Skip to main content

‹‹‹ prev (120)

(122) next ›››

(121)
Book I. AS' EPIC POEr.t. in
he give it to the feeble, O Cairbar, neither to the weak
io souh The darkness of thy face is no storm to me ;
nor are thine eyes the riames of death. Do I fear thy
clanging shield ? Tremble I at Olla's song? No: Cair-
bar, frighten the feeble, Oscar is a rock."
" And wilt thou not yield the spear?" replied the
rising pride of Cairbar. " Are thy words so mighty
because Fingal is near ? Fingal with aged locks from
Morven's hundred groves ! He has fought with little
men. But he must vanish before Cairbar, like a thin
pillar of mist before the winds of Atha ! q" " Were
he who fought with little men near Atha's darkening
chief; Atha's darkening chief would yield green Erin
to avoid his rage. Speak not of the mightv, O Cair-
bar! but turn thy sv^ord on me. Our strength is equal;
but Fingal is renowned ! the first of m.ortal men."
Theirpeople saw the darkening chiefs. Theircrov/d-
ing steps are heard around. Their eyes roll in lire.
A thousand swords are half-unsheathed. Red-haired
OUa raised the song of battle : the trembling joy of
Oscar's soul arose : the wonted joy of his soul when
Fingal's horn was heard. Dark as the swelling wave
of ocean before the rising winds, when it bends its head
near a coast, came on the host of Cairbar.
Daughter of Toscar ri why that tear? Ke is not fal-
len yet. Many were the deaths of his arm before my
hero fell !
Behold they fall before my son like the groves in the
desert, when an acgry ghost rushes through night, and
takes their green heads in his hand ! Morlath falls r
Maronnan dies : Conachar trembles in his blood. Cair-
bar shrinks before Oscar's sword ; and creeps in dark-
ness behind his stone. He lifted the spear in secret, and
pierced my Oscar's side. He falls forv/ard on his shielcU
his knee sustains the chief. But still his spear is in his
q Atha, 'shallow river :' the n^.me of Cairbar'* seat in Conn.ingh*.
r Malvina, the daughter of Toscar, to whom lie addresses th«
^*rt of the poem which relates to tJie deaih of Oscar her lotsr.

Images and transcriptions on this page, including medium image downloads, may be used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence unless otherwise stated. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence