Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

BOOK II. F I N G A L.
3P
So Cuchullin shaded the sons of Erin, and stood in the midst of
thousands. Blood rises like the fount of a rock, from panting
heroes around him. But Erin falls on either wing like snow in
the day of the sun.
** O sons of Innis-fail." said Grumal, " Lochlin conquers on the
field. Why strive we as reeds against the wind! Fly to the hill
of dark-brown hinds." He fled like the stag of Morven, and his
spear is a trembling beam of light behind him. Few fled with
Grumal, the chief of the little soul: they fell In the battle of
heroes on Lena's echoing heath.
High on his car, of many gems, the chief of Erin stood; he
slew a mighty son of Lochlin, and spoke, in haste, to Connal,
" O Connal, first of mortal men, thou hast taught this arm of
death! Though Erin's sons have fled, shall we not fight the foe?
O Carril, sou of other times, carry my living friends to that bushy
hill. Here, Connal, let us stand like rocks, and save our flying friends."
Connal mounts the car of light. They stretch their shields
like che darkened moon ; the daughter of the starry Ikies, when
she moves, a dun circle, tlirough heaven. Sithtadda panted up
the hill, and Dusronnal haughty steed. Like waves behind a
whale, behind them rushed the foe.
Now on the rising side of Cromla stood Erin's few sad sons;
like a grove through which the flame had rushed, hurried on by the
winds of the stormy night. Cuchullin stood beside an oak. He rolled
his red eye in silence, and heard the wind in his bushy hair; when
the scout of ocean came, Moran the son of Fithil. *< The ships,'*
he cried, " the ships of the lonely isle ! There Fingal comes, the
first of men, the breaker of the shields. The waves foam before
his black prows. His masts with sails are like groves in clouds."
" Blow," said Cuchullin, " all ye winds that rush over my isle
of lovely mist. Come to the death of thousands, O chief of the
hills of hinds. Thy sails, my friend, are to me like the clouds
of the morning; andthy ships like the light of heaven ; and thou thy-
E ij self
On.,th' other side Satan alarm'd,
■Collefting all his might, dilated stood
Like Teneriff or Atlas unremov'd:
} lis stature reach'd the sky. Miltcn,