Matheson Collection > Popular tales of the west Highlands > Volume 4

PUBLISHED AND TRADITIONAL. 161
The green thistle on the bend of the cairns ; for
" crom " is never used as a substantive, and means
11 bent."
"Mall ag aomadh mu uaigh an t-seòid."
(Slow inclining about the grave of the hero) is bad
Gaelic. "Mali" in this line would require "gv," before
it to make it an adverb, and good Gaelic.
"Tha mo chlaidheamh crith mhosgladh gu cheann."
My sword is shaking waking to its hilt. This line,
as printed, is nonsense, but the idea of a sword quiver-
ing and awaking is good, and a small change would
make the line Gaelic.
In " Gaol nan daoine," page 75, the following line
occurs : —
" Gu Selma nan lan-bhroilleach òigh."
" Lan-bhroilleach " is here placed before the substan-
tive, which is incorrect, and very bad Gaelic ; the term
is altogether very awkward, for were we to say, " nan
òigh làn-bhroilleach," it might convey the meaning of a
maiden full of breasts, instead of full-breasted ; but there
is a Gaelic expression commonly used to convey the idea
intended.
" Dh' aom a shleagh ri carraig nan cos " is bad.
" Aom " implies motion into an inclined position,
and this line means " his spear toppled towards the rock
of crannies," not " his spear leant against a mossy rock,"
which the context shews was the intended meaning.
In p. 108 of Fingal occurs the line —
" Cuchullin nan gorm-bhallach sgiath."
Cuchullin of the shields blue spotted, which arrange-
ment of words violates Gaelic idiom.
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