Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

S08 THE POEMS OF OSSIAN.
the chiefs of Erin. Fell they by the sons of
Lochlin, striving in the battle of heroes? Or
what confines the strong in arms to the dark
and narrow house?'
* Cathba,' replied the hero, ' fell by the sword
of Duchomar at the oak of the noisy streams,
Duchomar came to Tura's cave ; he spoke
to the lovely Morna. " JMorna, fairest among
women, lovely daughter of strong-armed Cor-
mac ! Why in the circle of stones : in the cave
of the rock alone ? The stream murmurs along.
The old tree groans in the wind. The lake is
troubled before thee : dark are the clouds of the
bky ! But thou art snow on the heath ; thy hair
IS the mist of Cromla; when it curls on the
hill, when it shines to the beam of the west I
Thy breasts are two smooth rocks seen from
Branno of streams. Thy arms, like two white
pillars in the halls of the great Fingal."
♦ " From whence," the fair-haired maid re-
plied, " from whence Duchomar, most gloomy
of men ? Dark are thy brows and terrible ! Red
are thy rolling eyes ! Does Swaran appear on the
sea ? What of the foe, Duchdmar ?" " From the
hill I return, O Moriia from the hill of the dark-
brown hinds. Three have 1 slain with my bend-
ed yew. Three with my long bounding dogs of
the chase. Lovely daughter of Cormac, I love
thee as my soul : I have slain one stately deer
for thee. High was his branchy head — and fleet
his feet of wind." "Duchomar!" calm the
maid replied, " I love thee not, thou gloomy
man ! hard is thy heart of rock ; dark is thy
terrible brow. But Cathba, young son of Tor-
man, thou art the love of Monia. Thou art a
sun beam, in the day of the gloomy storm.
Sawc^t thou the son of Torman, lovely on the
hill of his hinds? Here the daughter of Cormac
waits the coming of Cuthba .'"