MACPHERSON'S TRANSLATION. "Another sport is drawing near: 100 "It is like the dark rolling of that wave on the coast! "Or shall we fight, ye sons of war! "Or yield green Erin to Lochlin ! "Thou hast often fought with Lochlin : "Cuthullin!" calm the chief replied, The spear "To mix with the blood of thousands. "His masts are many on our coast, "His ships are forests clothed with mist, 105 110 115 "When the trees yield by turns to the squally wind. NEW TRANSLATION. "Another sport awaits us now: "The foe is off that projecting point,* "And bends full sail around the shore. "Shall we fight the sons of billowy Lochlin? "Or leave we Erin to the invading foe?† "Connal, thou first of men, "Illustrious breaker of the shields, "Oft hast thou fought with men of the east; "O chief, wilt thou lift thy father's shield!" Cuchullin," he mildly replied, "The spear of Connal is keen in war; "I delight, as I have ever done, "To slay my thousands ‡ in the field. Though my hand would seek the battle, My heart desires the peace of Erin. 105 110 115 "Bravest chief of the illustrious Cormac, "Behold the hostile fleet as it rises, 120 "As it mounts aloft on the distant wave; § "As a wood on Lego of the brave, 125 66 Fingal himself would shun the contest, High chief of the sons of Alba: "Fingal, who disperses the brave, * Is about the bending of the sea. Hundreds. + The invader. 130 § On the edge of the shore. MACPHERSON'S TRANSLATION. "When streams roar though echoing Cona; "And night settles with all her clouds on the hill !” "Fly, thou man of peace," said Calmar, Fly," said the son of Matha: "Go, Connal, to thy silent hills, "Where the spear never brightens in war! "Pursue the dark-brown deer of Cromla: 130 Stop with thine arrows the bounding roes of Lena. "But, blue-eyed son of Semo, "Let no vessel of the kingdom of Snow "Bound on the dark-rolling waves of Inistore. "Rise, ye dark winds of Erin, rise! "Roar, whirlwinds of Lara of hinds! "Amid the tempest let me die, Torn, in a cloud, by angry ghosts of men : "Amid the tempest let Calmar die, "If ever chase was sport to him, 140 145 150 NEW TRANSLATION. "When the torrent roars through the rocky Cona, "Let his spear contend with the hind, 66 -High chief of our numerous bands,† Disperse and rout the sons of Lochlin of ships, "Scatter the host of sea-borne strangers, "Till not a skiff shall rise upon the wave, "With sail or plying oar. "On the raging sea of Innis-tore "Let the wind of Erin rise with strength; "Let the black tempest descend from on high May I perish by a blast from heaven, If I prefer not to the chase of the deer, The hottest conflicts of embattled hosts.” "Young son of Mathas, I ne'er yet declined "The strife of shields; and I was nigh My friends in battle with the lifted spear: "But though I was, renown I courted not. "In my presence victory was obtained: "The valiant overcame and pursued. • Out of my sight the peace! 140 145 150 † Of natives and auxiliaries. ↑ May I fall by the breath of a ghost. 155 MACPHERSON'S TRANSLATION. "But, son of Semo, hear my voice, "C Regard the ancient throne of Cormac. "I lift the sword and spear. 155 My joy shall be in the midst of thousands; [fight!*” My soul shall lighten through the gloom of the "To me," Cuthullin replies, 161 "Pleasant is the noise of arms! "Pleasant as the thunder of heaven, "Before the shower of spring! "But gather all the shining tribes, 165 "That I may view the sons of war! "Let them pass along the heath, Bright as the sunshine before a storm; "When the west wind collects the clouds, "And Morven echoes over all her oaks ! "But where are my friends in battle? "The supporters of my arm in danger! "Where art thou, white-bosom'd Cathbar? "Where is that cloud in war, Duchomar? "Hast thou left me, O Fergus! "In the day of the storm? Fergus, first in our joy at the feast! "Son of Rossa! arm of death! "Comest thou like a roe from Malmor? 170 175 * A turgid and unnecessary addition to the beautiful and sublime original. |