Ossian Collection > Leabhar na Feinne

DIBIR DLIGHE. S 5. T]\IICH OCHTYR. A. 16.
3 Acrams' tha dheagh bhratb dhuit
Phadric sheinnis na sailm bhinn
'N cath is cruaidli cliuir na fir
O 'n la Gbinneadh Feinn o' bhinn
4 'N Dibir-Dligb do rinn i'ionn
San Albbi' ri linn nan laocb
Air cuid don Fheinn air Driiim-dearg^
Dbericb oit am fearg 's am fraocb.
5 Dbibir iad sume san ol
Mac Ri Rona bu do-luinn
Agus Elbbin' Mac lavir Ruaigb ''
Buidhean a dbeargadb gu cruaidh rinn.
6 Dhimicb an ditbis ud don' lar
'S tbog iad an triall uainn air muir
Do tbir Ri Locbliu nan laong
Gur ann luinn bu trom an cean
7 Tbug bean Ri Locblin nan laong
'N troma-gbradb nacb robb ro-dbeas
Do db' Elbbin greadneacb nan airm
Rinnis les a ebeilg gun fhios.
8 Ghluais i e leabidh an Ei
(Sud an gniomb mn 'n dbortar fuil)
Gu li' Albhi fblatbacb nam Fiann
Tbog iad leo an triall gu muir.
9 Gan tbog Ri Locblin nan laong
Fbeacbd gu trom re cbur an geill
Deicb Catban ficbid o' Tbuatb
Don t' sluagb b' fhear bba fo n' gbrein.
10 Aon Catb deug bba sinn nan dail
Do Fbiannidb Fail bu mbatb grinn
Tagbadb gacb fear a rug bean
San teagbeacb gblan an robb Fionn
11 Par db' fbas an Ri lom-lanracbd
Tbog e a Bbratacb re crann
'Shuidbicb e aluingeas gii tingb
Muigb o 'n bbrutb 'n robb Fionn.
12 Gacb treas claidbeamb 's gacb treas ciz
'S gacb treas Luireacb ur ni 'n Fbeinn
Gach treas maigbdin oggemfbear
Tbabbart do Ri Locblin sa bbean fein
13 Bbagair Elbbin combrag cruaidb'
Sgeul tbruagh re cbur an lend
Bhiuieas le lorgbil nan lann
A cbeann air 'n dara beum
1-t Deicb Ceannaidan ficbid do n' ar Feinn
Is ceann Elbbin fein air tbus
Gan tbuit le lamb lorgbil mboir
Mun deacli na firr anns an lutbs'
15 Dboinnicb Mac Cumbail nan Cuach
Re matbibh sluaigb Innse Fail
Co cboinicbas lorgbil re dreis
Mun leigadb sibb leis ar sar
16 Gar e flireagair esan Goll
Sonn bba deacair ri cblaoidh
Mis agus lorgbil re dreis
Leigar eadrin an cleas dluth.
17 Beannacbd bbi ais do bbeul
'S miniò alabhair tbu sgeul mbath
Cbuirt leat catb a cblaidbeamb cbruaidb
'S ioma neacb a cbuaidb led cbatb.
18 Gabh Oscar is Diarmid donn
Carril crom is Mac an Leitb
Dod dbedean o' bbeuma 'n Laoicb
Ditbis air gacb taobb dbed sge
19 Tri la is tri oidbcb gun bbiadh
Bba na firs' an sgainnir dbearg
Acb na bbuineas le Mac Moirni nan lanu
A cbeann air an t' seacbda tra.
' Flngal's Hall.
' Red or bloody hill.— Mac Donald.
' Alvin, the same with Aldo, in the Battle of Lora.
* This is similar in Mac Phersou's Battle of Lora. — J.
Mac Donald.
20 Mocb neacb a dbalbb le moim
No neacb a cbaidb as don Gbreig
Aon do cbuideaohd Ri Locblin
Cba deacb dh' atbcbidb gu tbir fein.
21 Fear agus ceart letb nam Fiann
Tbuit air an t-sliabb fo dbeas
Acb ma dbinnsis mi mo sgeul
Cba deacb a bbeag 's ar trian
fior
A. 16. YIVIICH OCHTYR. 52 Unes.
Cath Seisir. The Defeat of Carthonn. Tuirbhs re
lein tarlach dara. Bardaclid Dheireannach Oisein.
Carthonn, &c.
Assuming that the conquest of Fearagin and nine
Northern Kings ends the Norse Wars, and frees the
Feinne, their next exploit seems to foUow in this bal-
lad. It is rare. Eight Warriors : Oscar, CaoOte, Mac
Luaith, Fionn, Diarmaid, Oisein, Raodhne, and Caoireal,
went forth to war in Italy, France, Spain, and Britain,
where they fought and conquered, as Oisein, one of the
band, tells Padruig. In Kennedy's version, they are but
six. In Kennedy's second version, name, argument, and
story, are changed. To this belong fragments of Oisein's
Lament. One came to me from Islay, in 1859 ; the other
came from Dr. Mac Lauchlan, with its pedigree, March
31, 1872. Tliis last fragment was printed in the Inver-
ness Courier, with a translation and dissertation by
' Nether Lochaber. ' The versions here printed explain
points which seemed obscure. Wliether tliis be of the
time of Charles II. , or a poem by Ossian, it certainly is
very unlike Mac Pherson's Ossian, and very lite other
popular ballads. It has the characteristic Celtic imagery,
which ' Ossian's Poems ' have not. This poet, in Oisein's
character, identifies himself with his- natural, familiar
woodland image of withering soUtary age. He is not like
the last nut in the husk. He is that solitary, withered,
relic of past seasons, wavering in the autumn breeze,
about to fall ; the last of six. These were, Oscar, Caodte,
Oisein, Ruidlme, Goll, and Gorri. The King of Greece,
in the 2nd verse, identifies the story, which was the same
in all versions. In Kennedy's second version, lines
marked * were altered. They suit a new ' Argument.'
Where Kennedy's English ' Arguments ' are Iiis own his
Gaelic Poems remain like others of their kind. When
his English improves, his oral ballads yield to Arguments
which are not his. The Feinne become Mac Phersonic,
pro tanfo. Something vaguely like part of this story, was
in Mac Pherson's Engbsh, p. 127, 1762. In the latest
editions, vol. I., p. 192, are 371 lines of Gaelic, of which
I cannot find one in this ballad. No Gaelic for the end
of Carthon exists, imless it has been found or composed
since 1871.
YIVIICH OCHTYR.
1 CoT.4 Iwm ymicb ocbtyr
Cbor tocbt er my venmyn
Cut da nymicb cba cbellwm
Gin gur wellwm gi calmi
2 Oskir is keilt crowitb
Is m'lowitb fa moltyr
Finn agis Dermit deadzale
Quogr leyttycb zar nocbtyr
3 Misse agis rynitb is kerrill
Keyve in norrin gin locbti
Cbinnimyr er cbreitb banwe
Gir wea anmjm nocbtyr
4 Ymicb orrin skaill darwe
Inni gi calm fane sottill,
Daggimir downe vec cowle
Cowin Iwm ymicb ocbtyr
5 Zawrmir downe re albin
Bi cbalme dwne a rocbtin
Hut reitb lay m'kowlle,
Cowin Iwm ymicb ocbtyr
6 Er zorttjrmir zwle tagsin
Ymitb class inta is corkir
Fiuni a vrade gi brow
Cowin Iwm ymicb ocbtyr
7 Huggymir catb sin neddall
Di fre tegwalle na porteiv
Rugimir boye is cowe
Cowin Iwm ymicb ocbtyr