Although this undoubtedly old Gaelic poem is attributed by its translators, Charles Edward Stuart and John Sobieski, to the early bard Domhnull Mac Fhionnlaidh, there is no certainty (as they admit) either as to authorship or date. This version is taken from Ballads and Songs by Charles Edward Stuart and John Sobieski.
“OSSIAN SANG.”
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The original was jotted down in phonetic Gaelic by Dean Macgregor some 380 years ago.
FINGAL AND ROS-CRANA.
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This is not part of the text of Macpherson’s Ossian though the Englishing is by Macpherson, who attributes the original to Colgan, an ancient Scoto-Irish bard. It will be found in the Notes to Temora. (See Introduction.)
THE NIGHT-SONG OF THE BARDS.
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Macpherson “translated” this, he avers, from an old Gaelic original. His version is to be found in the Notes to Croma.
OSSIAN. “COMALA.”
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I have selected this short poem as representative of the semi-mythical Ossian of Macpherson. It is undoubtedly ancient substantially.
THE DEATH-SONG OF OSSIAN.
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