Cloined, for cluain-fhad-the long meadow; or claoin-fhad, the long slope. Cf. Joyce, p. 224 and 400. Aucheleffen, for achadh-leth-pheighinn the half-penny field. Achareoch, for achadh-riabhach-the grey field. Bogaire, a soft marshy place; Na Bogaire (plural), because there are two Achenhew, for achadh-eó-the field of the few. Cf. Joyce, I., p. 492. Pladda, old forms Pladow, Plada. [Seven or eight of the Western Isles are called Fladda respectively, Dr Cameron, further, transcribed the names on Blaeu's map of DR MACDONALD'S COLLECTION OF OSSIANIC POETRY. [INTRODUCTORY NOTE BY THE LATE REV. A. CAMERON, LL.D.*] A Collection of Ossianic Poetry, taken down from Oral Recitation, by the Late Rev. Dr Macdonald of Ferintosh. In July, 1805, Dr Macdonald was licensed to preach; and two months later he started, as stated, at the request of Sir John Sinclair, on an Ossianic tour throughout the North-Western Highlands. The object of his journey was to ascertain to what extent traditions of the Fingalians existed in the Highlands, and whether Ossian's poems were still remembered. In the course of that journey, Mr Macdonald took down from the recitation of several persons, whose names he has recorded, a small collection of Ossianic ballads, which afterwards passed, probably through Sir John Sinclair, into the possession of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, and is now deposited, together with other manuscripts belonging to the Society, in the Library of the Faculty of Advocates, Edinburgh. * Dr Macdonald's Collection is printed in the 13th volume of our Transactions, pp. 269-300, under the editorship of the late Dr Cameron. It wants the introduction which he wrote for it, and which has been found among his papers since his death. It is here printed to complete the edition of the Collection made by Dr Macdonald. 20 Dr Macdonald's MS., which is in his own hand-writing, extends to fifty-two octavo pages. The MS. is written, apparently, with great care; but the orthography is frequently inaccurate. In after years, Dr Macdonald acquired the art of writing Gaelic with considerable accuracy. Five of the ballads in this MS., including "The Battle of Ben Eadair," which is made up of more than one ballad, were published by the late Mr J. F. Campbell in his "Leabhar na Fèinne;" but, unfortunately, the transcripts from which he printed must have been inaccurate, for his printed copies abound with mistakes, which frequently render the places in which they occur quite unintelligible. Among those mistakes must be numbered the omission of lines, and sometimes of even whole verses contained in the original manuscript. We now print the entire MS. exactly as it was written by the collector, except that a few verbal changes have been made in the brief statements or "arguments" prefixed to the ballads. Amended versions of the ballads would, no doubt, be more readable, and, therefore, more interesting to general readers; but those who take a real interest in the study of our Ossianic literature prefer exact transcripts of the manuscript collections, to which they may not themselves have convenient access, to amended versions, however skilfully the editor may perform his task. We, therefore, print the ballads exactly as they were written by Dr Macdonald in September and October, 1805. A. C. 27th FEBRUARY, 1889. On this date Mr Malcolm M'Innes read a paper contributed by the Rev. Mr John Macrury, Snizort, entitled "A Collection of Unpublished Gaelic Poetry." Mr Macrury's paper was as follows: A COLLECTION OF UNPUBLISHED GAELIC POETRY. A Luchd-Comuinn mo ruin,-Gu ma fada beo sibh fhein agus bhur Comunn. Tha mi anabarrach toilichte sibh a bhith soirbheachadh cho math auns an obair a ghabh sibh os laimh, agus ma's math am bliadhna gu ma seachd fearr an ath-bhliadhna. An uair a sgriobh an run-chleireach agaibh do m' ionnsuidh a dh'iarraidh orm rud eiginn a chur uige a chuireadh seachad greis de 'n oidhche dhuibh, gheall mi da gu'n cuirinn a dha no tri de sheann orain d'a ionnsuidh. Tha eagal orm nach cord iad ribh ; ach nam biodh ni b'fhearr agam gheibheadh sibh iad le deagh run. Fhuair mise na h-orain a leanas sgriobhta ann an leabhar beag a dh' fhag an t-Urramach Iain Tormad Domhnullach nach maireann, a bha 'na mhinistear anns na h-Earradh. Sgriobh e iad ann an Uibhist o chionn sheachd bliadhna deug air fhichead. O'n a chaidh cuid de na h-orain a sgriobh e a chlo-bhualadh anns an Oranaiche," agus ann an leabhar no dha eile, cha 'n 'eil feum dhomhsa an cur sios an so. Cha 'n 'eil fios agamsa nach 'eil cuid de na tha mi 'cur thugaibh air an clo-bhualadh cheana. Co dhiu tha gus nach 'eil, so agaibh iad facal air an fhacal mar a fhuair mise sgriobhta iad : LAOIDH FHRAOICH. An t-oglach o'n d' fhalbh a bhean, Uime sin na bi fo leann, Dh'imich o Fhionn a bhean fein. Dh' fhalbh a bhean o Righ nan Ruadha, 'S thug i gradh do mhac Righ Greig. Dh' fhalbh a bhean o'n Ghlas mac Seirc, Sud 's mac Ridir an Domhain Mhoir, Anagladh gach fear fo 'n ghrein, Seachd righrean chuir i gu bas; Bhuail euslainte throm throm, Thuirt ise nach biodh i slan Gus 'm faigheadh i lan a bas maoth Dh' fhalbh Fraoch 's cha bu ghill tiom' Thug e leis na caoireann dearg Dh' fhalbh Fraoch 's cha bu turus aidh, Rug e air an dos air bharr, Rug i air 's e air an t-snamh, 'S liodraich i 'dheas lamh na craos, Rug esan oirrese air ghial; 'S truagh gun sgian a bhith aig Fraoch. Nigheann or-bhuidh' 's ceanna-bhuidh' falt, 'S grad a thug thu 'n sgiath o 'n laoch ; Fraoch mac Iuthaich is a' bhiasd, 'S truagh a chiall mu'n d'rinn iad stad. Comhrag 's cha bu chomhrag laoich Thainig neultaidh as an Fheinn B' fhaide do shleagh na crann siuil, Bu duibhe thu na fitheach gearr dubh, 'S deirge d' fhuil na fuil a' bhraoin; Sar mhilltiche nan sral 'S gile na sin slios an laoich. An ceol ris an eisdeadh Fraoch, 'S binne na ceileireadh lach air lochLangan an loin air a' charn Buireadh daimh air aird nan cnoc. ORAN LUAIDH. 'S mi 'm aonar air airidh 'n leachduin, Luinneag Chall ò hi-o-bho hi-hùrabhò, Na hi ri riobhò hi hùrabhò. 'G amharc nam fear a' dol seachad, Chall o, etc. Cha tig mi mo roghainn asda, Chall o, etc. Chi mi na feidh air an leachdaich, 'S iad a' falbh gu fiamhach, faiteach, Chall o, etc. Ged 'tha cha ruig iad a leas sud, 'S an giomanach donn am pasgadh, Chall o, etc. |