Ossian Collection > Report of the Committee of the Highland Society of Scotland, appointed to inquire into the nature and authenticity of the poems of Ossian

POEMS OF OSSIAN. 71
to his fon, accompanying them, and the tranflations
by Mr M'Diarmid, the Committee fubjoins here, with
Macpherfon's tranflation of the fame paflages at the
bottom of the page.
< Weem, April 9th, 1801.
' Inclofed you have a tranflation of the Gaelic
pieces which I fent you laft week. It is as literal as
poffible. I made it fo on purpofe, without any re-
gard to the Englifh idiom, that you might under-
ftand the original the better. Every one knows at
what difadvantage a tranflation of this kind muft ap-
pear, from one language into another, but more
especially when the idioms and genius of the two
languages differ fo widely as thofe of the Gaelic and
Englifli. As I have not a copy of Mr Macpherfon's
tranflation by me, I could not compare it with the
original, nor point out wherein he has departed from
it ; Mr Mackenzie will eafily fee that, by compar-
ing his tranflation with mine. I got the copy of these
poems, about thirty years ago, from an old man in Glen-
lyon. I took it, and feveral other fragments, now
I fear irrecoverably loft, from the man's mouth.
He had learnt them in his youth, from people in the
fame glen, which mufl have been long before Mac-
pherfon was born. I had at one time a confiderabie
number of old poems, fome of them part of what
Macpherfon has tranflated ; but by lending them
from hand to hand, I cannot now poffibly trace
E 4 them