Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

230 THE POEMS OF OSSIAN.
cave, my love, till our battle cease on the fife
Son of Leth, bring the bows of our fathers I
sounding quiver of Morni ! Let our three -w
riors bend the yew. Ourselves will lift the spe
They are an host on the rock! our souls are strc
in war 1"
Oithona went to the cave. A troubled joy r
on her mind, like the red path of lightning o
stormy cloud! Her soul was resolved ; the tear >
dried from her wildly-looking eye. Dunromm
slowly approached. He saw the son of Morni. C
tempt contracted his face, a smile is on his di
brown cheek ; his red eye rolled, half-concet
beneath his shaggy brows !
" Whence are the sons of the sea?" begun
gloomy cliief. " Have the winds driven you on
rocks of Tromithon ? or came you in search of
white-handed maid ? The sons of the unhappy
feeble men, come to the hand of DunrommathI
eye spares not the weak ; he delights in tlie bl
of strangers. Oithona is a beam of light, and ..
chief of Cuthal enjoys it in secret; wouldest tk
come on its loveliness, like a cloud, son of the T
ble hand! Thou mayest come, but shalt thoul
turn to the halls of thy fathers ?"
" Dost thou not know me," said Gaul, " red-bl
ed chief of Cuthal? Thy feet were swift on f
heath, in the battle of car-borne Lathmon; ^fl
tlie sword of Morni's son pursued his hos^
Morven's woody land. Dunrommath !
are mighty, for thy warriors gather behind 1)
But do I fear them, son of pride ? I am
race of the feeble !"
Gaul advanced in his arms^ Dunrommath shwj
behind his people. But the spear of Gaul pie: J
the gloomy chief : his sword lopped off his heac >
it bended in death. The son of Morni shoo t
thrice by the lock ; the warriors of Dunromi i
fled. The arrows of Morven pursued them : ter 1
on the mossy rocks. The rest lift the sounding ,
and bound on the troubled deep. Gaul advai 1
towards the cave of Oithona. He beheld a y i
leaning on a rock. An arrow had pierced his s ',