Blair Collection > Sar-obair nam bard gaelach, or, The beauties of Gaelic poetry, and lives of the Highland bards

COLLATE.
Tha acaln am aislinj neo-chaoin !*
An cadiil i!u laogll, athair?
Is eagat leamsa doinionn chraidh ;
Tha toivm gun àdh air iia ilathaibh.
Ciod e, Chollaith, fii t-acain ?
Arsii Aosai' a ghuth bhinn.
Chimiiacas, deir e-san, slige gu h-òl.
Do riiuil iifiinh o dhortadh lariii.
B' uamhaiin do m' aiiam an gniomh \
Ciod bljrigh, a sliiol nan rann ?
Ach 's faoill so aisling na siiain?
Is faoin neo-bhuan gach uile ni.
Tuitidli an gaisgeacb treun na threis,
A's àillteaclid gauh crutli gu crion.
I\Iar sliruthas blà na coill —
Mar thig neul daillreath air a glirein—
Is ainbuil sin beatiia nam beo !
Clia clioigil 's cha chaomtiain sinn send
Acli, an comhnuidli dhomlis' am thanil
A mhii: Chollaith, mo ghraidh,
1 tin
chfile ch;
fih!
A t.aipnarain bcil thuair lear?
i;iii:in lann nd air an callachainn,
iMau-samhailt do dhealan nan cath.
riiog Oglaoch an lann so g'a liobli —
Lann m' athraichean an gniomli nan rath.
Is iomadli cath a's cònihrae cruaidli
imhi
' leai
I blii 1l- buaidh.
Fhreagair an sin Aosar nan dan,
A clinraidh, a Chollaith nam buadh. i
C'uiuici— ma bitheadh t-inntinn to phràmli—
liha Oglaoch mar athraichean treun,
Curaidh treubhach e 's a chath,
A' mosgladh air faiche nan crnaidh.
S e bheireadh buaidh thar mhile Hath.
A's aosda lag mi nis fo biirùn,
Tiiuin Collath, 's a dheoir a ruith !
* Fonar, the Author of this Poem, belonged to tlte
illustrious and once powerful family of Collath. lie ac-
companied his young fiiend, in his last expedition, to res-
rue Annir, the betrothed bride of Oglach, and only child
of Ruiha, whom Ardan, a chief of a distant isle, carried
off in the absence of her friends. Her exquisite beauly
gained her many admirers. She preferred the Son of
Collath. By their marriage the two most powerful
families of Caledonia would have been united. But Ihrse
hopes were never to be realised, 'i he Toeni opens with a '
vision ofCollath, and concludes with a lament of the fall of ;
the race of Collath, chief of Carrig. It is partly dramatic, j
Tha tuilte dol tharuiiin gu dlù,
A c' ait' am beil m' annsachd fein an diugh.
Gu b' ioiimhuinn thu Oglaoich threin.
Mo Icanabli fein a b' aille cruth !
Bha thu fann roimh imeachd do nàmh,
'S an triall mar thoran thar Mealldubh;
A's thig an li gun teach, gun ùigh,
Gun talla, gun fhlathaibli, gun cheò],
'S am bi Siol Arniuinn fo sprochd.
Mar fhaileas ruiteach tro' neoil.
Ach 's diomhain mo thuireadh gu leir !
Ciod so 'm fa mu'm beil mo cliri
Fo bhruaillean le aisling chruaidh ?
A bualladh gu critheach, gun fhois.
Mar dhuilleach roi dhoinionn 's na cluanaibh.
Fhreagair mi fbein gu seamh,
A's tioma bhròin ga 'm chlaoi !
" Am fanam-sa so am thamh,"
Thuirt Oglaoch, " 's mo ghradh am dhi ?
Cha chain mi, ars* e-san, mo chliu,
Ann am madainn chaoinh na h-oige.
B' eug-samhuil na h-armuinn thrcuna,
M' athraiche feile, gun ghiomh :
'S ni 'm fanamsa so gun àdh,
Mar gheng gun duille gun bhlà;
Bheir mi buaidh air ardan fein,
Neo tlieid mi eug, 's e chual
-Mi, as tartar a cheuin
A ruighinti gu h-eutrom mo cliluas.
'i'ha ' cruth caoin mar dheo greinc,
'Sdeirgebeul no bilibh ròis ;
Tha h-anail ni's cubhraidh na'n s&th,
'S a guth binn mar inneal ceoil
'S i 's aille dealbh de'n t-sluagh,
Bheireamsa buaidh da trid !
Aiteal SÙ1 is glaine snuadh,
Aiimir shuairce 's igheann righ.
Mar torchair mi 'n oigh le m' lainn,
Ni mi cùdhail rithe thall.
Mo chridlie tha 'g eiridh neo-throm,
A leumnaich le aiteas am cliom !
O thaibhse nan treun fhear, a threig,
C ait an comhnuidh dhuibh o'n eug?
An comhnuidh d' ur n' anma an adh,
Guncheò na Lanna, no blàr ?
Gach fìiìran le òigli gun smal,
Thog e ri crannaibh na seoil,
A's dhomhlaicb uime a shluaigh ;
lii comh-stri ghailbheach nan tonn,