Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal > Volume 2

28; t>AR-THULA:
as the sun-beam of heaven, and thy friends are lo\v."
"And is the son of battle fallen :" I said with a burst-
"ing sigh. " Ceased the generous soul of Truthil to
- lighten through the field ? My safety, Colla, is in that
bow ; I have learned to pierce the deer. Is not Cair-
bar like the hart of the desert, father of fallen Tru-
thil :"
The face of age brightened with joy : and the crowd-
ed tears of his eyes poured down. The lips of Colla
trembled. His grey beard whistled in the Wast. "Thou
art the sister of Truthil," he said ; " thou burnest in the
fire of his soul. Take, Dar-thula, take tliat spear, that
brazen shieldjthat burnished helmet: they are the spoils
of a warrior ! a son ' of early youth, Wlicn the light
rises on St:lama, we go to meet the car-borne Cairbar.
But keep thou near the arm of Colla ; beneath the sha-
dow of my shield. Thy. father, Dar-thula, could once
defend thee, but age is trembling on his hand. The
strength of his arm has failed, and his soul is darkea-
ed with grief."
We passed the night in sorrow. The light of morn-
ing rose. I shone in the arms of battle. The grey-
haired hero moved before. The sons of Selama con-
vened around the sounding shield of Colla. But few-
were they in the plain, and their locks were grey.^
I'he youths had fallen with Truthil, in the battle pi
car-borne Cormac.
" Companions of my youth !" said Colla, " it was
not thus you have seen me in arms. Is was not thus
I strode to battle, when the great Confadan fell. But
ye are laden with grief. Tl e darkness of age comes like
the mist of the desert. My shield is worn with years ;
my sword is fixed '^ in its place. I said to my soul,
1 The poet-, to make the story of Ear thula's arming herself for baf-
t'e more proliabli', makes her armour to be that of a very young
man, otherwise it would shock all belief, that she, who was very
young, should be able to carry It.
m It was the custom of those times, that every vvarripr at a cer-
tain age, or when he became unfit for rhe field, fixed hh arms in the