Ossian Collection > Fingal

62 THE WAR OF INIS-THONA.
shall see my tomb , and weep over the yout-h, that
came from afar. The bard shall say, at the feast,
Hear the song of Oscar from the distant land I ..
"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; thou art of the race
of renown : let not the children of strangers say,
Feeble are the sons of Morven! Be thou, in battle,
a 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. ,.
They lifted up the sounding sail; the wind
whistled through the thongs *) of their masts.
Waves lash the oozy rocks : the strength of ocean
roars. My son beheld, from the wave, the land
of groves. He rushed into Runa's sounding bay,
and sent his sword to Annir of spears. The grey-
haired hero rose, when he saw the sword of Fingal.
His eyes were full of tears; he remembered his
battles" in youth. Twice had they lifted the spear
before the lovely Agandecca: heroes stood far
distant, as if two spirits were striving in winds.
"Bat now,,, began the king, "I am old; the
sword lies useless in my hall. Thou, who art of
Morven's race I Annir has seen the battle of spears;
but now he is pale and withered, like the oak of
Lano. I have no son to meet thee with joy, to
bring thee to the halls of his fathers. Argon is pale
in the tomb , and Ruro is no more. My daughter
is in the hall of strangers : she longs to behold my
tomb. Her spouse shakes ten thousand spears;
he comes a cloud of death from Lano. Come, to
share the feast of Annir, son of echoing Morven! ..
Three days they feasted together; on the fourth,
Annir heard the liame of Oscar. They rejoiced in
the shell **). They pursued the boars of Runa.
Beside the fount of mossy stones the weary heroes
*) Leather thongs were used among the Celtic nations, in-
stead of ropes.
'•) "To rejoice in the shell, „ is a phrase for feasting sumptu-