![]() The souls of the heroes were sad when she raised the tuneful voice for often had they seen the grave of Salgar ‡ ‡ Sealg-'er, a hunter. came sorth in her beauty with down-cast look and tearful eye her hair flew slowly on the blast that rushed unfrequent from the hill. MINONA † † Ossian introduces Minona, not in the ideal scene in his own mind, which he had described but at the annual feast of Selma, where the bards repeated their works before Fingal. , with the tuneful voice, and the soft complaint of Minona ! - How are ye changed, my friends, since the days of Selma's feast ! when we contended, like the gales of the spring, that, flying over the hill, by turns bend the feebly-whistling grafs. Breac't in, variegated island, so called from the face of the country, from the natives painting themselves, or from their party-coloured cloaths. The present name of our island has its origin in the Celtic tongue so that those who derived it from any other, betrayed their ignorance of the ancient language of our country. And see the bards of the song, gray-haired Ullin stately Ryno Alpin * * Alpin is from the same root with Albion, or rather Albin, the ancient name of Britain Alp, high Inland, or country. Fingal comes like a watry column of mist his heroes are around. Their gathering is on Lora, as in the days that are past. ĪND it does arise in its strength ! I behold my departed friends. Farewel, thou silent beam ! - Let the light of Ossian's soul arise. The waves come with joy around thee, and bathe thy lovely hair. What dost thou behold, fair light ? But thou dost smile and depart. The flies of evening are on their feeble wings, and the hum of their course is on the field. The murmur of the torrent comes from afar. What dost thou behold in the plain ? The stormy winds are laid. STAR of the falling night ! fair is thy light in the west ! thou liftest thy unshorn head from thy cloud : thy steps are stately on thy hill. Three of the songs which are introduced in this piece, were published among the fragments of ancient poetry, printed last year. The address to the evening star, with which it opens, has in the original all the harmony that numbers could give it flowing down with all that tranquility and softness, which the scene described naturally inspires. ![]() ![]() The poem is entirely lyric, and has great variety of versification. ![]()
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