La Ilíada en gaèlic escocès d’Ewen MacLachlan (invocació a la Musa)

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An Gearasdan [Fort William] (Escòcia), The Craigs Burial Ground, Ewen MacLachlan’s Obelisk

Aithris, a bhan-dia nam fonn !

Fearg mhic Pheleuis nan glonn àigh,

Fearg mhillteach a chiùrr a’ Ghréig

Le beud nan deich mìle cràdh,

Fearg a sguab a dh’ifrinn duinn

Miltean làn-ghaisgeach romh ‘n am,

An cuirp rùisgt’ aig coin mar phronn,

‘S aig uil-ealtuinn nam fiadh-bheann.

B’ e sud rùn an dùilich àird:

Ach ciod bu cheann-fàth do’n strith?

C’um na chog an t-Aichioll còrr,

‘S ceud-fhlath an t-slòigh, bu mhór brigh?

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Placa a l’Ewen MacLachlan Obelisk

An t-Iliad aig Homer

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Traducció d‘Ewen MacLachlan (1816)

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[Canta, deessa de les melodies, / l’ira del fill de Peleu, de grans gestes, /l’ira destructiva que abocà Grècia / malauradament a deu mil dolors, / l’ira que llençà a l’infern / milers d’herois abans de la seva hora, / fent dels seus cossos nus sopar per als gossos / i per als estols d’ocells de les muntanyes isardes…]

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The benefits resulting from a Celtic version of Homer to the community at large, it is presumed, would be various and permanent. Besides interesting the young Highlander with a taste for elegant literature by exhibiting to his mind the copiousness, energy, and versatility of his maternal tongue, it would furnish the ingenious Lowlander, already master of Gaelic prose, with the means of speedily acquiring our poetical dialect, which for its characteristic beauties merits the attentive study of the philologist, antiquarian and classical scholar.

These hints on the utility of a Celtic Iliad must suffice for the present. The writer of these extracts in early life attempted some passages from different parts of the poem, with a view to collect the sentiments of his friends on the probable success of the undertaking in question. Fortune favoured the experiment beyond his most sanguine expectations. The young and the old ‘circling the winter evening’s fire,’ listened with enthusiastic delight, and cordially sympathised with the sufferings of Hector and Priam. Two specimens were published in Macdougall’s Collection of Gaelic Songs, Edinburgh, 1798, which were kindly received in every part of the Highlands.

Ewen MacLachlan (1773 – 1822)

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Ewen MacLachlan’s Gaelic Verse
comprising a translation of Homer’s Iliad Books I-VIII
and original compositions

Edited by John MacDonald

Aberdeen University Studies, No 114
Department of Celtic
Inverness (Escòcia), 1937

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