not that he went to war. He faid he would return with the night; and the king of Morven is returned. Why didft thou not tell me that he would fall, O trembling fon of the rock! Thou haft feen him in the blood of his youth, but thou didst not tell Comala 1 MELILCOMA. WHAT found is that on Ardven? Who is that bright in the vale? Who comes like the frength of rivers, when their crowded waters glitter to the moon? COMALA. WHO is it but the foe of Comala, the fon of the king of the world! Ghoft of Fingal! do thou, from thy cloud, direct Comala's bow. Let him fall like the hart of the defart.—It is Fingal in the crowd of his ghofts.---Why doft thou come, my love, to frighten and please my foul? FINGAL. RAISE, ye bards of the fong, the wars of the ftreamy Carun. Caracul has fled from my arms By the fon of the rock she means a druid. It is probable that fome of the order of the druids remained as late as the beginning of the reign of Fingal; and that Comala had confulted one of them concerning the event of the war with Caracu!. along the fields of his pride. He fets far diftant like a meteor that inclofes a spirit of night, when the winds drive it over the heath, and the dark woods are gleaming around. I HEARD a voice like the breeze of my hills. Is it the huntrefs of Galmal, the white-handed daughter of Sarno? Look from thy rocks*, my love; and let me hear the voice of Comala. COMALA. TAKE me to the cave of thy reft, O lovely fon of death!- FINGAL. COME to the cave of my reft.The form is over, and the fun is on our fields. Come to the cave of my reft, huntress of echoing Cona. COMALA. He is returned with his fame; I feel the right hand of his battles.But I muft reft befide the rock till my foul fettle from fear.---Let the harp * O my dove that art in the clefts of the rock, in the fecret places of the stairs, let me fee thy countenance, let me hear thy SOLOMON'S Song. voice. + The winter is paft, the rain is over and gone. SOLOMON'S Song. be near; Morni. and raise the fong, ye daughters of DERSAGRENA. COMALA has flain three deer on Ardven, and the fire afcends on the rock; go to the feast of Comala, king of the woody Morven! FINGAL. may RAISE, ye fons of fong, the wars of the ftreamy Carun; that my white-handed maid rejoice while I behold the feast of my love. BARDS. * ROLL, freamy Carun, roll in joy, the fons of battle fled. The fteed is not feen on our fields; and the wings of their pride spread in other lands. The fun will now rife in peace, and the fhadows defcend in joy. The voice of the chace will be heard; and the fhields hang in the hall. Our delight will be in the war of the ocean, and our hands be red in the blood of Lochlin. Roll, ftreamy Carun, roll in joy, the fons of battle fled. MELILCOMA. DESCEND, ye light mifts from high; ye moon-beams, lift her foul.Pale lies the maid at the rock!, Comala is no more! * Perhaps the poet alludes to the Roman eagle." FINGAL. Is the daughter of Sarno dead; the whitebofomed maid of my love? Meet me, Comala, on my heaths, when I fit alone at the ftreams of my hills. HIDALLAN. CEASED the voice of the huntress of Galmal? Why did I trouble the foul of the maid? When shall I see thee, with joy, in the chace of the dark-brown hinds? FINGAL. YOUTH of the gloomy brow! no more fhalt thou feast in my halls. Thou shalt not pursue my chace, and my foes fhall not fall by thy fword Lead me to the place of her reft that I may behold her beauty.-Pale the lies at the rock, and the cold winds lift her hair. Her bow-ftring founds in the blaft, and her arrow was broken in her fall. Raife the praife of the daughter of Sarno, and give her name to the wind of the hills. BARDS. SEE! meteors roll around the maid; and moon-beams lift her foul! Around her, from * The fequel of the ftory of Hidallan is introduced, as an epifode, in the poem which immediately follows in this collection. their clouds, bend the awful faces of her fathers; Sarno* of the gloomy brow; and the red-rolling eyes of Fidallan. When fhall thy whitehand arife, and thy voice be heard on our rocks? The maids fhall feek thee on the heath, but they will not find thee. Thou shalt come, at times, to their dreams, and fettle peace in their foul. Thy voice fhall remain in their ears, and they shall think with joy on the dreams of their reft. Meteors roll around the maid, and moon-beams lift her foul! * Sarno the father of Comala died foon after the flight of his daughter.Fidallan was the first king that reigned in Inistore. + The angel ended, and in Adam's ear |