This tale is told of scotland old
Magic was vanishing from daily life
Mortal men were afeared to meet
Fingal the giant and his lady wife
So they walked through low and highlands west
And through the sea to the hebrides,
Lived in a cave on staffa isle
Peacefully for three centuries

On any fine day when the wind is low
Fingal walks with his first-born son;
A music strange is across the waves,
Enchanting the giant and his little one.
On rough day from the sheltered cave
There's a man and a boat they can see in the storm;
He's reached his hand and, lifting them in,
Says, "who are you, and come where from?"

"i'm a monk from iona".
"and the sound across the water?"
"that's the sound of a bell, sir".
"we would surely love to go there"
"then let us away".

So they waded off through the raging deep,
The monk on the shoulders of the giant kind,
Columba's there in his priory,
Says, "if thou wilt enter, i must have a sign,
And how will i know we can trust in you, 
For you are immortal and of fearful sign?"
"toll the bell for the creatures wild
And ask of them, for they tell no lies".

"well, what say you birds?"
"true, they would not hurt us."
"and what say you, beasts?"
"they would not desert us."
"then god will be pleased."

All in a trice the sky went black,
One bright star did blind their eyes.
"here is the sign" columba cried
As fingal shrank to human size.
So if with magic you are blessed
Don't follow fingal, but remember well
The church will have no other god;
So all beware the enchanting bell.

Fingal the giant