a portion of " Carric-th ura,' 

given in High. Soc. Rep. The orthography of the seventh book 

of " Temora " is different from any other Gaelic which I have met 

with ; and there are two peculiarities belonging to it ...vhich I 

wonld briefly point out :- 

1. There is a "destitutio tenuium" - the hard consonants 

C, p, t, are used where the soft ones g, b, d, are now written; and 

let it be remembered that this use of the hard instead of the soft 

* :My attempts to explain this variety in regard ta such words as cli, tuar, and 

many more, compel me to such repetition in my sidenotes as must be wearisome 

to the reader. 

.t Professor M. Müller's Science of Languages, second seri es, p. 84.87. 

::: It has been objected to Ossian that he frequently places the adj ective before 

the substantive, in entire opposition to modern Gaelic usage. L àn-bhrodleach 

oiyh, &c., has been called bad Gaelic. I notice, however, in the few Gaelic 

entries of the' Book of Deer,' written in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, th at 

this disp osition of noun and adjective frequently occurs. The modern maor-môr is 

uniformly written m01·-maor. At the same time I am sorry t o observe th at the 

remarkable looseness which is still a reproach to Gaelic orthography dat es as 

far back as the days of the clerics of Deer, who, in the same sentence, use two 

or three spellings of the same word. 

consonants is the test wliich Zeuss has applied to determ ine the 

age of Celtic writings. 

2. There is a very troublesome rule laid down by Irish grammarians 

as to the harmony of vowels, enjoining that if the last 

vowel in a syllable be bread, the first vowel in the next syllable 

must be so also, and vice versa. Professor M. Müller states that 

the same rule is followed in Tnrkish, and in some other languages 

of the Turanian family ; but it seems to be unknown in any 

Aryan language except the Gaelic, as it is wholly unknown 

in Semitic. The writers of Scottish Gaelic have frequently 

prot ested against it; but aIl modern Gaelic observes it, neverth 

eless. Now this rul e is disregarded in the seventh Duan of 

" Temora," while it is followed in other writings of the same period, 

and in the specimen of " Carric-th ura" by Macpherson. Strathmashie 

gets th e credit of writing this book, and is frequently used 

as the" deus ex machina "-the good fairy to solve difficulties by 

those who adopt a theory of compromise in regard to the authorship, 

a th eory very characteristic of the spirit of the present day. 

H ere, however, apart altozether 0 from his own distinct testimouy, 

we have full proof that he cann ot stand sponsor. In Gillies's 

Collection we have some of his songs, and as Gillies knew nothing 

of Gaelic, we must conclu de that they were printed from the 

author's own writing. Their orthography corresponds in aIl 

things with that of the period, and is widely different from 

" Temora." 

Macphers on says, in a prefatory note, that he altered the 

orthography in many instances; but the striking peculiarities of 

this Duan afford at the least a presumption of its having been 

transcribed from an old writing; and it certainly deserves li more 

searching examination than has yet been bestowed on it. 

There are various other points of considerable interest connected 

with these poems which, for ...vaut of space, I must touch 

on very briefiy :- 

1. Are they historical ? I believe th ey are historical in the 

sense of truly depicting the manners of the tim es in which they 

were written, but that the reality of the special battles which they 

describe whether with Caracul or with Swaran, cannot be proved. 

Man; persons, according to the tendeney of the age, make 

them myths-astronomical fables .; and it does not require a very 

xli 

Are the poems 

historical ! 


Iviii· 

Difficulties of 

translating 

Ossian. 

DISSERTA TIüN. 

my earnest desire to do this, and this only, 1 hav e done what, as 

far as 1 know, has not been done by any other translater of sa 

large a work, 1 have not merely restricted myself ta the same 

number of lines with the original, but 1 have not allowed one 

line ta run iuto another. 1 have given each as it stands. 

1 am qu ite aware of the many disadvantages of such a planof 

the rugged and abrupt character it imparts ta the translationbut 

1 believe th at its advantages on the whole overweigh th e 

disadvantages ; and 1 trust that, imperfect as my rendering is, it 

will give the English reader a more fait hful idea of that original 

than has been hi thel'ta given. 

Sorne apology may be necessary for my frequent use of words 

whi ch are more Gaelic tha n EnoO'lish- such as ben, glen, strath. , 

corrie, &c.-but they are ta sorne extent already known in English, 

and they are far more expressive than the " hiil " and" yale " 

sa constantly occurring in Macpherson, 

On the other hand, 1 have followed his example in chaneins o 0 

the form of proper names, sa as ta bring them within the powers 

of a Saxon tangue. 1 think the giving them in pure Gaelic form 

would render them absolutely unpronounceable ta the English 

reader. Aghaidh an t meachda, Dubh-m ac-Roinne, and many 

others, will be recognised and may be pronounced as Agandecca, 

Du mac Roin; but if left unchangsd, would have small chance of 

being ever named by a Saxon tangue. 

The marginal explanations whi ch 1 have given will enable the 

reader ta foilow the thread of the.story throughout, and the notes 

at the end of each Book will, 1 trust, throw light on sorne obscure 

expressions and similes; while 1 would specially mention Note 8 

. ta "Fingal," Duan 1., where 1 show thatthe clan system, said ta be 

unknown ta Ossian; is over and over again mentioned by him in 

clear and unmistakable terms, 1 have also shown in Note 2 

ta "Fingal," Duan III., that there are frequent allusions ta sorne 

kind of worship at the Cromlec. 

1 need not enlarge on th e great difficulty of translating an 

author wbose whole mode of thougbt is sa remote from th at of 

modern times-a difficuIty greatly increased by the absence of 

contemporary literature ta throw light on his meaning. There are 

thus passages in themselves very obscure, and there are others 

which are rendered sa by an imp erfect and corrupted text. In 

DISSERTATION. 

th e present state of Gaelic philology the meaning of several of 

these must be a matter of mere conjecture. It is probable that 

in various instances 1 may have erred. AlI 1 will say is, that 1 

have given the meani ng which appeared to me th e most probable. 

1 am most painfull y conscious of th e utter inadequacy of my 

translation to give a full representati on either of the grandeur 

or the pathos of the original. But if it prove the means of 

attracting greater attention to Ossian, and of inducing men to 

study him in his own expressive tangue, 1 am sure that my imperfections 

will be freely forgiven by them, and 1 shall consider 

my labour well bestowed. 

1 do not propose ta enter into a formal or lengthened criticism of 

the Ossianic poetry. Dr Blair and oth ers have done this, and done it 

well, long ago. But 1 will venture a few remarks on points which 

app ear ta me ta have been in sorne measure overlooked, and advert 

ta sorne of the objections brought against its general character. 

It is very remarkable th at there is no allusion whatever 

throughout the whole poems ta the voice of singing birds with 

whi ch the woods of. the Highlands must have been tuneful in the 

days of old as they are now. There is mention made of the 

" hum of the mountain-bee" and the " droning dance of the evening 

fly." I n the seventh D uan of "Temora" the birds of night 

are startled by the loud sound of Fingal's shield-and the fiight 

of sea-birds is not iced ; but no reference is ever made to lark, or 

thrush, or blackbird-to any bird of song. The eagle (" the true 

bird," according ta its Gaelic name, fir-eun) is the only bird ever 

specially named, Of this omission 1 can give no explanation. 

It has been remarked that, of a11 the dwellers in the waters, the 

whale alone is mentioned-the reasou sometimes assigned for the 

omission being the fact that the ancient Celts, like the Homeric 

heroes, ate no fish. 1 do not think this a sufficient reason in a 

poet's estimation, but 1 can give no better. It is to be observed 

that modern Gaelic poetry abounds with descriptions of thrush 

and lark, as well as of the salmon, "the manal'ch of the flood." 

Much has been said of th e sublimity of the Ossianic poemsand 

th ey are deserving of it alI-but they contain singularly faithful 

and beautiful descriptions of nature in her calm and more 

genial moods, which are sometimes used ta illustrate the bright 

and gentl e side of human character. These have not, in my 

lix 

General re· 

marks on sorne 

of th e characteristi 

cs of the 

poetryof 

Ossian. 


lxiv 

His poetry 

suggested by, 

and a reflection 

of, Highland 

scenery, 

DrS ERTATIOX. 

spirit worlds in a maà ner entirely his own-not employed by any 

other poet. Indeed he rarely, if ever, separates them completely. 

H e does not, like l\Iilton, ascend ta the pure empyrean, or, like 

Dante, descend ta an inferno. H e has created a dim border-land, 

visited by the inhabitants of bath worlds, who meet and hold converse, 

if with sorne reserve and awe, yet without any of the dread, 

and even horror, with which poets generally invest the presence 

of dwellers in th e invisible world. His heroes are, on every 

occasion of danger or difficulty, surrounded by spirits - undoubtedly 

spirits, for the" stars are seen through their forms"but 

th ey take a deep and kindly interest in ail that pertains ta 

their friends on eart h. " They shine on the wind when glory 

wakes their sons anew " (vol. i p. 265); th ey sorrow deeply when 

these suffer; they warn them of impending danger, and soothe 

th em ta sleep amid anxi ety. They are more eth erealised hum an 

beincs than thoroughly disembodied spirits, and the description 

'" . 

of their constant presence produces a feeling of eeriness such as is 

not produced by any other poetry-but eeriness entirely distinct 

from dreaù or horror. 

It is true there are spirits of the storm and of the flood apparently 

of a different arder from men, who " ride the horse of the 

whirlwind," who" l'ouse the waves of the raging sea," and shroud 

the world in gloom and terrer ; but, generaily speaking, the ghosts 

of Ossian are those I have been describing; and I have often 

thought that his representation of them might be illustrated, or 

even explained, by an attentive study of the face of nature in her 

wildly-varying ' moods in the north-west Highlands. What . 

stranze "" effects for ins tance 

, 

are often produced by those dense 

banks of white mist which come rolling in from the 'Yestern 

Ocean! They at times envelop the summits of the loftiest 

mountains in thickest folds of cloud; at other times sinking 

downwards inta the glens, and shrouding from view the habitati 

ons of men, they leave the lofty peaks in the pure brightness 

of the skies standing out like lonely islands in some mystic sea. 

H ow powerful in its effeets on the imagination is this wondrous 

blending of sea and land, of earth and sky, sometimes, as on a 

day of storm, in dark and weird confusion, sometimes in soft and 

bright repose ! At times "the bursting of the storm" suddenly 

scatters the mist, at othe rs th e "eddying breeze " gcntly raises 

Dr SERTATIûX. 

corners of th e white veil, and you obtain glim pses of sea and 

land, earth and sky, which you recognise as real; yet you have 

not that feeling of the solidity and permanence of things araund 

you possessed by the dweller on levelland under a clear dry sky. 

You feel a " presence and a power" of something belonging ta a 

higher sphere, yet not wholly foreign ta that in which you move 

- a power linking bath together, and awing but not overwhelming 

the spirit within you. 

I believe that a careful analysis would resolve very much of 

Ossian's most weird imagery into idealised representations of the 

ever-varying and truly wonderful aspects of cloud and mist, of 

sea and mountain, which may be seen by every observant eye in 

the Highlands; and it is no fancy ta say that the perusal of these 

poems, as we have them, may well be illustrated by travelling a 

range of the Highland mountains. The moor is often dusky and 

dreary enough. The ascent ta the peak is arduous; but once 1 

there you find yourself entirely separated from the bustle and 1 

conventionalism of the ordinary everyday life of the world, face ta 

face with nature in her grandest and most solemn aspects. The 

storm arises, and the clouds thicken round you. In the moaning 

of the wind among caves and corries, or in its shrieking through 

fissured clefts of rocks-in the sound of many waters made by 

rushing cataracts- in the thud of the great sea on the shore-or 

in the prolonged echoes of the thunder over many mountains and 

glens, you hear voices which cannat fail ta solemnise and awe 

you. But anon the clouds are chased away by the wind, the blue 

sky is seen, and the mountains again reveal themselves in their 

old familial' forms. You descend the other side, and yon come ta 

a hidden glenlet or sheltered corrie, bright in sunshine, clothed in 

green est verdure, with its " wimpling burn" winding through it, 

and frazrant birches wavinz around it-the haunt of the mountaindeer, 

the '" very abode of purity '" and of peace. Sa in these pages, 

after passing occasionally over dreary flats, we are many times ' 

led ta the loftiest heights-"the bed of the clouds "- where we 

are among aIl th e elements of sublimity and grandeur; but we 

are not asked ta tarry long among their darkness. We descend 

to -gaze anew on nature in some fairer and gentler form. The 

lizht o of valeur' of purityJ ' and of truth brichte ns around us ; and 

0 

we find ourselves led into sorne quiet retreat, where the spri ngs , 

YOL. 1. 

' e 

lxv 


lxvi 

Conclusion. 

DIS ERTA'l'ION. 

of warmest and tenderest affection pour forth their gladdening 

streams. 

1 may conclude my observations by quoting the Abbé Cresarotti's 

words regarding the character of Ossian as a poet-cc Whether he 

be the son of Fingal or not, he is undoubtedly the son of Apollo." 

And Tennyson's words regarding the broken pearl-necklace of the 

queen may probably illnstrate the form in which his poems are 

now presented to us. Pearls, and royal pearls, they still are. 

"This rhyrne 

Is Iike the fair pearl-necklace of the queen 

That burst in dancing, and the pearls were spilt 

Sorne lost, sorne stolen, sorne as relies kept ; 

But never more the same two sister pearls 

Ran down the silken thread to ms each other 

On her white neck : so is it with this rhyme-> 

It lives dispersedly in rnany hands, 

And every rninstrel sings it differently." 

A.mong several friends who kindly interested themselves in the 

success of my work, I have pleasure in mentioning Principal 

Shairp of St Andrews, as one who often gave me most important 

aid; :Ml' Skene, who kindly solved every antiquarian doubt 

which 1 submitted to him; the late Archibald M'Neill, Esq., 

W.S., Principal Clerk to the Court of Session ; Dr Laing, of the 

Signet Library, whose vast extent of accurate knowledge is 

equailed only by his readiness to impart its benefits to others; 

A. Nicolson, Esq., advocate, 1"hose knowledge of Gaelic and acute 

learning helped me through varions difficulties; and the Rev. J. 

Macleod, of the parish of DU1l5e, who possesses many high and 

rare qualifications for making the Bard of Morven truly known 

to the English reader. 

I ought to have profited more by such able assistance. But 

very imperfect as in ail truth I know my work to be, I trust that 

it may be the means of directing a greater degree of public attention 

to these wonderful and precious fragments of ancient British• 

poetry ; and if 50, I shall consider myself well rewarded. 

* 1 use the tenn British advisedly, as referring to the ancient inhabitants of ail 

Britain. 

MAxgE OF K IL. IALLI K: 

October 18ïO. 

CA - LüDIN 


8 

DL\ X 1. 

a In angry 

mood ; lit . 

icùh. bristles. 

or, ioith. l!

10 

DUA.· I. 

a ShaH l 

tretch mv 

step 1 lit.' 

spreadmy 

step. 

CATH-LODUL·_·. 

" 'Mhic Chumhail, an sgaoil mi mo cheum," 

65 Measg oidhche ? 0 sgiath nam beum 

An seall mi mu'r naimhdean gu léir 

'An sàmhchair fo fhaileas nan speur, 

Mu rïgh Lochlin gun iochd, gun bhàigh, 

Sàr Shuaran, nàmhaicl borb nan dàimh, 

zo 'Taomadh thall nan rann air chomhla 

Do clùach Loduinn nam fuar thaibhs' ? 

Cha-n ann gun fheum tha 'rn focail mall 

Ri Loduinn nan Gall treun. 

Mur till mac Roinne, a thriath ; 

i 5 'Bhean bhanail tha 'triall 'n a h-aonar, 

'An àite-tachairt do gharbh shruth nan sliabh, 

o Chruailinn 'tha sïos a' taomadh. 

Air gach taobh tha cruach agus càrn, 

Gorm-clioille, beur àrd, 'us beuc cuain ; 

80 Tha süil mo mhic air eoin nan tonn, 

'Faoin-sheachran nan tom 'an oige, 

Thoir ceann an tuirc do cheann nan daoine ; 

Innsear dha nach b'fhaoin mo sholas, 

'N uair thàinig neart riabhach nan cnoc 

85 Air gorm-shleagh nan tore 'an Uthorno. 

Innsear dha mo ghmomh 's a' chomhrag ; 

Innsear air chorr dha mal' thuit mi." 

"'An di-chuimhn' air m'aithrichean treun 

Cha d'thàinig mi féin thar caoil : 

" Son of daring Comhal, shall my steps he forward through night 1 

From this shield shall I view them, over their gleaming tribes 1 

Starno, king of lakes, is before me, and Swaran, the foe of strangers. 

Their words are not in vain, by Loda's stone ofpower.-Should Duth- 

1 maruno not return, his spouse is lonely, at home, where meet two 

roaring streams, on Crathmocraulo's plain. Around are hills, with 

CA-LODIX. 

"Son of Cu-hal, shall I stretch my step a 

65 Through the night ? Over the shield of sounds, 

Shall I look on our foemen aIl 

In silence, under shade of night, 

Round Lochlin's ruthless, churlish king, 

(And) Swaran strong, fierce foe to strangers, 

ro Together pouring forth their rhymes 4 

To Lodin's stone of spectres cold ? 

And not in vain are their slow' words 

To Lodin of the mighty Galls. 

(But) if, 0 chief, Mac-Rein' shall not return, 

i5 His womanly wife walks all alone, 

At meeting of rough mountain-streams, 

Which downward fall from Crua-lin. 

On either side are peak and cairn, 

Green woods, high-pointed rock, and ocean's roar. 

80 The eye of my son is on birds of the waves, 

In youth he, th oughtless, wanders 'mid the knolls. 

The boar's head give the chief of men." 

To him be told that great was my joy, 

,Vhen came the grisly strength of the hills 

85 On the blue spear of boars in If-homo." 

Be told to him my deeds in war; 

Above an, be told how I fell. 

"Forgetful of my fathers brave, 

I did Dot come across the sea ; 

echoing woods, the ocean is rolling near. )'1y son looks on screaming 

sea-fowl, a young wanderer on the field. Give the head of a 

boar ta Cau-dona, tell him of his father's joy, when the bristly 

strength of I-thorno rolled on his lifted spear. Tell him of IDY 

deeds in war ! Tell where his father fell !" 

" K ot forgetful of my fathers," said Fingal, " 1 haye .bounded 

11 

1 DUXX I. 

1to go and 

exam ine the 

strength of 

their foemen, 

Starno, and 

Swaran his 

son, who were 

seeking counsel 

from their 

oracle, Lodin ; 

and in the 

event of his 

falling, he 

i eommends hi s 

widow and 

1young boy to 

Fingal. 

1 1 

1 

1 Fi ngal re. 

selves that 

he hi mself 


D U A N II. 

ARGUMENT. 

" Fingal, returning with day, devolves the command on Duth-maruno, who 

engages the enemy, and-drives them over the stream of Turthor. Having 

recalled his people, he congratulates Duth-maruno on his success; but 

discovers that that hero had been mortally wounded in the action. Duthmaruno 

dies. Ullin, the bard, in honour of the dead, introduces the 

episode of Colgorm and Strina-dona, which concludes this Duan."-M. 


30 

CATH-LODUL ' X. 

DUAN II. 

" C' AITE bheil gaisgeach nan triath ?" 

Thuirt Dubh rnhac Roinne nan sgiath donn. 

" Co 'n neul a cheil anns an t-sliabh 

àg dhearrsa 0 Shelma nan tonn ? 

5 An e an rïgh a chithear thall 

'Tighin 0 chàrn fo sgéith na h-oidhche 1 

Tha 'mhaduinn air Toirne nan stuadh, 

's a' ghrian air a' chruaich 'an ceo. 

Togaibh 'am fhianuis an sgiath, 

10 'Mhor ghaisgich an triath a dh'fhalbh : 

. Cha tuit e mar thein' air an t-sliabh, 

Dorcha dh' fhaicear a thrian air làr. 

Sud féin e mar iolair nan speur, 

A' teurnadh 0 bheinn 's a' ghaoith; 

15 Tha faoibh a nàmhaid 'n a làimh. 

Bha m'anam, a rlgh, fo bhron.' 

" Wh ere art thou, son of the king 1" said dark-haired Duth-maruno. 

" Where hast thou failed, young beam of Selma1 He returns not 

from th e bosom of night! Morning is spread on U-thorno. In his 

mist is the sun on his hill. Warriors, lift th e shields, in my pre- 

CA-LODIN. 

D U ANI 1. 

",VHERE is the hero of heroes ?" 

Said Du-Mac-Roine of brown shields; 

"What cloud on the mountain has shrouded 

The youthful beam from Selma of waves ? 

5 Is it the king who is seen afar 

From height descending 'neath the wing of night ?l 

The morn is on Torno of waves, 

And the sun on the upland in mist. 

Raise, in my presence, the shield, 

10 Great warriors of the absent chief; 

Fall not shall he like fire on hill, 

Seen in dark traces as it sinks to earth :2 

There, there he is, like eagle from the sky, 

Descencling from the Ben on wind; . 

15 The trophies of the foe are in his hand. 

1\'1y soul, 0 king, was under sorrow." 

senee. He must not fall, like a fire from heaven, whose place is not 

marked on the ground. He cames, like an eagle, from the skirt of 

his squaily wind ! In his hand are the spoils of foes, King of 

Selma, .our souls were sad! " 

31 

Du-Mac 

Roin', longing 

for Fingal's 

return, asks 

what had hecorne 

ofhim. 

Sees him descending 

th e 

mountain. 


38 C.-\TH-LODC'IXX. CA-LODI.'. 39 

DL\X II. l'hachai!' aig Tùrthor na suinn, The warriors met at Turor, DUAX II. 

Mar bhruaillein thonn air druim a' chuain. Like writhing waves on ridge of ocean. They and the 

Bha beuman beucach dlùth ri 'ch éile ; Cleaving, clanging strokes feU thick together; Fingalians 

engage at 

Am bàs a' leum thar tréin 's an t-sliabh, Death leaped o'er strong ones on the hill," Turor. 

!.JO Marnial de chlacha-meaUain garbh, !.JO Like a cloud of rugged hailstones, 

's gaoth mhor 'n a cearb ag éirigh ; While a great wind surges in its skirt ; 

Na siantan mal' thorrunn a' falbh, The elements like thunder careering, 

's muir dhorcha le spàirn a' beucail. And ocean dark is beUowing in throes, 

a The tiiuc 1 

that is goue : 1 

lit. tcent up.' 

1 

icards. A very 

common ex- 

A strï Thoirne, 's duibhe gruaim, 

D5 C' uim' au cuirinn 'an duan do chreuchdan ? 

l'ha thu 's an àm a chaidh suas," 

A tha gun tuar do m' léirsinn, 

Thàinig Starn' a nall le comhrag, 

95 

Combat of 'l'omo, blackest in gloom, 

Why put in song thy gashing wounds ? 

Thou art in the time that is gone, a 

'Thich has no brightness in my sight. 

Over came Stamo to the conflict, 

Ossian, I'ë - 

garding the 

battleofTorno 

as covered 

with gloom, 

and now in 

thefarofftime, 

refuses to enter 

into itsdetails ; 

pression fol' 

past tim e is 'US Suaran mor le 'ehearb do 'n stri.' And Swaran great, with his train, to the fray.' 

" that whieh 

has deelined, " 

yone doun - 

100 Cha robh do lann gun bhrlgh 's a' chomh-stri, 100 Not pithless in the fight thy spear, but merelv 

states that 

uiards. 

A Dhuibh mhic Roinne 0 'n Tuath thïr, Du-Mac-Rein', from northern land. Lochlin f1ed 

across the 

b lYith his Theich Lochlin thar an uisge thall ; FIed Lochlin 'cross the water far. water, 

train; lit. 

Starno and 

1cith Ids skirt. 

Bha triath' nan lann au' caU an smaointean ; Bereft of thought were the chiefs of spears ; 

Thionndaidh iad am mol' rosg mall Theil' great, slow eyes they rolled, 

Swaran were 

bereft of 

thought by 

105 Air teicheadh o'n chàrn do'n t-sluagh. 105 When their people fied from the hill. the f1ight of 

their people. 

Chualas stoc Fhionughail 0 'n chruaich ; Heard was Fingal's horn from the height; Fingal speedilv 

recalls his 

Thill s101 Alba 0 ruaig 's a' ghcann. 

Bu Iïonmhor mu Thùrthor nan stuadh 

Turned Alba's race from pursuit in the glen. 

Many, around Turor of waves, 

men l'rom the 

pursuit. 

A thuit gaisgich gun tuar fo lainn. 

The heroes who fell wan beneath the sword. 

The foes met br Turthor's stream. They heaved like ridgy waves, 

Theil'echoing strokes are mixed, Shadowy death fliesover the hosts. 

They were clouds of hail, with squally winds in th eir skirts. Theil' 

showers are roaring together. Belowthem swellsthe dark-rolling deep. 

Strife of gloomy Uvthomo, why should I mark thy wounds ! 

Thou art with th e years that are gone ; thou fadest on illY soul ! 

Stamo broucht forward his skirt of war, and Swaran his own 

t> . 

dark 'ling. l'or a harmless fire is Duth-maruno's S'lord. Lochlin 

is rolled over her streams, The wrathful kings are lost in thought. 

They roll their silent eyes, over the flight of their land. The horn 

of Fingal was heard ; the sons of woody Albion returned. But 

many lay, by Turthor's stream, silent in their blood. 


l -thomo, said the bard,. that risest midst ridgy seas ! Wby is 

thy head so gloomy, in the ocean's mist î From thy vales came 

forth a race, fearless as thy strong-winged eagles; the race of Colgorm 

of iron shields, dwellers of Loda's hall. 

In Tormoth's resounding isle, arase Lurthan, streamy hill. It 

bent its woody head over a silent yale. There, at foamy Cruruth's 

source, dwelt Rurmar, hunter of boars! His daughter was fair as a 

sunbeam, white-bosomed Strina-dona I 

Many a king of heroes, and hero of iron shields ; many a youth 

of heavy locks, came ta Rnrmar's echoing hall. They cameto woo 


48 CATH-LODGL-.-. ('A-T.ODL-, 49 

DUAX II. Bha gruaim air na bràithrean fo àrdan ; Gloomy and wrathful grew the brothers; DUAX II. 

205 Thachair an süilean 'an sàmhchair; 20:; In silence met their eyes ; 

Thionndaidh 0 'chéile na garbh thréin ; 

Bhuail iad an sgiathan 's an làraich; 

Ohrith gach làmh 'an ceann gach lainn; 

The heroes stern from ether turned away ; 

Struck they their shield on battle-field; 

Trembled each hand on the head of each sword ; 

, and, mutually 

estranged,they 

at length en- 

1 gage in mortal 

1 combat. 

a In confliet Ohaidh iad 'an carraid nan laoch a In the conflict of warriors they closed,a 

they closed ; 

lit, into conflict 

the1J 

uieni. 

210 1\1u Strl-nandaoine 'b'fhaide ciabh. 210 For Stri-nan-don' of longest hair. 

Corcul-suran 

is slain, 

Thuit OorcuI-Sùran 'n a fhuil Fell Corcul-suran in his blood, The father 

'An innis nan tuil 's nan càrn. 

Chuir 'athair og Ohùlgorm gn muir 

o Thoirne nam mue, a tha thall, 

In the island of floods and of cairns. 

His father sent young Oul-gorm to sea, 

From Torno of whales, in distance far, 

gorm, who, 

aller manv 

215 .ill seachran mal' chaochla na gaoithe. 

215 To wander with the changes of the winds. 

in due time, 

'An raon fada Chruailinn an fhraoich 

On the long moor of heathy Crualin 

Ghabh saoi nach robh faoin a thàmh. 

The valiant hero took his l'est. 

'N a aonar cha do thuinidh an laoch ; 

}lOI' lonely did the brave one dwell ; 

Bha dearrsa 'bu chaoine r'a làimh, 

By his side was radiance mildest, 

220 Nighean Thoirne a b' airde fuaim, 

220 Daughter of loud-sounding Torno, 

Strï -nandaoine nan gruaidh tlàth. 

Stri-nan-don' of soft, warm cheek. 

Wrathful the brothers frowned, Their flamine o eves J , in silence, 

met. They turned away. They struck their shields. Theil' hands 

were trembling on their swords, 

heroes, for long-haired Strina-dona, 

They rushed into the strife of 

Corcul- suran fell in blood. On his isle raged the strength 

of his father. He turned Colgorm from I -thorno, to wander 

on all the winds. In Crnthmo -craulo's rocky field, he dwelt 

by a foreign stream. Kor darkenecl the king alone ; that bearn 

of light was near, the daughter of echoing Tormoth, white-armed 

Strina -dona. 

VOL. 1. D 

1 banishes Cul- 

wanderings, . 

fixed his home 

at Crualin, in 

Alba, where, 

Sm-nan-dona 

joins him . 


;jG CXfH-LODl'L'0-' ('o\-LODL'. 5ï 

DUA.' IlI. Bha 'shiubhal gun mheirg gu 'mhac," 'traighbn1Y he hied him to his son," 

a traightway 's e 'mûchadh nam fonn dha féin, While to him elf he muttered songs, 

he hied him ; 's a' clàistinn gaoith thréin 'n a chiabh, And li tened to the trong wind through his hair. 

lit. icitlunü 

rwsl, kc. ; or 'I'hionndaidh na saoi 0 'chéile, From each other turned the chiefs away, 

po ibly, uiitli - 

Qui banner 

45 Mar dhà dharaig threun 's a' chàrn, 

-15 Like two strong oaks on mountain height, 

or troop; for 

meirghc, Gach aon diubh do ghaoith a' géilleadh, Each one yielding to the blast, 

which, for 

the sake of '8 ag aomadh 0 bheinn thar alld ; And, from the Ben, o'erhanging a ravine ; 

rhythm here, 

mighr be con- Crithidh am mol' gheugan thall Sway their great boughs on either side, 

tracted, signifies 

banner, or Fo osaig, a bheucas 0 'n ghleal1l1. 'Neath bla t loud-howling through the glen. 

Thaom e 0 'shùilean am bàs 

'An comhrag nam blàr 's nan sgiath ; 

Bha 'sholas 'am bàs nan laoch; 

55 Fuil cho caoin ri sruth an t-samhraidh, 

'N uair a bheir e o'n àrd chreig fhaoin 

Aoibhneas nach baoth gu gleann càthair, 

Death he poured from forth his eyes 

In the warring strife of shields. 

His joy was in the death of warriors; 

55 Blood (to him) was sweet as summer stream, 

When from a high bare rock it brings 

Great gladness to a moory glen. 

\ 

DUAX III. 

- 

He goes to hi, 

sou, 

who turns 

from him. 

They are Iike 

two oak-trees, 

1 one on either 

side of a ra- 

vine, their 

1bouzhs swaved 

hither and' 

1 thither by the 

wind. 

the band 

which follows 

a banner. 

The meaniug 

then would 

be, secretb), 

50 " Bha Annir," thuirt rïgh nan loch cial', 

"Mar theine 'chaidh sïos 0 shean; 

50 " Annir." said the kins of dark -brown lochs, 

' b 

"Was like fire which passed away of old; 

1 Starno de· 

scribes his 

father Annir, 

who delighted 

in shedding 

the blood of 

warriors ; 

Thàinig e mach 0 Luthcormo From Lu-Cormo came he forth, 1 and tells that 

Connan, chief 

'An coinneamh Chormain, an sonn treun, 1'0 encounter Corman, warrior strong ; of Urlor, 

1 came to Gor- 

60 Esan 0 Urlor nan sruth, GO He (was) from Urlor ofrivers ; mal, Annir's 

dwelling ; 

A thuineadh fo sgéith a' chomhraig." 

Dwelt he beneath the wing of war." 

Thàinig Connan 'n a loingeas clhonn 

Gu Gorm-mheall, mu -n iadh an tonn. 

He hummed a surly song; and heard his haïr in wind, Turned 

from one another, they stood, like two oaks, which cliffercnt winds 

had bent; each hangs over its own loud rill, and shakes its boughs 

in the course of blasts. 

" Annir," said Starno of lakes, "\Vas a fire that consumed of old. 

1 He poured death frOID his eyes, along the striving fields. His joy 

Came Connan in his galleys brown 

To Gormal, girclled by the wave ; 

was in the fall of men. Blood to him was a sunnuer stream, that 1 

brings joy to withered vales, from its own messy rock. He came 

forth to the lake Luth-cormo, to meet the tall Corman-trunar, he 

from Urlor of streams, dweller of battle's wing." 

The chief of Urlor had come to Gormal, with his dark-bosomed 

ships. He saw the daughter of Annïr, white-armed Foina-brâgal. 


EXPLANATION OF PROPER NA:L\IES 

IX 

C À - L O D l N. 

X ote.-Throughont the translation of Ossian's Poems 1 have writteu pl"Oper names in 

English in such a form us to give a Saxon tongue sorne chance of pronouncing them ; 

and herein 1 generally, though not always, follow the spelling of Macpherson. In 

Gaelic, however, l "Tite them as fully and accurately as 1 cau, Wh ere the deriva 

tion and meaning are obvions, 1 set these before the reader ; where they are probable, 

though not certain , 1 subjoin the 'lueJ"!J mark ; and where 1 see not even 

probability to lead the way to a solution, 1 make no attempt at it-for 1 have no faith 

in conjectural etymology.-A. C. 

. 

ÂLBA, or ÂLBUIXX, once the name of the whole island of Great 

Britain, is still th e name by whieh Scotland is known in the Gaelic 

language. Every Highlander styles himself an Albannach - i. e., 

Albanman - in contradistinction ta the Saseanach, or Saxon-man j 

and again, a Gael, in contradistinction to the Gall, or Lowland Scot. 

ÂXXIR, the father of Starno, king of Lochlin, of whom his son says 

(Duan III. line 55) that "blood to him was sweet as summer stream." 

The name seems to have been common among the Scandinavians. It 

occurs in "Carric-thura" as that of the king of Sora or Sorcha. 

CA-LODIX, Catli-L oduùm; "the battle of Lodin." Lodin is generally 

supposed to denote the Scandinavian deity Odin; and unquestionably 

he is represented as exercising great, though not resistless, 

power over the affairs of men; but in some parts of this Duan, as weil 

as in the title, Lodin seems to denote a locality rather than a person. 

Vide Note at the end of this poem. 


8G NOTES TO CA-LODIX. 87 

IYe see that the " mystery of being" kindled "questioning'" in the 

mind of the old Celtic bard, as it has done in so many minds since his 

day. And if we take his summing-up to be-as it appears to be-that 

there is nothing substantial, or real1y enduring, except brave or good 

deeds, we must admit his teaching to be far sounder and better than 

that of many of the " thinking men" of recent days who treat of the 

same subject. 

The coincidence between Ossian's "hero-deeds marking the side of 

time" and Longfeilow's oft-quoted " footprints on the sands of time," 

must occur to every reader; and as necessarily, I think, Solomon's saying, 

that " there is no new thing under the sun." 

The invocation to the harp, lines 14-21, ta project on dusky time the 

images of departed heroes, is easily understood, and quite in accordance 

with a beautiful saying in another poem (" Conlaoch," &c., line 41), 

where, after a similar address to the harp, he says, " Let the light of 

memory be on the mountain." 

The " three voices of the harp" may refer to its festal, its warlike, and 

its sorrowful tones. I think it more probable, however, that this expression 

is meant to describe the perfect character of the music of the 

harp; for there are several indications in the Ossianic poetry of the 

number three being held significant of completeness or perfection. 

On line 13 I have to remark that the adjective mothar is frequently 

understood as meaning "càlm," "silent," &c. Macfarlan here translates 

it "honorificum." In several parts of the Highlands it signifies 

this, and something more. It includes the two ideas of "stateliness " 

and" slowness," though not mentioned in the dictionaries. The provincial, 

and consequently defective, character of our Gaelic dictionaries 

is grievously felt by every translater. A comprehensive one, giving 

the meaning of words in ail districts of the Gaelic area, is much needed. 

2 " Corne down," Thig .nos.- This differs from present Gaelic usage. 

Thig anuas is what would be used alike in writing and in conversation 

throughout th e Highlands generaily. I have heard it said that in the 

I sle of Skye sios is still used for anuas ; but however this may be, I 

leave the reading unchanged, believing that it may contain an old use 

of the word, 

I have a similar remark to make regarding line 21, A chaidli fada 

fhall. Mr Macl.achlan substitutes null, aceording to modern usage; 

but, for the reason stated above, I retain the reading of the Society's 

edition. 

3 " We struck, and th e foe prevailed." 

" Thug an nàrnhaid buaidh." 

Lit., "The foe took vietory." It is worthy of remark that the verb fair 

or tabhair-past thug-signifies either to "give " or to " take ;" and the 

context alone can decide in whieh of these opposite significations it is 

to be reeeived. 

4 "We called the hawks of the skies, 

And from every wind they came 

To feast on our enemies' flesh. 

In light shall be my path on the hill, 

And hawks on the wing behind me." 

These expressions are very characteristic of the old northern warrior, as 

every reader of Norse hist ory or tales is aware. The celebrated Rasnar 

Lodbrog thuslaments the death of his son: " 1 lost my son. The birds 

of prey bewailed his fal1; they mourned him that prepared their banquets." 

And he himself died singing, in the midst of torments, of the 

pleasure he had derived from preparing ample food for the ravenous 

wolves and the yeilow-footed eagle.-'Scandinavia' (edition 1838), 

voL i. p. 169. 

5 " He loosed the thongs from off his hands." 

The scene here presented, from line 175 to the close, is very beautifully 

and touchingly described. Fingal had his treacherous and unrelentiuc 

" n 

enemy in his power ; but the memory of his youthful and undying 

love for Agandecca- 

"The thoughts of days which had been 

As noble music of sweet songs 

Which th e white-bosomed maid had sung"- 

stayed his hand and softened his heart; and he dismissed the truculent 

Starno unharmed. 


C 0 V A'LA 

A DRAMATIC POEM 


;, 

A R G U 1\1 E N T. 

"This poem is valuable on account of the light it throws on the antiquity of 

Ossian's compositions. The Caracul mentioned here is the same with Caracalla, 

the son of Severus, who in the year 211 commanded an expedition 

against the Caledonians. The variety of the measure shows that the 

poem was originaIly set to music, and perhaps presented before the chiefs 

upon solemn occasions. Tradition has handed down the story more complete 

than it is in the poem. ' Comala, the daughter of Sarno, king of 

Inistore or Orkney Islands, feIl in love with Fingal the son of Comhal at 

a feast, to which her father had invited him (Fingal, B. IlL] upon his 

return from Lochlin, after the death of Agandecca. Rer passion was so 

violent that she followed him, disguised like a youth, who wanted to be 

employed in his wars. She was soon discovered by Hidallan, the son of 

Lamor, one of Fingal's heroes, whose love she had slighted sorne time 

before. Rer romantic passion and beauty recommended her so much to 

the king, that he had resolved to make her bis wife, when news was 

brought him of Caracul's expedition. He masched to stop the progress 

of the enemy, and Comala attended him. Re left her on a hill, within 

sight of Caracul's army, when he himself went to battle, having previously 

promised, if he survived, to ret urn that night.' The sequel of the story 

may be gathered from the poem itself."-nI. 


96 

a Daughter of 

night - i. e. 

the moon. 

b Blue lightning; 

lit. 

green Zighining. 

CAO:MH-MHALA. 

0' àite bheil Fionnghal, do rùn, 

'8 an oidhche 'dubhradh dlùth mu-n cuairt 1 

OAŒ!H-)IHALA. 

A Oharuinn, a Charuinn nan sruth, 

35 0' uim' a cbitheam 'am fuil do bbùrn 1 

Cha chluinneam fuaim comhraig, no guth 

Ag iadhadh do thuil 'us do chùirn. . 

'N do chaidil rlgh Mhorbheinn, an treun 1 

Éirich, a nighean na h-oidhche ; a 

40 Ambairc a nuas 0 neoil nan speur ; 

Éirich grad, gu-m faiceam 'an soillse 

Caol dhearrsa 0 'mhàile 's 0 'chruaidh 

Air raon 's an robh 'ghealladh o'n ruaig. 

No thusa, 'dhealain uaine 'bhàis," 

45 'Bu sholus do'r sinns're nach beo 

Fo dhuibhre 'us scleo na-h-oidhehe, 

Thigs' ann ad cbaoir 0 'n Àrdbheinn, 

'8 feuch dhomh mo threun 'an soillse 

'N a luidhe, 's mi deurach, 's a' bhlàr. 

50 00 'sheasas eadar mi 's bron 1 

00 eadar mi 's rùn mo nàmhaid 1 

'8 fada sheaIlas Caomh-mhala fo dheoir, 

Mu-rn faicear leath' a mol' thriath 

A' tilleadh am measg a shluaigh 

blue eyes toward the field of his promise. \Vhere art thou, 0 

Fingal1 The night is gathering around ! 

Cmu LA.-O Carun of the streams ! why do I behold thy waters 

rolling in blood 1 Has the noise of the battle been heard ; and sleeps 

the king of Morven 1 Rise, moon, thou daughter of the sky! look 

from between thy clouds. Rise, that I may behold th e gleam of his 

COVALA. 

Where is Fingal, thy love, 3 

Whennigh» close-darkens aIl around 1 

OOVALA. 

Carron, 0 Oarron of streams ! 

35 Why see I thy waters in blood 1 

I hear no sound of war, or voice, 

Around thy flood or height. 

Has Morven's king, the brave one, slept 1 

Rise, thou daughter of night,a 

40 Look down from heaven's clouds; 

Quickly rise, that in light I may see 

A feeble glimmer from his mail and steel, 

On plain (of meeting) promised after l'out (of foes). 

Or thou, blue lightning of death, b 

45 Which, to our sires now gone, wert light 

In blackness and cloud of nizht : 

'=' ' 

Oome, in thY hissing flash, from Ardven, 

And show me my brave one in light, 

8tretched on the field, while I am full of tears. 

50 Who will stand 'twixt me and woe 1 

Who 'twixt me and foe's design 1 

Long shaIl Oovala look in tears, 

Ere she'll behold her mighty chief 

Return amid bis people- 

steel on the field of his promise. Or rath er let the meteor that 

lights our fathers through th e night, come, ';ith its red bearn, to 

show me th e way to my fallen hero. \Vho will defend me from 

sorrow1 who from the love of Hidallan 1 Long shall Comala look 

before she can behold Fingal in the midst of his host; bright as the 

coming forth of th e morning, in th e cloud of an early shower, 

VOL. I. G 

97 

Covala, awakened 

from her 

reverie, describes 

th e 

vision which 

th e gloomy 

forebodings 

of her friends 

had probably 

raised up before 

her imagination-the 

streams of 

Carron in 

blood, and 

Fingal slain, 

She calls on 

the moon, or 

even th e lightningofh 

eaven, 

to shine, so 

that she may 

obtain one 

glimpse of her 

brave one. 

Shebemoans . 

her own desolate 

state, now 

that he is 

gone, 


106 CAO:\IH-:\IHALA. COVALA. 107 

CAo:\IH-:\IHALA. COVALA. 

Co ach an nàmhaid aig Caomh-mhal'; 'Who but he that is Covala's foe; Covala, anti- 

Mac rlgh an domhain, 's a shluagh. The world-king's son, and his host! cipating every 

woe, says it 

A thannais Fhinn air neoil a' sgaoileadh, Thou shade of Fionn, reclining on the clouds, must be 

Caracul, her 

135 Greas iuthaidh Caomh-mhal' sïos gu luath ; 135 8peed Coval's arrow quickly down ; enemv. She 

prays for bis 

Tuiteadh e mar fhiadh 's an aonach.- Fall he as a deer on the mountain. death; but 

recognising 

'8 e Fionn a th'ann, measg tannais a shluaigh! 'Tis Fionn himself, 'mid the shades of his people. the form of 

Fingal, con- 

C' uime tbigeadh tu, mo luaidh, Why comest thou, my loved one, eludes it to 

A chur solais 'us fuath orm féin 1 

To bring to me both joy and fear 16 be his spirit. 

FrOXKGHAL. 

FL.",GAL. 

140 Togaibhse 'bheula nan dàn ; 

Togaibh gu h-àrd am blàr aig Carunn : 

Theich Caracul, 's a shluagh 0 m' lainn; 

Theich e thall thar raoin an àrdain. 

A ghaisgich, mar dhealain air sliabh, 

140 Raise ye, ye mouths of song, 

Raise on high the war at Carron ! 

FIed Caracul and his hosts from my sword ; 

FIed he across the :fields of pride ; 

His warriors like flashes on the heights, 

Fingal, ignorant 

of aIl that 

had taken 

place, caIls on 

his bards to 

celebrate his 

victory at 

Carron. 

145 'Tha 'sgeadachadh tannais na h-oidhche, 

145 Which robe a spirit of night, 

'8 e 'g aomadh ro' ghaoith o'n iar, 

As it yields to the western wind, 

'8 a' choille chiar mu-n cuairt a' boillsgeadh. 

And the darksome wood around is gleaming. 

Chualam guth nan aiteal thall The voice of breezes heard 1 far away, He looks up- 

wards, 

o thaobh nan càrn 's am :fiar-ghlinn féin. From side of cairns and their winding glens. recognises 

Covala, 

150 Ban-shealgair Ardbheinn, an i' th' ann, 150 The huntress of Ardven ! Is it she, and entreats 

her to speak 

Nighean làmh-gheal 8harno thréin 1 White-handed daughter of Sarno brave 1 to him. 

Amhairc 0 d' charraig, mo rùn ; 

Look down from thy rock, my love; 

Cluinneam do ghuth ciuin, a Chaomh-mhal'. 

Let me hear thy low, sweet voice, Covala. 

CO)IALA.- Who is it but th e foe of Comala, the son of the king 

of the world! Ghost of Fingal ! do th ou, from thy cloud, direct 

Comala's bow. Let him fail like th e hart of the desert. It is 

Fingal in the crowd of his ghosts. ",Yhy dost th ou come, my love, 

to frighten and please my sou!? 

FnmAL.-Raise, ye bards, the song; raise the wars of the streamy 

Carun! Caracul has fled from our arms along the fields of his pride. 

He sets far distant like a meteor, that encloses a spirit of night, when 

the winds drive it over the heath, and th e dark woods are zleaminz 

" " 

around. I heard a voice, or was it the breeze of ml' hills ? Is it 

the huntress of Ardven, the white-handed daughter of Sarno l Look 

from thy rocks, my love ; let me hear the voice of Comala ! 


116 

CA.mlH-)lHALA. 

230 Chithear thu 'n aisling gu d' thrian; 

'Chur sith air an anam fo ghruaim. 

Bithidh do ghuth 'n an cluais gu man; 

Bi'dh an smaointean aoibhneaeh 's an t-shuain, 

'Dh aisigeas an luaidh gu 'm beaehd. 

235 Faie dealain a' lasadh mu 'n àigh ; 

Gathan na gealaieh a' togail suas 

Caoin anama ainnir nan slogh ! 

come at times to their dreams, to settle peace in their soul. Thy 

1 voiee shall remain in their ears, they shall think with joy on the 

COVALA. 

230 In dream thou clearly shalt be seen, 

To give peaee to the sou! in gloom. 

Thy voice, in their ear, Will be soft; 

Their thoughts will be glad in the sleep 

\Vhieh, to their view, restores their loved one. 

235 See, lightnings gleam around the maid ! 8 

The moonbeams raise on hizh 

b 

The gentle sou! of the maid of the people. 

dreams of their rest. Meteors gleam around the maid, and moonheams 

lift her soul ! 

117 

exert on the 

minds ofher 

companions 

when present 

in their 

dreams; and 

conclude by 

again declaring 

that the 

moonbeams 

raised on high 

her gentle 

soul. 


EXPLANATION OF PROPER NAnIE8 

ÂRD-YEX, Àl'd-bheinn, "high mountain," 

IX 

CARACUL, now written garg-shùil-of old, carg or karq-shùil, "fierce 

eye"-said, as in the" Argument," to have been the same with Caracalla, 

the son of Severus, the Roman emperor.- Vide K ote. 

C.mROX, Car-amludnn, or Car-thann, "winding stream," a name 

still attached to a small river, well known in Scotland, near the town 

of Stirling. It formed, for a time, the boundary of the Roman province; 

and at a later period, of the territory of Calatros, inhabited by 

Britons, between whom and the men of Argyle frequent battles were 

fought. 

COVALA, Caomh-mhala, "mild eyebrow," daughter of Sarno, king 

of Innisiore or Innistorc, one of the Orkney Islands, loving Fingal, 

and beloved by him. She is referred to in "Carric-thura" as the love 

of Fro-hal, king of Sora. 

CROXA, the name of a river; and probably refers to the murmuring 

sound of its waters. Cronasi (Scotch, croon) signifies "a low, murmuring 

ehant or song." 

DARSA-GRAISÈ, Dearrsa-qréine, "stmshine," or "sunbeam," 


122 _-OTE TO COYALA. "-OTES TO COYALA. 123 

Glenelg, 'Highland Society's Report,' App., p. 29. And the late Rev. 

Dr Macleod of Glasgow, in describing the customs of the New Year in 

his youthful days, speaks of similar representations being common in 

}Iorven-vide 'Highland Parish,' by his son, the Rev. Dr }Iacleod of 

Glasgow, second edition, p. 333-355. Kay, to this day traces of the 

same habit may be seen throughout the country. 

I mnst add to thi long note, that Laing calI thi unpretending little 

poem " an ambitious imitation of the ong of Solomon, with a chorus 

of bards from Caractacus"! Farther, he traces the simple question, 

" ,Vho fell on Carun's sounding banks 1" &c., to ong of olomon, 

viii. 5, " 1"1'710 is this that cometh up from the wilderness 1" and id., 

,'1. 10, " Who is this that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the 

sun, clear as the moon, and terrible as an army with banners '1" Again, 

" ,yas he white as the snows of Ardven 1"to Song, v. 10, " }Iy beloved 

is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand."-(Laing's 

'Ossian,' p. 219. The italics are his own.) In view of scores of 

similar proofs of plagiarism, Fluellen's arguments for the identity of 

}Iacedon and nIonmouth appear rational and conclusive! 

2 "Caracul has conquered in the war." 

A great deal has been made of Macpherson's applying this name to 

the son of the Roman emperor, Severus. "The absurdity," says Laing, 

" was remarked by Gibbon, that the Highland bard should describe the 

son of Severus by a nickname invented four years afterwards (i. e., 

after the battle of Carron), scarcely nsed by the Romans themselves till 

after the death of that emperor, and seldom employed by the most 

ancient historians." Kow there is a considerable amount of" absurdity" 

in this objection, formidable as it seems. 

The battle of Carron was fought before Ossian was born. He was 

old when he wr ote these poems. ' Ve must suppose an interval of seventy 

or eighty years between the battle and the description of it by him. 

I s it not most likely tha t a nickname given to the emperor would, 

during that period, travel across the Roman wall to the neighbouring 

Caledonians 1 The objection supposes the description to have been 

written before the author was born. 

But it is said, in further proof of the spuriousness of this passage, 

that it speaks of Caracul, "fierce eye ;" whereas the emperor's actual 

nickname was "Caracalla," which referred to a "short tunic adopted 

by him from the Gauls." Here also the charge rests on mere ignorance. 

Macpherson translates Caracul by "fierce eye," and it is the most obvi- 

ous explanation. At the same time it may be translated " short tunie" 

or "dress." The word now written gearr was of old written with a 

hard c or k - kearr or carr - and signifies " short," while culaidh 

(pronounced kuli), signifies "dress" or " covering." A and u were, 

and are still, constantly interehanged in Celtic. Thus the two names 

seem to be in reality the same, and ail that can be said is, that Macpherson 

may have erred in translating the words into English. 

Other answers could be given to this very frivolous objection; but I 

hasten to conclude by saying that I do not for a moment suppose that 

the mere mention in this poem, whether of Caracul or Caracalla, affords 

by itself any historie ground for maintaining that Fingal fought with 

the son of Severus either at Carron or elsewhere. But I think it of 

importance to show that very many of the objections brought against 

the genuineness and antiquity of these poems are altogether inconclusive, 

and unworthy of any fair criticism, 

3 " , Vhere is Fingal, thy love 1" 

In the Gaelic of the three editions before me, and also in the Latin 

of Macfarlan, it is "my love." This is, however, an obvions error, substituting 

my for thy. In the preceding part of the poem, ' nfelhul-cova,' 

the speaker here, reeognises Fingal as Covala's love. She could not then 

speak of him as her own, I have changed the m into d to free the line 

from inconsisteney with the rest of th e poem. The line immediately 

preceding this is, in the original, very elliptical and obseure- 

" On the plain where was the promise of her lord." 

I have given what seemsto be the full meaning: 

" On plain of meetingpromised by her lord; " 

and l have to make a sinrilar remark regarding line 43, literally- 

which I have rendered- 

" The plain where "as his promise after rout ; " 

" The plain of promised rneeting after rout offoes;" 

4 nIacpherson says that Hidallan was sent by Fingal to give notice 

to Covala of his return; but that, out of revenge for her having slighted 

his love, he told that the king had been killed in battle. 

s "Carron of banks."- This description is frequently applied to 

rivers, but, though it is sanetioned by Homerie precedent, I mnst, with 


A R G U ]YI E NT. 

" Fingal, returning from an expedition which he had made into the Roman 

province, resolved to visit Cathulla, King of Inistore, and brother to 

Comala, whose story is related at large in the preceding dramatic poem. 

Upon his coming in sight of Carric-thura, the palace of Cathulla, he 

observed a flame on its top, which, in those days, "as a signal of distress. 

The wind drove him int o a ba)", at sorne distanc e from Carric-thura, and 

he was obliged to pass the night on the shore. :Kext day he attacked the 

arm;yof Frothal, King of Sora, who had besieged Cathulla in his palace 

of Carric-thura, and took Frothal himself prisoner, after he had engaged 

him in a single combat. The deliverance of Carric-thura is the subject 

of the poem; but several other episodes are interwoven with it, It appears 

from tradition that this poem "as addressed to a Culdee, or one of 

the first Christian missionaries, and that the story of the Spirit of L oda, 

supposed to be the ancient Odin of Scandinavie, "as introduced by Ossian 

in opposition to the Culdee's doctrine. Be this as it will, it lets us 'into 

Ossian's notions of a superior being ; and shows that he was not addicted 

to the superstition which prevailed, ail the world over, before the introduction 

of Ohristianity/'-c-M. 


130 

a Freely ; lit. 

on high. 

b Green or 

blue. 

CARRAIG -THGRA. 

20 :JIar sin bha focail Jilin chaoin, 

'N uair thill an rïgh 0 raon nan triath, 

Le 'leadan trom a b' àillidh ciabb. 

Bha 'mhàile ghorm mu cheann an t- uinn, 

Mar neul nach trom air aghaidh gréin', 

25 'N uair ghluaiseas e 'n a éideadh donn, 

A' feuchainn leth a shoills' 's an speur. 

Bha 'ghaisgich threun 'an déigh an righ ; 

Bha fieagh na slige fial an àird." 

Thionndaidh Fionn ri luchd 'bu bhinn, 

30 'Us dh'iarr am fonn 0 shonn nam bàrd, 

" A ghutha Chona, 's àirde fuaim, 

A bhàrda, 'tha 'luaidh mu aois, 

Do-n éirich, air ur n-anam sua, 

Feachda mol' nan gorm-chruaidh laoch. 

35 's tait neach leam aoibhneas a' bhroin, 

Mar dhrùchd mothar earraich chaoin, 

Fo-n lùb geug dharaig nan torr, 

's an duilleach og ag éiridh maoth. 

Togaibhse, mo bhàird, am fonn ; 

40 Am màireach bithidh long fo sheol ; 

Bithidh m' astar 'an gorm-ghleann nan tonn," 

Gu carraig nan sonn, 's nan seod, 

Baile naine Sharno fhi al, 

A Chaomhmhala nan ciabh, do ehomhnuidh, 

Such were the words of Ullin, when Fingal returned from war : 

when he returned in the fair blushing of youth, with all his heavy 

locks. His blue arms were on the hero , . like a licht 0 cloud on tbe 

sun, when he moves in his robes of mist, and shows but half bis 

beams. His beroes foUow the king : the feast of shells is spread. 

Fingal turns to bis bards, and bids the song to rise. 

CARRIC -THUR A. 

20 Such were the words of Ullin bland, 

When the king returned from the field of chiefs, 

'Vith his heavy hair of graceful curl. 

His blue helm was on the warrior's head, 

Like a light cloud on face of the sun, 

25 When he moves in his dusky raiment, 

Showing but half his light in the sky. 

His men of might were behind the king; 

The feast of the shell was freely (spread). a 

Turned Fionn to the tuneful choir, 

30 And asked a strain from the chief of bards. 

" Voices of Cona of highest sound, 

Ye bards who discourse of Eld, 

Before whose souls arise 

The great hosts of blue-mailed warriors, 

35 Pleasing to me is the joy of grief, 

Like the soft rich dew of balmy spring, 

Under whieh bends the oak-branch on the knolls, 

'Vhen the young leaves are softly unfolding. 

Raise ye, my bards, the song; 

40 To-morrow a ship will be under sail ; 

:My path will be in the green glen of waves," 

To th e rock of th e strong and th e brave, 

The dwelling green of generous Sarno, 

Thy home, Covala of wavy locks, 

Voices of echoing Cana! he said : 0 bards of other times ! Ye, 

on whose souls the blue hasts of our fatbers rise! strike the harp in 

my hall ; and let me hear the song. P leasant is the joy of grief! 

it is like the shower of spring when it softens the branch of the 

0' 

oak, and the young leaf rears its green head. Sing on, 0 bards ! 

to-morrow we lift the sail. ) ly blue course is th rough the ocean, 

-1 

1 

.1 31 

Description of 

Fingal. 

Fingal calls on 

his bards to 

sing. 


132 

CARRAIG -THCRA. 

45 Far an gaoileadh Cathul, an triath, 

A' chuirm air an t- liabh le mor-chuis ; 

'S Iïonmhor 'n a choille tuirc chiar : 

Cluinnidh doire nan ian an t- ealg. 

" A Chrènain, a mhic nan caoin fhonn, 

50 A Mhui -fhonn nach trom air clàn aich, 

Togaibh sgeul air Silric donn, 

Do righ nam mol' thorn, 's Dam fàsach. 

Thigeadh a' Bhinnbheul a's àillidh, 

Mar bhogha braoin, a nall 's a' ghleann, 

55 'N uair dh'fheuchas e 'cheann 's an àirde, 

's a' ghrian a' dol air chùl nam beann." 

" 'Sud an oigh, a rlgh nan lann, 

Le guth fann, 'us i fo bhron." 

BLI).""BHEUL. 

" Tha mo rùn de shinns're nan sliabh ; 

60 '8 e sàr shealgair nan cial' àrd; 

Tha 'mhiol-choin a' plosgadh r'a thaobh, 

A thaifeid chaol 's a' ghaoith a' fuaim. 

'N do shuidh thu aig fuaran nan càrn, 

No aig mor-shruth àrd an aonaich ? 

65 Tha 'n luachair ag aomadh fo osaig, 

An ceathach a' mosgladh 's an t-sliabh : 

to Carric-thura's walls ; the mossy walls of Sarno, where Comala 

dwelt, There the noble Cathulla spreads the feast of shells. The 

boars of his woods are many ; the sound of the chase shall arise ! 

Cronan, son of the song! said Ullin ; Minona, graceful at the 

harp ! raise the tale of Shilric, to please the king of Morven. Let 

Vinvela come in her beauty, like the showery bow, when it shows 

CARRIC-THURA. 

4.5 Where spreads Ca-hul, the hero, 

His feast on the hill with bounty. 

Many, in his woods, are the tawny boars; 

The copse of storms will hear the chase. 

" Cronan, thou son of sweet songs, 

50 Minona, who lightly sweepest the harp, 

Raise ye a tale of brown-haired 8ilric, 

For the king of great hills and deserts : 

Let Binvela, the beautiful, come 

Like a rainbow over the glen, 

55 ",Vhen it shows its head on high, 

And the sun goes behind the mountains." 

"There is the maiden, king of swords, 

"'Vith feeble voice and sorrow-Iaden." 

BINVEL.A.• 

" My love is from forefathers of the hills ; 3 

60 True hunter is he of the dark-brown heights; 

His stag-hounds are panting by his side, 

His slender bow-string sounding in the wind. 

Hast thou sat by the cold spring of cairns, 

Or at the great stream high on the mountain ? 

65 The rushes are bending under the blast ; 

The mist is wakening on the hill. 

its lovely head on the lake, and the sctting sun is bright. She 

cornes, 0 Fingal ! her voice is soft but sad. 

VIXYELA.-My love is a son of the hill. He pursues the flying 

deer. His grey dogs are panting around him ; his bow-string sounds 

in the wind. Dost thou rest by the fount of the rock, or by the 

noise of the mountain-stre am 1 The rushes are nodding to the wind, 

133 

1 

i 

! 

1 Calls on Cronan 

and Mi- 

nona to sing 

lthe tale of 

Silrie and 

Binvela, 

Minons, per 

sonifying Binvela, 

declares 

her admiration 

of Silric, 


134 CATIRAlG- THGRA. 

Tàirneam air mo rùn fo cleo, 

'Us chith eam an seod 0 'n chruaich. 

'N uair chunnam na h-èig-fhir shuas 

70 Aig daraig Bhràno, 's fuaimear sruth, 

Thill thu 'n sin gu mol' 0 'n bheinn ; 

'8 mol' a b' àillidh thu féin na d' shluagh !" 

8ILRIC. 

" C" th 'th . , hl' 

e n gu so a caom am c UaIS, 

An guth caoin mar fhuaim an t-samhraidh ? 

75 Cha suidh mi aie luachair nan cruach 

o , 

No aig tobar fuar nan càrn. 

Fada, 'Bhinnbheul, fada th aIl, 

Tha m' astar gu blàr le Fionnghal ; 

Cha-n 'eil mo choin féin ri m' thaobh, 

80 No mo cheum air fraoch nan gleann. 

Cha-n fhaic mi 0 àirc1 nan sliabh 

8àr ainnir nan ciabh air an raon, 

Aig aomac1hnan sruth, leatha féin, 

Mar bhogha 'lùbac1h 's an speur, 

85 No gealach air tuinn 's an iar." 

BL'SBHEUL. 

" Dh'fhalbh thu, '8hilric, c1h'fhalbh thu féin, 

'8 tha mise 's a' bheinn 'am aonar ! 

the mist flies over the hill. I will approach my love unseen : I will 

behold him from the rock. Lovely I saw thee first by the aged oak 

of Branno ; th ou wert returni ng tall from the chase; the fairest 

among thy friencls. 

SHILRIC. - What voice is that I hear 1 that voice like the 

summer wind! I sit not by the nodding rushes; I hear not 

CARRIC-THURA. 

Under the wreath draw I neal' my love, 

And I shall see the hero from the peak. 

When I beheld the young men on high, 

70 At Brano's oak of souncling streams, 

Thou didst return then stately from the Ben. 

Fairer than thy people far wert thou." . 

8ILRIC. 

" 'Yhat voice is this, sweet in my ear 

Voice sweet as the sound of summer ? 

75 I shall not sit 'mong rushes on the heights, 

Nor at the cold spring of cairns ; 

Far, Binvela, far away 

Wïth Fingal is my path to battle. 

My own dogs are not by my side, 

80 Nor my step on the heath of the glens. 

I will not behold, from height of hills, 

The peerless wavy-haired maiden on the plain, 

By the fall of the streams all alone, . 

Like the bow that bends in the sky, 

85 Or the moon on wave of the west." 

BINVELA. 

" Thou hast gone, 8ilric, thou hast gone, 

And I, in the mountain, am all alone. 

the fount of the rock. Mar, Vinvela, afar, 1 go to the wars of 

Fingal. :My dogs attend me no more. K 0 more I tread the hilL 

1\"0 more from on high I see thee, fair moving by the stream of 

the plain; bright as the bow of heaven ; as the moon on the 

western wave. 

VIXVELA.-Then thou art gone, 0 ShiIric! I am alone on the 

135 

Cronan, personifyingSilrie, 

answers 

that he must 

depart to distant 

wars with 

Fingal, and 

laments his 

separation 

from Binvela, 

She deseribes 

her own loneliness 

after 

his departnre, 


140 CARRAIG-THURA. CARRIC-THGRA. 

Dh'aom e ri cloich ghlais a rùin; 

135 Bha Binnbheul 'n a smaointean beo. 

He leaned against the grey stone of his love ; 

135 Binvela was, in his thoughts, alive, 

a Full in view ; Chunnaic e 'n ainnir gu 'cul," He saw the maiden full in view " 

lit. to her 

bacle. 's a' ghleannan chiuin, 's b' àluinn a seleo ; In the peaceful glen, and lovely was her form; 

Ach shiubhail, mal' eheo, an sàmhla. 

Dh' fhalbh dearrsa na gréine 0 'n raon, 

140 Cha-n fhaicear a cruth faoin na 's mo." 

"Tha mi 'm shuidh' aig fuaran fuar 

Air mullach na cruaiche fo ghaoith, 

Aona chraobh 's an osaig a' fuaim, 

But vanished, like mist, the vision. 

The sunshine forsook the plain ; 

140 Hel' empty shade shali be seen no more." 

" I sit at the cold, cold spring, 

On the crest of the hill in the wind ; 

One tree (is) sounding in the blast ; 

b Waves of Tuinn dhorch' 'n an ruaig 's an fhraoch," ,Vaves of shadow are coursing over the heath.b 

shadow, &c. ; 

lit. dark 145 Tha bruaillean air an linne thalI, 145 Yonder there is tumult on the lake; 

1caVe8 in their 

chase orer the 

heath. 

Féidh a' tighin 0 chàrn gu raon. 

Cha-n fhaicear ceum sealgair, 's e mali; 

Tha sàmhchair 's a' ghleann, 's e faoin. 

's trom an osna, 's truime smaoin. 

150 Na-m faicinn mo ghaol 's an t-sliabh 

Air seachran 'an astar an fhraoich, 

Deer pass on from cairn to plain; 

The step of the wary hunter is not seen; 

Silence is in the empty glen. 

Heavy the sigh, and heavier is the thought. 

150 ' Vere I to see my love on the mountain, 

Wandering' midst the range of the heather, 

C Floating; A' snàmh air a' ghaoith a ciabh," Floating on wind her waving hair," 

lit. swimming. 

A broilleach bàn ag éirigh àrd, 

A sùil ghorm mu 'càirdean làn, 

Hel' white bosom heaving high, 

Hel' blue eye filled for her friends, 

dHid, &c.- 155 A cheileadh le ceo nan càrn : 155 Who are hid by the mist of the heights d d - 

i.e. dead. 

Ghabhainn thu, a rùin, 'am choir, 

's bheirinn thu gu comhnuidh d'athar. 

Au i féin a chi mi fada thalI, 

on her grey mossy stone; he thought Vinvela lived. He saw her 

fair moving on the plain : but the bright form lasted not: the sunbeam 

fled from the field, and she was seen no more. Hear the song 

of Shilric; it is soft but sad ! 

I sit by the mossy fountain; on the top of the hill of winds. 

One tree is rustling above me. Dark waves roll over the heath. 

The lake is troubled below , The deer descend from the hill. No 

I would take thee, 0 love, close unto me ! 

I would bring thee to thy father's home. 

Is it herself I see afar, 

hunter at a distance is seen. It is mid-day, but aIl is silent. Sad 

are my thoughts alone. Didst thou but appear, 0 my love! a wanderer 

on the heath! thy hair floating on th e wind behind thee ; thy 

bosom heaving on the sight; thine eyes full of tears for thy friends, 

whom the mist of the hill had concealed! Thee I would comfort, 

my love, and bring thee to thy father's house ! 

But is it she that there appears, like a bearn of light on the 1 

141 

Cronan does 

so, speaking 

in the name of 

Silric , 


142 CARRAIG-THURA . CARRIC- TH UR A. 143 

152 C_-\RRAIG-THGRA. CARRIC-TH"GRA . 153 

.C Teich gu d' thïr," fhreagair an cruth " Flee to thy country," answered the form ; Cru-Lodin 

" Teich air a' ghaoith dhuibh; bi 'falbh l 285 " Flee on the black wind ; begone ! 

'l'ha 'n osag 'an crodhan mo làimh' : The blast is in the hollow of my hand ; 

try ; boasts 

'S leam astar 'us spàirn nan toirm ; Mine are the speed and strength of storms. 

that Fro-hal, 

king of Sora, 

'S e dgh na Soruch' mo mhae fein ; The king of Sora is son of mine; 10 

is his son, or 

worshipper ; 

'l'ha 'aomadh 's a' bheinn do m' thuar ; He bows in the mountain to my form ; 

and promises 

him speedy 

290 Tha a' charraid aig carraig nan ceud, 290 His battle is (now) at the rock of hundreds, victory over 

Carric-Thura , 

counsels Fin - 

2"5 gal to f1ee to 

his own coun- 

'Us coi nidh gun bheud a' bhuaidh. And scathless he shall victory win. then besieged 

byhim. 

Teich gu d' thïr féin, a mhic Chumhail, Flee to thine own land, son of Cu-hal, 

No fairich gu dubhach m' fhearg." Or feel to:thy sorrow my wrath." 

Thog e gu h-ard a shleagh c1horch'; He raised aloft his spear of darkness, The two en- 

295 Dh'aom e gu borb a eheann àrd; 

295 Stooped fiercely his lofty head. 

a ln wrath : Ghabh Fionnghal 'n a aghaic1h le colg," Fingal went against him in wrath," 

gage in combat; 

Fingal's 

sword of 

lit. uiith. bris - 

light flashes 

Iles. A chlaidheamh glan, gorm 'n a làimh, His bright blue sword in his hand- through the 

spectre, and 

Mac an Luinn, 'bu chiar-dhubh gruaidh- Son of Luno of swarthiest cheek. scatters him 

on the wind , 

Ghluais solus na cruaidhe troi' 'n taibhs': l\Ioved the light of the steel through the spectre; 11 

300 Fuathas dona 'bhàis fo ghruaim; 

300 The evil wraith of death (went) under gloom. 

Thuit esan gun chruth, 's e thall, He fell without shape, and away 

Air gaoith nan dubh chàrn : mal' smuid On wind of the black cairns, like smoke 12 

'Bhriseas og, 'us bioran 'n a làimh, Which a boy, with stick in hand, raises 

Mu theallaeh na spàirn, 's na mùig, Around a hearth of discord and of gloom. 

305 Screac1 fuathas Chruth-Loduinn 's a' bheinn, 305 Shrieked the wraith of Cru-Lodin on the Ben, The spectre 

'G a thional ann féin 's a' ghaoith. Gathering himself into himself in the wind ; 13 

Chual' Innis nan tore an fhuaim ; Heard Innis-Torca the sound; 

Chaisg astar nan stuadh le fiamh ; Ceased the travel of the waves in fear; 

Fly to thy land, replied the form : receive the wind, and fiy! 

The blasts are in the hollow of my hand: the course of the storm 

is mine. The king of Sora is my son; he bends at the stone of my 

power. His battle is around Carric-thura; and he will prevail! 

Fly to thy land, son of Comhal, or feel my flaming wrath ! 

He lifted high his shadowy spear ! He bent forward his dreadfu 

height. Fingal, advancing, drew his sword ; the blade of dark- 

brown Luno. The gleaming path of the steel winds through the 

gloomy ghost. The form fell shapeless into air, like a column of 

smoke, which the staff of the boy disturbs, as it rises from the halfextinguished 

furnace. 

The spirit of Loda shrieked, as, rolled into himself, he rose on the 

wind. Inistore shook at the sound. The waves heard it on the 

deep. They stopped, in tbeir course, with fear: the friends of Fin- 

f1ies away 

shrieking, so 

as to waken 

the slumbering 

warriors . 


162 

CARRAIG- TH"GRA. 

"Mar sin bha focail an tréith, 

'8 e 'càramh a géithe r'a thaobh. 

Bha 0 na chaoin-Utha ' an t-sliabh ; 

Lean ise 0 chian an laoch, 

415 Fo mhàile 's fo àrmaibh oig-fhir ; 

Bha 'sùil gu dïomhair air an t-sonn, 

'8 i 'coimhead gu trom 0 'cruaidh. 

Chunnaic Ise am bàrd a' trialI; 

Thuit 's an t-sliabh a sleagh 0 'làimh ; 

420 Bha 'leadan air gaoith nan sian; 

Air osna dh' éirich a h-uchd bàn; 

A' seailadh suas air rlgh nan long, 

'I'hoisich 'us thosd i tri chuairt. 

Chuala Fionnghal guth a' bhàird ; 

425 Ghrad-thàinig e nail 'n a chruaidh; 

Bha 'shleagh, 'an cunnart nach mail, 

'Us dealan a lainn mu'n cuairt. 

o Fhionnghail thuit beum neo-fhaoin ; 

Chaill Frothal, an laoch, a sgiath: 

430 'N uair nochdadh gun mhàil' a thaobh, 

Dh' aom bàs thar smaointean an triath. 

Chuairtich dorchadas air ball 

Anam Utha n'an rosg mall ; 

Shil na deoir air a gruaidh chaoin ; 

Such were his words, reso1ved to fight. The soft sigh of Utha 

was near! She had followed her hero, in the armour of a man. . 

She rolled her eye on th e youth, in secret, from beneath her steel. 

She saw the bard as he went; the spear feil thrice from her 

hand! Her loose hair fiew on the wind. Her white breast rose, 

with sighs. She raised her eyes to the king. She would speak, 

CARRIC-THURA. 

Such were the words of the chief, 

.As he fitted bis shield to his side. 

The gentle Uha's sigh was on the hill ; 

She had.foUowed, from afar, the hero, 

415 Under helm and armour of a youth. 

Secretly her eye was on the chief, 

Looking sadly from under her steel helm. 

She beheld the bard on his way. 

Feil, on the hill, her spear from her hand ; 

420 Hel' hair was on the stormy wind. 

With a sigh rose her white bosom ; 

Looking upwards to the king of ships, 

She began, and ceased three times. 

Heard Fingal the voice of the bard; 

425 Quickly came he in his mail; 

His spear- in danger not slack- 

And the flash of his sword (were) around. 

From Fingal fell a blow of might ; 

Lost Fro-hal, the brave, his shield; 

430 ,Then stripped of mail was exposed his side, 

Death bent over the thoughts of the chief. 

Darkness surrounded, ail at once, 

The soul of Uha of slow-moving eyelids. 

Rained the t ears over her smooth cheek ; 

but thrice she failed. 

Fingal heard the words of the bard; he came in the strength of 

his steel They mixed their deathful spears : they raised the gleam 

of their arms. But the sword of Fingal descended and cut Frothal's 

shield in twain. His fair side is exposed ; half bent he foresees his 

death. Darkness gath ered on Utha's soul. The tear rolled down 

ùna, who 

1had 

followed 

him in the 

disguise of a 

youthful war 

1 rior, overh ears 

the message. 

Fingal re· 

ceiving the 

challenge, accepts 

it, and 

disarms Fro 

hal. 

Uha, witnessing 

th e COIllbat, 

on seeiug 

Pro-hal deprived 

of his 


164 

a Large tears ; 

lit. tears unioeak, 

CARRAIG-THlJ RA. 

4-35 Ghrad-ghluais i gu 'n laoch le 'sgiath. 

Ghabh darag a ceum 's i 'triall ; 

Thuit i sïos air a ruigh bhàin ; 

Leum a clogaid air an t-sliabh ; 

A broilleach geaI ag éiridh thall ; 

4-40 A ciabh nach gann air làr, 's i truagh! 

Ghluais tiomachd air anam an r'l.gh, 

Mu àigh mhïn 'bu ghile làmh ; 

Chaisg e 'chlaidheamh anns an stn ; 

Thuit deoir neo-chlï 0 rtgh nan lann : a 

4-45 "A thriath na Sorucha 's fuaimear sruth," 

's e 'togail a ghuth le spàirn, 

" Cha-n eagal duit mo chruaidh an diugh ; 

Cha robh riamh fuil air mo Iainn, 

'N uair ghéilleadh an dàimh 's a' chàmhrag. 

450 Biodh aoibhneas air anam do shlôigh, 

Aig sruthan mor do thalaimh féin ; 

Biodh aoibhneas ortsa, 'ainnir chorr, 

C' uim' thuiteadh an t-ôg 's a' bheinn, 

A rïgh na Soruchà nan tuil làn ?" 

455 Chuala Frothal guth an laoich ; 

Chunnaic àigh 'bu chaoin ag éirigh. 

Sheas iad 'n an sgèimh 's an fhraoch, 

'An sàmhchair nach b' fhaoin, le 'chéile, 

her·cheek. She rushed ta cover th e chief with her shield · but a 

fallen oak met her steps. She fell on her arm of snow; he/shield, 

her helmet, flew wide. R er white bosom heaved to th e sicht : her 

dark-brown haïr is spread on earth. 0 , 

Fingal pitied th e white-armed maid l R e stayed the uplifted 

sword. . The tear was in the eye of th e kinc as bendinc forward 

0" 0 (, 

CARRI C-THURA. 

4-35 prang he to the chief with her shield. 

An oak caught her step as she went; 

FeIl he down on her whit e arm ; 

Leaped her hclmet on the hill, 

Hel' white bosom heaving high, 

440 Hel' flowing curIs on the ground, and she in misery, 

Moved softness over the soul of the king, 

For the gentle maid of whitest hand. 

He stayed his sword in the battle ; 

FeIl large tears from the king of arms." 

445 "Chief of Sora of sounding stream," 

While he raised his voice with pain 

" No fear is my steel to thee to-day ; 

Never was blood on my blade, 

When the stranger would yield in combat.'? 

450 Be jor on the soul of thy people, 

By the great streams of thine own land 

Be joy to thee, maiden peerless ; 

,Yhy should fall the youth on the hill, 

King of Sora of the swelling floods?" 

455 Heard Fro-hal the voice of the hero, 

Saw he a gentle maid arise ; 

Stood they in their beauty on the heath, 

In utter silence, side by side, 

he spoke: " King of streamy, Sora! fear not the sword of Fingal. 

It was never stained with th e blood of th e vanquished; it never 

pierced a faUen foe. Let thy people rejoice by thy native streams; 

let the maids of thy love be glad. Why shouldst thou faU in thy 

youth, king of streamy Sora 1" Frothal heard the words of Fingal, 

and saw th e rising maid : th ey stood in silence, in th eir beauty, 

165 

sbield, springs 

forward to 

offer him her 

own, but faIls 

to the gr ound 

and is discovered, 

Fingal, nioved 

with compassion 

for th e 

loyers, spares 

Fro -hal. 

Description of 

Fro ·hal and 

Uha. 


166 CARRAIG -THURA. 

Mnr dhà chraoibh ôig araon fo bhlàth, 

460 'An iomall fàsaich thlàth, 's iad gorm, 

Drùchd earraich a' sileadh 0 'm bàrr, 

's a' ghaoth 'n a luidhe thall 's an ord, 

" 'Nighean .Hermin 0 thïr nan stuadh," 

Thuirt Frothal nam buadh gun dàil, 

465 "C' uim' thàinig 'n ad àille thar cuain, 

Gu m' fh aicinn gun chruaidh air làr 1 

Ach tha mi gun chruaidh aig treun, 

'Oigh gun bheud nan r éidh rosg mall ; 

Cha laigse a bhuadhaich, a gheug, 

470 Thar mac Annir, 'bu treun làmh. 

"'S garbh, 's is mor thu féin, a rlgh, 

'An carraid, 's 'an strï nan sleagh ; 

Ach 's caoin thu, 'ghaisgich, 'an srth, 

Mar a' ghrian air drùchd min 's a' mhazh . 

o , 

475 Togaidh dïthein ùr a cheann ; 

Crathaidh osag mhall a sgiath. 

o b' fhearr gu-m biodh tusa féin 

'An Sorucha nan teud 's nam fleazh 

o , 

Gu-m faiceadh tréith Shoruch' 'am dhéizh 

o 

480 D' airm, 'n uair bhiodh aoibhneas 's a' mhagh; 

Bhiodh aoibhneas mu chliù an sinns're, 

A chunnaic 's an strl rïgh Mhor-bheinn 1" 

- - ----- - ---- - - - - - - - 

like two young trees of the plain, when the shower of spring is on 

their leaves, and the loud winds are laid. 0 

Daughter of Herman, said Frothal, didst thou come from Tora's 

streams ; didst thou come, in thy beauty, to behold thy warrior low1 

But he was low before the mighty, maid of the slow-rolling eye! 

The feeble did not overcome the son of car-borne Annir! Terrible 

CARRIC-THURA. 

Like two young trees, alike in bloom, 

460 On marge of sheltered forest green, 

The dewofspring from their boughs down dropping, 

And the wind at l'est on the height. 

. " Daughter of Hermin, from the land of waves,' 

Spake valiant Fro-hal, without delay; 

465 "Why camest thou, in thy beauty, over ocean, 

To see me without arms on the ground 1 

But by a hero am I stripped of arms, 

Faultless maid of the smooth, slow-moving eyelid; 

Not weakness has triumphed, 0 branch ! 

470 Over Annir's son of stalwart arm. 

" Rough and great art thou, 0 king! 

In the strife and clash of shields; 

But mild art thou, 0 hero! in peace, 

Like sun 'mid tender dew on field; 

475 Lifts the daisy fresh its head, 

Shakes the gentle breeze its wing. 

'Vould that in very deed thou wert 

In Sora of harps and of feasts, 

That the great ones of Sora might see, as I, 

480 Thine arms, when joy was in the field; 

Then (sons) would rejoice in the fame of their sires, 

'Who had seen in combat the king of great Bens 1" 

art thou, 0 king of Morven l in battles of the spear. But in peace 

thou art like the sun, when he looks through a silent shower: the 

flowers lift their fair heads before him; the gales shake their rustling 

wings. 0 that thon wert in Sora ! that my feast were spread ! The 

future kings of Sora would see thy arms and rejoice. They would 

rejoice at the fame of their fathers, who beheld the mighty Fingal! 

167 

Fro-hal complains 

of Uha's 

having come 

to witness his 

defeat ; but 

praising both 

the prowess 

and clemency 

of Fingal, 

shows defeat 

by hi m was no 

disgrace. 


176 CARRAIG-THURA. 

Tri làithean mhair cuirm do na laoich ; 

An ceathramh sgaoil araon an siuil. 

o Thuath shéid neartmhor a' ghaoth ; 

575 Bhuail Fionnghal gu tïr gun mhùig, 

Coille Mhor-bheinn nan tùr àrd, 

Shuidh air neul fuath dubh Chruth-Loduinn, 

'N déigh Fhrothail air àros nan stuaclh, 

's e 'g aomadh, aig osaig nam mor thonn, 

580 Siùil bhàn' air aghaidh a' chuain : 

Air a lot bha smaoin an taibhs', 

Agus 'eagal 0 làimh an r1gh.';: 

"Here the Gaelic ends ; but in )Iacpherson's English the following conclusion 

is given, which, in justice to him, 1 subjoin :- 

"And did they return no more1" said Utha's bursting sigh. 

" Feil the mighty in battle, and did Crimora live 1 Her steps were 

lonely ; her soul was sad for Connal. Was he not young and 

lovely; like the beam of the setting sun 1" Ullin saw the virgin's 

tear, he took the softly-trembling harp: the song 'las lovely, but 

sad, and silence was in Carric-thura, 

Autumn is dark on the mountains; grey mist rests on the hills, 

The whirlwind is heard on the heath. Dark rolls the river through 

the narrow plain. A tree stands alone on the hill, and marks the 

slumbering Connal. The leaves whirl round with the wind, and 

strew the grave of the dead. At times are seen here the ghosts of 

the departed, when the musing hunter alone stalks slowly over the 

heath. 

Who can reach th e source of thy race, 0 Connal! who recount 

thy fathers 1 Thy family grew like an oak on th e mountain, which 

meeteth the wind with its loftY head. But now it is tom from the 

earth. Who shaIl supply the place of Connal l Here was the din 

of arms ; here the groans of the dying. Bloody are the wars of 

CARRIC-THURA. 

Three days lasted the feast of the warriors ; 

On the fourth the sails of both were spread. 

From the north strong blew the wind; 

575 Fingal struck the unclouded land- 

The wood of great Bens of lofty towers. 

Cloud-seated was the black loathly form of Ladin, 

Following Fro-hal over the abocle of waves, 

And bending on the breeze of billows great, 

580 The white sails on the face of ocean. 

On his wound were the thoughts of the phantom, 

And on the dreaded hand of the king. 

Fingal, 0 Connal! it "as here thon didst faIl. Thine arm was like 

a storm j thy sword, a beam of the sky j thy height, a rock on the 

plain; thine eyes, a furnace of fire, Louder than a storm was thy 

voice, in the battles of thy steel. 'Yarriors feIl by thy S'lord, as 

the thistle by the staff of a boy. Dargo the mighty came on, 

darkening in his rage. His brows were gathered into wrath; his 

eyes like two caves in a rock. Bright rose their s'lords on each 

side j loud was the clang of their steel. 

The daughter of Rinval was near; Crimora bright in the armour 

of man. Her yellow hair is loose behind; her bow is iri her hand. 

She foIlowed the youth to the war, Connal her much beloved, She 

drew the string on Dargo; but erring, she pierced her Connal. He 

falls like an oak on the plain j like a rock on the shaggy hill. What 

shall she do, hapless maid 1 He bleeds; her Connal dies! Ail the 

night long she cries, and ail the day, "0 Connal, my love, and my 

friend !" "'Vith grief the sad mourner dies! Earth here encloses 

the loveliest pair on the hill. The grass grows between the stones 

of the tomb. I often sit in the mournful shade, The wind sighs 

through the grass ; their memory rushes on my mind. Undisturbed 

you now sleep together j in the tomb of the mountain you rest 

alone! 

VOL. 1. 

177 

The feast 

lasted three 

days, at the 

end of which 

Fingal returns 

to Morven, 

and Fro-hal to 

Sora-Cm 

Lodin, seated 

on a cloud, 

impelling his 

sails, 


NOTES TO CARRIC-THURA. 

l " Son without blemish, of gold-yellow hair." 

Attributing hair to the sun appears at first sight very fanciful; but 

we find many poets thus describing his rays. Virgil, JEu. ix. v. 638, 

speaks of " crinitus Apollo;" Dante, in the beginning of Canto xxiv. of 

the' I nferno,' speaks of th e sun "freshening his locks;" Spenser, in 

the' Faery Queene,' Book 1. Canto v. s. 2, has 

" Phœbus • . . shaking his deawie hayre ;" 

and in Max Miiller's translations from the 'Vedas' the figurefrequently 

recurs. 

In aIl modern Gaelic, as in so many other modern languages, the sun 

is feminine ; here, and generally throughout the Ossianic poems, he 

is masculine-a presumption in favour of their antiquity. 

2 The appearance in nature underlying the bold and beautiful image 

described in lines 5-9, may probably be what is seen when the sun is sinking 

in the ocean from a cloudless sky with a gentle breeze. The bright 

shining on the face of the waters gives the rippling waves an âppearance 

of life and eager motion. But the instant that the sun does sink, aIl becomes 

still, and pale, and deathlike, as if the waves had suddenly fled, 

and nothing but a dim void remained, 

3 The episodes inserted in this poem, as the songs of Silric and Binvela, 

and of Crimora and Connal, form three sections of the 'Frarro 

ments of Ancient Scottish Poetry,' published by Macpherson in lï60 ; 

and it is no more th an justice to him to mention what he th en stated 

regarding the Fragments generally.i-cthat while they appeared in his 

publication" as detached pieces," th ere was ground ta believe that most 

of them were originally episodes of a greater work which related to the 

KOTES TO CARRIC-THUR..L 183 

wars of Fingal. " Concerning this hero innumerable traditions remain 

to this day in the Highlands."- Vide Dr Blair's preface to the Fragment 

. 

The Address to the Sun, or "Sun-Hymn," as it is called, with which 

the poem opens, is incontestably proved to be older than the days of 

Macpherson. 

4 ",Ainnir nan rosg mall"- 

" )Iaid of slow-moving eyelids "- 

occurs very frequently as descriptive of female beauty. It might be 

translated "mild" or "meek-eyeù" maiden ; but I generally prefer the 

more literaI rendering. 

5 "I am .. . alone "-literally, "in my one," as stated in the margin-a 

mode of speaking not peculiar t Ossian, but used in prose as 

weil as in poetry, pervading Gaelic usage alike modern and ancient. 

Thus, "I am a poor man," or "a rich man," becomes, in Gaelic idiom, 

" I am in my poor man," or "in my rich man "-" Tha mi ann am 

dhuine bochd," &c. This form of expression might suggest that they 

who first used it believed in a duality of being and condition as belonging 

to man; but when we examine the matter we find that this does 

not afford a solution, for the form is not confined to conditions mental 

or material into which a man may pass. Tt is also used regarding 

objects or things which, in other languages, we are said to be, or to 

become, or to which we are likened. Thus, in the well-known passage, 

1 Cor. xiii, 1, " I am as sounding brass," &c. (while the Irish 

and ,Yelsh versions iutroduce, like the English, a particle of cornparison 

which is not in the Greek), the Gaelic asserts the actual 

passing of the persan into the brass, which thereby becomes his, 

and into which he is transformed, saying, "I am in my sounding 

brass," &c.-"Tha mi ann am umha a ni fuaim," &c. Further, this 

transmigration and indwelling are attributed to inanimate objectsto 

things as weIl as to persons-when they undergo a change of condition 

or nature among themselves ; and while I can give no explanation 

whatsoever of this form of speech-peculiar, as far as I know, to 

the Gaelic language-yet, as every peculiar form of speech denotes a 

peculiar form of thought, and illustrates a portion of the history of 

mind, I have thought it proper to call attention to this strange idiom, 

hoping to see some light thrown upon it by some more skilful analyst 

of speech and thought. 


188 

:NOTES TO CARRIC-THURA. 

by dàimh, we must conclude that the stranger, as such, was to be fought 

with whenever he appeared. 

In "Covala," lines 184,185, we read- 

translated by Macfarlan-e- 

"Bi'dh ar eômh-stri ri dàimh: 'thig a nall, 

a th alamh nan Gall 0 thuath ;" 

" Erit nostra eoneertatio adversus catert'as qure venient hue, 

E terra alienigenarum a septentrione.' 

The rendering caieroas here is unwarranted by any authority that I 

am acquainted with, and the meaning evidently is "enemies." 

I might refer to many other passages to confirm this view: but I 

observe further, that in some places dàimh seems to bear the very 

opposite meaning; that of "friend," as in " Car-hon," line H, where 

Moina is called- 

" Ùrla shneaehda nan dàimh treun " 

" Snowy-bosom of bravefriend s." 

This I believe to be the meaning of the line; for Moina was in her 

father's hall, in the very midst of her kin, and I cannot see how she 

could, in such circumstances, be spoken of as Moins " of brave stranqere:" 

In modern Gaelic the word d àimli signifies" relation " in the abstract; 

and its derivative adjectives, dàimlzeil and d àimlieach, signify "friendly," 

"kindly," "relat€d." Contrary to the general opinion, I believe 

it has this meaning in the Ossianic poetry, Itappears to bear the three 

different significations of " enemy," " stranger," "friend j " or possibly 

I should reverse their order, as the experience of actuallife tao frequently 

teaches us ta do. 

The derivation of the Latin "hospes" and "hostis" from a common 

root, is somewhat akin to the remarkable change of meaning in 

the Gaelic dàimh. 

20 "Took Fingal to himself the hill." 

This sounds strange ta an English ear; but" he took the road," "he 

took ta his heels," are common enough in conversation. 

CAR -HON 


A R G U lVI E N T. 

" This poem is complete, and the subject of it, as of most of Ossian's compositions, 

tragical. In the time of Comhal, the son of Trathal, and father of 

the celebrated Fingal, Clessdmmor, the son of Thaddu, and brother of 

Morna, Fingal's mother, was driven by a storm into the river Clyde, on 

the banks of which stood Balclutha, a town belonging to the Britons 

between the walls. He was hospitably received by Reuthamir, the principal 

man in the place, who gave him Moina, bis only daughter, in marriage, 

Reuda, the son of Cormo, a Briton, who was in love with Moina, 

came to Renthémir's house, and behaved haughtily towards Clessâmmor. 

A quarrel ensued in which Reuda was killed ; the Britons who attended 

him pressed so hard on Clessémmor, that he was obliged to throw himself 

into the Clyde, and swim to bis ship, He hoisted sail, and the wind 

being favourable, bore him out to sea, He often endeavoured to return , 

and carry off his beloved Moina by night, but the wind continuing contrary, 

he was forced to desist, 

"?lIoina, who had been leftwith child by her husband, brought forth a son, 

and died soon after. Reuthamir named the child Carthon- i.e., the murmur 

ofwaves-from the storm which carried off Clessâmmor his father, 

who was supposed to have been cast away. When Carthon was three 

years old, Comhal, the father of Fingal, in one of his expeditions against 

the Britons, took and burnt Balclutha. Reuthâmir was killed in the 

attack, and Carthon was carried safe away by bis nurse, who fled farther 

into the country of the Britons, Carthon, coming to man's estate, was 

resolved to revenge the fall of Balclutha on Comhal's posterity, H e set 

sail from the Clyde, and falling on the coast of Morven, defeated two of 

Fingal's heroes, who came to oppose his progress . He was at last unwittingly 

killed by his father Clessérnmor, in a single combat. This story is 

the foundation of the present poem, which opens on the night preceding 

the death of Carthon, so that what passed before is introduced by way of 

episode. The poem is addressed to Malvina, the daugh ter of Toscar."-?lI. 


192 

a TOirne, generally 

wirm. 

CARTHOYN". 

CAR T HO N N. 

SGEUL ri aithris air àm 0 aois; 

Gnïomha làithean nam bliadhna 'dh'aom. 

Do thoime-sa, a Lora nan sruth," 

Thoz cuirnhne an diuch air na thréig, 

o . 0 

5 Fuaim coille Gharmaliair nan craobh! 

Sèimh a guth do m' chluasaibh féin. 

Am faic thu, 'Mhalmhma nan seod, 

Carraig mhor, 'us a ceann 'am fraoch ; 

Tri giubhais ag aomadh 0 'n torr, 

10 Caoin ghlasra. 'tha eorr r a taobh î 

An sin tha dïthein thlà nan gleann, 

A's glaine ceann, a' crith fo ghaoith ; 

An cluaran glas air chrom nan càrn, 

'Cali gu mali a chalg le h-aois ; 

15 Dà chloich gu an leth anns an ùir, 

An coinneach fo smür air an raon. 

Theich fiadh 0 iomali a' chüirn 

A TAL E of the times of old! The deeds of days of other 

years ! 

The murmur of thy streams, 0 Lora! brings back the memory of 

the pasto The sound of thy woods, Garmallar, is lovely in mine ear ! 

Dost thou not behold, Malvina, a rock with its head of heath 1 

CAR-HOX. 

CAR - li 0 N. 

A TALE to teli of the time of old ; 

Deeds of the days of years that are gone. 

Thy murmnr, 0 Lora of streams ! a 

To-day has raised remembrance of the past ; 

5 Echo of wooded Garmallar, 

Mild is its voice in my ears. 

Seest thou Malvina (child) of heroes, 

A massy rock with heath-clad head, 

Three pines a-slanting from the height, 

10 A copse surpassing fair along its side ? 

There tender daisies of the glens, 

Of purest head, are waving in the wind. 

The thistle grey, on slope of cairns, 

Slowly sheds its beard from age; 

15 Two stones (sink) mid-way in the ground, 

TheÎJ.' moss decaying on the plain. 

FIed has the deer from the edge of the cairn, 1 

Three aged pines bend from its face; green is the narrow plain at 

its feet. There the fiower of the mountain grows, and shakes its 

white head in the breeze. The thistle is there alone, shedding its 

aged beard. Two stones, half sunk in the ground, show their heads 

of moss. The deer of the mountain avoids the place, for he beholds 

VOL. l. X 

193 

The munnur 

of the stream 

of Lora reealls 

to Ossian the 

tale of Carhon. 

He deseribes 

to Malvina the 

place where 

this hero was 

laid. 


208 CARTHONN. 

Biodh solas r'a luaidh 'am choir. 

'N uair dh'aomas tusa, 'chi mi shuas, 

Ma dh'aomas tu, a sholuis mhoir : 

Ma ta air àm, air àm gun tuar, 

190 Ma» Fhionnghal a's luaithe ceum; 

's ceart co fada mo chliu 's do dhearrsa." 

Mar sin a thog an rlgh am fonn, 

Air làithean nan sonn a b'àirde gnlomh ; 

a" Word- Làn mhtle fear-focail shuas," 

men," SOUle· 

times used for 195 

bards, and 

sometimes for 

orators or 

spokesmen. 

Ag aomadh gu luaidh an rïgh, 

Bu chosmhuil sin ri fuaim nan teud, 

'N uair dh'éireas a' ghaoth mali 0 'n ear. 

B' àillidh do smaointean féin, a thréin ; 

0' uim' tha Oisian 'ad dheigh gun neart ? 

200 Ach seasaidh tu, 'athair, leat féin; 

00 e coimeas rïgh Shelma nam feart ? 

Chaidh an oidhche thairis 'am fonn ; 

Dh'éirich madainn le solas corr ; 

Ohunnacas monadh thar liath-cheann nan tonn . 

205 An gorm chuan fo aoibhneas mûr; 

:N'a stuaidh fo chobhar, az o aomadh thall, 

Mu charraig mhaoil 'bha fada uainn. 

Ghluais ceo 0 linne gu càrn, 

Sàmhla dall 'US aosd' 0 chuan; 

the shell : let joy be heard in my hall. 1Yhen thou, sun of heaven, 

shalt fail! if thou shalt fail, thou mighty light! if thy brightness is 

for a season, like Fingal; our fame shall survive thy beams ! 

Such was the song of Fingal, in the clay of his joy. His thou 

, sand bards leaned forward from their seats, ta hear the voice of the 

king. It 'las like the music of harps on the gale of the spring. 

Let joy be carolled around me. 

CAR-HON. 209 

When thou, whom I behold on hizh o , shalt fail, His renown 

If fail thou shalt, thou mighty light ; 

If thou, from time to time, grow faint, 

1 shaH last as 

long as the 

190 As Fingal of the :fleetest step ; 

1 

My fame shall be as lasting as thy gleam." 

1 

shining of the 

1 sun. 

Thus raised the king a song Ossian, after 

Of hero-days whose deeds were highest. 

Full thousand word-men (were) above," 

1 relating his 

]95 Bending to the monarch's strain; 

praise, and 

Like to the sound of chords it was, 

When rises slow the wind from east. 

Glorious were thy thoughts, thou mighty one! 

Why is Ossian, strengthless, left behind ? 

200 But thou wilt stand, 0 father 1 ail alone ; 

Who can rival Selma's matchless king ? 

The night flowed on in sonz . 

Rose morn in joy exceeding. 

Seen were hills o'er hoary heads of waves; 

205 The ocean blue in gladness great; 

The billows curl in foam around 

A smooth bare rock in distance far. 

Glided fog from sea to cairn, 

A semblance blind and old from ocean. 

father's words, 

celebrates him 

1 with highest 

1 mourus that 

he himself 

had been left 

1 behind. 

0 ' 

1 xext moruing, 

while the Fin- 

1 galians were 

looking across 

, 

the sea, they 

saw mist, 

which soon 

' assumed a 

dread appear - 

ance, passing 

from sea to 

land. 

Lovely 'lere thy thoughts, 0 Fingal! why had Dot Ossian the 

strength of thy soul ? But thou standest alone, my father! who can 

equal the king of Selma 1 

The night passed away in song; morning returned in joy. The , 

mountains showed their grey heads ; the blue face of ocean smiled. 

The white wave is seen tumblinsr round the distant rock " a mist 

o j 

VOL. 1. 0 


212 CARTHOX.-. CAR-HOX. 213 

" A shïol Mhorbheinn, a's Iïonmhor treun, "Race of great Bens, in heroes rife, 

235 Cha-n àm so do theud no fial : 235 No time is this for song or feast : 

Tha comhraz a' dùbhradh romham féin, 0 

Bàs a' dorchadh mu chruaich nan sliabh ; 

Tannas faoin, do-n annsadh cliu, 

Battle looms upon my sight, 

Death darkens round the mountain-crazs o , . 

A phantom-form who loves (our) fame,13 

'Feuchainn dhuinn na dàimh 0 lear: Shows us foes from (ocean's) plain. 

240 o 'n ui ge thàinig suas a' mhùig, 240 From sea uprose the cloud, 

Comhara garbh chunnart nam fear. The sign of danger dread to men. 

1 

1 He tells th em 

that battle and 

death were ap- 

1 proaching, 

Gach làmh air sleagh, a's glaine crann ; Be every hand on spear of smoothest shaft, and orders 

Gach slios fo lainn 'tha guineach, geur ; 

Dubh-chlogaid ag éirigh mu gach ceann; 

Each side beneath keen sword and sharp, 

A dark helm towering o'er each head, 

themselves 

fully, 

245 Gach màile thali mal' theine speur. 245 And every mail like the sky-fire, 

Mar stoirm tha 'n càmhrag 'tional shuas; 

Cluinnear luath guth fuar a' bhàis." 

As a storm the confiict gathers on high, 

. 0 

Soon shall the cold voice of death be heard." 

them to arm 

Dh'imich an rlgh 'us lean an sluagh, 

:Mar nial stuaidh làn tein 'us toirm, 

250 'N uair thig an caol dhealan 0 thuath 

Do mharuiche truagh le stoirm. 

Advanced the king, followed the host, [sound,}.! 

Like foam-cloud wave full charged with fire and 

250 When comes the pointed lightning from the north, 

On the mariner tossed in storm. 

1 He set forth to 

Cona-the 

1point of 

danger. 

1 His people 

follow him, 

Air Cona sheas na :fir 'am fraoch ; 

In Cona stood the men in wrath; 15 

Chunnaic àigh' nan uchd glana na tréin- White-bosomed maids beheld the brave ones Their maidens 

255 

:Mar bhadain nan geug na laoich- 

Chunnaic bàs measg oig-fhear nam beum, 

Na rosga mali air cuan le fïamh, 

(Like branchy tree-clumps were the warriors) ; 

255 Death (they) saw among the valiant youth ; 

Slow-moving eyes (looked) on the sea in fear, 

1 weep at the 

approaching 

danger, and 

1look to ocean 

with dread. 

Air cobhar 'bha 'triall mal' sheoil; 

On the foam which drifted like sails. 

Deoir a' siubhallic bhanail gun ghlomh, 

Tears fiowed clown gentle cheeks and pure; 

" Sons of Morven," begun the king, " this is no time ta fill the she11. 

The battle darkens near us; death hovers over the land. Some 

ghost, the friend of Fingal, has forewamed us of the foe. The sons 

of th e stranger come from th e darkly -ro11ing sea. For, from the 

water, came th e sign of Morven's gloomy danger. Let each assume 

1 his heavy spear, each gird on his father's sword. Let the dark helmet 

cise on every head; the mail pour its lightning from every side. 

The battle gathers like a storm; saon shall ye hear the roar of death." 

The hero moved on before his host, like a cloud before a ridze o of 

green fire, when it pours on the sky of night, and mariners foresee 

a storm. On Cona's rising heath th ey stood: the white-bosomed 

maids beheld th em aboye like a grove ; they foresaw the death of 1 

the youth, and looked towards the sea with fear. The white wave 

deceived them for distant sails ; the tear is on their cheek. The 


220 CARTHOK. ". 

Aite comhnuidh mo shinns're ri stuadh." ,< 

LAOIDH KA GRÉIXE. 

o 'Thusa féin a shiùbhlas shuas, 

335 Cruinn mar làn-sgiath chruaidh nan triath, 

Cia as tha do dhearrsa gun ghruaim, 

Do sholus a tha buan a Ghrian 1 

Thig thu 'n ad àille thréin, 

'Us folaichidh réil an triall, 

340 Théid gealach gun tuar 0 'n speur, 

'G a cleith féin fo stuaidh 's an iar. 

Tha Thus' ann ad astar amhàin, 

Co 'tha dàna 'bhi 'n ad choir 1 

Tuitidh darag 0 'n chruaich àird, 

345 Tuitidh càrn fo aois, 'us scorr, 

Tràighidh, 'us lionaidh an cuan, 

Caillear shuas an ré 's an speur, 

Thus' 'ad aon a chaoidh fo bhuaidh, 

'An aoibhneas do sholuis féin. 

350 'N uair a dhubhas mu 'n domhan toirm, 

Le torrunn borb, 'us dealan beur, 

Seallaidh tu 'n ad àille 0 'n toirm, 

'Fiamh-gàire 'am bruaillein nan speur. 

Dhomhsa tha do sholus faoin, 

355 's nach faic mi a chaoidh do ghnùis 

* As in "Carne·Thura," 1 add, at p. 222, th e conclusion of th e poem given by 

Macpherson in English, though the Gaelic ends abruptly with this line. It is 

very remarkable that he does not give the Gaelie of the " Address to the Sun; " 

CAR-HON. 

My father's home beside the wave." 

A " SuN-Hn m." 

o thou that travellest on high, 

335 Round as warriors' hard, full shield, 

"\Vhence thy brightness without gloom, 

Thy light which lasts so long, 0 sun 1 

Thou comest in thy beauty strong, 

And the stars concea1 their path ; 

340 The moon, all pale, forsakes the sky, 

Herself in western wave to hide; 

Thou, in thy journey, art alone; 

",Vho, to thee, will dare draw nigh 1 

Falls the oak from lofty crag ; 

345 Falls the rock in crumbling age; 

Ebbs and flows the ocean (tide); 

Lost is the moon in heavens high ; 

Thou alone dost triumph evermore, 

In joyancy of light thine own. 

350 When tempest blackens round the world, 

In thunder fierce and lightning dire, 

Thouwilt, in thy beauty, view the storm, 

Smiling 'mid the uproar of the skies. 

To me thy light is vain; 

355 Thy face I never more shall see 

for there is unquestionable proof (vide Preliminary Dissertati on) that it was in 

his possession, as there is of its having been known before his day. 1 give the 

Gaelic as 1 find it in the Highland Society's Report, Appendix, p. 185, 186. 

221 


234 XOTE TO CAR-Hm,. 

15 "In Cona stood the men in wrath." 

"Air Cèma sheas na fir 'eui fraoch:" 

Macpherson and others translate the wordfmoch here by "heather." 

I haye pointed out in note 16 in "Carric-Thura" its secondary signification 

of" anger," "wrath;" and I think this gives a better meaning 

here than to say that 

" The men stood in Cona on heather." 

III "They show ta their sons each spear 

From the far land of valiant foes." 

" It was the custom among the ancient Scots to exchange arms with 

their guests, and those arms were preserved long in the different families 

as monuments of the friendship which subsisted between their 

ancestors."- Macpherson. 

Laing thinks it quite enough to dispose of this assertion to say that 

it is borrowed from Homer's account of the exchange of arms between 

Diomede and Glaucus, though Macpherson himself points out the Greek 

passage as similar to what is said by Ossian. I believe, however, that 

traces of this once grave and important ceremony of interehanging 

weapons have remained in the Highlands to a recent period, in what 

came in course of time to be called Iomlaid Bhiodag, "exchange of 

dirks," a practice to which convivial parties sometimes had recourse in 

order to pass the evening. Lachlan Maekinnon, a Skye bard, who lived 

in the beginning of last century, has preserveù a very ludicrous account 

of this pastime in his well-known song of " Sgîan an sprogain chàim." 

Like this, we have in the so-called "sword-dance," so often exhibited 

at "Highland gatherings," a poor wretched remnant of the aneient 

sword-dance, which held as important a place among our remote ancestors 

as did the" saltatio armata" among the Romans, or the" Pyrrhic 

dance" among the Greeks. 

17 " For thy sleep in the moor of great Bens," 

In Gaelic, 'an caihair nam mor bheann, which Macfarlan translates, 

"in cathedra magnorum montium." Macpherson ignores the word, as he 

generally does every difficulty ; but both the rhythm and the meaning 

obviously require that the word should be càtliar, signifying "mossy" or 

"moory ground,"-and I have made it so. It evidently rhymes with 

màihair, and must have the first syllable long. 

OIN A M MORH UL 


AR G U ME N T . 

" After an address to Malvina, the daughter of Toscar, Ossian proceeds to 

relate his own expedition to Fuârfed, an island of Scandinavie. Malorchol, 

king of Fuarfed, being hard pressed in "ar by Ton-thormod, chief 

of Sar-dronlo (who had demanded in vain the daughter of Mal-orchol in 

marriage), Fingal sent Ossian to his aid, Ossian, on the dayafter his 

arrival, came to battle with 'I'on-thormod, and took him prisoner.' Malorchol 

offers his daughter Oina-morul to Ossian; but he, discovering her 

passion for Ton-thormod, generously surrenders her to her lover, and 

brings about a reconciliation between the two killgS."- ::\I. 


EXPLANATION OF PROPER NAMES 

IX 

üINAlVI:MüRHUL. 

CA-Lll'XÈ, Gaih-linne, "ray or beam of the sea," said to be the polestar. 

COlLED, a bay in the island of Fuarfed, where Ossian landed. 

FUARFED, Fuar-fhead, " cold whistle," or "cold blast," an island on 

the Scandinavian coast, the domain of Malorcol, Fingal's friend. 

L s rorox, L àr-mhonadli (1) "smooth or even hill," a mountain in Alba. 

L UTHA, probably " swift stream," a river in Alba. 

1L.LORCOL, prince of the isle of F uarfed, to whose assistance Ossian 

went. 

OINAMMORHUL, Oigh-nam-mor-shùl, "the maiden of the large eyes," 

daughter of Malorcol. 

SARDROl'LO, a Scandinavian island, reigned over by Tonn-Hormod or 

Tormod. 

Toxx-Hororon, Tonn-Thormod, " Tormo d of the waves," Tormod, in 

English "Norman," is still a common name in the Highl ands, and, I need 

hardly say, well known through every part of Britain. Macl eod of 

Harris, or of Dunvegan, is styled of the race of Tormod,- as Macleod of 

Lewis, or Raasay, was of that of Torquil. 

TOKiIHUL, Toirm-thuil, "noisy flood or stream," the name of a 

riv er in Fuarfed. 


258 

t "Tha clann nan rlgh bru cli 'us caoin," 

"Powerless, though loving, is the race of kings." 

The word cli or clitl: is used in such varions and opposite meanings 

as to speak strongly of the poverty of the language which requires such 

hard service of it, or of the plan of "homon,rms " followed in the early 

stages of language. In the present day cZith, as a substantive, signifies 

"strength," and as an adjective " left-handed ;" hence, in a secondary 

sense, "awkward," "feeble." In th e dictionaries it is given as signifying 

both "weak" and "strong," and it is so used in Ossian; while in this 

poem, line 16, it has a meaning which must be different from all these- 

"Malmhina, cruth clith gun bheud." 

Macfarlan renders it th ere "concinna," and I know nat that a better 

translation can be given. In the line which forms the subject of this 

Ilote he renders cli by "benigna." I think, however, th at looking to 

the circumstances in which Oinammorhul uttered th ese words-feeling 

herself and Tormod powerless ü) avert th e hard fate of separationwhich 

threatened them-the natural meaning is "weak," or "powerless;" and 

this is the more common acceptation of the word, 

Macpherson, as usual, steers wide of the difficulty. 

" Thongh the race of kings are around me, yet my soul is dark." 

GOLNANDONA 


AR GU ME N T. 

" Fingal despatches Ossian and 'l'oscar, the son of Conloch and father of :\Ialvina, 

to raise a stone, on the banks of the stream of Crona, to perpetuate 

the memory of a victor)" which he had obtained in that place. When 

they were employed in that work, Carul, a neighbouring chief, invited 

them to a feast, They went ; and 'l'oscar fell desperately in love with 

Colna-dona, the daughter of Carul. Colna-dona became no lëss enamoured 

of 'l'oscar. An incident, at a hunting-party, brings their 10Yes 

to a happy issue.t'-c-M. 


266 

GAOL-XAX-DAOIXE. 

Fonn oidhche 0 Ullin an àigh. 

Chuir Toscar a sgian fo 'n ùir, 

45 'Us mùrla dùbh-ghorm stàilinn chruaidh; 

Thozadh mu chloich àird an smùr, 

o 

A ghairm gu cliu bliadhnan nan luadh. 

A nizhean choinnich sruth nan càrn 

o 

Thu 'cr éirizh an àird ann am choir; 

b 0 

50 A chlach 0 chladach a tha thall, 

'N uair chaillear stol Shelma nan torr ; 

Labhair-sa ri laigse nan daoine. 

Air 'aghaidh, 's an oidhche fo sprochd 

Luidhidh dubhailteach bochd 'tha 'triall; 

55 Do ehoinneach a' caoineadh gun lochd, 

A' tilleadh mu 'rosg nam bliadhna. 

Éiridh comhraig threun fa 'choir, 

Rlghrean gorm-sgiathach a' teurnadh gu cath, 

Làn ghealach a' dubhadh fo 'n scorr 

60 Air raonaibh nan seod 's nam flath. 

Brisidh e 0 'aisling chiar ; 

Druididh madainn air triall na h-oidhche ; 

Chithear uaighean nan treun air sliabh, 

Treuna gasda nan gnl0mh 'an soillse. 

65 Labhraidh e mu chloich an raoin, 

Agus freagraidh an aois r a iarraidh : 

" So an liath-ehlach 'thog Oisean nach faoin, 

Sàr cheannard, mu-n d'aom na bliadhna." 

sound of Ullin's nightly song. Toscar laid a dagger in earth, a mail 

of sounding steel. ,Ye raised the mould around the stone, and 

bade it speak ta other years. 

Oozy daughter of streams, that now art reared on high, speak ta 

the feeble, 0 stone! after Selma's race have failecl! Prone, from 

the stormy night, the traveller shall lay him by thy side: thy whis- 

GOLNA... 'mOXA. 

The song of night from gracious Ullin; 

'I'oscar placed his dagger 'neath the sod, 

45 And a dark-blue mail of tempered steel; 

Earth was heaped around the upraised stone, 

Calling to renown the years of praise. 

Messy daughter of the stream of cairns, 

Thou risest on high before me ! 

50 Thou stone from a far-distant strand, 

When the race of towering Selma shall be lost, 

Speak thou to feebleness of men. 

There, on his face, at night, in sadness, 

Shall lie a wanderer pOOl' and lorn, 

55 Thy moss which evermore is weeping,2 

And round its eyelash drawing back (gone) years, 

Shall raise before him battles of the strong 

Blue-shielded kings descending to the fray. 

The full moon darkens 'neath the rock 

60 On battle-fields of brave and great. 

From his sable dream he will start ; 

Morn will haste on the path of night ; 

.Their graves shall be seen on the hill 

Men of might and of shining deeds; 

65 He will speak of the stone on the plain, 

And age will to his quest reply, 

" The grey stone raised by Ossian great, 

Leader true, on whom years have come down l " 

tling moss shall sound in his dreams: the years that were past shall 

return. Battles rise before him, blue-shielded kings descend ta war : 

the darkened moon looks from heaven on the troubled field. He 

shall burst with morning from dreams, and see the tombs of warriors 

round. He shall ask about the stone, and the aged shall reply, 

" This grey stone "as raised by Ossian, a chief of other years ! " 

267 

Ossian calls on 

the pillar to 

hand down 

the memory of 

the great and 

braye to the 

feehle men 

who were to 

follow them ; 

. and descrihes 

the associations 

which 

it would recal 

to the travel 

1er resting 

beside it at 

night. 


2GS 

ft A night of 

ravless dark . 

lit. a night ' 

uiithout dawn, 

doc. 

GAOL-X.-\.X-DAOIXE. 

- -- ---- -- - - - - - - - - - 

Ghluais mall oChaolamhainn am bàrd 

ro 0 Charull, do 'n annsadh dàimh, 

G' al' cuireadh gu cuirm nan àrd, 

Aite-tuinielh geal-làimh na bàigh, 

Gaol-nan-daoine nan sàr thriath. 

Shoillsich Carull measg aois a chiabh, 

i5 'N uair chunnaic e stol a ehàirdean, 

Mar dhà gheug àg air an t-sliabh, 

Air chrannaibh elo 'm miann na h-àrdan. 

" A chlann Dan treun mor," thuirt Carull, 

"Thug sibh làithean 'chaidh thairis a nuas, 

80 'N uair a theurnadh leam sïos 0 thonn mara 

Air Selma nan darag ri stuaidh. 

Bha Dubh-mhac Chéir-ghlais fo mo ruaig, 

Fear-comhnuidh gaoith luaith air chuan; 

Ar n-aithrichean 'n an nàimhdean cruaidh, 

85 Thachair sinne aig Cluthai nam bruach; 

Theieh esan '0 m' lainn air fairge, 

:Mo shùil-sa 'leantuinn 'n a dhéigh. 

Mheall an oidhche mi gun fhàire ; a 

Thàinig mi gu talla an rlgh, 

90 Gu Selma nan Iàn-bhroilleach oigh. 

Thàinig Fionnghal 'bu chOIT, le 'bhaird ; 

Thàinig Conlaoch, làmh bais nan ceuel. 

------------ --- 

From Col-amon came a bard, from Carul, the friend of strangers, 

He bade us to the feast of kings, to the dwellinc of brieht Colnao 

0 

dona. ",Ye went to the hall of harps., .There Carul brightened 

between his aged locks, when he beheld the sons of his friends, like 

two young branches, before him. 

" Sons of the mighty," he said, "ye bring back the days of old, 

l\Ioved slowly from Colammin the barel 

iO Of Carul who joyed in strangers, 

Inviting us ta feast in lofty hall- 

The home of the ,Yhite hand henizn o , 

Golnandona, (child) of nobles true. 

Brightened Carul 'mid the ace of his locks 

o , 

ts When he saw the sons of his friends, 

Like two young branches, on the hill 

Of trees which love the heights. 

"Sons of the great brave," said Carul, 

• "The bygone days you have recalled 

80 When I came down off ocean-wave 

On Selma of oaks bv the sea. 

J 

Du-mac-kiar-glas fleel before me, 

Dweller in the swift wind of ocean, 3 

Our fathers were relentless foes ; 

85 ,Ye met at Clutha of mounels ; 

FIed he from my sword to sea ; 

nly eye was eager in pursuit; 

A night of rayless clark eleceived me." 

Came I ta the palace of the king, 

90 1'0 Selma of high-bosomed maids; 

Came peerless Fingal with his bards, 

Came Conloch, haud of eleath to hundreds. 

when first I descended from waves on Selma's streamy yale! I 

pursued Duthmocarglos, dweller of ocean's wind. Our fathers had 

been foes: we met by Clutha's windinc waters. He fled alonc the 

o 0 

sea, and my sails were spread behind him. Kight deeeived me on 

the deep, I came to the dwelling of kings, to Selma of highbosomed 

maids, Fingal came forth with his bards, and Conloch, 

269 

Carul sent his 

bard to invite 

Toscar and 

Ossian to a 

feast. 

1 He greatly 

" rejoiees to see 

the young 

sons of his 

friends , 

1 

1 

! 

Thev recall a 

time when in 

his vouth he 

had'defeated 

Du -mac-kiarglas, 

who fled 

to sea. Toscar 

1 pursued, but 

lost him in 

1 the darkness 

1 of night. He 

landed at 

; Selma, 


NOTES TO GOLNANDONA. 

l "W:e want to rear on high the stones 

"\Vhich memorise the glory of the' brave." 

The raising of stone pillars ta" preserve the memory of important 

events, as here described, appears to be coeval with the history of man. 

The practice is at least as old as the days of J oshua, or even as those of 

Jacob and Laban. Tt prevailed from Hindostan to the" Ultima Thule" 

of the Scottish isles, and has produced every form and sizeof monument, 

from the humble Highland cairn to the great pyramid of Cheops. 

The number of Celtic names for these commemorative stones is 

remarkable. We have "càrn," "carragh," "cromleac" 1 "dolben," 

"menhir," &c. Tradition connects many of the multitude to be seen 

in the Highlands and islands either with the Druids or the Fingalian 

heroes. Fingal, Ossian, and Dermid have their "pillars" in almost 

every district of the country; and the ' Sculptured Stones of Scotland ' 

prove that the practice referred to prevailed both in the south and north 

long before the days of Ossian. 

In the description before us two peculiarities are mentioned which 

are worthy of remark-raising the stone in cadence to the music of the 

bards :- 

" As rose and feil by turns 

The song of night from gracious Ullin ; " 

and placing the armour of friend, as well as of foe, beneath it. 

2 "Thy moss which evermoreis weeping, 

And round its eyelash drawing back (gone) years." 

These remarkable lines are thus translated by Macfarlan-e 

" Tuo musco plorante sine noxa, 

Et retroagente, circa ejus cilla, annos." 

Tt is clear, however, that he entirely misunderstands the first line 

NOTES TO GOLNANDOXA. 

when he translates lochd by "noxa." "Fault,"" crime," "defect," 

are commonmeanings of lochd; but so is also "a nap," or "wink of 

sleep." Tt is impossible to associate blame or praise with the moss ; 

but the words become intelligible when we take this term for" sleep." 

"Thy moss weeping without wink of sleep," 

- i,e., "ceaselessly," "continually." 

Ttmay be remarked that this "weeping of moss" is a favourite image 

with Ossian, and is probably suggested by the moisture which always 

surrounds the plant, and whieh seems necessary for maintaining its 

growth. 

The general idea in the second line seems to be that the moss, indicating 

the great age of the stone, recalls the memory of long -past 

years; and there is a species of moss-the Toriula muralis-whose 

long slender fringe may not inaptly be compared to an eyelash; but it 

is not easy to see how the moss can be said to gather or turn back the 

years around its eyelash. 

3 "Dweller in the swift wind of ocean; " 

.A. description of a sea-rover worthy of remark. 

4 ":Mu sholus nam beus air clàrsaich." 

"Around the light of beauty o'er the harp." 

This is a very beautiful line in Gaelic, but difficult ta render 

adequately into English. 

I may remark that beus, generally signifying moral excellence, and 

here, I believe, all womanly accomplishments, sometimesbears a totally 

different meaning, being applied to the singing of birds. . Alexander 

nI'Donald, in his ' Song to Summer,' uses the verb beusadli to denote 

the singing of the robin; and in his well-known song of "Alld-ant-Siùcair" 

he applies the noun beus to the notes both of the robin and 

the blackbird. Further, in Ossian's "Conlach and Colvala" (1. 275), it 

is said- 

" Tha 'n cliu mar bheusnam bàrd ; " 

the most natural meaning of which seems to be, 

" Their fame is as the s()ng of bards." 

The line before us, according ta this view, might be translated, 

"The light of melody upon the harp ; " 

- i.e., "she who diffused light or joy by her melodious playing on the 

harp." 


CROl\fA 


A R G U 1\1 E NT. 

" Malvina, the daughter of Toscar, is overheard by Ossian lamenting the death 

of Oscar, her lover. Ossian, to divert her grief, relates his own actions in 

an expedition which he undertook, at Fingal's command, to aid Crothar, 

the petty king of Croma, a country in Ireland, against Rothmar, who 

invaded his dominions. The story is delivered down thus in tradition : 

Crothar, king of Croma, being blind with age, and his son too young for 

the field, Rothmar, the chief of Tromlo, resolved to avail himself of the 

opportunity offered of annexing the dominions of Crothar to his own. 

He accordingly marched into the country subject to Crothar, but which 

he held of Arth or Artho, who was at the time supreme king of Ireland, 

" Crothar being, on account of his age and blindness, unfit for action, 

sent for aid to Fingal, king of Scotland, who ordered his son Ossian to 

the relief of Crothar, But before his arrival, Fovargormo, the son of 

Crothar, attacking Rothmar, was slain himself, and his forces totally 

defeated. Ossian renewed the war, came to battle, killed Rothmar, and 

routed his arroyo Croma being thus delivered of its enemies, Ossian 

retumed to Scotland.t'-c-M, 


300 CRa MA . 

CRŒ\IA. 301 

Fiar shruthan a' taomadh zu lcar, \Vinding rivers pouring through the plain. 

Bha Ràthmar ann le feartaibh cial', Romar was there with dusky hasts, In the grey of 

morning they 

Fa 'n armaibh 'bha liath ri soillse. In arms grey-glimmering ta the light, give battle, 

and conqner. 

Bhuail air caol-fada nan Cl zleann , . (We) struck in the long defile of glens ; 

Before the 

185 close of even- 

Theich nàimhdean ; thuit Rothmar fo m' lainn. 185 FIed the foe. Romar fell beneath my blade. ing the aged 

, 

Cro-har examin 

es the ar - 

mour of his 

, 

Cl , foe, and the 

spoils presented 

t o him 

by Ossian. 

Mu-n do cheileadh an là fo iar Ere day was hidden in the west, 

Ghlac Cràthar airm Ràthmhair nan sziath : Grasped Cro-har the arms of Romar of shields; 

Dh' fhairich 'n a aois iad le 'làimh The aged man, he felt them with his hands, 

nfin sholas a' snàmh m'a smaointean. A gcntle gladness swimming 0'el' his thoughts. 

190 Thionail sluagh gu talla nan triath ; 190 Gathered the host to the hall of chiefs ; The feast is 

again spread ; 

Chualas farum nan slige fial ; Heard was the stir of the shells of cheer ; live bards sing 

the praises of 

Mhosgail clàrsach nan teud malI ; Woke up the harp with strings of lingering sound; Cro-har's son 

Cuig bàrda mu seach le rann Five bards, and each in turn, with songs 

'Togail cliu mu mhac nan treun, Raise high the praises of the hero's son; 

a Xew leader 

of the hosts . 

lit. new ma;' 

ofthe hundreds, 

195 'Us mu Oisein, fear ùr nan ceud , : a 

Anam a' lasadh suas fo ùrla, 195 Of Ossian, tao, new leader of the hosts ; a 

The sou! a-flaming high within their breast, 

Fonn a' freagradh fo thùr nan teud. While airs repeat the spirit of the strings. 4 

Ro mhàr 'mhosgail solas air sluazh . Exceeding joy broke forth upon the host, 

Cl , 

Gu Cràma thill buaidh fo shïth. For victory, with peace, to Crama had returned. 

and of Ossian. 

200 Thàinig oidhche ciuin 'us balbh ; 

Chaidh madainn air falbh fo sholas , 

200 Descended still and silent night ; 

In gladness morning sped away; 

Night and 

morning pass 

in gladness. 

Cha d' thàinig nàimhdean 'an dùbhra dùint', 

There came no darkness-hidden foes, 

A' tàrruing 0' n cùl nam mol' shleazh . Drawing, from their backs, their mighty spears; 

Cl ' 

ing stream. The dark host of Rothmar are on its banks with ail 

their . glittering arms. We fought along the yale. They fled. 

Rothmar sunk beneath my sword! Day had not descended in 

the west, when l brought bis arms to Crothar. The azed hero 

felt them with bis h ds : d " o . 

an s, an Jo;r bn

NOTEST 0 CR 0 1'1 A. 

l "Hare, and brief thy coming to my dream." 

" Keo-mhinic, gann gu m' aisling féin thu ! " 

Mr Macl.a chlan has very unaccountably altered and enfeebled this 

line by changing it illto- 

" 0 's ainmic gu m' aisling féin thu." 

2 " ,yas Oscar, necer yet but praised of thee," &c. 

" An robh Oscar, gu trian do luaidh." 

This expression, gu trian, is generally rendered by Macfarlan "in 

tertiarn partem," and by other translators in the same signification of ' 

" th e third." This is its modern meaning, nor does any dictionary whieh 

I have seen-Gaelic, Irish, or Welsh-s-hint at any other. But th e reader 

of Ossian will clearly see that in many places it has a very different signification. 

Even Macfarlan, in the line before us, rend ers it "perpetuo," 

and it would be obviously absurd to render it here by a "third." Yarions 

other instances occur where the contest obviously proves the 

meaning of irian to be "completeness" or "totality"- e. g., in " Calhon 

and Colvala," line 290, where Ossian, reproaching the cowardice of the 

disguised warrior who dropped his spear on th e ground and wept , 

addresses him- 

" A mhic làimh a tha tais yu trian," 

" Son of th e hand which is thorCTU!Jhly soft," 

th e rneaning is perfectly obvious, In" Oinammorhul," line 104, it is 

said- 

" Thuit nàimhdean 0 thr ian. na droch-bheirt." 

Macfarlan has- 

" Ceciderunt hostes à tcrtia parte mali instrumenti "- 

XOTES TO CRm IA. 309 

à meaning ut terly inconsistent with the context. The enemy had been 

routed by Ossian. Th eir leader, Tormod, was bound with th ongs. 

)[alorcol was triu mphant. Thus irian na drochbheirt must denote the 

total failure of the enemy. 

" Car-hon," lines 115, 179; "Covala," line 230; "Callion and Colvala," 

line 273; "Conloch and Cu-hona," lines 43, 91, as weil as other 

places which might be quoted, ail bear out the sarne conclusion, that 

Ossian often méans by irian not the "third part," but th e whole of 

the object to which the term is applied; and the Gaelic is not the only 

language where the nurnber three is significant of perfection. 

3 " Is it because to thee there is no son." 

" 'N ann air son nach dhu it féin a tha mac." 

This is a line whi ch, to say the least, is inelegant, and very different 

from the usual diction of Ossian. 

" 'N ann air son dhuit féin nach 'eil mac" 

is an improvement, though still leaving it rugged. 

4 "While airs repeat the spirit of th e strings." 

The meaning of this obscure line seems ta be that the tunes corresponded 

with th e words of the bards who swept the strings. 


CALHON AND COLVALA 


330 CALTHOXX 'us CAOL?IHAL. CALHON" A..,{D COLVALA. 331 

Roimh nàimhdean garbh nan corr, 

Before stern foes with sharp-edged blades.? 

" Grad imicheadh barda 'n an coir ; 

190 'Tairgeadh comhrag do sheoid Dhunthàl." 

Fiamh-gàire fo dhorcha a mhorchuis, 

's a ghaisgeacha domhail air sliabh, 

Mar nialan air torraibh nan scor-bheann, 

" Straightway let bards to them advance 

190 To offel' combat to Duntalmo's men." 

Laughter (lay) beneath bis gloom and pricle, 

As his warriors crowcled the heights, 

Like clouds on pinnacles of jaggèd Bens, 

As th ey reach 

the Tweed 

they send 

bards to summon 

him to 

combat. 

He laughs at 

the proposal, 

'N uair bhriseas a' mhor-ghaoth an taobh, 

When a strong wind breaks their' sides, 

195 'Sgaoileadh an ciabhan dubh mu'n cuairt. 

195 And scatters their black hair abroad. 

Thug iacl Colmar og gu Tuaid, 

Iomadh iall gu cruaidh mu 'n triath. 

Bha 'n gaisgeach 'an ceuman fo ghruaim, 

To Tweed they brought the youthful Colmar, 

Many thongs fast bound about the chief. 

The hero's steps were under glooin, 

a His eve for 

ever upwards 

turned; Gael. 

yu thrian ; 

Macf, "non- 

A shùilean 'dol suas gu thrian," 

200 Ag iadhadh mu 'chairdean gu léir." 

Sheas sinne fo thréin' nan arm, 

His eye for ever upwards turned," 

200 Clinging round all his friends. b 

nunquam." 

b Clinging 

round all his 

friends ; more 

Uisge Thuaid' a' bruaillein le bene. 

Thàinig Dunthalmo le 'ghorm shleagh ; Duntalmo came with his blue spear, 

In the strength of our arms we stood. 

(Before us) raged the roaring Tweed. 

literaIly, Bhuail e 'n gaisgeach glan 's an taobh; (And) smote the blameless hero on the side. and slays Coltuiininq 

mar before 

Thuit e air bruachan a' mhaigh 

205 He feIl, on the marge of the plain, 

their eyes, 

raund, &c. 205 

c Clear and 'Am fuil; 'us chual' sinne gu 'n eùl," In blood ; and we heard, clear and loud, C 

loud; lit. to 

their bock, 

Na h-osna gu dlùth 0 'chliabh. 

The groans come frequent from his breast. 

d Sprang I on 

my speari. 

e. across the 

river. 

Leum mi air mo shleagh gun dàil ; d 

Ghabh Calthonn an snàmh le leum ; 

Straightway sprang I on ·my spear; d 

Calhon took (to) swimming with a bound. 

Theyinstantly 

cross the 

Tweed, defeat 

210 Thuit Tuaid 'us a h-oigridh fo '1' làimh ; 210 Feil Tweed and her youth beneath our hands; Duntalmo and 

his forces, but 

Thuit duibhre na h-oidhch' air na tréin. Dark night came down on the warriors. night stops 

the pursuit. 

of Teutha roUed, in its pride, before the gloomy foe. I sent a bard 

to Dunthalmo, to offer the combat on th e plain; but he smiled in 

the darkness of his pride. His unsettled host moved on the hill ; 

like th e mountain-cloud, when the blast has entered its womb, and 

scatters the curling gloom on every side, 

They brought Colmar to Teutha's bank, bound with a thousand 

thongs. The chief is sad, but stately, His eye is on his friends; 

for we stood, in our arms, whilst Teutha's waters rolled between. 

Dunthalmo came with his spear, and pierced the hero's side: he 

rolled on the bank in his blood. W e heard his broken sighs, CaIthon 

rushed into the stream: l bounded forward on my spear, 

Teutha's race feU before us. Night came roUingdown, Dunthalmo 


340 CALTHONX 'us CAOLMHAL. 

A mhic nan cos 'tha àrd 'an cruaich, 

310 0' uim their Oisian mu Thuaid nam marbh 1 

Cha-n 'eil cuimhn orr' 'an talamh nan stuadh, 

's cha-n fhaicear an uaigh air blàr. 

'I'hàinic o bliadhna dorch' nan sian, 

Thuit na tomanna sïos gu làr ; 

315 Cha-n fhaicear Dunthalmo, no 'uaigh, 

No 'n t-àit's an d' thuit e fo chruaidh mo làimh. 

Their gaisgeach liath fo chïabh na h-aois, 

A shealladh gu caol 'an oidhche, 

Aig darach fo shoills' 'an talla, 

a The chief .•. 

fell ; lit. it 

'/Ca 8 fallen. by 

the chief-s-uapers. 

form, 

320 R'a chloinn 'tha 'teannadh ris, mo ghnlomh. 

'Us gu-n d'thuiteadh le triath na Tuaide." 

R'a ghuth tha aomadh claon na h-oige, 

b Cut the 

th ongs-Gael. 

bar-iall-i.e. 

th e point of 

Tha ioghnadh 'US solas 'n an sùilibh. 

th e thong-> 

orùinarily 

shoe-latchet, 

here used for 

iall, "thong,,. 

evidently 

Fhuair mi Oalthonn corr ri daraig, 

325 'Us ghearr mi am bar-iall 0 'laimh ; b 

Thug mi dha a' bheus 'bu ghlaine, 

. ;) 

from the exi- Ard ùrla, cruth geal a bha làn : 

gency of 

rhyme, Tha 'n tuineadh thall an' talla Thuaid'. 

Why, son of the rock, should Ossian tell how Teutha's warriors 

died 1 They are now forgot in their land; their tombs are 

not found on the heath. Years came on with their storms, The 

green mounds are mouldered away. Scarce is the grave of Dunthalmo 

seen, or the place where he fell by the spear of Ossian. 

Some grey warrior, half blind with age, sitting by night at the 

CALHON Ai'.l) COLVALA. 341 

Son of the cave hizh on the mountain, 

He declines 

o to speak of 

310 Wherefore shouldOssianspeak of Tweedofthe dead1 " Tweed of 

Their memory lives not in the land of waves, 

the dead," 

but says that 

And their graves are unseen on the plain. 

Dark years of storm have come ; 

some grey - 

headed warrior 

will tell 

to his chil- 

The mounds have fallen to the ground. 

dren how 

Duntal mo fell 

315 Neither Duntalmo nor his grave is seen, 

Nor the place where he fellby the sword ofmy hand. 

Some warrior grey, in dusk of age, will tell, 

(When) his eyesight (is) dim at night, 

By the oak-log which lightens the hall, 

beneath Ossian's 

sword. 

320 111Y deeds to his sons as they press around him, 

And (how) the chief of Teutha fell." 

y outh bend and sidle toward his voice, 

,Vonder and joy are in their eyes. 

I f ound brave Calhon to an oak-tree (bound) ; 

3')- I eut the thongs from off his hands.b 

He rescued 

Calhon, joined 

I gave ta him the brightest maiden, 

his hand to 

that of Col- 

Hich-bosomed full, and fair of form. vala ; and they 

o ' occupied Dun- 

Their home is afar in the hall of Tweed. talmo' s hall. 

flamine oak of the hall, tells now my deeds to his sons, and the 

fail of'the dark Dunthalmo. The faces of youth bend sidelong 

towards his voice. Surprise and joy burn in their eyes. l found 

Calthon bound to an oak ; my sword eut the thongs from his 

hands. I gave him the white-bosomed Colmal. They dwelt 

in the halls of Teutha. 


EXPLANATION OF PROPER NAl\IES 

CALHON AND COLVALA. 

ÂLTEUTHA, " the rock or fort of Teutha." The word olt in British, 

ali or ail in I rish and Gaelic, signifies anything high- thence rock or 

cliff ; evidently the same with Latin altus. Alteutha was the dwellingplace 

of Duntalmo, 

CALHON and COIMAR, sons of Ramor, a chief who dwelt on the Clyde. 

CAR)WX, a hunter by th e Tweed, held in contempt because unfit for 

war. 

COLVALA, Caol-mhala, " slender eyebrow," daughter of Duntalmo. 

She loved Calhon, and rescued him from captivity. 

DARGO, Dearg, or An Dearg, " the red one," son of ColIath, a companion 

of Ossian in th e expedition to Teutha. Macpherson says he was 

kill ed by a boar, and gives, in a note, the lamentation of his wife, Mingala, 

over his death-a very touching elegy, 

DURAN, another companion of Ossian, and father to Connal, who 

was unintentionalIy slain by Crimora.- Vide conclusion of " Carricthura." 

DUNTAL:llO, chief of .Alteutha, who murdered Ramor, and his son 

Colmar- in ferocity of character resembling Starno of Lochlin, 


344 PROPER N.tU!ES IX CALHO:N A....\D COLVALA. 

L.,uW.\L, Làmh-gheal, "white hand," a chief who dwelt on the Clyde, 

TEUTIli, Tuaid, "the river Tweed." A n Tuaide is still the common 

Gaelic name of the Tweed. Chalmers (' Caledonia,' vol. i p. 49) says 

that Tu-edd, in British, signifies the " border" or "linùt of a countrv." 

Tt is possible there may have been more than one river of this name 

just as we find " Carron," "Dee," " Don," &c., common river-names in 

varions parts of the same country, as well as in separate and distant 

countries, 

NOTES TO CALHON AND COLVliA. 

1 "Thou lonely dweller in the cave." 

Macpherson, in his "Argument.," calls the person thus addressed 

" one of the first Christian missionaries." It is sufficient ta remark that 

it was not by "dwelling in caves" that the first Christian missionaries 

made way in any heathen land. But there are no means of determining 

who or what this " son of the eaverns" actually was. 

2 " The sigh is smothered in my breast." 

"'Us an osun fo smachd ma chléibh'," 

This is an expression repeatedly used by Ossian in describing the 

feebleness and sadness of old age. The Iiteral rendering is- 

"The sigh is under the mastery of my chest." 

Contrasting this with what he says of himself in the days of youth 

and strength (line 304)- 

more literally- 

"Rose li sigh that filled my breast "- 

" Moveda sigh to the height of my chest"- 

the meaning seems ta be that the weakness of his aged frame preventcd 

him from heaving the full deep sighs which strong men heave , . 

3 "The bright gleam has faded from its field; 

118 bosses, woe is me, are dimmed with rust !" 

"Thréig an soillse glan a balla, 

Tha meirg air a ballaibh, ma dhoruinn ! " 

Macfarlan translates a balla in the first line by "meum murum ; " 

but "meum" is unwarranted-"ejus " it must be. I understand the 


348 NOTES TO CALHON Ali"]) COLVALA. 

10 "Calhon's soul was yielding to himself." 

The meaning of this expression is, that Calhon was able ta compose 

himself to sleep; but it must be remarked as singular that his "-soul" 

and " self" should be spoken of as distin ct from each other. This is, 

however, quite according to modern Gaelic usage. If a man becomes a 

prey to anxiety, so that he cannot rest, a Highlander does not say that 

the MA X is anxious, but that " his mind has got the better of him ;" and 

a very common "wise saw" is, "that it's a bad thing for a man when 

bis mind gets the upper hand." What exact conception of the " personality" 

or " individuality" may have led to this mode of speaking I 

know not, but l do not think that such materialism as would subject 

the mind in ail things to the body is implied in it. It rather refers ta 

the mind disregarding actua1, existing objects, and giving way to selfcreated 

and chimerical fears. 

11 "About the mountain light was dawning, 

As night was gliding off the peaks." 

The Gaelic word beginning the first line is eolas, meaning "joy" or 

" gladness." I have ventured ta change this into solus, "light"-a 

change whieh the context evidently requires; for Calhon's enemies were 

not on the mountain, but on the plain (line 244), consequently their 

joy could not be said to be around the mountain. But the" dawning 

of the light" describes very beautifully the time at which Calhon was 

overpowered, and corresponds with Ossian's speedy advance to bis 

rescue soon as the morning advanced over the blue wave of Tweed 

(line 284). 

12 "Their strength was as the eagle of the skies." 

So in "Oinammorhul," line 70- 

"Thy voice is strong as Cru-Lodin;" 

and many similar instances may be quoted. The strength of the 

heroes is not compared, as it would be in modern language, ta the 

strength of the eagle, but directly to the eagle himself, as the strength 

of Ossian's voice is compared ta the powerful spirit of Lodin. This is 

a proof, in addition to the many which I have already pointed out, of 

the antiquity of the language of Ossian; and while I have not met in this 

poem of "Calhon," &c., with any construction unexampled elsewhere, 

archaic forms appcar in it more frequently than in any of the others, 

so that I have no doubt of its being among the oldest in the collection. 

FI NGAL 


D U A N L 

ARGUnIENT. 

" Cuthullin (general of the Irish tribes, in the minority of Connac, king of 

Ireland) sitting alone beneath a tree, at the gate of Tura, a castle of Ulster 

(the ether chiefs having gone on a hunting party te Cromla, a neighbouring 

hill), is informed of the landing of Swaran, king of 1ochlin, by Moran, 

the son of Fithil, one of bis scouts. He convenes the chiefs; a council 

is held, and disputes mu high about giving battle to the enemy. Connal, 

the petty king of Togorma, and an intimate friend of Cuthullin, was for 

retreating, till Fingal, king of those Caledonians who inhabited the northwest 

coast of Scotland, whose aid had been previously solicited, should 

arrive; but Calmar, the son of Matha, lord of Lara, a country in Connaught, 

was for engaging the enemy îmmediately. Cuthullin, of himself 

willing to fight, went into the opinion of Calmar. Marehing towards the 

enemy, he missed three of his bravest heroes, Fergus, Duchomar, and 

Cathba, Fergus arriving, tells Cuthnllin of the death of the two other 

chiefs; which introduces the affecting episode of Morna, the daughter of 

Connac. The army of Outhullin is descried at a distance by Swaran, 

who sent the son of Arno to observe the motions of the enemy, while he 

himself ranged his forces in order of battle. The son of Arno, returning 

to Swaran, describes to him Cuthnllin's chariot, and the terrible appearance 

of that hero. The armies engage, but night coming on, leaves the 

victory undecided. Cuthnllin, according to the hospitality of the times, 

sends to Swaran a formal invitation to a feast, by his bard Carril, the son 

of Kinfena. Swaran refuses to come. Carril relates to Cuthullin the 

storyof Grudar and Brassolis. A party, by Connal's advice, is sent to 

observe the enemy, which closes the action of the first day."-J\L 


352 

FIONNGHAL. 

F ION N G HAL. 

DUAN 1. 

SHUIDH Cuchullin aig balla Thùra, 

Fo dhùbhra craoibh dhuille na fuaim ; 

Dh'aom a shleagh ri carraig nan cos, 

A sgiath mhor r'a thaobh air an fheur. 

5 Bha smaointean an fhir air Cairbre, 

Laoch a thuit leis 'an garhh-chomhrag, 

'N uair thàinig fear-coimhead a' chuain, 

Luath mhac Fhithil nan ceum àrd. 

"Éirich, a Chuchullin, éirich, 

10 Chi mi loingeas threun 0 thuath! 

Grad ghluais, a chinn-uidhe na féile : 

's mol' Suaran, is lionmhor a shluagh !" 

" A Mhorain," thuirt an gorm-shùileach treun, 

" Bu lag thu féin, 'us chrith thu riamh ; 

15 'N ad eagal is lïonmhor nàmhaid; 

'Mhic Fhithil, 's e Fionnghal a th' ann, 

Àrd churaidh nan cial' bheann." 

CUTHULLIK sat by Tura's wall; by the tree of the rustling 

sound. His spear leaned against a rock. His shield layon grass 

by bis side. Amid his thoughts of mighty Carbar, a h ero slain 

by the chief in war, the scout of ocean conies-i-Moran, the son 

of Fithil ! 

FINGAL. 

FIN GAL. 

DUAN 1. 

CUCH"ULLIN sat beside the wall of Tura, l 

In shade of a leafy, sounding tree ; 

His spear aslant against the rock of clefts, 

His ample shield beside him, on the grass. 

5 The thoughts of the man were on Cairbar 

A hero slain by him in combat fierce 

When came the watchman of ocean, 

Fi-hil's fleet son of bounding step. 

" Arise, Cuchullin, arise ! 

10 I see great galleys from the north. 

Quickly rise, thou chief of festive cheel'; 

Great is Swaran, numerous his host !" 

" Moran," said the blue-eyed strong one, 

" Weak and trembling thou hast ever been ; 

15 The foe is numerous in thy fear. 

Son of Fi-hil, it is Fingal, 

Righ hero of dark-brown mountains." 

" Arise !" says the youth ; " Cuthullin, arise ! I see th e ships of 

the north! Many, chief of men, are the foe. Many th e heroes of 

the sea-borne Swaran!" " .l\Ioran!" replied th e blue-eyed chief, 

" thou ever tremblest, son of Fithil ! Thy fears have increased the 

foe. Tt is Fingal, king of deserts, with aid to green Erin of streams." 

VOL. 1. z 

353 

Cuchullin, 

sitting by th e 

wall of Tura, 

is infonn ed 

by àloran, 

the oceanscout, 

of the 

approach of 

th e hostile 

fieet of Swaran, 

king of 

Lochlin. 

Cuchullin 

believes that 

it is th e 

friendly fieet 

of Fingal. 


356 FIONNGHAL. 

FINGAL. 357 

Du_,n, 1. ' Thuit ceannard a' chuain 's a' ghleann.' 'The ocean-chief has fallen in the glen.' DUAN I. 

, Cha do thuit,' 's e fhreagair mi féin. 

45 'Géilleadh Cuchullin do 'n triath 

A' s tréine na gailleann nan sliabh.' 

"N e mis l' thuirt an gorm-shùileach treun, 

, Cha ghéill mi do dhuine 'tha beo. 

Cuchullin cho gailbheach ris féin, 

50 JUàr 'an càmhrag, no 'rn bàs gun scleà.' 

' He has not fallen,' I replied. 

45 'Let Cuchullin yield him to the prince, 

Who is stronger than the mountain-storm.' -1 

' Is it I l' said the blue-eyed brave one; 

' I yield not unto living man. 

Cuchullin (is) terrible as he, 

50 Great in combat, or in cloudless death.' 

"'JUhic Fhithil, glac-sa mo shleagh, 

"Son of Fi-hil, take my spear, He orders 

Moran to 

Buail sgiath Sheuma fo smal 'US gruaim ; 

Strike Semo's shield in gloom, and frown. 

strike his 

Chi àrd i air balla nan sleagh ; 

(Thou) wilt see it high on the wall of spears; 

warnors, 

Cha b'e sanas na sïth a fuaim. No harbinger of peace its sound. 

55 Buail sgiath Sheuma, 'mhic Fhithil, gu grad ; 

Gairm gaisgich 0 bhacl 's 0 choill'." 

55 Son of Fi-hil, straightway strike the shield of Semo ; 

Summon the warriors from brake and wood." 

shield, and to 

gather bis 

Bhuail e 'n sgiath bhallach gu grad; Forthwith he struck the spotted shield, The shield is 

struck, and 

Fhreagair gach bad agus coiJl', 

Answered each brake and wood; 

the warriors 

called. 

Shiubhail caismeachd tro' 'n doire gun stad; 

Surged the sound through forest onward ; 

60 Chlisg féidh 'us earba 's an fhraoch : 

60 Started stags and roes amid the heather ; 

Leum Curtha 0 charraig na fuaim ; 

Sprang Curha off the sounding rock; 

Ghluais Conall 'bu chruadalach sleach . 

Stirred Connal of hardiest spear ; 

o , 

Dh'fhàg Faobhui an eilid 's an ruais . 

Fovi left the hind in chase; 

O} 

Thill Crùthgheal gu Tùra nam fieagh ; 

Crugel turned back to Tura of feasts. 

65 A Rànain, cluinn sgiath nam blàr, 

65 Ronan, hearken to the shield of battles ; 

Fingal says that the king of the ocean fell l but Swaran says he 

stood! Let dark Cuthullin yield to him that is strong as the storms 

of his land! " 

" X0 !" replied the blue-eyed chief, "1 never yield to mortal 

man! Dark Cuthullin shall be great or dead! Go, son of Fithil, 

take my spear. Strike the sounding shield of Semo. It hangs at 

Tura's rustling gate. The sound of peace is not its voice ! l\Iy 

heroes shall hear and obey." He went, He struck the bossyshield. 

The hills, the rocks reply, The sound spreads along the wood: 

deer start by the lake of rocs. Curach leaps from the sounding 

rock, and Connal of the bloody spear! Crugal's breast of snowbeats 

high, The son of Favi leaves the dark-brown hind. It is the shield 


358 

a Echoing 

Cromlec; lit. 

Cromlecof 

voice. 

FIOXXGHAL. 

Caismeachd àrd Chuchullin, a Chlùthair ; 

A Chalmair, 0 'n chuan thig a nan ; 

Le d' chruaidh thig a nan, a Lùthair. 

'JIhic Foinne, 'gharbh-churaidh, éirich; 

70 A Chairbre, 0 Chromleac a' ghuth; a 

Lùb do gblùn, 'Fhiochi na féile, 

A Chormaic, 0 Léna nan sruth. 

SIn do shlios àluinn, a Chaoilte, 

(Air astar 0 Mhora gu dian), 

75 A's gile na 'n cobhar, 'tha sgaoilte 

Air muir 0 ghaillinn nan sian. 

Chïteadh gaisgich nan àrd ghnlomh 

'Teurnadh sios 0 'm fiar-ghlinn féin, 

Gach anam a' losgadh ri cuimhne 

80 Gach eomhraig a dh'aom 0 sbean; 

An sùile 'lasadh, 'g iadhadh borb 

Mu nàmhaid dhorcha Innis-fàil, 

Gach làmh' 'bu tréin', 'an ceann gach lainn, 

Caoir dhealan a' dearrsadh 0 'n cruaidh. 

85 ]far shruth a' taomadh 0 gharbh ghleann 

Dh'aom na suinn 0 chruaich nam beann, 

Gach triath 'n àirm 'athar nam buadh, 

A ghaisgich dhubh ghruamach 'n a dhéigh , 

Mar cho-thional uisge nan stuadh 

. of war, said Ronnar! th e spear of Cuthullin, said Lugar! Son of 

th e sea put on thy arms! Calmar lift thy sounding steel! PUllO,· 

dreadful bero, arise ! Cairbar from tby red tree of Cromla ! Bend 

thy knee, 0 Eth! descend from the streams of Lena. Ca-tol stretch 

thy side as tb ou movest along the whistling heath of Mora : thv 

side that is white as th e foam of the troubled sea, when the dark 

FL'GAL. 

(To) Cuchullin's loud "ar-note, Clu-ar ; 

From ocean come over, 0 Calmar; 

' Vith thy steel come onward, Luhar : 

Thou son of Foni, champion stout, arise; 

70 Thou Cairbar from echoing Cromlec ; a 

Bend thy knee, thou Fiochi of feasts ; 

Cormac (come) from Lena of streams; 

Stretch thy graceful form, thou Ca-olt- 

(Pressing from Mora with speed) 

75 (Form) whiter than foam which drifts 

On the sea under stormy shower. 

Seen were heroes of high deeds 

Coming down from their winding glens. 

Each spirit burns as it recalls 

80 Each battle of the time of old. 

Their eyes, a-flaming, roll fiercely round 

The gloomy foe of Innis-Fail. 

Each stalwart hand on hilt of each blade; 

Showers of sparks are flashing from their steel. 

85 As a torrent rolling through rugged glen, 

From the mountain-heights the heroes sped, 

Each chief in armour of famous sire, 

(With) his dark -frowning warriors behind him, 

As multitude of waters in the clouds 5 

winds pour it on rocky Cuthon. 

Now l behold the chiefs, in the pride of their former deeds! 

Their souls are kindled at the battles of old ; at th e actions of other 

times. Their eyes are flames of fire, They roll in search of the 

foes of the land. Their mighty hands are on their swords, Lightning 

pours from their sides of steel. They come like streams from 

359 

DUAX 1. 

They are described 

as 

th ey hasten 

down from 

the hill, where 

th ey had been 

following the 

chase. 


384 

DUAN J. 

FIOXX GHAL. 

Làn mhïle dh'iallan tana 

'Ceangal a' charbaid gu h-ard, 

Cruaiclh chabstar shoilleir nan srian 

'N an giallaibh fo chobhar bàn ; 

3i5 l'ha clachan-boill ge, le buaidh, 

'Cromadh suas mu mhuing nan each 

Nan each 'tha mal' cheo air sliabh 

A' giùlan an triath gu 'chliu. 

's fiadhaiche na fiadh an colg, 

380 Co làidir ri iolair an neart ; 

.l'ha 'm fuaim mal' an gearnhradh borb 

Air Gorm-mheall mùchta fo shneachd, 

" 's a' charbad chithear an triath 

Sàr mhac treun nan geur lann, 

385 Cuchullin nan gorm-bhallach sgiath, 

Mac Sheuma, muon éireadh dàn. 

A ghtuaidh mal' an t-iuthar caoin, 

A shùil nach b' fh aoin a' sgaoileadh àrd 

F o mhala ehrom, dhoreha, chaol; 

390 A chiabh bhuidhe 'n a caoir m'a cheann, 

'Taomadh mu ghnùis àluinn an fhir, 

'8 e 'tarruing a shleagh 0 'chùl. 

Teich-sa, 'shàr cheannaird nan long, 

Teich 0 'n t-sonn, '8 e 'tigh'n a nall 

395 Mar ghaillinn 0 ghleann nan sruth !" 

A thousand thongs bind the car on high. Hard polished bits shine 

in a wreath of foam. Thin thongs, bright studded with gems, bend 

on the stately necks of the steeds. The steeds that like wreaths of 

mists fly over the streamy vales l The wildness of deer is in their 

course, the strength of eagles descending on their prey. Their noise 

is like the blast of winter, on the sides of the snow-headed Gormal. 

FL -GAL. 

Full thousand slender thongs 

Fasten the chariot on high ; 

'l'he hard bright bit of the bridle, 

In their jaws foam-covered, white. 

3i5 Shining stones of power 

1Vave aloft with the horses' manes 

Horses, like mi ·t on mountain-side, 

Which onward bear the chief to his fame. 

Keener their temper than the cleer, 

380 Strong as the eagle their strength. 

l'heu: noise is like winter fierce, 

On Gormal smotherecl in snow, 

" In the chariot is seen the chief, 

l'rue-brave son of the keen brands, 

385 Cuchullin of blue-spotted shields, 

Son of Semo, renownecl in song. 

His cheek like the polishecl yew ; 

His clear far-ranging eye, 

Uncler archèd, dark, and slender brow; 

390 His yellow hair down-streaming from his head, 

Flows round his glorious face, 

As he draws his spear from his back, 

Flee, thou great ruler of ships ! 

Flee from the hero who cornes on 

395 As a storm from the glen of torrents! " 

",Vithin the car is seen the chief ; the strong-armed son of the 

sword. The hero's name is Cuthullin, son of Semo, king of shells. 

His red cheek is like my polished yew. The look of his blue-rolling 

eve . is wide, beneath the dark arch of his brow, His hair fiies from 

his head like a fiame as bendina forward he wields the spear. Fly, 

, '" 

king of ocean,fi}'! He cornes, like a storm, along the streamy Yale !" 

VOL. 1. 2 B 

385 

DUA. - 1. 

He describes 

Cuchullin 

himself sitting 

in his car, 

and urges 

Swaran to 

immediate 

retreat, 


400 FIO_-.-GHAL. FI.-GAL. 401 

DUAN I. 565 "'Charuill, tog do ghuth gu h-ard 565 "Carul, raise thy voice on high, DUAN I. 

Air gach linn a bh'ann nach beo ; About aIl the ages gone ; 

Cuchullin 

Caithear oidhche ann am mm-dhàn : Pass the night in soothing song; asks Carul to 

sing of the 

Faighear gàirdeachas 's a' bhron. In sorrow let joy be found. 

ages that are 

gone, 

'S iomac1h saoi 'US oigh 'bu chaoin Many the goodly brave and fair 

570 'Ghluaïs 0 thùs 'an Innis-fàil. 5iO Have moved erewhile in Innisfail; 

Is taitneach dàin air na laoich Pleasing the songs about heroes 

o thaobh Alba nam fuaim àrd, From the shore of sounding Alba, 

'N uair dh'aomas farum na séilg When the noise of the chase goes c1own, 

Fo ghuth Oisein nan caomh-rann, Sung by Ossian of sweet strains, 

575 '8 a fhreagras aonach an c1eirg 575 As re-echoes the mountain of red (deer) 

Sruth Chona nan toirm mall." To Cona's stream of murmurs slow." 

Thuirt CaruIl, " 's an àm 0 shean Saic1 Carul, "In the time of old Carul tells the 

Thàinig a naIl neart a' chuain, The strength of ocean came overtale 

of Cairbar 

and Crimor, 

MUe long air tuinn 0 'n ear A thousand keels on eastern wavetwo 

heroes 

who had quar- 

580 Gu UIlin ghuirm-ghlais nan stuac1h. 580 To dark-green Ullin of towers, 

relled about 

the possession 

Dh'éirich sinns're Innis-fàil Uprose the race of Innisfail 

of a white 

bull that 

'An coinneamh nam fear 0 thuath. To withstand the men of the nortb. 

grazed on 

Ben-Gulbin . 

Bha Cairbre, an garbh churaidh, ann, 

'Us Cridh'-mor, a b'àille de 'n t-sluazh. 0 

585 Dh'ùraich iad mu 'n tarbh 'bu bhàn, 

Cairbar, stalwart warrior, was there, 

And Crimor, goodliest of the host. 

585 They strove anew for the white bull 

Enemies from 

the north invaded 

Ulster. 

The two warriors 

stood 

A chït' 'm beinn Ghulbuinn so shuas, Seen on Ben-Gulbin on high. 

together in 

battle, and 

Leag gach fear a' choir a' b'fhearr, Each man pIed his rigbt as best, 

defeated the 

foe, but 

Ghluais am bàs 0 lannan cruaidh. Death went forth from blades of steel. 

raise the voice on high ; tell the deeds of other times. Send thou 

the night away in song, and give the joy of grief. For many heroes 

and maids of love have moved on Inis-fail : and lovely are the 

songs of woe that are heard in Albion's rocks' when the noise of 

) 

the chase is past, and the strcams of Cona answer to the voice of 

Ossian." 

"ln .other days," Carril replies, "came the sons of Ocean to 

Erin; a thousand vessels bounded on waves ta Ullin's lovely plains, 

The sons of Inis-fail arose, to meet the race of dark-brown shields. 

Cairbar, first of men, was there, and Grudar, stately youth! Long 

had they strove for the spotted bull that lowed on Golbun's echoing 

heath. Each c1aimed him as his own. Death was often at the 

VOL. T. 2 c 


408 

DUAX 1. Bhuail e, le caismeachd, an sgiath. 

Dh'imich faire air thaobh nan sliabh. 

Luidh sloigh air aomadh fraoich 

Fo reultan 's gaoth na h-oidhche ; 

665 Tannais churaidh 'thuit 's a' bhlàr, 

Neoil ghruamach mu 'n cuairt a' snàmh, 

'Us fada thall air sàmhchair Léna 

Chluinntear éigh a' bhàis. 

on our fields !" The hero struck th e shield of alarms, the warriors 

of th e night moved on! The rest lay in the heath of the 

deer, and sJept beneath the dusky wind, The ghosts of the lately 

FINGAL. 

He struck, with warning note, the shicld. 

A guard set forth to the mountain-side. 

The host lay on the heathery slope, 

Beneath the stars and winds of night. 

665 Ghosts of the brave who fell in battle 

(And) sullen clouds were swimming round; 

While far away, on the stillness of Lena, 

'Vas heard the moan of death. 

dead were near, and swam on the gloomy clouds: and far distant, 

in the dark silence of Lena, the feeble voices of death were 

faintly heard. 

409 

DUAX I. 

which is done 

accordingly, 


420 

DUAX II. 

a Discreet and 

sage; lit. of 

great sense. 

b Ainnir, in 

modern nsage, 

signifying 

" maiden " 

is her e a;d i 

elsewhere in 1 

Ossian applied 

to a married 

woman, Pro 

bablyit means 

a young woman, 

married 

or unmarried. 

90 Thuirt Conall 'bu mhor ciall ; a 

" Air gaoith chithear uinn nach beo : 

Tha 'n tunaidh 'an co. nan liabh ; 

'N am fois bi'c1h an anas ri 'chéile, 

'S an labhairt mu bh nam fear," 

95 "Biodh an labhairt mu bhàs nam fear, 

'H-uile fear aeh ceannard Éirinn. 

Cha teich mi 0 Shuaran 0 'n leal' ; 

Ma 's fheudar tui team, éiridh m' uaigh, 

Aig iomairt nan stuadh, fo dhànaibh. 

100 Taomaidh sealgair deoir 0 'ghruaidh; 

Bi'dh bron a' toinneadh mu Bhrài-gheal, 

Ainnir àillidh, 'b' àirde cliabh. b 

Cha-n eagal bàs ach ruaig; 

Chunnaic Fionnghal mo bhuaidh 's a' bhlàr, 

105 'Thannais fha oin nan carrazh geur 

o , 

.Feuch dhomh thu féin gun dàil ; 

Thig thus' air dealan nan speur, 

'Us faiceam mo bheud 'ad làimh : 

Cha teich mi 0 Shuaran, a thaibhs', 

110 'Fhaileis eatruim na fàs ghaoith. 

Éirich, 'rnhic Cholgair, 'us buail 

Sgiath bhallach nam fuaim àrd ; 

Eadar dà shleagh chithear shuas. 

Éireadh laoich nam buaclh gun clàil, 

fly on clouds, and ride on winds," said Connal's voice of wisdom. 

" They rest together in th eir caves, and talk of mortal men." 

" Then let them talk of mortal men; of every man but Erin's chief. 

Let me be forgot in their cave. I will not fly from Swaran l If fall 

I must, my tomb shall rise, amidst the fame of future times. The 

hunter shall shed a tear on my stone; sorrow shall dwell round the 

90 Said Connal, discreet and sage ; a 

" On the wind are seen the brave who live not ; 

Their home is in the mountain-c1efts ; 

In their l'est they converse t ogether, 

And their speech is of the death of men." 

95 " Let their speech be of the death of men; 

Of every man save the chief of Erin! 

I will not flee from Swaran on the field. 

If fall l must, my tomb shaH rise, 

'Vith song, beside the surging waves. 

100 The hunter will shed abundant tears. 

Grief shall coil around Bragëla, 

The lovely maid of bosom high. b 

It is not death but flight I dread. 

Fingal has seen my prowess in war, 

105 Thou empty shade of craggy peaks, 

Show thyself to me without delay ; 

Come on the lightning of heaven ; 

Let me see my doom in thy hand, 

From Swaran I will not flee, th ou phantom, 

110 Thou light shadow of hollow wind, 

Rise, son of Colgar, and strike 

The loud-resounding bossy shielc1, 

Between two spears (it) is seen on high. 

Let the dauntless heroes swiftly rise, 

high-bosomed Bragéla. I fear not death ; ta fiy L fear! Fingal has 

seen me victorious l Thou dim phantom of the hill, show thyself ta 

me ! Come on thy beam of heaven, show me my death in thine 

hand ; yet I will not fiy, thou feeble son of the wind! Go, son of 

Colgar, strike the shield. It hangs between the spears. Let my 

warriors rise to the sound, in the ruidst of the battles of Erin. 

421 

DUAX II. 

Connal asserts 

that the vision 

was in accord 

ance with the 

known habits 

of spirits. 

1 . 

Cnchullin, 

disregarding 

all he says, 

1 

1 

i 

1 

1 

resolves to 

continue the 

war. 

He orders his 

shield to be 

struck. 


430 

DUAN II. 

FIO_-_-GHAL. FL-GAL. 431 

'Chonaill, 'chinn-fheadhna nam fear, Connal, thou leader of men, DUAN II. 

Chual thu Morlamh nam faoin-ghlûir 1 Thou hast heard vainglorious Morla. 

'Bheil sith dhuit ri daoine o'n lear, Art thou (still) at peace with the men from ocean, 

'Fhir-bhrisidh nan sgiath mor? Thou breaker of the mighty shields 1 

210 'Thannais Chrùthghil nam faoin ghleus, 210 Crugel's shade of vain designs, 

C'uim a thog thu dhomh féin am bàs î Wherefore consign me unto death ? 

Tuiteam 'an tigh caol gun leus I shall fall into the narrow rayless house 

Measg sàlais nan treun-dhàn. Amid the solace of heroic song-s. 

Togaibh, a shïol Éirinn nam buadh, Lift high, ye race of conquering Erin, and orders his 

215 Gach garbh-shleagh 'us iuthaidh geur. 215 Each rugged spear and pointed dart ! 

army to advance. 

.Buailibh dàimh Lochlin 0 thuath, 8mite Lochlin-foemen from the north, 

Mar thannais a nuas 0 'n speur." Like spectres downward from the skies." 

Dorcha, beucach, colgach, dùinte Dusky, shouting, stern, and finn, Description of 

the army. 

Thaom iad dlùth 0 dhùbhra a' bhlair, Close they rushed from the dusky plain; 

220 Mar cheà 'an gleann a' s doimhne mùiz 

0' 

'N uair thig na stoirm 0 chùl nan càrn 

220 Like mist in glen of deepest gloom, 

'.Vhen tempests burst from the back of cairns 

Air sàmhchair chiuin na gréine. On the mild quietude of the sun. 

'N a airm ghluais Cuchullin féin, In his armour strode Cuchullin, 

Mar thannas speur 'an iomall neoiI, Like spirit of the skies on skirt of cloud, 

225 'Earradh dearg de dhealan geur, 225 His red robe of lightning keen, 

'8 gach gaoth 'bu treun 'n a làimh 1'0 mhàir. 

, 

And each strong wind in his mighty hand. 

8toc nam buadh a' fuaim 'n a làimh The signal-horn of victories sounding in his hand, 

'Thogail anama mor an t-sluaizh 

0 

230 Le eruaidh bhrosnachadh nan dàn. 

To stir the great souls of the host 

230 'Vith the strong incitement of the (battle-) songs. 

Bha Carull anns an doire shuas Carul was in the wood above, Carul, who br 

music and 

, song was 

inciting the 

heroes to action, 

describes 

the slaying by 

Connal, first of mighty men, thou hearest the words of Morla l 

Shall thy thoughts then be of peace, thou breaker of the shields 1 

Spirit of fallen Crugal! why didst thou threaten us with death 1 

Thy narrow house shall receive me, in the midst of the light -, 

of renown. Exalt, ye sons of Erin, exalt the spear and bend the 

b?w! rush on the foe in darkness, as the spirit of stormy 

mghts !" 

Then dismal, roaring, fierce, and deep the gloom of battle poured 

along; as mist that is rolled on a valley, when storms invade the 

silent sunshine of hearen l Cuthullin moves before in arms, like an 

angry ghost before a cloud; when meteors enclose him with tire ; 

when the dark winds are in bis hand. Carril, far on the heath, 

bids the horn of battle sound. He raises the voice of song, and 

pours his soul into the minds of the braye. 


450 

DUAX II. 

a Carul, who 

sang of the 

dead; lit. 

Carul of the 

dead verses, or 

elegies. 

bOf Alba's 

race; lit. 

from Alba 

itself. 

c Festive, warlike 

Comloch ; 

lit. Oomloch of 

cups and of 

spoils. 

" Ghluais m'osna, mar ghaoith 0 chas, 

445 Dh'éirich àrd, 's bu gheur a' chruaidb. 

Thuit dearrsa a' ehomhraig ; fo 'n torr 

Tha Feairde gun deo 's an uaigh. 

"'S dona do làmh a ChuchuIlin, 

o thuit an t-og duineil fo d'lann." 

450 ",S br6nach an sgenI, a thriath a' charbaid," 

Thuirt Carull nam marbh-rann ; a 

" Chuir m'anam air ais le farmad 

Gu aimsir a dh'fhalbh, 's a bh' ann, 

Na Iàithean a db'aom 0 shean. 

455 's tric a chual, air Comal, sgeul, 

A reub an caraid do-n robh 'ghràdh ; 

Bha buaidb air a chruaidb 'am feum, 

'An comhraz nan treun 's a'bhlàr. 

o 

" Bha Comal 0 Alba féin ; b ' 

460 Thar ceud beinn bu thriath an triath, 

o mhile sruth dh'oladh 'fhéidh ; 

Chluinnt' a choin air mile sliabh ; 

Bha 'aghaidh cho sèimh ri oighe, 

Bu bhàs a Iàmh mhor do Iaoich. 

465 Bha 'rùn do ainnir, 's bu chorr i, 

Nizhean Chomluich nan corn 's nam faobh." 

o 

B' is'ian gath-gréine measg mhnà; 

thy friend. :My soul is laden with grief, for I must slay the chief 

of men !" I sighed as the wind in the cleft of a rock. l lifted 

high the edge of my steel. The sunbeam of battle feU: the first of 

Cuthullin's friends! Unhappy is the hand of Cuthullin since the 

hero feU! 

" Mournful is thy tale, son of the car," said Carril of other times. 

"It sends mv soul back ta the acres of old, ta the days of other 

• 0 

FIXGAL. 

" Moved my sigh like wind from cavern ; 

445 High rose the steel, and it was sharp : 

The light of battle felI. Beneath the mound 

Lies Ferdè lifeless in the grave. 

"Untoward is thy hand, Cuchullin, 

Since feIl the manly youth beneath thy blade." 

450 "l\Iournful is the tale, chief of the chariot," 

Said Carul, who sang of the dead; a 

" (It) carries back my envying soul 

To time which went and was- 

Days which declined of old. 

455 Oft has been heard the tale of Cemal, 

\Vbo pierced the dear one of his love; 

(Yet) victory was on his sword at need 

In conflict of the brave in war. 

" Comal was of Alba's race; b 

460 Over a hundred mountains ruled the hero ; 

From thousand rivers drank his deer ; 

Heard were his dogs on a thousand hills ; 

His face was mild as a maiden ; 

His mightful hand was death to warriors. 

465 He Ioved a maid exceeding fair 

Daughter of festive, warlike Comloch." 

She was the sunbeam among women ; 

years. Often have I heard of Cemal, who slew the friend he 

loved j yet victory attended his steel: the battle was consumed in 

his presence! " 

Cemal was a son of Albion j the chief of an hundred hills! His 

deer drank of a thousand streams. A thousand rocks replied to the 

voiee of his dogs. His face was the mildness of youth j his hand 

the death of heroes. One was his love, and fair was she! the. 

'1 1 

451 

DUAX II. 

Carul, to cheer 

Cuchullin, 

tells the story 

of Comal, who 

had accidentally 

killed his 

love, Galvina, . 

yet was after 

wards victorious 

in war, 


452 FIO.·.·GHAL. FI."GAL. 453 

DUAN II. Bu duibhe na fitheach a ciabh ; Hel' hair was blacker than the l'aven. DUAN II. 

Bu luath a coin sheilg air tràigh ; 

470 Chluinnt' a bogh' air ghaoith nan Iiabh. 

Bha 'h-anam air Comal a'tàmh ; 

Fleet by the shore were her staz-hounds o , . 

-!i0 Hel' bow was heard on the mountain-wind . 

" , 

On Comai rested her soul. 

'8 tric thachair 'an gràdh an süil, 

Ofttime met their eyes in love; 

a On the 8 a' mhonadh bha iomairt an làmh," On the mountain they followed the chase; a 

mountain thev 

followed the • Bu taitneach an sanas air chùI. 

8weet were their greetings in secret. 

chase; lit. 

475 Bu rün do Ghruamai an oigh ; 

475 • . . uias the 

The maid was (aIso) Ioved by GrumaI, 

plging oftheir 

... 

hands. Triath Ardbheinn nam mol' niaI. 

Lord of Ardven of great cloud. 

Bha 'aire mu 'h-astar 0 shloigh, 

Hel' Ionely path was marked by him- 

Nàmhaid Chomail nan gorm-sgiath. 

The foe of Cemal of blue shields. 

Aon là 0 'n t-seilg, 'us iad sglth, 

480 Ceo a' cleith na frrth 0 'n t-sluagh, 

One day, weary from the chase, 

480 nIist shrouding the forest from view, 

The Ioversmet 

in the cave of 

Ronan. 

b Void of Thachair Comal 'US ainnir gun ehli b :Met Comai and the maiden void of guile b 

guile, gun 

cM. en, 'N cos Ronain aig strl nan stuadh, 

which has so 

... 

manyand Aite-comhnuidh do Chomal 0 'n t seilg, 

various meanings, 

is here, Dha féin, 'us do airm nam buadh. 

1 tliink, properly 

trans - 485 Bha ceud sgiath àrd gun mheirg, 

lated "fraude" 

by Macfarlan. Ceud clogaid treun de chruaidh. 

- Vide Note, 

p.258. 

In Ronan's cave beside the writhinz waves- 

0 

ComaI' dwelling when he Ieft the chase- 

His own, and (where he stored) his matchless arms ; 

485 A hundrsd shining shields were (there) on high- 

A hundred strong helmets of steel. 

" 'Gabh tunaidh,' thubhairt an t-og, 

, A Ghealmhln a's àillidh snuasrh o , 

'Ghath-soluis a's ainneamh 'an cos' , 

490 Chi mi cabrach mol' mu' n chruaich , . 

" , Rest thou here,' the young man said, 

' Galvina of loveliest mien, 

8unbeam rarely (to be seen) in cave. 

490 I see an antlered great one on the height : 

He told her 

to rest there 

while he went 

in pursuit of a 

stag seen on 

the height. 

Falbhaidh, ach tilleam gun tàmh.' 

I go, but will return without delay.' 

'Tha m' eagal mu nàmhaid,' thuirt oigh, 

' I fear an enemy,' replied the maid; 

daughter of mighty Conloch. She appeared like a sunbeam among 

women. Rer hair was the wing of the raven. Rer dogs were taught 

to the chase. Rer bow-string sounded on the winds. Rer soul was 

fixed on Cemal. Often met their eyes of love. Their course in the 

chase was one. Happy were their words in secret. But Grumal 

loved the maid, the dark chief of the gloomy Ardven. Re watched 

her lone steps in the heath; the foe of unhappy Comal l 

One day, tired of the chase, when the mist had concealed their 

friends, Cemal and the daughter of Conloch met in the cave of 

Ronan. It was the wonted baunt of Comal. Its sides were hung 

with his arms, A hundred shields of thongs were there; a hundred 

helms of sounding steel. "Rest here," he said, "my love, Galbina: 

thou light of the cave of Ronan! A deer appears on :àIora's 

brow, 1 go; but 1 will soon return." "1 fear," she said, "dark 


456 

DUAN II. 

FIOXXGHAL. 

'An àros an fhéidh ri stuaiclh. 

Bu elorch a laithean mu 'rùn, 

520 Bu Iïonor a cheum mu 'h-uaigh. 

Thàinig luingeas nàimhel' a thuath, 

Bhuail 'us chuir fo ruaig an dàimh; 

Ag iarraiclh 'a bhàis tro' 'n t-sluagh, 

Co a bhriseadh a chruaiclh air tràigh ? 

525 Thilg e 'airm dhùbh-ghorm air réidh ; 

Fhuair iuthaidh a chré gun bhàigh. 

.Tha 'chaclal, a Ghealmhïn, ri cl' thaobh 

.Mu iomairt na gaoith air chuan. 

Chi maruich' an uaigh maraon 

530 '8 e 'g éirigh air elruim nan stuadh." 

But many and silent were his steps round the dark dwelling of 

his love. The fieet of the ocean came. He fought; the strangers 

fied. He searched for death along the field. But who could 

slay the mighty Comall He threw away his dark-brown shield. 

FIXGAL. 

In the haunt of the deer by the wave. 

Dark were his days for his love; 

520 Many his steps around her grave. 

(But) hostile ships came from the north; 

(He) smote and routed the strangers. 

He sought for death throughout the hast. 

·Who, on the shore, coulel break his steel? 

525 He fiung his dark-blue armour on the fielel; 

A ruthless arrow founel his breast. 

His sleep is by thy side, Galvina, 

'Yhere wrestles the winel with ocean. 

The sailor sees their graves as one, 

530 'Yhen risinz on the ridze of the waves." 

o 0 

An arrow found his manly breast. He sleeps with his loved Galbina 

at the noise of the sounding surge! Their green tombs 

are seen by the mariner when he bounds on the waves of the 

north. 

457 

DUAN II. 

He afterwards 

defeated invaders 

from 

the north. 

Finding no 

one to match 

him he flung 

off his armour, 

was killed by 

a chance arrow, 

and was 

buried beside 

Galvina, 


460 

DU.AN III. 

" '8 TAITXEACH leam focail nam fonn," 

Thuirt Cuchullin, an sonn deas, 

" 8-taitneach sgeul air àm a dh'fhalbh, 

Caoin mal' bhalbh-dhrùehd madainn shèimh 

5 Air dosan 'us tuim nan ruadhag, 

'N uair a dh' éireas a' ghrian gu mall 

Air slios sàmhach nan liath-bheann, 

Loch gun bhruaillein fada thall . 

Caoin 'us gorm air urlar ghleann. 

10 A Charuill, tog a rïs do ghutb, 

'Dh'éirich le aoibhneas 's an talla, 

'N uair bha Fionnghal nam ball-sgiath 

'Lasadh mu ghnïomh a shïnns're." 

" 'Fhionnghail, 'fhir-càmhnuidh 's a' chàmhrag," 

15 Thuirt Carull, 'bu bhinne fonn, 

" '8 lionor do chleas azus o dùbh-bhuill , . 

Fo d' fheirg thuit Lochlin nan long, 

'N uair bha d' aghaidh cho lom ri oigh'. 

------ - - - - - - ------- 

" PLEASAKT are the words of the song," said Cuthullin! "lovely 

the tales of other times ! They are like the calm dew of the morning 

on the hill of roes, when the sun is faint on its side and the 

lake is settled and blue in the yale. 0 Carril, raise again thy voice ! 

let me hear the song of Selma, which was sung in my halls of joy, 

FIXGAL. 

DU.AN III. 

"PLEASIXG to me are the words of songs," 

Said Cuchullin, hero stately; 

" Pleasinz o the tale of the time which has gone : 

Soothing as noiseless dew of morning mild, 

5 On the brake and knoll of roes, 

When slowly rises the sun 

On the silent flank of hoary Bens 

The loch, unruffied, far away, 

Calm and blue on the floor of the glens. 

10 Carul, lift again thy voice, 

"\Vhich rose with joyance in the hall, 

When Fingal of the spotted shields 

Exulted in the prowess of his sires." 

"Finaal who in battle hast thy home," 

o , 

15 8aid Carul, of sweetest voice, 

":Many are th)' feats and deadly strokes.! 

Beneath thine ire fell Lochlin of ships, 

"\Vhen thy face was smooth as a maiden. 

when F mga, · l kimg 0 f shields,.,' was there and ozlowed 

at the deeds of 

his fathers." 

" Fincal l thou dweller of battle," said Carril, "early were thy 

, o . 

deeds 

d .n thy wrath when thy 

in arms. Lochlm was consume l , . 

youth strove with . the beauty 0 f mal'cl' s. Thev smiled at the fair- 

J 

461 

Cuchullin 

praises the 

song of Carul, 

and requests 

him to sing a 

tale of Fingal. 

Carnl tells 

of Fingal's 

youthful exploits. 


462 

DUAN III. 

a The Gaelic 

line 28 would 

be much im 

proved by beginning 

it 

with Bha, 

and pointing 

the preceding 

line as in 

English. 

b Battle recaUed 

the flyin" 

warriors 

- i. e. the 

warriors, 

though in 

flight, returned 

to conflict 

unùer the 

influence of 

Sni van and 

the Crom-leo. 

FIOXNGHAL. 

Chunnaie iad aghaidh na h-oige, 

20 Bha 'n gàire 'n tos mu 'n laoch. 

Bha 'm bàs 'n a làimh anns a' chèmh-stri. 

A neart mal' thuil Lora an fhraoich ; 

Mar mhïle sruth bha 'ghaisgich chiar, 

'An carraid nan sgiath, mu 'n t-sonn, 

25 'N uair ghlac iad rlgh Lochlin nan sliabh, 

'Us thugadh e slos d' a long. : 

Dh' at àrdan 'n a chridhe borb, 

'N robh bàs dorcba do 'n oig-fhear a 

'N anam triath 'bu choirbte colg. 

30 Cha d'fhuair duine buaidh 's a' chomh-stri 

Air Starno ach Fionnghal féin. 

Shuidh, an triath 'n a thalla thall , 

'An tïr nan Gall a's àirde coill'. 

Ghabb e Snlobhan liatb 'n a dhàil, 

35 'Us labhair e gu mall ls foill ; 

Snlobhan, a thogadh am fonn 

Aig leac Loduinn crom 's an t-sliabh ; 

'N uair chluinneadh an fhuath-ehlach an sonn, 

Thilleadh comhrag ruaig nan triath," 

40 " , A Shnlobhain, a's glaise ciabb,' 

Thubhairt Starno nan sziath donn 

, 0 , 

, Siubhail gu Ardbheinn nan sliabh, 

Gu Selma, mu 'n iadh an tonn . 

. , 

blooming face of the hero; but death was in his hands. He was 

strong as the waters of Lora. His followers were the roar of a 

thousand .streams: They took the king of Lochlin in war; they 

restored him to his ships, Ris big heart swelled with pride; the 

death of the youth was dark in his soul. For none ever but Fingal, 

had overcome the strength of the mighty Starno. He sat in 

FL.'GAL. 

They saw tbe countenance of youth ; 

20 At first tbeir laugb was against the hero. 

In the battle death was in his hand. 

His strength (was) as tbe flood of heatby Lora, 

As thousand rivers were his dusky warriors 

In the conflict of shields around the hero. 

25 When they captured the king of Lochlin of bills, 

And bore him down .to his ship, 

Swelled fury in his savage heart ; 

The youth was doomed to secret deatb a 

In the soul of the chief of blackest mood. 

30 None had ever prevailed in battle 

Over Starno, save Fingal himself. 

The chief sat in bis distant hall, 

In the land of Galls of loftiest trees. 

He summoned to bim grey-haired Snivan, 

35 And slowly he spoke in guile 

Snivan, who sang the lay 

At Loclin's Crom-lec on the bill; 2 

",\Then the stone of spectres'heard the sage, 

Battle recalled the flying warriors.b 

40 " , Snivan of hoariest locks,' 

Said Starno of dark-brown shields, 

' Hie thee to Ardven of mountains, 

To Selma round which winds the wave. 

the hall of his shells, in Lochlin's woody land. He called the greyhaired 

Snivan, that often sang round the circle of Loda : when tbe 

stone of power heard bis voice, and battle turned in tbe field of tbe 

valiant!" 

"Go, grey-haired Snivan," Starno said, "go to Ardven's seasurroundod 

rocks. Tell to the king of Selma-he the fairest among 

463 

DU.A.;., III. 

He had taken 

Starno pri 

soner, and re 

Ieased him, 

Starno resolves 

on his 

death, and 

consults Sni 

van, a soothsasjer, 

on the 

subject. 

Snivan is sent 

to Selma to 

offer Agan- . 

decca, Starno's 

daughter, in 

marriage to 

Fingal. 


464 

DUAX III. 

a Make free 

with feast and 

song ; lit. 

tabe feasi and 

Jiong under 

your head. 

FIOXXGHAL. 

Innis do Fhionngh al an rlgh, 

45 A's glaine measg mile triath, 

Dha bheiream nighean a' ghuth bhinn ; 

Oizh a's àillidh 'thoz mïu-uchd riamh, 

o 

Cho geaI a' ruighe a tha cruinn, 

's an cobhar air druim a' chuain. 

50 Caoin anam géig a' chùil duinn. 

Grad thigeadh an rlgh air stuaidh ; 

Thigeadh an gaisgeach nach strlochd . 

Gu nighin a's dtomhaire ceum.' 

"Thàinig Snlobhan 'bu ghlas ciabh. 

55 Chaidh Fionnghal air triallle 'shluagh, 

Leum anam, a' lasadh, roi' 'n triath, 

Gu ainnir nan ciabh 0 thuath. 

" , Ceud fàilte,' thuirt Starno 'bu chiar, 

, A rlgh mhoir nan sliabh, ceud fàilt'. 

60 'Ur beatha-se, 'ghaisgich mu 'n triath, 

A shïol innis nan cruach àrd. 

Tri lài, 's an talla 'so féin 

Gabhaibh cuirm 'us gleus fo 'r ceann ;a 

Tri lài measg ciar-thorc 'us féidh, 

65 'Am faoghaid 'an réi dh 's a' ghleann. 

Cluinnidh oigh a's àillidh 'ur c1iu, 

's i 'tunaidh air chùl an t-sluaigh.' 

"Bha bàs nam fear 'n a anam borb; 

his thousands-tell him I give him my daughter, the loveliest maid 

that ever heaved a breast of snow, Her arms are white as the foam 

of my waves, Her sou! is generous and mild. Let him come with 

his bravest heroes to the daughter of the secret hall!" Snivan 

came to Selma's hall: fair-haired Fingal atte nded his steps. His 

kinùled soul flew to the maid, as he bounded on the waves of the 

FIXGAL. 

Declare to Fingal the king, 

45 The noble t of a thou and chief, 

'l'hat l zive him the maiden of weet voice ; 

Loveliest maid that ever heaved a bo om smooth. 

'\bite is her rounded arm 

A foam on the ridze of ocean ; 

50 Mild (i ) the soul of the branch of brown hair. 

1et the monarch cro s tbe wave with peed, 

Let the unyielding hero come 

To the maiden of retiring step l ' 

"Came nivan of hoary locks. 

55 Fingal et fortb with his band ; 

Ris soul, enraptured, flew before the chief 

To the wavy-haired maid of the north. 

" 'A hundred welcomes,' said the swarthy Starno; 

, Rail to the great king of mountains, 

60 And welcome the heroes who surround their lord, 

Sons of the i le of lofty peaks. 

For three days in this yery hall, 

Make free with feast and song; a 

Three days, amid tawny boars and deer, 

65 (Bestow) on chase through field and fell. 

The lovely maid shall hear your praise, 

In her dwelling apart from the people.' 

" Death to the men was in his savage soul. 

north. " ,Yelcome," said the dark-brown Starno, " welcome, king 

of rocky :Mon 'en ! welcome his heroes of might, sons of the distant 

isle! Three days within my halls shall ye feast; three days pursue 

my boars; that your fame may reach the maid who dwells in the 

secret hall." 

Starno designed their death. He gave the fcast of shells. Fingal, 

VOL. 1. :2 G 

465 

DU.-\.X III. 

Fingal, in 

great joy, sets 

sail for Lochlin, 

attended 

bva chosen 

b;nd of his 

warri ors, 

Th evare 

freely welcomed 

bv 

tarno, • 

who orders 

th em to pass 

the first three 

davs in feasting, 

and the 

next three in 

hunting. 

Meantime he 

had prepared 

assassins to 

eut off" his 

guests. Th èse 

1 

1 being, how- 

1 

1 


468 . FIO}'"'"NGHAL. 

DUAX III. Ghluais Starno nam mala cial', 

a Fingal .. . 95 'Us Fionnghal nan sgiath 's nan lot," 

ofwounds- Leth soillse chaith iad 's an t-seilg ; 

i.e. wound - 

dealing. Bha sleagh Shelma night' 'am fuil. 

"Thàinig nigh ean Starno nach mairg, 

A gorm-shùil fo clheoir 'an tuil. 

100 Thàinig àigh' le guth 'bu tlàth, 

Gu laoch 'bu shàr, l'1gh Mhorbhcinn. 

, 'Fhionnghail 0 shmnsir nan triath, 

Na cuir earbsa 'n àrdan Starno. 

Tha 'ghaisgich ceilte 's an t-sliabh, 

105 's a' choille chiar fo armaibh ; 

Seachain coill' a' bhàis, a rïgh, 

A threun-fhir 0 innis nan ràmh . 

Thoir cuimhne air Làmh-gheal nan sonn; 

Cum a h-athair 0 àigh an uchd bhàin, 

110 'Rlgh Mhorbheinn mu-n iaclh an tonn.' 

FI.' GAL. 469 

Forth went Starno of gloomy brow, DUAX III. 

95 And Fingal of shield and of wounds.a 

One half the day they pent in chase; 

Selma's pear was bathed in blood. 

" Came the goodly daughter of Starno, Agand ecca 

Hel' blue eye in flood of tears- 

against an 

100 Came the maid with soft warm voice 

wood. 

To th e hero true, king of great Bens : 

'Fingal, of princes descended, 

Trust not Starno's haughty pride; 

His warriors are hidden in the hill- 

105 In the shady wood aIl armed. 

hun the wood of death, 0 king! 

Thou strong one from the isle of oars. 

Remember the ,Yhite-hand (beloved) of hcroes; 

Shield from her fath er the fair-bosomed maid, 

110 King of great hills begirt with waves.' 

warns Fingal 

ambush laid 

for him in th e 

" Gun bhruaillein ghluais an t-oiz-fhear suas 

o ' 

A ghaisgich 'n an cruaidh ri 'thaobh, 

Thuit luchd a' bhàis fo 'làimh gu luath, 

"Without dismay the youth went forth, 

His warriors in th eir steel beside hOO. 

The men of death fell speeclily beneath his hand ; 

He goes for- 

ward, and 

cuts down the 

assassins. 

Ghair Gorm-mheall mu 'n cuairt le 'fraoch. 

Re-echoed heathy Gormal all around. 

115 " Fa chomhair an taIla'n robh fleagh, 115 "Before the house wherein the feast was (spread) 

Chruinnich o'n t-seilg an sluazh . 

Gathered the people from the hunt. 

b , 

boars, Forth moved the dark-browed Starno and Fingal kinz of 

, 0' 0 

shields. Ralf the day they spent in the chase; the spear of Selma 

was red in blood. It was then the daughter of Starno, with blue 

eyes rolling in tears; it was then she came with her voice of love, 

and spoke to the king of Morven : " Fingal, high-descended chief, 

trust not Starno's heurt of pride. ,\ithin th at wood he has placed 

his chiefs. Beware of the wood of death. But remember, son of 

th e isle, remember Agandecca: save me from the wrath of my father, 

king of the wiudy Morven ! " 

The youth, with unconcern, went on, his heroes by his side. 

The sons of death fell by his hand, and Gormal echoed around ! 

Before th e halls of Starno the sons of the chase convened. The 


478 FIXGAL. 479 

DUAN III. " Cha do thréig mi thu riamh, 's cha tréig; 

Tha m' aoibhneas 'an cunnart nan sgiath ; 

" l never left thee, and will never leave ; 

Ir joy is in the peril of the shields. 

Cha deachaidh fo ruaig 's cha téid. 

l never fled; l will never flee. 

A Chonaill, 's a Charuill araon 

Connal and Carul, do ye both, 

220 o 'n aimsir a dh'aom 0 shean, 

220 ",Vho are from time that is gone of old, 

Thugaibhs' al' càirdean tro' 'n fhraoch, 

Lead on our friends across the heath, 

a Ofvalour 

proved ; lit. 

ofold bristles, 

or, of old 

ar/M. A frequentexpression 

for welltried 

bravery. 

Gaisgich Éirinn nan colg sean.a 

'N uair a dh'ïsl 'eas farum a' chàmhraig, 

Gheibh sibh 's a' chomhnard gun deo, 

225 Dà churaidh 'chaidh sïos air chomhlath 

- -;) 

Erin's warriors of valeur proved." 

When the noi e of the conflict dies down 

Ye shall find on the plain, in death, 

')')- 'I'wo champions who, side byside, went down 

l\Ieasg mhïltean 'an comh -stri nan slàgh. 

Against thousands in the war of hosts. 

'.llfhic Fhithilnan ceum àrd, 

Fihil's son of steps high-bounding, . 

Gabh Léna gu gàir a' chuain ; 

Speed over Lena to the sounding sea ; 

Thigeadh rlgh :Mhorbheinn gun tàmh, 

Let Morven's king come on without delay; 

230 Thigeadh an triath nall gu luath, 

230 Let the prince come onward in haste, 

Mar a' ghrian 'an deireadh nan stoirm, 

Like the sun at the close of storms, 

Le solus as-ùr do 'n t -sluagh." Bringing light to men anew." 

Ghlas madainn air Cromla an fhraoich; Morning greyed on Cromla of heather ; 

Ghluais sïol nan long 0 thonn gu torr. The race of ships advancedfrom wave to hill ; 

235 Sheas Calmar an aghaidh nan laoch ; 235 Calmar stood against the warriors, 

'An àrdan faoin bha 'anam mor, In valour vain his soul was strong. 

Bu ghlas 'n a thuar 'bha triath nam beum; Pallid in hue the hero of fell strokes ; 

Dh'aom air sleagh 'athar 's e fann, Faint he leaned on his father's spear- 

Sleagh 'athar 0 Làra nan treun, His father's spear from Lora of the brave, 

240 'Thug e féin gu réidh nan lann, 240 "'\ hich he had earried to the field of brands 

here. :1I1y joy is in unequal fight: my soul increases in danger. 

Connal and Carril of other times carry off the sad sons of Erin. 

When the battle is over, search for us in this narrow way. For 

near this rock we shall fail, in the stream of the battle of thousands ! 

o Fithil's son, with flying speed rush over the heath of Lena. 

Tell to Fingal that Erin is fallen. Bid the king of Morven come. 

o let him come like the sun in a storm, to lighten, to restore the 

isle ! " 

Moming is grey on Cromla. The sons of the sea ascend. Calmar 

stood forth to meet them in the pride of his kindling soul, But 

pale was the face of the chief. He leaned on bis father's spear: 

that spear which he hrought from Lara, when the soul of his mother 

DUAN III. 

Cuchullin 

replies that 

he will never 

forsake him ; 

orders Connal 

and Carnl 

to withdraw 

the remnant 

of the army 

to the hill; 

and remains 

with Calmar 

to resist the 

advance of 

Swaran. 

He sends off 

Fihil.to the 

shore to hasten 

Fingal's arrival. 

Calmar leaned 

for a time on 

his spear, 


480 FIONXGHAL. FŒGAL. 481 

DUAN III. 'N uair bha anam a mhàthar fo cheo, When the soul of his mother was sad- DUAN III. 

Anam Alclétha 'n a h-aonar, 

The soul of Alcletha-lonely, 

'8 i 'g aomadh fo bhron n a h-oidhche. As she bowed under sorrow of night. 

Ghlac an t-sleagh, ach thuit e thall, 

245 Mar chraoibh a' strïochdadh air sliabh. 

8heas Cuchullin 'n a aonar 's a' bhlàr, 

Grasped (he) the spear, but (he) feU anon, 

245 Like a tree . which yields on the hill. 

Alone Cuchullin stood in battle; 

but, exhausted 

by hiswounds, 

fell dead• 

Cuehullin 

Mar chreig 'an gaineamh sheas an triath, Like rock amid sands the hero stoodstands 

alone. 

Creag air an taomadh an cuan Rock on which the ocean dashes 

Neart nan stuadh gu fuar ri 'taobh; The force of billows cold against its side ; 

250 Bhi cobhar bàn mu 'muineal shuas, 

250 ,Vhite spray is high around its throat, 

Na cùirn a' fuaim air cruaich an fhraoich. And cairns resound on the heathery steep. 

o 'n cheathach ghlas air toirm nan stuadh, In greyish mist, amid roar of waves, Swaran ad- 

Chunnas luingeas nan seol bàn, 8een were the galleys of white sailsvanees 

at 

dawn; but 

Luingeas Fhionnghail nan sàr-thriath, Galleys of Fingal (leader) of heroes true; 

daylight 

showing the 

ships of Fingal 

close at 

'Géilleadh mu seach air clruim a' chuain. Bending by turns on the ridge of ocean. 

hand, he 

turns from 

pursuing the 

host of Erin 

255 Àrd mal' choille chiar an croinn 255 High like dusky woods their masts, 

Chunnaic Suaran oleac Dan os, to attack 

8waran saw them from the crag of deer, Fingal. 

'Us thill e 0 ruaig na h-Éirilln. And he turned from pursuit of Erin. 

:Mar thaomas an cuan 0 thràigh As·pOUfS the ocean from the shore, 

260 :Mu cheud innis gàireach nan tore; 260 Around the hundred echoing isles of Tore; 

Cho beucach, dùbhlaidh, leathann, mol' So loud, defiant, wide, and vast, 

a His spear 

behind him on 

Ghluais Lochlin fa choir an r1gh. Rushed Lochlin on against the king. 

the heath; 

lit. by his side 

and after him 

on the heath. 

Crom 'us deurach, bronach, man, 

A shleagh 's an fhraoch ri 'thaobh 's 'n a dhéigh," 

Bent and tearful, mournful, slow, 

His spear behind him on the heath," 

Cuehullin, 

oppressed with 

grief, with- 

'las sad; the soul of the lonely Alcletha 'laning in the SOITOW of 

years. But slowly now the hero fails like a tree on the plain. 

Dark Cuthuilin stands alone like a rock in a sandy vale. The sea 

cornes with its waves, and roars on its hardened sides. Its head is 

covered with foam; the hills are echoing around. 

New from the grey mist of the ocean, the white-sailed ships of 

Fingal appear. High is the grove of their masts, as they nod by 

turns on the roiling wave, Swaran saw them from the hill; he 

returned from the sons of Erin. As ebbs the resoundingsea, through 

the hundred isles of lnistore; so loud, so vast, so immense returned 

the sons of Lochlin against the king. But bending, weeping, sad, 

and slow, and dragging bis long spear behind, Cuthuilin sunk in 

VOL. I. 2 H 


488 FIONNGHAL. FINGAL. 489 

DUAX III. Mu 'n ôg-mhnaoi a b' àilliclh leac. For the maiden of loveliest cheek. DUAN III. 

Chaiclh Ullin nam fonn d'a choir Ullin of songs went to his presence, he sent Ullin, 

his bard, to 

invite him to 

Bu taitneach do rlgh nam beann-mor 

Cuimhn' air ainnir a cheud-ghràidh. 

Pleasing to the king of great mountains, 

Was memory of the maiden, his first love. 

feast with 

him on the 

first day, 

340 G' a chuireadh gu cuirm air tràigh. 340 To bid him to a feast on the shore ; 

Thàinig Ullin a b' aosda ceum, Came Ullin of agèd step, offering battle 

on the 

's labhair e féin ri mac Stàirn. And he spake to the son of Starno. second. 

345 "Thus' 0 thïr fada, 'fhir thréin, 345 "Thou from far-off land, thou strong one, 

's coimeas 'n ad éideadh 's 'n ad airm Like in thy vesture and thine armour, 

Ri creig 'am meadhon nan stuadh, To a rock amid the breakers, 

Thig -sa gu cuirm nan triath, Come thou to the banquet of nobles; 

Caith là na sàmhchair fo fhleagh ; In feasting spend a day of calm, 

350 Am màireach bi 'briseadh nan sgiath, 350 On the mOITOW break the shields ; 

's a' chomhrag mu-n iadh an t-sleagh." In the conflict of hurtling spears," 4 

"'N diugh féin,"thuirt macStàirn', "an diugh féin "This veryday," said Starno's son ; "this very day Swaran refuses 

the invitation, 

Briseam 's a' bheinn an t-sleagh. Shall I break the spear on the hill; and insista on 

a Powerless engaginf, im- 

'Màireach bi'dh do rlgh -sa gun ghleus," 

shall be thy 

To-morrow powerless shall be thy king ; a mediate y. 

king ; lit. 355 Agus Suaran 's a thréin aig fleagh." 

without tune, 

355 Swaran and his strong ones shall feast." 

or unstrumq, " Am màireach biodh fleagh aig an triath," 

8hallbethy 

" To-morrow let the hero feast," 

king. 

Thuirt rïgh Mhorbheinn fo fhiamh-ghàire, The king of great Bens, smiling, said; 

" 'N diugh cuiream an cômhrag air sliabh, "Tc-day I fight the battle on the hill ; Fingal assenta, 

and charges 

's briseadhmaid an sgiath 'bu shàr. And break we the shield so strong. his sons to 

equal him in 

360 'Oisein, seas suas ri mo làimh, 360 Ossian, stand thou close by my hand ; 

his renown, 

with the tears of youth had mourned his white-bosomed sister. He 

sent Ullin of sangs ta bid him ta the feast of shells : for pleasant 

on Fingal's sou! returned the memory of the first of his loves! 

Ullin came with aged steps, and spoke ta Starno's son. "0 thou 

that dwellest afar, surrounded like a rock, with thy waves l come ta 

the feast of the king, and pass the day in rest. To-morrow let us 

fight, 0 Swaran, and break the echoing shields." " To-day," said 

Starno's wrathful son, "we break the echoing shields : to-morrow 

my feast shall be spread; but Fingal shall lie on earth." " Tomorrow 

let his feast be spread," said Fingal, with a smile. " Today, 

0 my sons! we shall break the echoing shields. Ossian, 

stand thou near my arm. GauI, lift thy terrible sword, Fergus, 


END OF THE FIR8T VOLmIE.

The poems of Ossian : vol. 1 - Index of - Université Rennes 2

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?