J. F. Campbell Collection > Temora, an ancient epic poem, in eight books

An epic poem. 35
—But his ftone was raifed without a tear ? No bard lung * over
Eriii's king ; and fliall his foes rejoice along their moily hills ? — No:
they muft not rejoice : he was the friend of Foldath. Our words
were mixed, in fecret, in Moma's filent cave ; whilft thou, a boy
in the field, purfuedrt: the thiftle's beard. — With Moma's fons I
fhall rufh abroad, and find the foe, on his dufky hills. Fingal
fliall lie, without his fong, the grey-haired king of Selma.
Dost thou think, thou feeble man, replied the chief of Atha ;
dofl thou think that he can fall, without his fame,, in Erin ?
Could the bards be filent, at the tomb of the mighty Fingal .'' The
fong would burft in fecret ; and the fpirit of the king rejoice. — It
is when thou fhalt fall, that the bard fhall forget the fong. Thou
art dark, chief of Moma, tho' thine arm is a tempefl in war. — Do
I forget the king of Erin, in his narrow houfe ? My foul is not loft
to Cairbar, the brother of my love. I marked the bright beams of
joy, which travelled over his cloudy mind, when I returned, with
fame, to Atha of the llreams.
Tall they removed, beneath the words of the king; each to
his own dark tribe; where, humming, they rolled on the heath,
faint-glittering to the ftars : like waves, in the rocky bay, before
the nightly wind. Beneath an oak, lay the chief of Atha : his
fliield, a dufky round, hung high. Near him, againft a rock, leaned
the flranger -f- of Inis-huna : that beam of light, with wandering
locks, ■
* To have no funeral elegy fung over wife be admitted to the airy hall of hh fa-
his tomb, was, in thofe dajs, reckoned thers,
the greateft misfortune that could be- f Bythejirangeroflnli-huna, is meant
fal a man ; as his foul could not other- Sulmalla, the daughter ©f Conmor king of
r I Jnis-