The Songs Of Selma Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A B B B C B A D E E B A F G D H| ARGUMENTAddress to the evening star | A |
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| An apostrophe to Fingal and his times Minonasings before the king the song of the unfortunate Colma and the bards exhibit other specimens of their poetical talents according to an annual custom established by the monarchs of the ancient Caledonians | B |
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| STAR of descending night fair is thy light in the west thou that 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 in 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 | B |
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| And it does arise in its strength I behold my departed friends Their gathering is on Lora as in the days of other years Fingal comes like a watery column of mist his heroes are around and see the bards of song gray haired Ullin Stately Ryno Alpin with the tuneful voice the soft complaint of Minona How are ye changed my friends since the days of Selma's feast when we contended like gales of spring as they fly along the hill and bend by turns the feebly whistling grass | B |
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| Minona came forth in her beauty with downcast look and tearful eye Her hair flew slowly on the blast that rushed unfrequent from the hill The souls of the heroes were sad when she raised the tuneful voice Often had they seen the grave of Salgar the dark dwelling of white bosomed Colma Colma left alone on the hill with all her voice of song Salgar promised to come but the night descended around Hear the voice of Colma when she sat alone on the hill | C |
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| Colma It is night I am alone forlorn on the hill of storms The wind is heard on the mountain The torrent pours down the rock No hut receives me from the rain forlorn on the hill of winds | B |
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| Rise moon from behind thy clouds Stars of the night arise Lead me some light to the place where my love rests from the chase alone his bow near him unstrung his dogs panting around him But here I must sit alone by the rock of the mossy stream The stream and the wind roar aloud I hear not the voice of my love Why delays my Salgar why the chief of the hill his promise here is the rock and here the tree here is the roaring stream Thou didst promise with night to be here Ah whither is my Salgar gone With thee I would fly from my father with thee from my brother of pride Our race have long been foes we are not foes O Salgar | A |
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| Cease a little while O wind stream be thou silent awhile let my voice be heard around Let my wanderer hear me Salgar it is Colma who calls Here is the tree and the rock Salgar my love I am here Why delayest thou thy coming Lo the calm moon comes forth The flood is bright in the vale The rocks are gray on the steep I see him not on the brow His dogs come not before him with tidings of his near approach Here I must sit alone | D |
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| Who lie on the heath beside me Are they my love and my brother Speak to me O my friends To Colma they give no reply Speak to me I am alone My soul is tormented with fears Ah they are dead Their swords are red from the fight O my brother my brother why hast thou slain my Salgar why O Salgar hast thou slain my brother Dear were ye both to me what shalt I say in your praise Thou wert fair on the hill among thousands he was terrible in fight Speak to me hear my voice hear me song 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 speak I will not be afraid Whither are ye gone to rest In what cave of the hill shall I find the departed No feeble voice is on the gale no answer half drowned in the storm | E |
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| I sit in my grief I wait for morning in my tears Rear the tomb ye friends of the dead Close it not till Colma come My life flies away like a dream why should I stay behind Here shall I rest with my friends by the stream of the sounding rock When night comes on the hilt when the loud winds arise my ghost shall stand in the blast and mourn the death of my friends The hunter shall hear from his booth he shall fear but love my voice For sweet shall my voice be for my friends pleasant were her friends to Colma | E |
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| Such was thy song Minona softly blushing daughter of Torman Our tears descended for Colma and our souls were sad Ullin came with his harp he gave the song of Alpin The voice of Alpin was pleasant the soul of Ryno was a beam of fire But they had rested in the narrow house their voice had ceased in Selma Ullin had returned one day from the chase before the heroes fell He heard their strife on the hilt their song was soft but sad They mourned the fall of Morar first of mortal men His soul was like the soul of Fingal his sword like the sword of Oscar But he fell and his father mourned his sister's eyes were full of tears Minona's eyes were full of tears the sister of car borne Morar She retired from the song of Ullin like the moon in the west when she foresees the shower and hides her fair head in a cloud I touched the harp with Ullin the song of mourning rose | B |
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| Ryno The wind and the rain are past calm is the noon of day The clouds are divided in heaven Over the green hills flies the inconstant sun Red through the stony vale comes down the stream of the hill Sweet are thy murmurs O stream but more sweet is the voice I hear It is the voice of Alpin the son of song mourning for the dead Bent is his head of age red his tearful eye Alpin thou son of song why alone on the silent hill why complainest thou as a blast in the wood as a wave on the lonely shore | A |
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| Alpin My tears O Ryno are for the dead my voice for those that have passed away Tall thou art on the hill fair among the sons of the vale But thou shalt fall like Morar the mourner shall sit on thy tomb The hills shall know thee no more thy bow shall in thy hall unstrung | F |
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| Thou wert swift O Morar as a roe on the desert terrible as a meteor of fire Thy wrath was as the storm Thy sword in battle as lightning in the field Thy voice was a stream after rain like thunder on distant hills Many fell by thy arm they were consumed in the flames of thy wrath But when thou didst return from war how peaceful was thy brow Thy face was like the sun after rain like the moon in the silence of night calm as the breast of the lake when the loud wind is laid | G |
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| Narrow is thy dwelling now Dark the place of thine abode With three steps I compass thy grave O thou who wast so great before Four stones with their heads of moss are the only memorial of thee A tree with scarce a leaf long grass which whistles in the wind mark to the hunter's eye the grave of the mighty Morar Morar thou art low indeed Thou hast no mother to mourn thee no maid with her tears of love Dead is she that brought thee forth Fallen is the daughter of Morglan | D |
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| Who on his staff is this who is this whose head is white with age whose eyes are red with tears who quakes at every step It is thy father O Morar the father of no son but thee He heard of thy fame in war he heard of foes dispersed He heard of Morar's renown why did he not hear of his wound Weep thou father of Morar weep but thy son heareth thee not Deep is the sleep of the dead low their pillow of dust No more shall he hear thy voice no more awake at thy call When shall it be morn in the grave to bid the slumberer awake Farewell thou bravest of men thou conqueror in the field but the field shall see thee no more nor the dark wood be lightened with the splendor of thy steel Thou hast left no son The song sha | H |
James Macpherson
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