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

B > ;: I. AN EPIC POEM. 113
} 1 . j-'assed on in his darkness, and seized the hand of the
;-i.',.^. Cormac foresaw his death, and the rage of his
eyc^ arose. Retire, tliou gloomy chief of Atha: Nathos
CG.rits witli battle. Thou an bold in Corniae's liall,
i.n his arm is weali. The sword entered the side of
ilic king : he fell in the halis of his fatlK;rs. Hii; fair
Lair is in the dust, his blo(d is smoking round.
" And art thou fallen in thy hails'', O son of noble
Ariho ? The shield of Cuchullin was not near, nor
tlie spear of thy fathers. Mournful are the mountains
of Erin, for the chief of the people is low ! Blest be
th V soul, O Cormac ! thou art darkened in thy youth."
His words came to tlie eai-s of Cairbar, ancl he clos-
ed us i in the midst of darkness. He feared to stretch
his sword to the bards *, though his soul was dark.,
Long liad we pined alone : at length, the noble Cath-
mor 1 came. He heard our voice from the cave ; he
turned the eye of his wrath on Cairbar.
*• Chief of Atha !" he said, " how long Vv'ilt thou
pain ray soul? Thy heart is liiie the rock of the deseit;
and tliy thoughts are d^irk. But thou art the brother
of Cathmor, and he will fight thy battles. But Cath-
mor's soul \^as not like thinf , thou feeble hand of war !
Tlie light of ray bosom is stranedwith thy deeds: the
bards will not siug of my renown. They may say,
Cathmor was brave, but he fought for gloomy Cairbar.
They will pass over my ton;b in silence ; my fame shall
rot be heard. Cairbar ! loose the bards ; they are the
sons ef oiher times. Their voice shall be heard in o-
thcr yc-rs; after the kings of Temor.i have failed.'*
h Althaa speaks.
i That ii, him. elf and Carril, as it afcerwards appears.
Jc The perst):;s of the|bards \Aere so sacred, th$t even he, who had
just murdered Kis sovereign, feared lokUl them.
1 Cathnior appears the »aine disiatereste J hero upon every occa-
sion. His humanity and generosity were unparalleled; in shert he
haii no fiHic, but joo niucli r.ttachii>'.'i.t to so had a hrother as Cair-
b4r. His family connection witli Cairbar prevails, as he expresses it,
over every other coasideratio;), a::- m^kts Li'ii ea^'J'^i- Ui a war, of
Tl'.hk. lie did not spiTO ;cv