Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

THE
BATTLE OF LORA,
ARGUMENT.
Fingal, on his return from Ireland, after he had expelled Swaran from
that kingdom, made a feast to all his heroes; he forgot to invite Ma-
rnnnan, and Aldo, two chiefs, who had not been along with him in
his expedition. They resented his neglect; and went over to
Erragon, king of Sora, a country of Scandinavia, the declared enemy
of Fingal. The vzilour of Aldo soon gained him a great reputation in
Sora; and Lorma, the beautiful wife of Erragon, fell in love with
who resided then in Selma, on the western coast. Erragon ini
Scotland, and was slain in battle by Gaul, the son of Morni, after he
had rejected terms of peace offered him by FingaL In this war Aldo
fell, in a single combat, by the hands of his rival Erragon, and the
unfortunate Lorma afterwards died of grief.
Son of the distant land, who dwellest in the
secret cell ! do I hear the sound of thy grove ? or
is it thy voice of songs ? The torrent was loud in
my ear ; but I heard a tuneful voice. Dost thou
praise the cliiefs of thy land ; or the spirits of the
wind ? But, lonely dweller of rocks ! look thou on
that heathy plain. Thou seest green tombs, with
their rank, whistling grass ; with their stones of
mossy heads. Thou seest them, son of the rock,
but Ossian's eyes have failed !
A mountain-stream comes roaring down, and
sends its waters round a green hill. Four mossy
stones, in the midst of withered grass, rear their
heads on the top. Two trees which the storm have
bent, spread their whistling branches around. This
is thy dwelling, Erragon, this thy narrow house :
the sound of thy shells has been long forgot in Sora.
Thy sliield is become dark in thy hall. Erragon,
king of ships! chief of distant Sora! how hast thou
fallen on our mountains ? How is the mighty low ?