Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

til C AR T It O Ni
A tale of the times of old I the deeds of days of othei*
years.
Who comes from the land of ft rangers, with his thou*
fands around him? the fun-beam pours irs bright ftream
before him ; and his hair meets the wind of his hills. His
face is fettled from war. He is calm as the evening beam
that looks, from the cloud of the weft, on Cona's filent
vale. Who is it but Gomhal's fon*, the king of mighty
deeds I He beholds his hills with joy, and bids a thoufand
voices rife. Ye have fled over your fields, ye fons of the
diftant land I The king of the world fits in his hall, and
hears of his people's flight. He lifts his red eye of pride,
and takes his father's fword. " Ye have fled over your
fields, fons of the diftant land I"
Such were the words of the bards, when they came to
Selma's halls. A thoufand fights f from the ftranger's land
rofe, in the midft of the people. The feaft is fpread a-
round; and the night pafled away in joy. Where is the
noble Clefsammor:}: faid the fair haired Fingal I Where
is the companion of my father, in the days of my joy .''
Sullen and dark he pafles his days in the vale of eciio-
ing Lora : but, behold, he comes from the hill, fike
a fteed in his ftrength, who finds his companions in the
breeze ; and toflles his bright mane in the wind. Bleft
be the foul of Clefsammor, why fo long from Selma ?
" Returns the chief" faid Clefsammor, " in the midft of
his fame? Such was the renown of Comhal in the battles of
his youth. Often did we pafs over Carun to the land of the
firangers: our fwords returned, not unftained with blood :
nor did the kings of the world rejoice. Why do I re-
member the battles of my youth? My hair is mixed with
gray. My hand forgets to bend the bow ; and I hft a lighter
fpear. O that my joy wftuld return, as when I firlt be-
held the maid; the white bofomed daughter of ftrangers,
Moina 1| with the dark-bkie eyes 1"
" Tell," faid the mighty Fingal, " the tale of thy youth-
ful
• Finj^al returns here, from an expedition againfl the Romans, which was ce*
lebrated by Oflian in a particular poem.
t Probably vax-ligti's; which are often mentioned as carried, among other
booty, from the Roman provirce.
} CiefTamh-mor, mighty deeds.
II Moina, foft in temper and per/on. We find the Rritifli names in this poem
derived from the Galic, which is a proof that the ancient language of the whole
iJiland was one and the fame.