Ossian Collection > Fingal

i8o T E M O R A:
haired warrior of Morven. He has fought with httle men. But
he mufl: vanifli before Cairbar, hke a thin pillar of mill; before the
winds of Atha *.
Were he who fought with 'little men near the chief of Atha :
Atha's chief would yield green Erin to avoid his rage. Speak not
of the mrghty, O Cairbar ! but turn thy fword on me. Our flrength
is equal : but Fingal is renowned ! the firfi; of mortal men !
Their people faw the darkening chiefs. Their crowding fteps are
heard around. Their eyes roll in fire. A thoufand fwords are half
unfheathed. Red-haired Olla raifed the Jong of battle : the trem-
bling joy of Ofcar's foul arofe : tlie wonted joy of his foul when Fin-
gal's horn was heard.
Dark as the fwelllng wave of ocean before the rifing winds, when
it bends its head near the coalt, came on the hoft of Cairbar.
Daughter of Tofcar -f- ! why that tear ? He is not fallen yet. Many
were the deaths of his arm before my hero fell ! — Behold they fall
before my fon like the groves in the defart, when an angry ghoft
ruddies through night, and takes their green heads in his hand !
Mcrlath falls : Maronnan dies : Conachar trembles in his blo®d.
Cairbar flirinks before Ofcar's fword ; and creeps in darknefs be-
hind his ftone. He lifted the fpear in fecret, and pierced my Of-
car's fide. He falls forward on his fliield : his knee fuftains the
chief : but his fpear is in his hand. See gloomy Cairbar :{: falls.
The fleel pierced his forehead, and divided his red hair behind. He
lay,
* Atha, /W/aw r/w : the name of Cair- part of the poem, which rtlatcJ to the
bar's feat in Connaught. death of Ofcar her lover,
f The poet means Malvina, the daugh- % The Irifti iiiftorians p!ace the ilcath of
lex of Tofcar, to whom he addrcffed that Cr.iibar, in the latter end of the third cen-
tury :