Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

402 THE POEMS OF OSSIAN.
joy of his soul arose. He heard my sounding tread,
and turned his lifted spear. " Comest thou, son of
night, in peace ? Or dost thou meet my wrath ?
The foes of Fingal are mine. Speak, or fear my steel.
I stand not, in vain, the shield of Morven's race."
" Never mayst thou stand in vain, son of blue-eyed
Clatho ! Fingal begins to be alone. Darkness ga-
thers on the last of his days. Yet he has two sons
who ought to shine in war. Who ought to be two
beams of light, near the steps of his departure."
"Son of Fingal," replied the youth, "it is not long
since I raised the spear. Few are the marks of my
sword in war. But Fillan's soul is fire! The chiefs
of Bolga* crowd around the shield of generous
Cathmor. Their gathering is on that heath. Shall
my steps approach their host? I yielded to Oscar
alone in the strife of the race, on Cona !"
" Fillan, thou shalt not approach their host; nor
fall before thy fame is known. My name is heard in
song : when needful, I advance. From the skirts of
night I shall view them over all their gleaming
tribes. Why, Fillan, didst thou speak of Oscar?
Why awake my sigh ! I must forget the warrior,
till the storm is rolled away. Sadness ought not to
dwell in danger, nor the tear in the eye of war.
Our fathers forgot their fallen sons, till the noise
of arms was past. Then sorrow returned to the
tomb, and the song of bards arose. The memory of ,
those who fell quickly followed the departure of J
war: when the tumult of battle is past, the soul in '
silence melts away for the dead.
" Conar was the brother of Trathal, first of mortal
men. His battles were on every coast. A thousand J
streams rolled down the blood of his foes. His famej
filled green Erin, like a pleasant gale. The nationsj
* The southern parts of Ireland went, for somel
time, under the name of Eolga, from the Fir-bolg or 1
Belga; of Britain, who settled a colony there. '
signifies ' a quiver,' from which proceeds ' Fir-bolg,* I
i. e. 'bowmen:' so called from their using bows I
more than any of the neighbouring nations.