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

108 temora: Bookii
Cairbar heard their words, in siJence, likt the cloud
of a shower : it stands dark on Cronila, till the lightning
bursts its sides : the valley gleams with red light, the
spirits of the storm rejoice. So stood the silent king of
Temora ; at length his words are heard.
" Spread the feast on Moi-lena : let my hundred
bards attend. Thou red-haired Olla, take the harp of
the king. Go to Oscar, chief of swords, and bid him
to our feast. To-day we feast and hear the song ; to-
morrow break the spears. Tell him that I have raised
the tomb of Cathoi^ : that bards have sung to his ghost.
Tell him that Cairbar has heard his fame at the stream
©f resounding Caruni. Cathmor^ is not here, Borbar-
duthul's generous race. He is not here with his thou-
sands, and our arms are weak. Cathmor is a foe to
strife at the feast : his soul is bright as that sun. But
Cairbar shall fight with Oscar, chiefs of the woody Te-
h Catliol the son of Maronnan, or Moran, was murdered by Cair-
bar fjr Ills attachment to the family of Ccrniac. He had attended
Oscar to the war uf Inis-thona, where they contracted a great friend-
ship for one another. Oscar immediately after tlic death of CatlioI,
had sent a formal challenge to Cairbar, which he prudently declined,
but conceived a secret hatred against Oscar, and had before-haad
contrived to kill him at the feast, to which ive here invitfjs him.
i He aTludes to the battle of Oscar against Caros, king of ships;
who is supposed to be the same with Carausius the usurper.
k Cathmor, ' great in battle,' the son of Borbar-duthul, and bro-
ther of Cairbar king of Ireland, had, before the insurrection of tke
Firbolg, pasi-ed over into Inis-huna, supposed to be a part of South
brirain, to assist Conmor king of tliat ylace against his eneories.
I'athtTior was successful in war, but, in the course of it, Conmor wa*
either killed, or died a natural death* GUirbar, upon intelligence of
the designs of Fiagal to dethrone him, had dispatciied a messenger
for Cathmor, who returned into Ireland a few d.iys before the open-
ing of the poem.
Cairbar here takes adva/ntage of his brother's absence, to perpe-
trate his ungenerous designs against Oscar; for the n6ble spirit o^
Cathmor, had he been present, would not have permitted the laws
of hospitality, for which he was so renov/ned himself, to be violated.
Tha two brothers form a coI1t^a'^t ; we do not detest the mean snut
'.'f Cairbar more, th»H we all:nirc tl'.c diointerestcd a-Jcl gericro'j$
Kijui o'f GatUuior,