Bho shlios na hòigh tha sruthan daithte,

A falluing dearg 's a haghaidh brònach.”

Cum air tais, a ghaoth,

Gus am faic sinn aogas na deise,
Na sguab ad sgiobul araon iad,

'S na sgap

air faondra' am maise.

-Thar ghleann na luachrach's cruaidh nan èilde, Ta 'n leumnaich feadh ànraidh a cheo;

A bhaird aosda nan linn a thrèig,

Co iad ri am dhoibh bhi beo?

'S phill na blia'naidh a bha;
Tha m' anamsa làn d' an ceol,
Mar chaoiran thonn a bhios an céin

Ri uair shaimhe, ta 'n ceum do m' chòir.
-A chlanna Mhuirne, 's caomh leam ur dần,
Is cian fhuaim o chlaraibh Sheallama*.

• Sean Dana-Dan Clainne Mhuirne, 4to, p. 6c.

No. XV.

PASSAGES

EXTRACTED FROM

ANCIENT GAELIC POEMS,

IN THE POSSESSION OF THE COMMITTEE

WITH

A LITERAL TRANSLATION,

BY DR. DONALD SMITH;

compared with Parts of the EPIC POEM OF FINGAL, As published by MR. M'PHERSON.

DAOL a bha faire na tuinne

Ar an èirgheadh buinnean arda,
Ghluais gu luath dhairis mar tharla (a).
"Eirigh, a righ na Teamhra!

Chi mi loingeas mor, se labhram,
Lomlan nan cuan is e clannach

Do loingeas mor nan allamharach.
Ma se an Garbh* mac Stairn a ta ann,
Ondhreag uamhara ro gharg,

Bheir e leis ar gèill thar muir,

Do aindeoin righ fear foinneamh (b).”

"'S breugach thu an diu 's gach aon uair;
Se ta ann loingeas na mach,

Is an Fhiann a teachd oirn d'ar cobhair (c).”
" Gum be sud am fear madhant,

Is e na stuaigh alla mara chugain (d).
Chite an laoch mar aiteal ceo (e),
B'amhail is crann giusaich [a mhòid] (f).

Ann an corag nan cathan dlùth

Mar am feur fu an osaig chiuin (g).

-The scout of Ocean comes, Moran the son of Fithil! Arise," says the youth, "Cuthullin, arise; I see the ships of the north! Many, chief of men, are the foc. Mány the heroes of the sea-borne Swaran."

AN GARBH, the thick, rough, or rugged, is the name or, rather, epithet, of the king of Lochlin, who came to invade Ireland. In the Preface to Mr. Macpherson's Translation of Fragments of Ancient Poetry, the GARVE of his text is called SWARTHAN, which he afterwards changed to SWARAN, as he did CUCHULAID to CUTHULLIN. Swarthan appears to be of Teuton origin derived from Swart, Sveart, Sveartan, or Svarti, signifying black in Swedish, Saxon, and Icelandic. It was equally the custom of the Caledonians and the

(a) Kenn. p. 78. st. 8. (b) Flet. p. 183. st. 1, 13. (c) Flet. st. 2. (d) Mr. M'I-ag. p. 91, L. s. 3. (₹) Kenn. p. 154. st. (/) Id. p. 130. st. 5. (g) Id. p. 154. st. 3.

DAOL, who was watching the ocean
When high heaved its billows,
Hastened to relate what occurred.
"Arise, King of Taura!

I see a great fleet; I proclaim

That our harbours are covered with crowds
From the mighty fleet of the sea-borne foe.
If this be the Garve, the son of Starno,
That terrible meteor destructive in its course,
He shall bear our captives over sea,

Nor can the king of full-grown warriors prevent him.”
"Thou art deceived to-day, as thou always art;

It is the fleet of the hills that is there,
And the heroes of Fingal coming to our aid."
"Their chief dexterous in arms,

Is a rock bending over our shore.
I beheld the hero like a spreading mist.
[Tall] he seemed as a pine of the forest,

In the array of the hosts, close waving

Like the grass that is moved by the gentle breeze.

"Moran!" replied the blue-eyed chief, "thou ever tremblest, son of Fithil! Thy fears have increased the foe. It is Fingal, king of desarts, with aid to green Erin of "streams."

"I beheld their chief" says Moran, "tall as a glittering rock. His spear is a blasted pine.-He sat on the shore! like a cloud of mist on the silent hill!

"Many, chief of heroes! I said, many are our hands of

war,

Well art thou named the Mighty Man: but ma

northern nations to distinguish persons by descriptive epithets. The Nor wegian Sigurd was named Digri, or the Thick. William King of Scots bore the synonymous epithet of Garbh; and Canute, who ruled over Denmark, England, and Norway, is known, in the verses of Sighvat his Scald, by the title of Digri.

"Is faoin do bharail, ge ro mhor,

A treise do lamh is do chuim,

Gu dean thu re'r là ar turghuin.

Is iomadh laoch a gheibht' d'ar seorta
Nach stuadha tu chaoidh r'a chōrag (b).”
Bha neart a ghàir mar bhàir tuinne(1),
“Càite bheil aon laoch dhiubh sin (k)?
Ameasg nan triath tha mi || cosgairt,

MS.

Anns gach cumasg choisgte stri leam || (2), || leat
Mar choille chrionaich ar ant shliabh,
Is an osag dhian ann a car (m).

"Mur faigheam fein gu deonach,
Geill ar eagal mo gharbh choraig,
Gheibh Eirin dòmh fein re mo linn
Do aindeoin Chormaic is Fhinn (n).”

*

Sin nuair dhéirigh an dà thriath
Le neart an claidhmhean is an sgiath,
Gud fhògra an talamh teann

Le traidhibh anns an duaidh || sin. uair
Mar fhuaim coille re gaoith nan gleann

Bha scleo nan curaidhean co theann.
Seach oiche agus seach lò

Ag iomarscleo 's ag iomarbhàgh;

ny mighty men are seen from Tura's windy walls." Fingal, Book I. p. 220, 221. Lond. 1773.

"He spoke, like a wave on a rock, who in this land appears like me? Heroes stand not in my presence: they fall to earth from my hand.

Who can meet Swaran in fight? Who but Fingal, King of Selma of Storms?

(b) Kenn. Col. I. p. 86, 87. st. 2. (1) Kenn. p. 68, st. 4, 5.

(1) Kenn. p. 129. st. 5.
() Id. p. 20. st. 2.
4

(4) Kenn.. Coll. I. p. 87. (») Id. Coll. I. P. 86. L