Ossian Collection > Fingal

FINGAL. 41
said the hero : • 1 assist the feeble. My strength
is with the weak in arms. My sword has been
always unmatched, warrior!" let the king of
Morven yield!,, "I never yielded, Orla! Fiiigal
never yielded to man. Draw thy sword, and
chose tiiv toe. Many are my heroes !»
"Does then the king refuse the fight? » said
Orla of the dark- brown shield. •• Fiiigal is a match
for Orla: and he alone of all his race! But, king
of Morven, if I shall fall, as one time the warrior
must die: raise my tomb in the midst: let it be
the greatest on Lena. Send over the dark- blue
wave, the sword of Orla to the spouse of his love,
that she may show it to her son, with tears, to
kindle his soul to war. » "• Son of the mournful
tale,,, said Fingai, -why dost thou awaken my
tears? One day the warriors must die, and the
children see their useless arms in the hall. But,
Orla, thy tomb shall rise. Thy white - bosomed
spouse shall weep over thy sword, n
They fought on the heath ot Lena. Feeble was
the arni of Orla. The sword of Fingai descended,
and cleft his shield in twain. It fell and glittered
on the ground , as the moon on the ruffled stream.
"King of Morven,,, said the hero, " lift thy sword
and pierce my breast. Wounded and faint from
battle, my friends have left me here. The mourn-
ful tale shall come to my love on the banks of the
streamy Lota, when she is alone in the wood, and
the rustling blast in the leaves I „
"No.,, said the king of Morven: " I will never
wound thee , Orla. On the banks of Lota let her
see thee, escaped from the hands of war. Let
thy grey -haired father, who, perhaps, is blind
with age, let him hear the sound of thy voice, and
brighten within his hall. With joy let the hero
rise, and search for his son with his hands I »
"But never will he find him, Fingai, n said the
youth of the streamy Lota ; " on Lena's heath I
must die: foreign bards shall talk of me. My
broad belt covers my wound of deaths I give it
to the wind I „
The dark blood poured from his side: he fell
pale on the heath of Lena. Fingai bent over him