Blair Collection > Treatise on the language, poetry, and music of the Highland clans

OF THE HIGHLAND CLANS.
135
Tliig le cairdes thair a chuan,
hig le cayr-des thayr a clui-au
Osag mhin a ghluaises, mall,
os-ag viu a ylu-ays-es mall
Tog mo cheo air sgiath do luathais,
tog mo che-o ayr sgi'-a' do lu-ays
'S dian t-'iul gu eillean nam flath,
's di-an ti-nl gu eyllen nam fla'
Far bhiel na suin bu chruaidh o shean,
bar veyl na suyn bu chru-ay o hen
Air cul nan lann a dhionadh sluaigh, —
ayr cul nan lann a yi-on-a' slu-ay'
Oissian, Oscar, Goll, is Fion. —
oyss-en osoar goll is fi-on
Thig am feasgar 's cha bhi 'm bard air
big am fesg-ar 's cha vi ra bard ayr
bhradh.
Come in kindness over the sea,
Mild breeze that travels slow ;
Lift my mist on the wing of thy
speed,
And make thy way to the Isle of
Heroes,*
Where dwell the warriors who stood
hardily of old,
Behind their weapons to defend the
peoples, —
Fion, Ossian, Oscar, and Goll. —
When evening comes, the bard will be
amissing.
The above is simply the opening and closing verses of this admirable poem.
The ne.^t specimen is from the poem of " The Himter and the Owl," the scene
of which is also in Brae-lochaber. I regret the injustice of giving mere
extracts from these poems, but console myself in the hope that the educated
reader will make an allowance for the injury done to the fame of these bards,
both by that and the severe translation, and that I am giving them a chance of
becoming known to a class of new readers, who may ultimately appreciate their
poetry, and do them justice.
AN SEALGAR S A CHOMHACHAG. — THE HUNTER AND THE OWL.
A chomhachag bhochd na Sroine,
a cbo-ach-ag voc na sroynè
Gur a bronach leom do leabadh,
gur a bron-aob le-om do lev-a'
Ma tha u ann bho linn Donnaghaill,
ma ba u ann bho Imn donn-yayll
Chan ioghnadh leam ge from u t-aig-
chan i-o'n-a' le-am ge trom u tayg-
neadh, &c. &c.
ne'
Poor owl of Srone,
Thine is a pitiful bed ;
If thou hast lived (here) since the
days of Donnagall,
I wonder not that thy mind is heavy.
&c. &c.
I cannot follow the long traditional and very interesting discourse between
the hunter and the aged and intelligent owl, but must confine myself to a few
such verses as may enable the reader to form some estimate of the rude and
savage character of the Highland deer-stalkers and warriors of the fifteenth
century.
* Tradition aeeigns this bard to the age immediately preceding the introduction of Christianity to
Lochaber.