Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

76 OSSIAN
oak shook its leaves around. Of Everallin were my
thoughts, when in all the light of beauty she came.
Her blue eyes rolling in tears. She stood on a cloud
before my sight, and spoke with feeble voice. "Rise,
Ossian, rise, and save my son; save Oscar, prince of
men. Near the red oak of Lubar's stream, he fights with
Lochlin's sons." She sunk into her cloud again. I
covered me with steel. My spear supported my steps ;
my rattling armour rung. I hummed, as I was wont
in danger, the songs of heroes of old. Like distant
thunder Lochlin heard. They fled ; my son pursued.
I called him like a distant stream. Oscar, return
over Lena. " No further pursue the foe," I said,
"though Ossian is behind thee." He came! and
pleasant to my ear was Oscar's sounding steel. "Why
didst thou stop my hand," he said, "till death had
covered all ? For dark and dreadful by the stream they
met thy son and Fillan ! They watched the terrors
of the night. Our swords have conquered some. But
as the vnnds of night pour the ocean over the white
sands of Mora, so dark advance the sons of Lochlin,
over Lena's rustling heath ! The ghosts of night shriek
afar : I have seen the meteors of death. Let me awake
the king of Morven, he that smiles in danger 1 He that
is like the sun of heaven, rising in a storm ! "
Fingal had started from a dream, and leaned on
Trenmor's shield ; the dark-brown shield of his fathers ;
which they had lifted of old in war. The hero had
seen, in his rest, the mournful form of Agandecca. She
came from the way of the ocean. She slowly, lonely,
moved over Lena. Her face was pale like the mist
of Cromla. Dark were the tears of her cheek. She
often raised her dim hand from her robe ; her robe
which was of the clouds of the desert ; she raised
her dim hand over Fingal, and turned away her silent
eyes. "Why weeps the daughter of Starno?" said
Fingal with a sigh; "why is thy face so pale, fair