Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

16S THE POEMS OF OSSIAN.
Night came down on U-thomo. Still stood the
chiefs in their grief. The blast whistled, by turns,
through every warrior's hair. Fingal, at length, broke
forth from the thoughts of his soul. He called UUin
of harps, and bade the song to rise. ' No falling fire,
that is only seen, and then retires in night ; no de-
parting meteor was he that is laid so low. He was
like the strong-beaming sun, long rejoicing on his
hiU. Call the names of his fathers from their dwell-
ings old!'
I-thorno, said the bard, that risest midst ridgy seas !
Why is thy head so gloomy in the ocean's mist ?
From thy vales came forth a race, fearless as thy
strong-winged eagles : the race of Colgorm of iron
shields, dwellers of Loda's hall.
In Tormoth's resounding isle arose Lurthan,
streamy lull. It bent its woody head over a silent
vale. There, at foamy Cruruth's source, dwelt Rur-
mar, hunter of boars ! His daughter was fair as a
sun-beam, white-bosomed Strina-dona !
Many a king of heroes, and hero of iron shields ; '<
many a youth of heavy locks came to Rm-mar's echo-
ing hall. They came to woo the maid, the stately
huntress of Tormoth wild. But thou lookest careless
from thy steps, high-bosomed Strina-dona !
If on the heath she moved, her breast was whiter
than the down of cana ;* if on the sea-beat shore, than
tlie foam of the rolUng ocean. Her eyes were two
stars of light. Her face was heaven's bow in showers.
Her dark hair flowed round it, like the streaming
clouds. Thou wert the dweller of souls, white-handed
Strina-dona!
Colgorm came in his ship, and Corcul-suran, king
of shells. The brothers came from I-thorno to woo
the sun-beam of Tormoth wild. She saw them in
their echoing steel. Her soul was fixed on blue-eyed
Colgorm. Ul-lochUn'st nightly eye looked in, and saw
the tossing arms of Strina-dona.
Wrathful the brothers frowned. Their flaming
* The cana is a certain kind of grass, which grows plentifully
in the heatliy morasses of ihe north.
t Ul-lochhn, • the guide to Lochlin ; ' the name of a star.