Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

Temora. 397
ine: with their ghosts. The sky grew dark : the
forms of the dead were blended with the clouds.
But heedless bends the daughter of Conmor, over
the decaying flame. Thou wert alone in her soul,
car-borne chief of Atha. She raised the voice of
the song, and touched the harp between.
" Clun-galo* came ; she missed the maid. Where
art thou, beam of light ? Hunters, from the mossy
rock, saw ye the blue-eyed fair ? Are her steps on
grassvLumon; near the bed of roes? Ah me! I behold
her bow in the hall. Where art thou, beam of light ?"
"Cease, love of Conmor, cease! I hear thee not
on the ridsry heath. My eye is turned to the king,
whose path is terrible in war. He for whom my
soul is up, in the season of my rest. Deep-bosom-
ed in war he stands; he beholds me not from his cloud.
Why, sun of Sul-malla, dost thou not look forth ?
I dwell in darkness here : wide over me flies the
shadowy mist. Filled with dew are my locks : look
thou from thy cloud, O sun of Sul-malla's soul !"
BOOK vn.
AK6UMEXT.
This book begins about the middle of the third night from the opening
of the poem. The poet describes a kind of mist, which rose by ni?ht
fi-om the lake of Lego, and was the usual residence of the souls of
the dead, during the interval between their decease and the fimeral
song. The appearance of the ghost of Fillau above the cave where
his body lay. His voice comes to Fingal on the rock of Cormut The
king strikes the shield of Trenmnr, which was an infallible sign of
his appearing in arms himself The extraordinary effect of the sound
of the shield. Sul-malla, starting from sleep, awakes Cathmor. Their
affecting discourse. She insists with him to sue for peace; he resolves
to contmue the war. He directs her to retire to the neighbouring
valley of Lona, which was the residence of an old Druid, until the
battle of the next day should be over. He awakes his army with
the sound of his shield. The shield described. Fonar, the bard, at
the desire of Cathmor, relates the first settlement of the Fir-bolg ia
Ireland, under their leader Larthon. Morning comes. Sul-maUa
retires to the valley of Lona. A lyric song concludes the book.
From the wood-skirted waters of Lego, ascend.
she had fled with Cathmor.