Ossian Collection > Fingal

A POEM. ,3^
How ftately art thou, fon of the fea ! faid the king of woody
Mon-en. Thy fword is a beam of might by thy fide : thy fpear is
a fir that defies the ftorm. The varied face of the moon is not
broader than thy fliield. — Ruddy is thy face of youth ! foft the
ringlets of thy hair ! — But this tree may fall ; and his memory be
forgot ! — The daughter of the ftranger will be fad, and look to the
rolling fea: — the children will fay, " We fee a Ihip ; perhaps it is the
" king of Balclutha." The tear ftarts from their mother's eye.
Her thoughts are of him that ileeps in Morven.
Such were the words of the king, when Ullin came to the mighty
Carthon : he threw down the fpear before him ; and railed the fong
of peace.
Come to the feaft of Fingal, Carthon, from the rolling fea! par-
take the feaft of the king, or lift the fpear of war. The ghofts of
our foes are many : but renowned are the friends of IVIorven !
Behold that field, O Carthon; many a green hill rifes there,
with mofiy ftones and ruftling grafs : thefe are the tombs of Fingal's
foes, the fons of the rolling fea.
Dost thou fpeak to the feeble in arms, faid Carthon, bard of
the woody Morven ? Is my face pale for fear, fon of the peaceful
fong ? Why, then, doft thou think to darken my foul with the
tales of thofe who fell ? — My arm has fought in the battle ; my re-
nown is known afar. Go to the feeble in arms, and bid them yield to
Fingal. — Have not I (een the fallen Balclutha .? And ihall I feaft with
Comhal's fon ? Comhal ! who threw his fire in the midft of my fa-
ther's hall ! I was young, and knew not the caufe why the virgins
wept. The columns of fmoke pleafcd mine eye, when they rofe above
my walls ; I often looked back, v/ith gladnefs, when my friends
fled