The Poems of Ossian: To which are Prefixed a Preliminary Discourse and Dissertation on the Æra and Poems of OssianEpic poems are free translations by Macpherson from Ossian, the legendary Gaelic narrator and author. |
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Page 32
... rose the red - haired strength of Sulin . Fierce rolled his deep - sunk eye . His shaggy brows stood erect . His face was contracted with scorn . Thrice his spear pierced my buckler . Thrice his sword struck on my helm . Swift flashes ...
... rose the red - haired strength of Sulin . Fierce rolled his deep - sunk eye . His shaggy brows stood erect . His face was contracted with scorn . Thrice his spear pierced my buckler . Thrice his sword struck on my helm . Swift flashes ...
Page 40
... fell in blood , or rose in terror on the waves of the main . Darkly sat the gray - haired chief ; * The Gaelic name of Scandinavia , or Scandinia The mountains of Sevo But when the war . yet sorrow dwelt not in 40 PREFACE .
... fell in blood , or rose in terror on the waves of the main . Darkly sat the gray - haired chief ; * The Gaelic name of Scandinavia , or Scandinia The mountains of Sevo But when the war . yet sorrow dwelt not in 40 PREFACE .
Page 42
... rose , of antique form , For ages batter'd by the polar storm . To this , fierce Sigurd fled from Norway's lord , When fortune settled on the warrior's sword , In that rude field , where Suecia's chiefs were slain , Or forc'd to wander ...
... rose , of antique form , For ages batter'd by the polar storm . To this , fierce Sigurd fled from Norway's lord , When fortune settled on the warrior's sword , In that rude field , where Suecia's chiefs were slain , Or forc'd to wander ...
Page 44
... fables concerning the high antiquities of their respective na- tions . Good historians , however , rose very early amongst them , and transmitted , with lustre , their A Dissertation concerning the Æra of Ossian...............
... fables concerning the high antiquities of their respective na- tions . Good historians , however , rose very early amongst them , and transmitted , with lustre , their A Dissertation concerning the Æra of Ossian...............
Page 83
... rose in wrath , and his father gravely desired him to spend his rage on his enemies , which he did to so good purpose , that he singly routed a whole wing of their army . The confederate kings advanced , notwithstanding , till they came ...
... rose in wrath , and his father gravely desired him to spend his rage on his enemies , which he did to so good purpose , that he singly routed a whole wing of their army . The confederate kings advanced , notwithstanding , till they came ...
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Common terms and phrases
arms arose art thou Atha Balclutha bards battle beam behold bend blast blood blue streams Cairbar Calmar car-borne Carril Carthon Cathmor cave chief cloud Clutha Comala Cona Connal Cormac Cromla Cuthullin dark daughter death distant dost thou dwelling echoing Erin eyes fame fathers feast feeble fell field Fillan Fingal fled Foldath friends Gaul ghosts gleaming gray grief hair hall hand harp hear heard heath heaven heroes hill Iliad Ireland king of Morven king of swords Lego lift light Lochlin maid midst mighty mist moon Morni mossy mournful Nathos night Oscar Ossian poems poet poetical poetry race raised renown rise roar rock rolled rose rushed Selma shield side sigh silent song sons soul sound spear steel steps stood storm strangers stream strength Swaran sword tears Temora thee tomb Torman Trenmor Ullin Uthal vale voice warriors waves wind youth
Popular passages
Page 171 - Clos'd o'er the head of your lov'd Lycidas 1 For neither were ye playing on the steep Where your old bards, the famous Druids, he ! Nor on the shaggy top of Mona, high, Nor yet where Deva spreads her wizard
Page 126 - all my bones to shake. Then a spirit passed before my face : the hair of my flesh stood up It stood still : but 1 could not discern the form thereof.
Page 233 - hear a feeble voice ! The beam of heaven delights to shine on the grave of Carthon : I feel it warm around. O thou that rollest above, round as the shield of my fathers ! Whence are thy beams, O sun ! thy everlasting light! Thou
Page 145 - the description of the young prince Cormac, in the same book ; and the ruins of Balclutha, in Cartho. " I have seen the walls of Balclutha, but they were desolate. The fire had resounded in the halls: and the voice of the people is heard no more. The stream
Page 225 - O bards, over the land of strangers. They have but fallen before us : for one day we must fall. Why dost thou build the hall, son of the winged days ? Thou lookest from thy towers to-day: yet a few years, and the blast of the
Page 285 - liftest thy unshorn head from thy cloud: thy steps are stately on thy hill. What dost thou behold in the plain? The stormy winds are laid. The murmur of the torrent comes from afar. Roaring waves climb the distant rock. The flies of evening are on their feeble wings: the hum of their course is
Page 287 - 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
Page 285 - the field. What dost thou behold, fair light ? But thou dost smile and depart. The waves come with joy around thee: they bathe thy lovely hair. Farewell, thou silent beam ! Let the light of Ossian's soul arise! And it does arise in its strength ! I behold my departed friends. Their gathering is on Lora, as in
Page 166 - spread out into little episodes. In the following example may be perceived what inexpressible grandeur poetry receives from the intervention of the Deity. " The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters ; but God shall rebuke them, and they shall
Page 223 - The mighty lie, O Malvina ! in the narrow plain of the rock. A tale of the times of old! The deeds of days of other years ! Who comes from the land of strangers, with his thousands around him ? The sunbeam pours its bright stream before him ; his hair meets the wind of his