Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

T E M O R A.
fought with little men. But he must vanish before Cairbar, like
a thin pillar of mist before the winds of Atha."§ " Were he who
fought with little men near Atha's darkening chief: Atha's dark-
ening chief would yield green Erin to avoid his rage. Speak not of
the mighty, O Cairbar ! but turn tby sword on me. Our strength
is equal : but Fingal is renowned ! the first of mortal men !"
Their people saw their darkening chiefs. Their crowding steps
are heard around. Their eyes roll in fire. A thousand swords
are half unsheathed. Red-haired Olla 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 ! * why that tear ? He is not fallen vet.
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 angry ghost rushes through night, and takes their green
heads in his hand ! Morlath falls : Maronnan dies : Connachar
trembles in his blood. Cairbar shrinks before Oscar's sword;
and creeps in darkness behirtd his stone. He lifted the spear in
secret, and pierced my Oscar's side.- He falls forward on his
shield: his knee sustains the chief. But still his spear is in his hand.
See gloomy Cairbarf falls ! The steel pierced his forehead, and
divided
§ Atha, shaUotv rlticr: the name of Cairbar"? seat in Connaught.
* Malvina, the daughter of Toscar, to whom he addresses that part ijf tlie poem
which relates to the death of Oscar her lover.
f The Irish historians place the death of Cairbar, in the latter end of the third
century: they say, he was killed in battle against Oscar the son of 0;^i;'.n, but ^cwy
that he fell by his hand.
It is, however, certain, that the Irish historians disguiic, in some measure, this
part of their history. An Irish poem on this subjeiil:, which, undoubtedly was the
source of their information, concerning the battle of Gabhra, where Cairbar fell, is
just now in my hands. The circumstances are less to the disadvantage ol the char-
adler of Cairbar, than those related by Ossian. As a translation of the poem (which,
tho' evidently no very ancient composition, does not want poetical merit) would ex-
tend this note to too great a length, I shall only give tlie story of it, in brief, with
some extracts from the original Irish. .
Oscar, says the Irish bard, was invited to a feast, at Temora, by Cairbar king
of Ireland. A dispute arose between the t\\ o heroes, concerning the exchange of
spears, which was usually made, between the guests and their host, upon such oc-
casions. In the course of their altei-caticn, Cairbar said, in a boastful raarmer, that
he would hunt on the hills of Albion, and carry the spoils of it into Ireland, in spite
of all the efforts of its inhabitants. The original words ai-e;
Eriathar