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of song , gray…haired Ullin! stately Ryno ! Alpin with the tuneful
voice : the soft plaint of Minona ! How are ye changed , my friends,
since the days of Selma's feast ! when we contended, like gales of spring
as they fly along the hill, and bend by turns the feebly whistling grass。
〃Minona came forth in her beauty, with downcast look and tearful
eye。 Her hair was flying slowly with the blast that rushed unfrequent
from the hill。 The souls of the heroes were sad when she raised the tuneful
voice。 Oft had they seen the grave of Salgar, the dark dwelling of white…bosomed
Colma。 Colma left alone on the hill with all her voice of song! Salgar
promised to e! but the night descended around。 Hear the voice of Colma,
when she sat alone on the hill!
〃Colma。 It is night : I am alone , forlorn on the hill of storms。
The wind is heard on the mountain。 The torrent is howling down the rock。
No hut receives me from the rain: forlorn on the hill of winds !
〃Rise moon! from behind thy clouds。 Stars of the night , arise!
Lead me , some light , to the place where my love rests from the chase
alone ! His bow near him unstrung, his dogs panting around him! But
here I must sit alone by the rock of the mossy stream。 The stream and
the wind roar aloud。 I hear not the voice of my love! Why delays my Salgar
; why the chief of the hill his promise? Here is the rock and here the
tree! here is the roaring stream ! Thou didst promise with night to
be here。 Ah ! whither is my Salgar gone? With thee I would fly from
my father , with thee from my brother of pride。 Our race have long been
foes: we are not foes, O Salgar !
〃Cease a little while , O wind ! stream , be thou silent awhile!
let my voice be heard around! let my wanderer hear me! Salgar ! it
is Colma who calls。 Here is the tree and the rock。 Salgar , my love,
I am here ! Why delayest thou thy ing ? Lo ! the calm moon es
forth。 The flood is bright in the vale。 The rocks are gray on the steep。
I see him not on the brow。 His dogs e not before him with tidings of
his near approach。 Here I must sit alone!
〃Who lie on the heath beside me ? Are they my love and my brother?
Speak to me , O my friends ! To Colma they give no reply。 Speak to me
: I am alone ! My soul is tormented with fears。 Ah, they are dead!
Their swords are red from the fight。 O my brother ! my brother ! why
hast thou slain my Salgar ! Why, O Salgar , hast thou slain my brother!
Dear were ye both to me ! what shall I say in your praise? Thou wert
fair on the hill among thousands! he was terrible in fight ! Speak to
me! hear my voice! hear me, sons of my love! They are silent! silent
for ever! Cold , cold , are their breasts of clay! Oh , from the
rock on the hill, from the top of the windy steep, speak, ye ghosts
of the dead ! Speak, I will not be afraid ! Whither are ye gone to
rest? In what cave of the hill shall I find the departed ? No feeble
voice is on the gale: no answer half drowned in the storm!
〃I sit in my grief: I wait for morning in my tears ! Rear the tomb,
ye friends of the dead。 Close it not till Colma e。 My life flies away
like a dream。 Why should I stay behind? Here shall I rest with my friends,
by the stream of the sounding rock。 When night es on the hill when
the loud winds arise my ghost shall stand in the blast, and mourn the
death of my friends。 The hunter shall hear from his booth ; he shall
fear, but love my voice! For sweet shall my voice be for my friends
: pleasant were her friends to Colma。
〃Such was thy song, Minona , softly blushing daughter of Torman。
Our tears descended for Colma , and our souls were sad ! Ullin came
with his harp ; he gave the song of Alpin。 The voice of Alpin was pleasant,
the soul of Ryno was a beam of fire ! But they had rested in the narrow
house : their voice had ceased in Selma! Ullin had returned one day
from the chase before the heroes fell。 He heard their strife on the hill
: their song was soft, but sad! They mourned the fall of Morar , first
of mortal men ! His soul was like the soul of Fingal : his sword like
the sword of Oscar。 But he fell , and his father mourned : his sister's
eyes were full of tears。 Minona's eyes were full of tears , the sister
of car…borne Morar。 She retired from the song of Ullin, like the moon
in the west , when she foresees the shower , and hides her fair head
in a cloud。 I touched the harp with Ullin : the song of morning rose !
〃Ryno。 The wind and the rain are past , calm is the noon of day。
The clouds are divided in heaven。 Over the green hills flies the inconstant
sun。 Red through the stony vale es down the stream of the hill。 Sweet
are thy murmurs , O stream ! but more sweet is the voice I hear。 It
is the voice of Alpin , the son of song, mourning for the dead! Bent
is his head of age: red his tearful eye。 Alpin , thou son of song ,
why alone on the silent hill? why plainest thou , as a blast in the
wood as a wave on the lonely shore?
〃Alpin。 My tears, O Ryno ! are for the dead my voice for those that
have passed away。 Tall thou art on the hill ; fair among the sons of
the vale。 But thou shalt fall like Morar: the mourner shall sit on thy
tomb。 The hills shall know thee no more : thy bow shall lie in thy hall
unstrung!
〃Thou wert swift, O Morar! as a roe on the desert : terrible as
a meteor of fire。 Thy wrath was as the storm。 Thy sword in battle as lightning
in the field。 Thy voice was as a stream after rain, like thunder on distant
hills。 Many fell by thy arm : they were consumed in the flames of thy
wrath。 But when thou didst return from war, how peaceful was thy brow。
Thy face was like the sun after rain: like the moon in the silence of
night : calm as the breast of the lake when the loud wind is laid。
〃Narrow is thy dwelling now ! dark the place of thine abode! With
three steps I pass thy grave , O thou who wast so great before! Four
stones, with their heads of moss , are the only memorial of thee。 A
tree with scarce a leaf , long grass which whistles in the wind, mark
to the hunter's eye the grave of the mighty Morar。 Morar! thou art low
indeed。 Thou hast no mother to mourn thee , no maid with her tears of
love。 Dead is she that brought thee forth。 Fallen is the daughter of Morglan。
〃Who on his staff is this ? Who is this whose head is white with
age , whose eyes are red with tears, who quakes at every step ? It
is thy father , O Morar! the father of no son but thee。 He heard of
thy fame in war , he heard of foes dispersed。 He heard of Morar's renown,
why did he not hear of his wound? Weep , thou father of Morar ! Weep,
but thy son heareth thee not。 Deep is the sleep of the dead , low their
pillow of dust。 No more shall he hear thy voice , no more awake at thy
call。 When shall it be morn in the grave, to bid the slumberer awake ?
Farewell, thou bravest of men! thou conqueror in the field! but the
field shall see thee no more, nor the dark wood be lightened with the
splendour of thy steel。 Thou has left no son。 The song shall preserve
thy name。 Future times shall hear of thee they shall hear of the fallen
Morar !
〃The grief of all arose , but most the bursting sigh of Armin。 He
remembers the death of his son, who fell in the days of his youth。 Carmor
was near the hero , the chief of the echoing Galmal。 Why burst the sigh
of Armin? he said。 Is there a cause to mourn ? The song es with its
music to melt and please the soul。 It is like soft mist that, rising
from a lake , pours on the silent vale ; the green flowers are filled
with dew, but the sun returns in his strength, and the mist is gone。
Why art thou sad, O Armin, chief of sea…surrounded Gorma?
〃Sad I am ! nor small is my cause of woe ! Carmor , thou hast lost
no son; thou hast lost no daughter of beauty。 Colgar the valiant lives,
and Annira, fairest maid。 The boughs of thy house ascend , O Carmor !
but Armin is the last of his race。 Dark is thy bed, O Daura! deep thy
sleep in the tomb ! When shalt t