SELECT ENGLISH POEMS, WITH GAELIC TRANSLATIONS, ARRANGED ON OPPOSITE PAGES; ALSO, SEVERAL PIECES OF ORIGINAL GAELIC POETRY. COMPILED BY ARCHIBALD SINCLAIR. GLASGOW: ARCHIBALD SINCLAIR, 62 ARGYLE STREET; AND OTHER BOOKSELLERS. MDCCCLIX. INTRODUCTION. WE will always feel grateful to Dr Norman M'Leod of St. Columba Church, and to the many warm-hearted and accomplished gentlemen, who have so ably assisted him in preparing the useful Miscellanies which have been circulated from time to time among the Highlanders. The good these publications have been the means of doing is incalculable. They have, however, ceased to circulate for many years past; and unfortunately, Highlanders now have no means of holding that intercourse of which they are so fond, in their own vernacular. These periodicals are now out of print, and in all probability the next generation will not know anything about them but the name. It often occurred to us that a Selection from the poetical effusions, both original and translated, given in these periodicals, would be found interesting and besides, that such a compilation would serve as a Remembrancer of these Miscellanies, in the absence of anything more substantial being put on record. It also occurred to us that if it were possible to find out the English originals and to print them along with the translations on parallel pages it would make such a publication more interesting still. We have set about this task sometime ago, and what follows is the result. If our readers will derive as much satisfaction from perusing this volume as we had from compiling it, they will be sufficiently rewarded. We cannot describe the pleasure and instruction we derived from coning over these translations and comparing them with their originals. Many of the pieces are associated in our mind with the very dawn of our mental improvement-with the time when we began to appreciate literature of any kind. It is interesting to observe the taste displayed by the various translators; not only in the execution of their work, but also in their selection of ori ginals. We trust that the reader will kindly overlook the want of arrangement, or classification of subjects, which could not be attended to under the circumstances, as the matter was put in type when the original of any of the pieces would cast up. Consequently, many superior pieces that would, under other circumstances, be among the first, are here among the last. However, if a second Edition shall be called for these deficiencies, with many other overlooks, will be put to right. We have much pleasure in acknowledging the readiness with which all the gentlemen to whom we have applied for information, regarding either originals or translations, have responded to our request. To Dr C. R. M'Gillivray we offer our special thanks for his efficient assistance in putting the work through the press. If this undertaking will meet with an ordinary degree of success, our readers may look, at some future period, for a second volume. We trust, therefore, that those of them who have ability for translating, and the good of their countrymen at heart, will keep this in mind, and forward their pieces to the Publisher at their earliest convenience: they will see by this publication the description of pieces we wish. We believe that such compilations will be of great benefit to Highland youths, both in forming their taste and in enriching their mind. So far as poetry is concerned we have no need to draw upon the resources of any other nation, for we have abundance of good, original poetry; yet, in consequence of the universal sway of the English language, any publication that will help to open up the vast resources of its literature, will be interesting to those who are acquiring a knowledge of it. Moreover, poetical translations are peculiarly suited to develope the rich treasures of our own language; for a translator must exercise his mind to find terms that will convey the meaning of the original, and will also agree in sound with their correspondents. Consequently, words that are totally overlooked by Gaelic prose writers are, as a matter of necessity, used by translators of poetry. |