Page images
PDF
EPUB

nan, be this arm if death meet him not

there.

[ocr errors]

CONNAN! faith Euran, this night fhall the stranger carry thy fifter away. My fword fhall meet him, replies Connan, and he fhall lie low on earth.

THE friends met by night, and they fought.

Blood and fweat ran down

their limbs as water on the moffy rock. Connan falls and cries, O Durftan, be favourable to Rivine! And is it

my

friend, cries Ronnan, I have flain? O Connan! I knew thee not.

He went, and he fought with Furftan. Day began to rife on the combat, when fainting they fell, and expired. Rivine came out with the morn; and O what detains my Ronnan! -She faw him lying pale in his blood; and her brother lying pale by his fide..

What

T

What could fhe fay? what could fhe do? her complaints were many and vain.. She opened this grave for the warriours; and fell into it herfelf, before it was clofed; like the fun fnatched away in a ftorm.

THOU haft heard this tale of grief, O fair daughter of the ifles! Rivine was fair as thyfelf: fhed on her grave a

tear.

IT

X.

Tis night; and I am alone, forlorn on the hill of storms.

heard in the mountain.

The wind is

The torrent

fhrieks down the rock. No hut receives

me from the rain; forlorn on the hill of winds.

RISE, moon! from behind thy clouds; ftars of the night, appear! Lead me, fome light, to the place where my love refts from the toil of the chace! his bow near him, unftrung; his dogs panting around him. But here I must fit alone, by the rock of the moffy ftream. The ftream and the wind roar; nor can I hear the voice of my

love.

WHY delayeth my Shalgar, why the fon of the hill, his promife? Here is the

the rock; and the tree; and here the roaring ftream. Thou promisedst with night to be here. Ah! whither is my Shalgar gone? With thee I would fly my father; with thee, my brother of pride. Our race have long been foes; but we are not foes, O Shalgar!

CEASE a little while, O wind! ftream, be thou filent a while! let my voice be heard over the heath; let my wanderer hear me. Shalgar! it is I who call. Here is the tree, and the rock. Shalgar, my love! I am here. Why delayeft thou thy coming? Alas! no answer.

Lo! the moon appeareth.

flood is bright in the vale.

The

The rocks

are grey on the face of the hill.

But

I fee him not on the brow; his dogs before him tell not that he is coming. Here I muft fit alone.

BUT

BUT who are thefe that lie beyond me on the heath? Are they my love and my brother?-Speak to me, O my friends! they anfwer not. My foul is tormented with fears.-Ah! they are dead. Their fwords are red from the fight. O my brother! my brother! why haft thou flain my Shalgar? why, O Shalgar! haft thou flain my brother? Dear were ye both to me! fpeak to me; hear my voice, fons of my love! But alas! they are filent; filent for ever! Cold are their breasts of clay!

OH! from the rock of the hill; from the top of the mountain of winds, fpeak ye ghosts of the dead! fpeak, and I will not be afraid.- -Whither are ye gone to reft? In what cave of the hill fhall I find you?

I fit in my grief.

ing in my tears.

I wait for mornRear the tomb, ye friends

« PreviousContinue »