Temora - Book V Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A B C D E F G H D I B B B B| ARGUMENT | A |
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| The poet after a short address to the harp of Cona describes the arrangement of both armies on either side of the river Lubar Fingal gives the command to Fillan but at the same time orders Gaul the son of Morni who had been wounded in the hand in the preceding battle to assist him with his counsel The army of the Fir bolg is commanded by Foldath The general onset is described the great actions of Fillan He kills Rothmar and Culmin But when Fillan conquers in one wing Foldath presses hard on the other He wounds Dermid the son of Duthno and puts the whole wing to flight Dermid deliberates with himself and at last resolves to put a stop to the progress of Foldath by engaging him in single combat When the two chiefs were approaching towards one another Fillan came suddenly to the relief of Dermid engaged Foldath and killed him The behavior of Malthos towards the fallen Foldath Fillan puts the whole army of the Fir bolg to flight The book closes with an address to Clatho the mother of that hero | B |
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| THOU dweller between the shields that hang on high in Ossian's hall Descend from thy place O harp and let me hear thy voice Son of Alpin strike the string Thou must awake the soul of the bard The murmur of Lora's stream has rolled the tale away I stand in the cloud of years Few are its openings towards the' past and when the vision comes it is but dim and dark I hear thee harp of Selma my soul returns like a breeze which the sun brings back to the vale where dwelt the lazy mist | C |
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| Lubar is bright before me in the windings of its vale On either side on their hills arise the tall forms of the kings Their people are poured around them bending forward to their words as if their fathers spoke descending from the winds But they themselves are like two rocks in the midst each with its dark head of pines when they are seen in the desert above low sailing mist High on their face are streams which spread their foam on blasts of wind | D |
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| Beneath the voice of Cathmor pours Erin like the sound of flame Wide they come down to Lubar Before them is the stride of Foldath But Cathmor retires to his hill beneath his bending oak The tumbling of a stream is near the king He lifts at times his gleaming spear It is a flame to his people in the midst of war Near him stands the daughter of Conmor leaning on a rock She did not rejoice at the strife Her soul delighted not in blood A valley spreads green behind the hill with its three blue streams The sun is there in silence The dun mountain roes come down On these are turned the eyes of Sul malla in her thoughtful mood | E |
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| Fingal beholds Cathmor on high the son of Borbar duthul he beholds the deep rolling of Erin on the darkened plain He strikes that warning boss which bids the people to obey when he sends his chief before them to the field of renown Wide rise their spears to the sun Their echoing shields reply around Fear like a vapor winds not among the host for he the king is near the strength of streamy Selma Gladness brightens the hero We hear his words with joy | F |
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| Like the coming forth of winds is the sound of Selma's sons They are mountain waters determined in their course Hence is Fingal renowned Hence is his name in other lands He was not a lonely beam in danger for your steps were always near But never was Fingal a dreadful form in your presence darkened into wrath My voice was no thunder to your ears Mine eyes sent forth no death When the haughty appeared I beheld them not They were forgot at my feasts Like mist they melted away A young beam is before you Few are his paths to war They are few but he is valiant Defend my dark haired son Bring Fillan back with joy Hereafter he may stand alone His form is like his fathers His soul is a flame of their fire Son of car borne Morni move behind the youth Let thy voice reach his ear from the skirts of war Not unobserved rolls battle before thee breaker of the shields | G |
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| The king strode at once away to Cormul's lofty rock Intermitting darts the light from his shield as slow the king of heroes moves Sidelong rolls his eye o'er the heath as forming advance the lines Graceful fly his half gray locks round his kingly features now lightened with dreadful joy Wholly mighty is the chief Behind him dark and slow I moved Straight came forward the strength of Gaul His shield hung loose on its thong He spoke in haste to Ossian Bind son of Fingal this shield Bind it high to the side of Gaul The foe may behold it and think I lift the spear If I should fall let my tomb be hid in the field for fall I must without fame Mine arm cannot lift the steel Let not Evir choma hear it to blush between her locks Fillan the mighty behold us Let us not forget the strife Why should they come from their hills to aid our flying field | H |
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| He strode onward with the sound of his shield My voice pursued him as he went Can the son of Morni fall without his fame in Erin But the deeds of the mighty are forgot by themselves They rush carless over the fields of renown Their words are never heard I rejoiced over the steps of the chief I strode to the rock of the king where he sat in his wandering locks amid the mountain wind | D |
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| In two dark ridges bend the host towards each other at Lubar Here Foldath rises a pillar of darkness there brightens the youth of Fillan Each with his spear in the stream sent forth the voice of war Gaul struck the shield of Selma At once they plunge in battle Steel pours its gleam on steel like the fall of streams shone the field when they mix their foam together from two dark browed rocks Behold he comes the son of fame He lays the people low Deaths sit on blasts around him Warriors strew thy paths O Fillan | I |
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| Rothmar the shield of warriors stood between two chinky rocks Two oaks which winds had bent from high spread their branches on either side He rolls his darkening eyes on Fillan and silent shades his friends Fingal saw the approaching fight The hero's soul arose But as the stone of Loda falls shook at once from rocking Drumanard when spirits heave the earth in their wrath so fell blue shielded Rothmar | B |
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| Near are the steps of Culmin the youth came bursting into tears Wrathful he cut the wind ere yet he mixed his strokes with Fillan He had first bent the bow with Rothmar at the rock of his own blue streams There they had marked the place of the roe as the sunbeam flew over the fern Why son of Cul allin why Culmin dost thou rush on that beam of light It is a fire that consumes Son of Cul allin retire Your fathers were not equal in the glittering strife of the field The mother of Culmin remains in the hall She looks forth on blue rolling Strutha A whirlwind rises on the stream dark eddying round the ghost of her son His dogs are howling in their place His shield is bloody in the hall Art thou fallen my fair haired son in Erin's dismal war | B |
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| As a roe pierced in secret lies panting by her wonted streams the hunter surveys her feet of wind He remembers her stately bounding before So lay the son of Cul allin beneath the eye of Fillan His hair is rolled in a little stream His blood wanders on his shield Still his hand holds the sword that failed him in the midst of danger Thou art fallen said Fillan ere yet thy fame was heard Thy father sent thee to war He expects to hear of thy deeds He is gray perhaps at his streams His eyes are towards Moi lena But thou shalt not return with the spoil of the fallen foe | B |
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| Fillan pours the flight of Erin before him over the resounding heath But man on man fell Morven before the dark red rage of Foldath for far on the field he poured the roar of half his tribes Dermid stands before him in wrath The sons of Selma gathered around But his shield is cleft by Foldath His people fly over | B |
James Macpherson
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