Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

454 THE POEMS OF OSSIAN.
is then no more. I remember thee, O Fillan! and
my wrath begins to rise."
The king took his deathful spear, and struck the
deeply-sounding shield: his shield, that hung high
in night, the dismal sign of war. Ghosts fled on
every side, and rolled their gathered forms on the
wind . Thrice from the winding vales arose the voice
of deaths. The harps of the bards, untouched,
sound mournful over the hill.
He struck again the shield ; battles rose in the
dreams of his host. The wide-tumbling strife is
gleaming over their souls. Blue-shielded kings de-
scend to war. Backward-looking armies fly; and
mighty deeds are half-hid in the bright gleams of
steel.
But when the third sound arose, deer started from
the clefts of their rocks. The screams of fowl are
heard, in the desert, as each flew, frightened on his
blast. The sons of Selma half-rose, and half-as-
sumed their spears. But silence rolled back on the
host: they knew the shield of the king. Sleep re-
turned to their eyes ; the field was dark and still.
No sleep was thine in darkness, blue-eyed daughter
of Conmor ! Sul-malla heard the dreadful shield, and
rose, amid the night. Her steps are towards the
kingof Atha. " Can danger shake his daring soul?"
In doubt, she stands, with bending eyes. Heaven
burns with all its stars.
Again the shield resounds! She rushed. She
stopt. Her voice half-rose. Itfailed. Shesawhim,
amidst his arms, that gleamed to heaven's fire. She
saw him dim in his locks, that rose to nightly wind.
Away, for fear, she turned her steps. " Why should
the king of Erin awake ? Thou art not a dream to
his rest, daughter of luis-huna."
More dreadful rings the shield. Sul-malla starts.
Her helmet falls. Loud echoes Lubar's rock, as
over it rolls the steel. Bursting from the dreams of
night, Cathmor half-rose beneath his tree. He saw
the form of the maid above him, on the rock. A
red star, with twinkling beam, looked through her
floating hair.