Blair Collection > Galic antiquities

D U T H O N A:
A POEM*.
The argument.
FiNGAL, purfuing Dorla who had carried off the fpoils of Selma in his abfence,
lands in the night in Duthona, the ifland of his friend Conar. His landing is
obferved and oppofed by Dorla, who had alfo called here and fubdued Conar.
Fingal thinking he had been oppofed by his friends, was fatisfied with making
them retreat a little,, till day-light fliould fhew them their miftake. But learning
how matters flood from Conar, who is accidentally difcovered in a cave where he
had been confined by Dorla, fpies are fent to watch the motions of the enemy.
— Next morning Fingal and the remains of Conar's people engage with Dorla,
who falls in battle. — Minla the daughter of Conar, who had been found concealed
in the habit of a young bard, is unexpectedly reftored to her father, who gives
her in marriage to one of Fingal's heroes.
H Y doft xhon roar fo loud, O fea, on Morven's rocky
coaft ; and why, O wind of the fouth, doft thou pour thy
ftrength againft the fliore of my echoing hills ? Is it to detain my
fails from the land of the foe, and flop my growing fame ? — But,
ocean, thy billows roar in vain ; and thou, wind of the fouth,
mayeft blow ; but you cannot detain the fails of Fingal, from the
land of the diftant Dorla. The roar of your ftrength fhall foon
decay j-,
* Du'-thonna, " the ifle of dark v/aves." poem. A few lines in the beginning are
This poem, from one of the incidents oniitted, and the tranllation begins with
mentioned in it, is often called Dan Ot- the following ftanza:
mara, or '« The fong of the maid on the is garbh leam bfucaich do thonr,
fliore." The verfification in feveral places ^ "''"''' <;heann-ghias, ri bonn mo ilileib.'i ;
is broken, and only fupplied from the •' "fn-ichc atfar, citi', a deas,
^. J- . , , . , . , Choii e mo leas gu do' flieid fibh, &c.
Kadjtionary tale which accompanies the