Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

The war of INIS-THONA.
in song. Oscar is like the mist of Cona : I appear and vanish.
The bard will not know my name. The hunter will not search
in the heath for my tomb. Let nxe fight, O heroes, in the battles
of Inis-thona. Distant is the land of my war ! ye shall not hear
of Oscar's fall. Some bard may find me there, and give my
name to the song. The daughter of the stranger shall see my
tomb, and weep over the youth that came from afar. The bard
sliall say, at the feast, hear the song of Oscar from the distant land.'*
" Oscar," replied the king of Morven ; « Thou shalt fight,
son of my fame I Prepare my dark-bosomed ship to carry my
hero to Inis-thona. Son of my son, regard our fame : for thou
art of the race of renown. Let not the children of strangers say,
feeble are the sons of Morven! Be thou, in battle, like the
roaring storm : mild as the evening sun in peace. Tell, Oscar,
to Inis-thona's king, that Fingal remembers his youth ; when we
strove in the combat together in the days of Agandecca."
Tliey lifted up the sounding sail ; the wind whistled through
tlie thongs * of their masts. Waves lashed the oozy rocks : the
strength of ocean roared. My son beheld, from the wave, the
hnd of groves. He rushed into the echoing bay of Runa; and
sent his sword to Annir king of spears. The gray-haired hero
rose, when he saw the sword of Fingal. His eyes were full of
fears ; and he remembered the battles of tlieir youth. Twice they
lifted the spear before the lovely Agandecca : heroes stood far dis-
tant, as if two ghosts contended.
'* But now," begun the king, " I am old ; the sword lies use-
less in my hall. Thou who art of Morven's race ! Annir has been
in the strife of spears ; but he is pale and withered now, like the
oak of Lano. I have no son to meet thee with joy, or to carry thee
to the halls of Iws fathers. Argon is pale in the tomb, and Ruro
I'j no more. J>Iy daughter is in the hall of strangers, and longs
to behold my tomb. Her spouse shakes ten thousand spears ; and
comes I like a cloud of death from Lano. Come thou to share
the feast of Annir, son of echoing Morven."
Three
* I,<;;icJht ;1;ojjo;s were used in O'si^i^'s time, instead o? ropes.
f Connalo had re.splved on a war against his father-in law Annir king of Iliis-
tlmna, iri r)rdcr to (iefVive him of his kingdom; the injustice of his designs was so