Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

1 64 FINGAL.
of mighty Carbar, a hero slain by the chief in war ; the
scout* of ocean comes, Moran the son of Fithil !
" Arise," says the youth, " Cuthullin, arise. I see the
ships of the north ! Many, chief of men, are the foe.
Many the heroes of the sea-borne Swaran !" " Moran !"
replied the blue-eyed chief, " thou ever tremblest, son of
Fithil ! Thy fears have increased the foe. It is Fingal,
kingt of deserts, with aid to green Erin of streams." " I
beheld their chief," says Moran, "tall as a glittering
rock. His spear is a blasted pine. His shield the
rising moon ! He sat on the shore ! like a cloud of mist
on the silent hill ! Many, chief of heroes ! I said, many
are our hands of war. Well art thou named, the Mighty
Man ; but many mighty men are seen from Tura's windy
walls."
" He spoke, like a wave on a rock, who in this land
appears like me ? Heroes stand not in my presence : they
fall to earth from my hand. Who can meet Swaran in
fight ? Who but Fingal, king of Selma of storms ? Once
we wrestled on Malmor ; our heels overturned the woods.
Rocks fell from their place ; rivulets, changing their
* Cuthullin having previous intelligence of the invasion
intended by Swaran, sent scouts all over the coast of Ullin or
Ulster, to give early notice of the first appearance of the enemy,
as the same time that he sent Munan the son of Stirmal to
implore the assistance of Fingal. He himself collected the
flower of the Irish youth to Tura, a castle on the coast, to
stop the progress of the enemy till Fingal should arrive from
Scotland.
t Fingal the son of Comhal and Morna the daughter of
Thaddu. His grandfather was Trathal, and great grandfather
Trenmor, both of whom are often mentioned in the poem.