Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

FINGAL 51
What disturbs the departed Crugal ? " Dim, and in tears,
he stood and stretched his pale hand over the hero.
Faintly he raised his feeble voice, like the gale of the
reedy Lego I
" My spirit, Connal, is on my hills ; my corse on the
sands of Erin.* Thou shalt never talk with Crugal, nor
find his lone steps in the heath. I am light as the
blast of Cromla. I move like the shadow of mist!
Connal, son of Colgar, I see a cloud of death : it
hovers dark over the plains of Lena. The sons of
green Erin must fall. Remove from the field of ghosts."
Like the darkened moon he retired, in the midst of the
whistling blast. " Stay," said the mighty Connal,
"stay, my dark -red friend. Lay by that beam of
heaven, son of the windy Cromla ! What cave is thy
lonely house? What green-headed hill the place of thy
repose ? Shall we not hear thee in the storm ? In the
noise of the mountain-stream ? When the feeble sons of
the wind come forth, and, scarcely seen, pass over the
desert ? "
The soft-voiced Connal rose, in the midst of his
sounding arms. He struck his shield above Cuthullin.
The son of battle waked. "Why," said the ruler of the
car, " comes Connal through my night ? My spear
might turn against the sound ; and Cuthullin mourn the
death of his friend. Speak, Connal ; son of Colgar,
speak, thy counsel is the sun of heaven!" "Son of
Semo I " replied the chief, " the ghost of Crugal came
from his cave. The stars dim -twinkled through his
form. His voice was like the sound of a distant stream.
He is a messenger of death! He speaks of the dark
and narrow house ! Sue for peace, O chief of Erin 1 or
fly over the heath of Lena."
* This observation leaves me to infer that Cuthullin attacked
Swaran immediately he landed on the beach — a fine sandy one —
of Belfast Loch. C.