Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

Book IV.] FINGAL. ^ 73
' Let Iniscon's <!;reat kinc;, tint heart of steel,
' To mine now come,' the valiant Connal said ! 330
' On clay-co'd earth, or Miidan's chief, or I,"
Said brown-liuir'd Dcrmid, * finally shall sleep.'
Tlio' now so weak and dark ; yet tjien my choice
Was Torman's battling king ; his dark-brown shield
I promisc<l, with mine hand to bear away. 33^
Fingal of mildest look then thus reply'd :
* Victorious be my valiant chiefs, and bless'd !
* My choice is Swaran, king of roaring wa\es.'
As M'hen thro' many va'es, a hundred winds
With all their strength in dilT'rent currents roar ; 310
In dark and sep'rate columns so advanc'd
The sons of hills, and Cromla echo'd round,
AVhen in the strife of sounding steel we c'os'd,
The dreadful carnage how can I relate ?
O Toscar's daughter ! bloody were our hands ! 3i5
Like banks down broken by loud Cona's flood,
The thick and gloomy ranks of Lochlin fell ;
And vict'ry crown"d our arms on Lena's heath.
Each chief fulfill'd his promise. Oft', O maid,
Beside the streams of Branno didst thou sit, 350
When rose thy snowy breast, with frequent sighs,
As swells the swan, when slow she sails the lake,
A nd sidelong winds her downy feathers blow. — -
Thou, Toscar's daughter, hast beheld the sun
Retiring red and slow behind his cloud : 355
Night on the mountain closing, whilst the blast
In narrow, winding vales unfrequent roar'd.
At length the rain beats hard, and pealing rolls
K