The DERSAGRENA. he chace is over. No noife on Ardven, but the torrent's roar! Daughter of Morni, come from Crona's banks. Lay down *) This down the bow, and take the harp. Let the night come on with fongs, and our joy be great on Ardven. MELIL his 211 commanded an expedition against the Cale donians. 1 The variety of the measure fhews, that the poem was originally fet to mulic, and perhaps presented before the chiefs upon folemn occafions. Tradition has handed down the ftory more complete, than it is in the poem. "Comala, the daughter of Sarno king of Inis tore or Orkney iflands, fell in love with Fingal the fon of Comhal, at a feast, to which her father had invited him, [Fingal, B. III.] upon return from Lochlin, after the death of Agandec ca. Her paffion was so violent, that she follow ed him, disguifed like a youth, who wanted to be employed in his wars. She was foon disco vered by Hidallan the fon of Lamor, one of Fingal's heroes, whofe love she had flighted fo me time before. Her romantic paffion and beauty recommended her fo much to the king, that he had refolved to make her his wife; when news was brought him of Caracul's expedition. He inarched to stop the progrefs of the enemy, and Comala atteended him. He left her on a hill, within fight of Caracul's army, he himself went to battle. having previously pro when mifed, MELILCOMA *). And night comes on, thou blue-eyed maid, gray night grows dim along the plain. I faw a deer at Crona's ftream; a moffy bank he seemed through the gloom, but foon he bounded away. A meteor played round his branchy horns; and the awful faces **) of other times looked from the clouds of Crona.. DERSAGRENA **). Thefe are the figns of Fingal's death. ———— The king of fhields is fallen! and Caracul prevails. Rife, Comala ****), from thy rocks; daughter of Sarno, rife in tears. The youth of thy love is low, and his ghoft is already on our hills. MELIL mifed, if he furvived, to return that night.” The fequel of the story may be gathered from the poem itself. ***) Derfagrena, the brightness of a fun-beam. There Comala fits forlorn! two gray dogs near fhake their rough ears, and catch the flying breeze. Her red cheek refts on her arm, and the mountain wind is in her hair. She turns her blue - rolling eyes towards the fields of his promife. Where art thou o Fingal, for the night is gathering around? COMALA. O CARUN *) of the streams! why do I behold thy waters rolling in blood? Has the noife of the battle been heard on thy banks; and fleeps the king of Morven? moon, thou daughter of the fky! between thy clouds, that I may Rise, look from behold the light *) Carun or Cara'on, a winding river. This river retains till the name of Carron, and falls into the Forth, fome miles to the North of Falkirk. Gentesque alias cum pelleret armis Sedibus, aut victas vilem fervaret in ufum BUCHANAN. light of his steel, on the field, of his promife. Or rather let the meteor, that lights our departed fathers through the night, come, with its red light, to fhew me the way to my fallen hero. Who will defend me from forrow? Who. from the love of Hidallan? Long fhall Comala look, before the can behold Fingal in the midft of his hoft; bright as the beam of the morning in the cloud of an early fhower. HIDALLA N. Roll, thou mift of gloomy Crona, roll on the path of the hunter. Hide his fteps from mine eyes, and let me remember my friend no more. The bands of battle are fcattered, and no crowding steps are round the noife of his fteel. O Carun, roll thy ftreams of blood, for the chief of the people fell. COMA *) Hidallan was fent by Fingal, to give notice tq Comala of his return; he, to revenge hìnfelf on her, for flighting his love fome time before, told her that the king was killed in battle. He even pretended that he carried his body from the field, to be buried in her prefence; and this circumftance makes it probable, that the poem was prefented of old. |