Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

156 THE WAR OF INIS-TIIONA:
* And to the song, perchance, entrust my name.
* The strani^er's daughter shall my tomb behold,
* And o'er the lonely youth, that came from far,
' In silence weep. The bard, too, at the feast
* Shall say : ** Now give attention to t'le song —
*' The song of Oscar from the distant land."
* Oscar,' ivply'd the glad Morvenlan king,
* Son of my fame, most surely thou shalt fight.
* To Inis-thona my undaunted chief,
* To carry, my dark-bosom'd ship prepare.
* Son of my son, our ancient fame regard ;
* For thou art risen from a honour'd race !
* The strangers' children suffer not to say :
*' Weak are the son's of Morven !" But, my son,
* Be thou, in battle, like the roaring storm ;
' And mild, in peace, as gleams the ev'ning sun.
* My Oscar, say to Inis-thona's king :
" Fingal his youthful arm remembers still :
" When in the lovely Agandecca's days,
" In fiercest combat we together strove."
They lifted up, in haste, the sounding sail.
And through the thongs of their high-tow'ring masts
Loud blew the whistling -wind. The oozy rocks
Waves lash'd, and all the strength of ocean roar'd.
The land of groves my son saw, through the wave :
Soon into Runa's echoing bay he rush'd,
And sent his sword to Annir, king of spears.
Up rose the grey-hair'd hero at the sight,
When he the sabre of Fingal beheld.
With eyes full swimming with the briny tear
The battles of their youth he call'd to mind.
Before the lovely Agandecca t'.vice
Had they in combat rais'd the glitt'ring spear: