Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

416 THE POEMS OF OSSIAN.
Cormul darkened, as he went. Behind him
rushed his tribe. They sunk beyond the rock.
Gaul spoke to Fillan of Selma: as his eye pursued
the course of the dark-eyed chief of Dun-ratho.
" Thou beholdest the steps of Cormul ! Let thine
arm be strong ! When he is low, son of Fingal, re-
member Gaul in war. Here I fail forward intc
battle, amid the ridge of shields."
The sign of death ascends : the dreadful sound
of Morni's shield. Gaul pours his voice between.
Fingal rises on Mora. He saw them, from wing to
wing, bending at once in strife. Gleaming on hi;
own dark hill, stood Cathmor of streamy Atha.
The kings were like two spirits of heaven, standing
each on his gloomy cloud ; when they pour abroad
the winds, and lift the roaring seas. The blue turn-
bling of waves is before them, marked with th«
paths of whales. They themselves are calm anc
bright. The gale lifts slowly their locks of mist!
What beam of light hangs high in air ? What beair
but Morni's dreadful sword ? Death is strewed or
thy paths, O Gaul ! Thou foldest them together ir
thy rage. Like a young oak falls Tur-lathon, witl
his branches round him. His high-bosomed spousi
stretches her white arms, in dreams, to the return
ing chief, as she sleeps by gurgling Moruth, in hei ij
disordered locks. It is his ghost, Oichoma. The
chief is lowly laid. Hearken not to the winds foi
Tur-lathon's echoing shield. It is pierced, by hisi
streams. Its sound is passed away. ' ■
Not peaceful is the hand of Foldath. He windiw
his course in blood. Connal met him in fight:)
They mixed their clanging steel. Why should mino*
eyes behold them ? Connal, thy locks are greyf
Thou wert the friend of strangers, at the moss-cos*.
vered rock of Dun-lora. When the skies were rolled*
together : then thy feast was spread. The stranger'
heard the winds without; and rejoiced at thy burn-
ing oak. Why, son of Duth-caron, art thou laid in
blood.' The blasted tree bends above thee. Thy
shield lies broken near. Thy blood mixes with the
stream, thou breaker of the shields !
Ossian took the spear, in his wrath. But Gaul