Blair Collection > Sar-obair nam bard gaelach, or, The beauties of Gaelic poetry, and lives of the Highland bards

INTRODUCTION,
totally unacquainted with Gaelic, for a gentie pastoral. An English translation is given,
which is not so elegant as that by MacPherson, but it is more literal, and will, therefore,
be considered more fair, i. e. if it were from this version he translated.
A mhacain cheann,
Nan ciirsan srann,
Ard leumnach, Righ nan sleagh
II.
Lamli threun 's gach càs ;
Cridlie ard giin sgà ;
Ceann airm nan rinn geur-golrt.
Gearr sios gu bàs.
Gun bharc sheol ban,
Blii snàmh ma dhubh Innistoir.
Jlar thaiineanach bhail
Do bhuille, a laoich !
Do shuil mar cbaoir ad cheann.
Mar cbaraic chruinn,
Do chridhe gun roinn;
Mar lasair oidlicV do larin.
Cum suas do sgia,
Is crobhuidhe nial.
Mar chith bho reull a bhàia.
VII.
A mhacan ceann.
Nan CLirsan stann,
Sgrios naimhde sios gu lar.
Offspring of chiefs,
Of snorting steeds.
High bounding, King of spears !
Strong hand in every trial ;
Proud heart without dismay.
Chief of tlie host of deadly, sharp ■weapons.
Slay down to death,
That no white-sailed bark,
May sail by daik Inistore.
Like the thunder of destruction,*
Be thy stroke, O hero !
Thy darting eye like the flaming bolt.
As the firm rock.
Unwavering be thy heart.
As the flame of night be thy sword.
Uplift thy shield.
Of the hue of blood,
Portentous star of death.
Offspring of the chiefs,
Of snorting steeds,
Cut down the foe to earth.
In the poem entitled Conn.t is preserved an incantation or invocation to I.otia the
Scandinavian deity, which seems to partake of the stem character of northern poetry, and
has but a very slight approximation to rhyme in the final syllables.
Cheò na Lanna
Aom nan cara ;
•S buair an cadal,
Chmth Loda nan leir-chveach.
Sgap do dhealan ;
Luaisg an talainh ;
Buail an anam ;
*S na maireadli ni beì> dhiubh.
t Smitli's Gallic Antiquities.
J