Ossian Collection > Leabhar na Feinne

HOW OSCAR WAS KILLED. H.
BAS OSCAIR. L
126 Mo laogh foin e, laogh mo laoigli,
Leanadh mo leinadh gliil cliaoiinli ;
Mo chroidh' Icimnicli mar Lon dochaint,
Chion gu brath iiach eirich Oscar.
Here begins a passage which seems to be modem ;
compare I. 37ie metre is different.
127 Acli anois sa ris gu brath,
Gun troiso gun dreaoh mar tha ;
Fui lie f buaraidli chrual' gun chombdacb,
Gun luadb gu la bhrath air combrag.
128 Bba do cbroidb mar gbatbaibb gi-eine,
'S do spiorad mar cbanacb sleibb ;
B' o do nds bbi aoibal fililtcacb,
Mar na rosaibb air gach fòire.
129 B' f bcarr no siuu do cbrutb is d' aogasg,
Fbir a b' aille bli' ann is d' sbaogbal;
Jlar a gbrian a teachd roi' nealaibb,
Bba do shnuagb a measg nan truun-laocb.
130 Bba do gbruaidb cbo dearg san cadran,
Na ruiteaga suas gu craobbacb ;
'S bba do rosgaibb du-gborm calma,
Mar an osnaicb cbiuin is t-sbambradb.
131 Bba do cbneas gu finn-gbeal dealraob,
Mar gbealacb uo sneacbd an fbasaicb ;
Tbug barr air gacb neacb a rui'iideacbd,
'S tbug an neart re tim a cbombraig.
132 Bba re b-am catb agus d' eug-bbail,
Mar easaicbe bbeann ag eabbaicb ;
Is cblaoidbeadb e sios gacb aiteam,
Mar a cbarraig tuinn na mara.
133 'S tmagh a tbarladb criocb mo laitbe,
Bbi gun Fbeinn gun gbean gun abbacbd ;
Tbuit mo cbroidbe gu Mr fui' sbuimncadb,
'S cba tog ceol re 'm bbeo as ur e.
134 Cba tog clarsacb o an-eibbneas,
No Figbeal is mire gleus e,
Anois no gu bratb gu solas,
'S tiambaidb a db' fbas criocb mo loitbc.
Here comes in the current ballad.
135 'S ann an sin a dubbras feinacb,
'S mi sior cliuimbneacba mo dbea' Mliic,
Cbo 'n ann dbambsa 's fbearr a tbarladb,
A bbi cbaoi' gun mbac gun abbacbd.
136 Cbraidb a bbas gu bratb mo cbroidbe,
'S an-eibbinn mise ro' sbnitbeacb ;
'S ionmbuinn a neacb fui 'n lie ata,
'S tearc laocb air am bbeil a radb.
137 ! s truagb nacb mise tbuit ann,
Ann Catb-oabbara gniomb nacb gann,
'S bbiodb Oscar a near sa niar,
A diol mo bbas air gacb CUar.
138 'S ge d' bu tusa tbuiteadb ann.
An Catb-cabbara gniomb nacb gann ;
Cbo cbluinneadb neacb a cbaoi' osann.
No iargain a' d' dbeis ag Oscar.
139 'S olc a cbreideas mi do radbsa,
Nacb bitheadh an d' Oscar gradbacb ;
A dioleadb mo bbais gun cblos aig,
Ann 's gacb aito gbna' a cosgaii-t.
140 Tba mi Ian sbatbacb ag ambarc.
Air a lionn a b' fbearr sna Catbain ;
Fbuair bnaidb air gacb neacb an combrag,
Le laimb cbalma an-mbor sbeolta.
141 Osain glacsa an gatb calma,
nacb maitbrean an d' Oscar armacb ;
'S biodb surd Curidb ort gun tiom-cbridb' ;
'S na Catbain a teachd mu d' tbiomcbeal.
142 Cbo d' fbidlr duin ormsa riamb,
Croidbe feola bbi am cbliabb ;
Acb croidbe do cbuine lan-daimh,
'N deis a cbuibbreaob leis an stdllin.
143 Se Cath-cabbarra mbil gu leir,
Sinne 's air laoicb ebaombe tbrcun ;
Cairbnidb is Garabh mac Mornna,
'S cbo b' ann dboibh fein. b' fbeaiT an leonadb,
144 Na tbuit ann an catb nan ct'ud,
Innseamsa na tbuit oiran foin ;
D' ar fir shnuaghar, cbalma, og,
Bu luatbgbaireacb mu tbra'-noin.
145 Fear air fbicbead, s fichead ceud,
A choi aireamb Fionn san Fbeinn ;
A db uighir sin 's nior gho,
Db' oigridh Eirann sgcul is mo.
I. 22. BAS OSCAIR. 572 lines.
Kennedy's 2nd Collection, page 137. Advocates' Library,
April 11, 1872. Copied by Malcobn MacphaU.
At page 143 of the manuscript are stanzas claimed by
Kemiedy as his own composition. They are to be found
elsewhere, and they difl'er from the rest in clink, rhythm,
and metre. Compared with the first version, the passage
is found to be recast and greatly imiiroved. Verse 51
mentions ' Woody Morven,' w'hich is struck out in the
second version. This passage was greatly admired by
Dr. Smith. See verses 29 to 58. Admirers of Ballads,
we think that it contrasts unfavom-ably with the rest, e.g.
with the second part ; and that it is an imitation of the
style of Mac Pherson's English. The verse lacks the
usual harmony of vowels and liquid consonants ; vowels
are cut in half, and the mutation is inferior to the old
poetry in many respects. — H. McL. and J. F. C.
THE DEATH OF OSCAR.
THE AltGUMBNT.
FiNGAL having departed into Rome to cure his tliigh,
attended by a strong Detachment of the Fingahans, gave
Oscar the command of his Bands at home during his
absence, which by this time were reduced very low thro'
various misfortunes and disasters. About this time Cair- Cairbre
bre found means to make himself supreme King of Ire- was son to
land in the minority of Cormao the lawful King. He Cormac
therefore studied to strip Fingal in Ms absence of all the
privileges, properties and Tributes he held and enjoyed
for many years in Ireland. To accomplish this design, he
sent for Oscar to Scotland to congratulate him in his
great success, in order to pick a quarrel with him, and
find him utterly overthrown before Fingal should return.
Accordingly Oscar arrived and was joyhillj' received by
Cairbre who held feasting and various Music in his Hall
for seven days. Cairbre sought as a complement the
victorious Spear of Oscar, who would agree upon no
terms than an exchange of Spears. Upon the Day
following Oscar departed with Ms small armj', in case he
should be overpowered seeing Cairbre's treachery, who
was re-inforced from every place. Cairbre pursued and
eagaged Oscar. Both armies are mostly cut off, and
Cairbre is kilt by Oscar, and Oscar is mortally wounded
by Cairbre. Arth the son of Cairbre commands the Irish
army who is likewise kilt by Oscar after being wounded.
Cairbre's image is errected on the field when his son fell,
which Oscar throws down by a stone, wMch remains in
that deplorable condition tUl the Fingalians' arrival . We
cannot learn by the poem that any of Oscar's army eur-
^-ived after tMs dismal battle, but Fergus, the celebrated
Bard, who watched the shore, longing for his father's
arrival upon the coast. By and by Fingal arrived who
had InteUigence of the action as soon as he landed. The
Poem is divided into three Parts. The first part relates
the action, and enumerates the number slain upon Cair-
bre's side. The second part passes byway of an Episode
between Fergus and Fingal when he landed . The third
part (called Oscar's Lament) contains how Fingal and
Ossian converse with Oscar on the field, when they had
carried him upon their spears to Temora, where he ex-
pired, and where Ossian lamented over him in the most
tragical and pathetic manner.
BAS OSCAIR.
3 LuiMNEACH, leimneacb, treun gun athadb,
Nuair a db' eireadb eucbd a cbatba.
5 Laoicb nacb iocbda cis do Cbairbni',
Gusna dhitbirmicb latb-cathar iad.
6 Ann 's gacb bail air fea' nab Eireann ;
Do na ogain shnuadbar, sbambraidb.
7 Do radb Comhairlicb an Ard-riogb,
Comhairle gu 'n iul gun abbacbd ;
'S mor an sgeul, gun encbd a Cbairbni',
Cis na b-Eireann aig Fiann Albann.