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

236' C^TH-LODA :
the deeds of our fathers, biat wlio shall now kad the
v/ar, before the race of kings ? Mist settles on these four
dark hiljs : within it let each warrior strike his shield.
Spirits may descend in dai'kness, and mark us for the
war/' They went, eath to his hill of mist. Bards
marked the sounds of the shields. Loudest rung thy
boss, Duth-maruno. Thou must lead in war. ^
Like the nvarmur of waters, tlie race of U-thorao
came down. Starno led the battle, and Swaran of stor-
my isles. They looked forward from iron shields, like
Cruth-loda fiery-eyed, when he looks from behind the
darkened moon, and strews hisisigns on night.
1 he foes met bvTurthor's stream. Theyheaved like
1 idgy waves. Their echoing strolces are mixed. Sha-
dowy death flies crver the hosts. They were clortds of
hail, with squally winds in their skirts. Their showers
are roaring together. Below them swtUs the dark-roll-
ing deep.
Strife of gldomy U-thorno, why should I mark thy
wounds r I'hou art with the years that are gone : thou
iadest on my soul. Starno brought forward his skirt
of w ar, and Swaran his own dai k wing. Nor a hai ni-
il .te, as appears froirTThe language, in which all the tradition? coi'«
cernine that decisive engagemer.t are jumbled to4;.ether. In justice to
tl'.emevit of cl^e voem, I shcuid liave here presented to the reader a
translation of it, diil not the bard mention some circumstances VKry
lijiculous, and others altocietiitr indecent. Morna. the wife of Coiri*
hal had a priucipal ha'id in all the transactions, previous to the dc?
feat and death of her iiusband ; she, to use the words of the bard,
♦' who vas the guiding star of the women of Erin." The bard, it ii to
te heped, misrc present cd tlie ladies of his country, for Moi iia's beha-
viour, wA.i, according- to liirn, so void of all decency and virtue, that
it cainnot be supposed, they hridcho.'en her«for their guiding star, 'riie
poem consists of many stanzas. Tlie langtiage is figurative, and t he
numbers harmonlons ; but the piece i.y so f-ill of ar.acIrioni.sms, and
sonneriual in its composition, that th.c a\itiinr, iDo-t uridoubtedly,
van either mad, or dnnik vvh -;■ 'e wrrte =t. It is worthy of being re-.,
marked, that Comhal is, in i!i' , >■- ^, v ;-- 'jften called, Comlial n*
li' Albin, or Comhal of All. 'ur. ; ^, I'eifntiy deiiivjiistratcs,
that the .iMej.'atinnscf Keatlnj^ ,r. '^ ^' . '...:..: >./,cc;:gf rr,in|^ l-iyiit.4a^'j«
Coiunal, are but of iatc iiiVeutio;.,