And is the fon of Semo fallen *)? faid
Mournful are Tura's

Carril with a figh.

walls; and forrow dwells at Dunscaich.

Thy fpoufe is left alone in her youth, the fon **) of thy love is alone. He fhall come to Bragela, and afk her why fhe weeps. He fhall lift his eyes to the wall, and fee his father's fword. Whofe fword is that? he will fay: and the foul of his mother is fad. Who is that, like the hart of the defart, in

the

In

*) The Irish hiftorians have placed Cuchullin in the first century. The translator has given his reafons for fixing him in the third, in the disfertation, which is prefixed to this collection. other particulars the accounts of Keating and O' Flaherty coincide pretty nearly with Offian's poems, and the traditions of the Highlands and Ifles. They fay, that he was killed in the twenty-fe venth year of his age, and they give him a great character for his wisdom and valour,

**) Conloch, who was afterwards very famous for his great exploits in Ireland. He was fo remarkable for his dexterity in handling the javelin, that, when a good marksman is described, it has paffed into a proverb, in the north of Scotland▸ He is unerring as the arm of Conlock.

the murmur of his courfe?

His eyes

look wildly round in fearch of his friend. Connal, fon of Colgar, where haft thou been, when the mighty fell? Did the feas of Togorma roll round thee? Was the wind of the fouth in thy fails? The mighty have fallen in battle, and thou waft not there. none tell it in Selma, nor in Morven's woodyland; Fingal will be fad, and the fons of the defart mourn.

Let

By the dark-rolling waves of Lego they raifed the hero's tomb." Luath *), at a distance, lies, the companion of Cuchullin, at Bleft **) be thy foul, fon of

the chace.

Semo;

*) It was of old the custom, to bury the favourite
dog near the mafter. This was not peculiar to
the ancient Scots; for we find it practised by ma
ny other nations in their ages of heroism.
There is a ftone shown ftill at Dunscaich in the

Ifle of Sky, to which Cuchullin commonly bound
his dog Luäth. The ftone goes by his name

to this day.

**) This is the fong of the bards over Cuchullin's tomb. Every ftanza clofes with fome remarkable

Semo; thou wert mighty in battle.

Thy

ftrength was like the ftrength of a stream: thy speed like the eagle's *) wing.

Thy path in the battle was terrible the fteps of death were behind thy fword. Bleft be thy foul, fon of Semo; car-borne chief of Dunscaich!

Thou haft not fallen by the fword of the mighty, neither was thy blood, on the fpear of the valiant. The arrow came, like the fting of death in a blast: nor did the feeble hand, which drew the bow, perceive it. Peace to thy foul, in thy cave, chief of the ifle of mift!

The mighty are difperfed at Temora: there is none in Cormac's hall. The king mourns in his youth, for he does not behold thy coming. The found of thy fhield is ceafed his foes are gathering round. Soft be thy reft in thy cave, chief of Erin's wars! ·

title of the hero, which was always the custom in funeral elegies.

The verfe of the fong is

a lyric measure, and it was of old fung to the harp.

*) They were swifter than eagles, they were ftrong,

er than lions. 2 Sam. i, 23.

Bragela will not hope thy return, or fee,

thy fails in ocean's foam.

Her steps are

not on the fhore: nor her ear open to the voi. She fits in the hall of

ce of thy rowers.

fhells, and fees the arms of him that is no Thine eyes are full of tears, daughBleft be thy

more.

ter of car-borne Sorglan!

foul in death, ò chief of fhady Cromla!

DAR

DAR-THULA:

A POEM *).

D

of heaven **), fair art thou! the filence of thy face is pleasant. Thou comeft forth in lovelinefs: the ftars attend thy blue fteps in the east. The clouds rejoice in

thy

*) It may not be improper here, to give the ftory, which is the foundation of this poem, as it is handed down by tradition. Usnoth, lord

of Etha, which is probably that part of Argylefhire, which is near Loch Eta, an arm of the fea in Lorn, had three fons, Nathos, Althos, and Ardan, by Slifläma, the daughter of Semo and fifter to the celebrated Cuchullin. The three brothers, when very young, were fent over to Ireland, by their father, to learn the use of arms under their uncle Cuchullin, who made a great figure in that kingdom. They were juft landed in Ulfter, when the news of Cuchullin's death ar rived. Nathos, though very young, took the command of Cuchullin's army, made head against Cairbar the ufurper, and defeated him in feveral

batt