Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian > Volume 1

336 OITHONA:
Such were the words of Gaul, when he came
to Dunlathmon's towers. The gates were open
and dark. The winds were blustering in the
hall. The trees strowed the threshold with
leaves ; the murrnur of night was abroad. Sad
and silent, at a rock, the son of Morni sat : his
soul trembled for the maid ; but he knew not
whither to turn his course ! The son ' of Leth
stood at a distance, and heard the winds of his
bushy hair. But he did not raise his voice, for
he saw the sorrow of Gaul !
Sleep descended on the chiefs. The visions
of night arose. Oithona stood, in a dream, be-
fore the eyes of Morni's son. Her hair was
loose and disordered : her lovely eye rolled deep
in tears. Blood stained her snowy arm. The
robe half hid the wound of her breast. She
stood over the chief, and her voice was feebly
heard. " Sleeps the son of Morni, he that was
lovely in the eyes of Oithona? Sleeps Gaul at
the distant rock, and the daughter of Nuiith
low? The sea rolls round the dark isle of Tro-
mathon. I sit in my tears in the cave ! Nor do
I sit alone, O Gaul ! the dark chief of Cuthal
is there. He is there in the rage of his love.
What can Oithona do?"
1 Morlo, the son of Leth, is one of Fingal's most famous
heroes. He and three other men attended Gaul on his expe-
dition to Tromathon.