Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

368 THE POEMS OF OSSIA>f.
er of the shields !' < Hail to thee,' replied Cuth-
\illin, ' hail to all the sons of Morven ! Delight-
ful is thy presence, O Fingal ! it is the sun on
Cromla : when the hunter mourns his absence
for a season, and sees him between the clouds.
Thy sons are like stars that attend thy course.
They give light in the night. It is not thus
thou hast seen me, O Fingal ! returning from
the wars of thy land : when the kings of the
world had fled, and joy returned to the hills of
hinds !'
* Many are thy words, Cuthullin,' said Connan
of small renown. ' Thy words are many, son of
Semo, but where are thy deeds in arms ? Why
did we come, over ocean, to aid thy feeble
sword ? Thou fliest to thy cave of grief, and
Connan fights thy battles. Resign to me these
arms of light. Yield them, thou chief of Erin.'
— ' No hero,' replied the chief, ' ever sought the
arms of Cuthullin ! and had a thousand heroes
sought them, it were in vain, thou gloomy youth !
I fled not to the cave of grief, till Erin failed at
her streams.'
* Youth of the feeble arm,' said Fingal, 'Con-
nan, cease thy words ! Cuthullin is renowned in
battle : terrible over the world. Often have I
heard thy fame, thou stormy chief of Inis-fail.
Spread now thy white sails for the isle of mist.
See Bragela leaning on her rock. Her tender
eye is in tears, the winds lift her long hair from
her heaving breast. She listens to the breeze of
night, to hear the voice of thy rowers ; to hear
the song of the sea : the sound of thy distant
harps.'
'Long shall she listen in vain. Cuthullin
shall never return. How can 1 behold Bragela,
to raise the sigh of her breast? Fingal, I was al-
ways victorious, in battles of other spears.'
And hereafter thou shalt be victorious,' said