Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

Lathmon. 311
** Car-borne chief of Strumon, dost tliou behold
the foe ? They gather on the hill in their wrath.
Let our steps be towards the king.* He shall rise
in his strength, and the host of Lathmon vanish.
Our fame is around us, warrior ; the eyes of the
agedf will rejoice. But let us fly, son of Morni,
Lathmon descends the hill." " Then let our steps
be slow," replied the fair-haired Gaul; lest the foe
say, with a smile, ' Behold the warriors of night !
They are, like ghosts, terrible in darkness ; they
melt away before the beam of the east.' Ossian,
take the shield of Gormar, %vho fell beneath thy
spear. The aged heroes wdll rejoice, beholding the
deeds of their sons."
Such were our words on the plain, when Sulmath
came to car-borne Lathmon : Sulmath chief of
Dutha at the dark-rolling stream of Duvranna.
" Why dost thou not rush, son of Nuath, with a
thousand of thy heroes? Why dost thou not de-
scend with thy host, before the waniors fly ? Their
blue arms are beaming to the rising light, and their
steps are before us on the heath !"
'* Son of the feeble hand," said Lathmon, "shall
my host descend ? They are but two, son of
Dutha ! shall a thousand lift their steel ? Nuath
would mourn, in his hall, for the departure of his
fume. His eyes would turn from Lathmon, when
the tread of his feet approached. Go thou to the
heroes, chief of Dutha ! I behold the stately steps
of Ossian. His fame is worthy of my steel ! Let
us contend in fight."
The noble Sulmath came. I rejoiced in the
words of the king. I raised the shield on my arm :
Gaul placed in my hand the sword of Morni. We
returned to the murmuring stream ; Lathmon came
down in his strength. His dark host rolled, like
clouds, behind him ; but the son of Nuath was
bright in his steel !
• Fingal. f Fingal and MomS.