This relic of Celtic literature might have been taken as chronologically preceding the Book of Deer, but while portions of the latter are looked upon as having been written previous to the ninth century, the former, so far as we know, is of the age of Malcolm III. It is said to have been sung by the Gaelic bard of the royal house at the coronation of Malcolm. It is transcribed here as it appears in the _Chronicles of the Picts and Scots_, where it is given as copied from the M’Firbis MS. in the Royal Irish Academy:-- A eolcha Alban uile, A shluagh feuta foltbhuidhe, Cia ceud ghabhail, au còl duibh, Ro ghabhasdair Albanbruigh. Albanus ro ghabh, lià a shlogh, Mac sen oirderc Isicon, Brathair is Briutus gan brath, O raitear Alba eathrach. Ro ionnarb a brathair bras, Briutus tar muir n-Icht-n-amhnas, Ro gabh Briutus Albain ain, Go rinn fhiadhnach Fotudain. Fota iar m-Briutus m-blaith, m-bil, Ro ghabhsad Clanna Nemhidh, Erglan iar teacht as a loing, Do aithle thoghla thuir Conuing. Cruithnigh ros gabhsad iarttain, Tar ttiachtain a h-Erean-mhuigh, .X. righ tri fichid righ ran, Gabhsad diobh an Cruithean-chlar. Cathluan an ced righ diobh-soin, Aisnedhfead daoibh go cumair, Rob e an righ degheanach dhibh An cur calma Cusaintin. Clanna Eathach ina n-diaigh, Gabhsad Albain iar n-airdghliaidh, Clanna Conaire an chaomhfhir, Toghaidhe na treun Ghaoidhil. Tri mec Erc mec Eachdach ait, Triar fuair beannachtair Patraice, Ghabhsad Albain, ard a n-gus, Loarn, Fearghus, is Aonghus. Dech m-bliadhna Loarn, ler bladh, I fflaitheas Oirir Alban, Tar es Loarn fhel go n-gus, Seacht m-bliadhna ficheat Fearghus. Domhangart mac d’Fheargus ard, Aireamh cuig m bliadhan m-biothgarg, A .XXXIIII. gan troid, Do Comghall mac Domhangoirt. Da bhliadhan Conaing gan tair, Tar es Comhghaill do Gobhran, Ti bliadhna fo cuig gan roinn Ba ri Conall mac Comhghoill. Cethre bliadhna ficheat tall Ba ri Aodhan na n-iol-rann, Dech m-bliadhna fo seacht seol n-gle, I fflaitheas Eathach buidhe. Connchadh Cearr raithe, rel bladh, A .XVI. dia mac Fearchar, Tar es Ferchair, feaghaidh rainn, .XIIII. bliadhna Domhnaill. Tar es Domhnaill bric na m-bla, Conall, Dunghall .X. m-bliadhna, .XIII. bliadhna Domhnaill duinn Tar es Dunghail is Chonail. Maolduin mac Conaill na cereach A .XVII. do go dlightheach, Fearchair fadd, feagha leat, Do chaith bliadhain thar .XX. Da bliadhain Eachdach na-n-each, Ro ba calma an ri rightheach, Aoin bhliadhain ba flaith iarttain, Ainceallach maith mac Fearchair.