The book of James Macpherson (1736-1796) “The Poems of Ossian” (1762) evoked the widest response in the literature of almost all European countries of the late 16th – early 19th centuries. Soon, new, expanded and supplemented editions of the book appeared, translations into French, German and other languages, including Russian (“Poems of the ancient bards. Translation by A.D. St. Petersburg, 1788”; “Ossian, son of the Fingals, bard of the third century. Translated from the French by E. Kostrov. The controversy surrounding the authenticity of the poems published by Macpherson, which involved prominent scientists and writers (including Goethe), was an important stage in the development of European folklore and epic studies. This edition provides the first complete scientific translation of Macpherson’s book, as well as an impressive selection of previous Russian translations and imitations - from Ivan Dmitriev to Osip Mandelstam.

The intrigue of the insidious MacphersonOssian, or more correctly Oisin, is the legendary Celtic bard of the 3rd century, on whose behalf the poems of James Macpherson and his imitators were written. In the mid-18th century, Macpherson published prose translations into English of several poems that he said belonged to the third-century bard Ossian. After the publication of the poems, Macpherson was bombarded with requests, turning into demands, to present the original ancient manuscripts from which the translation was made. McPherson delayed the matter in every possible way, citing his busy schedule. The response was an edition containing the Gaelic texts of eleven of Ossian's poems (including Fingal and Temora), published in 1807, after his death. McPherson. These texts, however, did not clarify the question of the authenticity of Ossian’s poems: according to many researchers, the language in which they were written is Macpherson’s contemporary Gaelic with characteristic Anglicisms, and the “originals” themselves are reverse translations of the English “Poems of Ossian” into Gaelic language. No ancient manuscripts at all close to the poems of Ossian have yet been found, and the poems themselves are now considered a hoax. “The Poems of Ossian” still remains one of the largest and most influential hoaxes in the history of world literature.

CONTENTS: POEMS OF OSSIAN (translation by Yu.D. Levin) VOLUME ONE Discussion on the antiquity and other features of the poems of Ossian. son of Fingal (6).Fingal, ancient epic popma (16).Komala, dramatic poem (66).Battle with Karos, poem (72).War Inis-tons, poem (77).Battle of Laura, poem (81).Conlat and Kuthona, poem (87).Carton, poem (91).Death of Cuchulainn, poem (101).Dar-tula, poem (108) .Karik-tura, poem (118).Songs in Selma (128).Kalton and Kolmala, poem (133).Latmop, poem (139).Oytona, poem (147).Kroma, poem (151).Beraton, poem (156). VOLUME TWO Temora, epic poem (166). Katlin of Clutha, poem (247). Sul-mala of Lumon, poem (252). Kat-loda, poem (257). Oina-morul, poem (269) .Kolna-dona, poem (272).ADDITIONSOssian in Russian literatureI.I.Dmitriev. Love and friendship (277).V.V.Kapnist. Cardboard. Poem, the creation of the ancient Caledonian bard Ossian, son of King Fingal (281). V.L. Pushkin. Excerpt from Ossian. Colma (296).P.S.Kaisarov. To the moon. Excerpt from Ossian (297). M.M. Vysheslavtsev. Minwana. Excerpt from Ossianova's poem (298). A.P. Benitsky. Komala. Dramatic Song of Ossian (300). P.S. Politkovsky. Death of Gidallan. The introductory story from the great Ossian poem “The Battle with Karos”, which serves as the ending of his previous “Dramatic Song” (310). I.I. Gnedich. The Last Song of Ossian (315). N.F. Grammar. Konlat and Kyuton (319).F.F.Ivanov. Minwana's cry. From Ossian (324). D.P. Glebov. Chrome. Poem from Ossian (327). P.A.Katenin. Songs in Selma. From Ossian (331). A.S. Pushkin. Kolna. Imitation of Ossian (339). A.A. Krylov. Oscar and Dermid. Imitation of Ossian (343). A. A. Nikitin. Excerpt from Ossian’s poem “Carton” (347). F.I. Baldauf. Song of Ullin over the coffin of Conal (350). M.P. Zagorsky. Morna. From Ossian (351). P.P. Shklyarevsky. Song of Ossian (353).B.E.Verderevsky. Connal and Galvina. Excerpt from the poem "Fingal" (354).D.V. Venevitinov. Song of Colma (356). A.I. Polezhaev. Morni and the shadow of Cormal. From Ossian (358). A.N. Muravyov. Ossian (359).I.P.Borozdna. Fingal's fight with the spirit of Loda. From Ossian (359).IIM.I.Muravyev. Romance, translated from the Caledonian language (362). M. Oleshev. Lautrec. From the songs of Ossian (363). S.P. Zhikharev. October Night, or Bards (366). V.A. Ozerov. Fingal. Tragedy in three acts, with choruses and pantomime ballets (370). A.A. Shakhovskaya. Fingal and Roscrana, or Caledonian customs. Dramatic poem. (Action IL Phenomenon III) (403). A.P. Kryukov. Fingal's lament over the ashes of Moipa (409). B.A. Zhukovsky. Aeolian harp. Ballad (410). A.S. Pushkin. Osgar (416). S.N.Glinka. Ossian and his grandson (418). V.I. Grigoriev. Ossiyan's melancholy (420). A.M. Mansurov. The Dying Bard (422). A.I. Pisarev. Ransom of Ossian (425).B.N.Olin. Kalfon. Poem (430). Trilunny (D.Yu. Struysky). Lyre of Ossian (445).IIIN.M.Karamzin. Poetry (excerpt) (447). E.I. Kostrov. To His Excellency Count Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov-Rymniksky (447). G.R. Derzhavin. On the crossing of the Alpine Mountains (excerpt) (448).K.N.Batyushkov.Dream (excerpt) (449).Message to N.I.Gnedich (excerpts) (449).N.I.Gnedich. To K.N. Batyushkov (excerpts) (450). V.K. Kuchelbecker. Poets (excerpt) (451). Ossian. Memories of Girodet’s painting (451). “Before I died, darkness threatened me with death...” (excerpt) (454). N.M. Yazykov. Message to Kulibin (excerpt) (455). L.G. Obodovsky. To the painting representing Ossian in the desert (456). M.Yu. Lermontov. Ossian's coffin (456). I.I. Kozlov. The poet and the storm. From the poem “Jocelyn” by Lamartine (456). I.S. Gumilyov. Ossian (457).O.E.Mandelshtam. “I have not heard the stories of Ossian...” (458).APPENDICES.D.Levin. “The Poems of Ossian” by James Macpherson (461). Y.D.Levine. Ossian in Russia (502). Notes (530). Index of names and titles in the “Poems of Ossian” (535). Genealogical table (556). Additions (557). List of illustrations (585).