Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

TEMORA. 425
to-day, a mighty light. To-raorrow, he is low. One
song contains his fame. His name is on one dark
field. He is forgot; but where his tomb sends forth
the tufted grass."
Such are the words of Fingal,onMoraof the roes.
Three bards, from the rock of Cormul, pour down
the pleasing song. Sleep descends, in the sound,
on the broad-skirted host. Carril returned, with
the bards, from the tomb of Dun-lora's chief. The
voice of morning shall not come to the dusky bed
of Duth-caron. No more shalt thou hear the tread
of roes around thy narrow house!
As roll the troubled clouds, around a meteor of
night, when they brighten their sides with its light,
along the heaving sea: so gathers Erin around the
gleaming form of Cathmor. He, tall in the midst,
careless lifts, at times, his spear : as swells or falls
the sound of Fonar's distant harp. Near him lean-
ed, against a rock, Sul-malla of blue eyes, the
white-bosomed daughter of Conmor, king of Inis-
huna. To his aid came blue-shielded Cathmor, and
rolled his foes away. Sul-malla beheld him stately
in the hall of feasts. Nor careless rolled the eyes of
Cathmor on the long-haired maid!
The third day arose, when Fithil came, from Erin
of the streams. He told of the lifting up of the
shield iu Selma : he told of the danger of Cairbar.
Cathmor raised the sail at Cluba ; but the winds
were in other lands. Three days he remained on
the coast, and turned his eyes on Conmor's halls.
iHe remembered the daughter of strangers, and his
sigh arose. Now when the winds awaked the wave :
from the hill came a youth in arms ; to lift the
sword with Cathmor, in his echoing fields. It was
the white-armed Sul-malla. Secret she dwelt be-
neath her helmet. Her steps were in the path of the
king : on him her blue eyes rolled with joy, when he
lay by his rolling streams ! But Cathmor thought,
that, on Lumon, she still pursued the roes. He
thought, that fair on a rock, she stretched her white
hand to the wind ; to feel its course from Erin, the
green dwelling of her love. He had promised to re-