Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal > Volume 2

230 cath-loda:
steps, by Lulan ? thou hast failed, at thine own dark
streams, father of Conban-carglas ! But I behold thee,
chief of Lulan, sporting by Loda's hall, when the dark-
skirted night is poured along the sky.
" Thou, sometimes, hidest the moou, with thy shield.
I have seen her dim in heaven, thou kindlest thy hair
into meteors, and sailest along the night. Why am I
forgot in my cave, king of shaggy boars ? Look ironi
the hall of Loda, on loqely Conban-carglas."
" Who art thou," said Fingal, " voice of night ?'*
She trembling, turned away. " Who art thou, in thy
darkness ?" She shrunk into the cave. I'he king loosed
the thong from her hands : he asked about her lathers.
" Torcul-torno," she said, " once dwelt at Lulan's
foamy stream : he dwelt — but, now, in Loda's hallj
he shakes the sounding shell. He met Starno of Loch-
jin, in battle ; long fought the dark-eyed kings. My
father fell, at length, blue-shielded Torcul-torno.
*' By a rock, at Lulan's stream, 1 had pierced the
district in Sweden. The river Lulan ran near the residence of Tor-
cul-torno. 'Iliere is a river in Sweden still called Lula, whicli is pra-
bably the same with Liil.ui. "1 lie war between Starno aii,d Torcul-
tyrao, which terminated in the death of the latter, had its rise at a,
liunting party. Starno being invited, in a friendly manner, by Tor-
cul-torn«, both kings, with their followers, went to the mountain of
Stivamor, to hunt. A boar rushed from the wood before the kings,
and Torcul-torno killed it. Starno thought this behaviour a breach,
upon the privilege of guests, who were always honoured, as tradition
expresses it, with the danger of the chase. A quarrel arose, the
kings came to battle, with all their attendants, and the party ofTop-
cul-torno were totally defeated, and he himself shan. Starno pur-
sued his victory, laid waste the district of Crathhin, and coming to
the residence of Torcu! torno, carried ofl", by force, Conban-caritlas,
the beautiful daughter cf his enemy. Her he continetl in » cave, .
near the palace of Gormal, where, on account of her cruel treatment,
slie became distracted.
The jiaragraph just now before us, is the song of Conban-csrglas,
at the .time she was discovered by Fingal. It is in lyric 'neasu
and set to music, whicli is wild and simple, and so inimitably suited
to the situation of the uuluppy kidy, that f:w can hear it v/i:j.iout.