Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

FINGAL. 285
ings between the spears. Let my warriors rise
the sound in the midst of the battles of Erin
lough Fingal delays his coming with the race of
5 stormy isles, we shall fight, O Colgar's son, and
e in the battle of heroes !"
The sound spreads wide. The heroes rise, like
! breaking oi^ a blue-rolling wave. They stood
the heath, like oaks with all their branches round
:m, when they echo to the stream of frost, and
if withered leaves are rustling to the wind ! High
.Dmia's head of clouds is grey. Morning trembles
the half-enlightened ocean. The blue mist swims
wly by, and hides the sons of Inis-fail !"
' Rise ye," said tlie king of the dark-brown
:;lds, " ye that came from Lochlin's waves. The
is of Erin have fled from our arms ; pursue them
(jr the plains of Lena ! Morla, go to Cormac's
H. Bid them yield to Swaran, before his people
, K to the tomb, and silence spread over his isle."
ly rose, rustling like a flock of sea-fowl, when the
ires expel them from the shore. Their sound was
1; a thousand streams, that meet in Cona's vale,
vn, after a stormy night, they turn their dark
. eies beneath the pale light of the morn.
iS the dark shades of autumn fly over the hills of
gs, so gloomy, dark, successive came the chiefs
ochlin's echoing woods. Tall as the stag of
^ ven, moved stately before them the king. His
si ing shield is on his side, like a flame on the heath
a< ght, when the world is silent and dark, and the
trailer sees some ghost sporting in the beam!
.Dly gleam the hills around, and shew indistinct-
Ijeir oaks ! A blast from the troubled ocean re-
O'id the settled mist. The sons of Erin appear,
lUa ridge of rocks on the coast; when mari-
: ae on shores unknown, are trembling at veering
vis !
'ro, Morla, go," said the king of Lochlin, " offer
pe:to these. Offer the terms we give to kings
wl; nations bow down to our swords. When the
"a it are dead in war ; when virgins weep on the
M " Tall Morla came, the son of Swarth, and
'te y strode the youth along ! He spoke to Erin's
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