Ossian Collection > Leabhar na Feinne

DEIRDRE'S LAMENT. R. THE STORY OF FRAOCH. FREICH Mc FEICH. A. 4.
88 An tri sciatlian. a's an tri sleaghan,
Anns an leabaidh chumbain cuiribh,
C<àiribh an tri chlaidhean cruadhacli,
Suite OS ciotin iiaigli nam min-f hear.
89 An tri cboin as an tri seabliaic leadliar,
Am fea.sd gun lochd seilge,
Cuiribh an gar nan triath chatha,
Triar dhalla Chonuil eughaidh.
90 Och ! is truagh mo shealladh orra,
Fatb mo dhopair, a's mo thursaidh,
Nach do chuircadh mi san talamh,
Sul mharbhadh geala mbac L'isnicli.
91 Is mise Dearduil gun eibhneas,
Nis ag crioclinacbadh mo bhea tha,
Bronnam le'm cbridhe mo thri pòga,
As duineam am bròn mo laithean.
Mr. Mac Lean has divided this according to the metre
and meaning. I quote from the book. The manuscript
ought to be published .
R. DEIRDRE'S LAMENT, edit. 1200.
Report on Ossian. 1805. P. 297. 36 lines.
Do dech Deardir ar a hfJise ar crichibh Alban . .
ro chan an Laoidh.
1 Inmain tir in tir nd tboir,
Alba cona lingantaibb ;
Nocba ticfuinn eisoli ille,
Maua tisain le Naise.
2 Inmain Dun Fidbgba is Dun Finn,
Inmain in Dun os a cinn :
Inmain Inis Draignde,
Is inmain Dun Suib nei.
3 Caill, cuan gar tigeadb
Ainnle mo nuar ;
Fagair liun ab bitan.
Is Naise an oirear Alban.
4 Glend Laidb do cboUain,
Fan mboirmin caoimb
lasg, is sieng, is saill bruicb.
Fa hi mo cbuid an Glend laigb.
5 Glend masain ! ard a crimb !
Geal a gasain !
Do nimais colladb corracb
Os Inbhar mungacb Masain.
6 Glend Eitcbi ann
Do togbbas mo chad tigb ;
Alaind a fidb iar eirgbe,
Buaile grene Ghlind eitcbi.
1 Mo cben Glend Urcbaidh,
Ba bedb in Glend direacb dromcbain ;
Uallcba feara aoisi
Ma Naise an Glend Urcbaidh.
8 Glend da ruadb Mo cben,
Gacb fear da na dual ;
Is binn guth cuach ar craeibcbruini,
Ar in mbinn os Glenndaruadb.
9 Inm ain Draigben is treu traigh,
Inmain Auicbd in gbainimb glain ;
Nocba ticfuin eisde anoir,
Mana tisuinn lein Inmain.
III. FRAOCH.
THE. STORY OF FRAOCH. A. D. M. Z.
This story is part of the Dragon Myth, which is the widest
spread of all myths known to me. Elsewhere I have
\vTÌtten all that I know about it. The fight between a
man, a dog, and a water dragon is in the Rig Veda ; and
I got it in Barra and List in 1871; associated with the
names of Fionn and Bran.
Part of 'theTainboFhraoich,' The Cattle-raid of Frauch,
is in the Book of Leinster, 1130. The following fragments
got in Scotland are not in that book, and I can find very
little about Fraoch in Irish Catalogues.
In Scotland the story is localised at the nearest place
which answers to the description. It is remarkable that
otlier traditions about great snakes or dragons, slain by a
hero, helped by a dog, generally are localised where this
song is remembered, and that old ruins, ecclesiastical, or
civil, or pre-historic, generally are on or near the island
where Fraoch uprooted the rowan-tree for Meibli. Tlie
names of these characters belong to the Story of Cuchidlin
and to that date. Since 1512 the story has been a Gaelic
ballad in Scotland. I have the following fragments : —
A. 4. 132 Unes. D. 2. 105. E. 132; G. 1. 132. M. 4.
136. R. 132. Y. Z. 11. 26. Z. 12. 79. Z. 31. 60.
I print A. D. M. Z. 31. as samples of a ballad. The
story is as old as Homer, if not as old as the Vedas.
About 1512 Dean Mac Gregor, of Lismore, wrote tlie
Gaelic ballad. About 1750 Mac Nicol, Minister of Lis-
more, wrote it in different orthography, not materially
altered as to wording. Stone got it about the same time.
In 1786 GiUies printed from some unknown cojiy. In
1860 Mr. Carmichael, Excise ofiicer, a native of Lismore,
wrote it again from oral recitation. After 350 years the
dress of words was tattered and torn, but there is the
story as fresh as ever. In 1755 Jerome Stone gave the
Gaelic story a new English dress. In 1855 Mr Haiu-
merton got hold of it, and gave it a new English shajie,
with modern Highland dresses and decorations. G. got
by Mac Diarmaid is the same as M, less one verse, and
altered as to some letters and words. Z. 11. and 12.
contain lines which wiU be considered in translating.
A. 4. FREICH Mc FEICH. 132 Unes.
AUCTOR HUJUS IN KEICH O CLOAN.
1 Hossna cbarrit a cloan freicb
Hossne leicb a gassil obroa
Hossna zaneni tursyth far
Agus da gwllin ban oge
2 Ag so bar in earn fane wi
Freicb m'feicb in ult woye
Fer a ryn bwycbis byef
Is voe lontir earn freicb
3 Gvsrl ein wna in crocbin sor
Tree in skail fa vril a wan
Is say ver a hossna gytb trome
Freich m'Feich nyn golk sen
4 Is see in nyn wan di neig in gwle
Ag dwle da eiss gow cloan freich
Fynowr in olt cbass ail
Inne voyve ga bead leicbt
.5 Innen orle is our folt
Is freicb in nocbt teive er beive
Ga mor far za derge ee
Neir zrawig se far acb freicb
6 Foyis mewe mwe foye
Cardiss freicb fa far a gleye
Incbuss fa craicbtytb a corp
Trai gin locbt a zanew zee
7 Do cburre ai gussytb vass
Teif re mrave ne tuk o nolk
Mor a foor a boyt la meyf .
Innossit gyn kbelk in noss.
Hossni.
8 Kerin di vreitb er locb maie
De chemist in trath za bass
Gitb rae gacb mee
Torri abbe de we er
9 Sasse bee in kero sin
Fa millsytb na milU a nlae
De cbonkfa a kerin derk
Far gin wey gi kend ix traa
10 Bleyn er beil gi ir di
Cburri sin fa skail garve
Gi boriu di lucht kneis
Froth a wess is e derk
11 Di wi ainsytb no zoi
Ga bea ley cbawyr in tloye
Pest neif zo we no vonni
Yakki zi catb zol da woyn