Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

A POEM. 109
the bkil. But view the fettling fea : morning is gray
on our rocks. The fun will look foon from his eaft ; in
all his pride of light. I lifted up my fails, with joy, be-
fore the halls of generous Conlath. My courfe was by the
ille of waves, where his love purfued the deer. I faw
her, like that beam of the fun that iflues from the cloud.
Her hair was on her heaving breaft ; Ihe, bending for-
ward, drew the bow : her white arm feemed, behind her,
like the fnow of Cromla : Come to my foul, I faid, thou
huntrefs of the ille of waves ! But fhe fpends her time in
tears, and thinks of the generous Conlath- Where can I
find thy peace, Cuthona, lovely maid ?
Cuthona.^ A diftant fteep bends over the fea, with aged
trees and molTy rocks : the billows roll at its feet : on its
lide is the dwelling of roes. The people call it Ardven.
There the towers of Mora rife. There Conlath looks
over the fea for his only love. The daughters of the chafe
returned, and he beheld their downcaft eyes. Where is
the daughter of Rumar ? But they anfwered not. My
peace dv/ells on Ardven, fon of the diilant land !
Tofcar. And Cuthona fl^all return to her peace; to the
halls of generous Conlath. He is the friend of Tofcar : I
have feafted in his halls. Rife, ye gentle breezes of Ullin,
and ftretch my fails towards Ardven's fliores. Cuthona
ihall reft on Ardven : but the days of Tofcar will be fad.
I fhall lit in my cave in the field of the fun. The blaft
will ruftle in ray trees, and 1 fliall think it is Cuthona's
voice. But flie is diftant far, in the halls of the mighty
Conlath.
Cuthona. Oh I what cloud is that ? It carries the ghofts
of my fathers. I fee the fkirts of their robes, like gray
and watry mift. When Ihall I fall, O Rumar .^ Sad
Cuthona fees her death. Will not Conlath behold me,
before I enter the narrow houfe .^f
0£icm. And he will behold thee, O maid : he comes
along the rolling fea. The death of Tofcar is dark on his
fpear ; and a wound is in his fide. He is pale at the
cave of Thona, and fhews his ghaftly wound. Where
I art
• Cuthona, the mournful fovnd of the lvalue s ; a poetical name given her by Of;!
fian, on account of her mourning to the ibund of the waves; her name, intradi^'
)ion, isGorm-huil, the blue-eyed. maid.
t The grave.