ADVERTISEMENT.

It is thought proper to give a specimen of the original Gaelic, for the satisfaction of those who doubt the authenticity of Ossian's poems. The Seventh Book of TEMORA is fixed on for that purpose, not from any other superior merit, than the variety of its versification. To print any part of the former collection was unnecessary, as a copy of the originals lay, for many months, in the bookseller's hands, for the inspection of the curious. Though the erroneous orthography of the bards is departed from, in many instances, in the following specimen, yet several quiescent conThis sonants are retained, to shew the derivation of the words. circumstance may give an uncouth appearance to the language, in the eyes of those who are strangers to its harmony. They ought, however, to consider, that a language is put to the severest test, when it is stripped of its own proper characters; especially when the power of one of them requires, sometimes, a combination MACPHERSON. of two or three Roman letters to express it.

A

SPECIMEN

OF THE

ORIGINAL OF TEMORA.

BOOK VII.

LINNA doir-choile na Leigo,
Air uair, eri' ceo taobh-ghórm nan tón;
Nuair dhunas dorsa na h'oicha
Air iulluir-shuil greina nan speur.
Tomhail, mo Lara nan sruth,
Thaomas du'-nial, as doricha cruaim:
Mar ghlas-scia', roi taoma nan nial,
Snamh seachad, ta Gellach na h'oicha.
Le so edi' taisin o-shean

An dlu'-ghleus, a measc na gaoith,
'S iad leamnach, o osna gu osna,

Air du'-aghai' oicha nan sian.
An taobh oitaig, gu palin nan seoid,
Taomas iad ceach nan speur,
Gorm-thalla do thannais nach béo,
Gu ám eri' fón marbh-rán nan teud.

Ta torman, a machair nan crán Se Conar ri Erin at' án,

A taoma' ceo-tanais gu dlu'

Air Faolan aig Lubbair nan sru'

Muladach, suigha fo bhrón,

Dh'aom an tais an cheach an loin.

Thaom osna, essin an fein,

Ach phil an cruth aluin, gu diän
Phil é le chrom-shealla mál

Le cheo-leatain, mar shuibhal nan sian.
'S doilleir so!

Ata na sloigh na nsuain, san ám,

An truscan cear na h'oicha:
Dh'ilsich teina an ri, gu ard,

Dh'aom é na aonar, air scia'.

Thuit codál, mo shuillin a ghaischich,
Thanic guth Fhaolan, na chluais.

An codal so, don' fhear-phosda aig Clatho?

Am bail coni do m' athair, an suain?

Am bail cuina, 's mi 'ntruscan nan nial?
'S mi m' aonar an ám na h'oicha?
Cur son ta ú, a m' aslin fein?
Thubhart Fion-ghael, 's é'g eri grad.
An dith-chuin, d'omse, mo mhac,

Na schiubhal teina air Rethlan nan laoich?

Ni marsin, air anam an ri,

Thig gniomh seoid aluin na ncruai'-bheum.
Ni ndeallan iadse, a theichas an dubhra

Na h'oicha, 'snach fhág a lorg.

'S cuina liom Faolan na shuain:
'Ta m'anam aig eri' borb.

Ghluais an ri, le sleagh, gu grad,
Bhuail e nscia' as fuaimnach cop,
An scia' a dh' aom sa n'oicha ard,
Bal-mosgla' do cháth nan lót.
Air aomagh du' nan sliabh,
Air gaoith, theich tread nan tais:
O ghleanan cear nan ioma lúp,
'Mhosguil guth a bhais.