Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

BERRATHON. 487
told, that he had retired to the woods, with the tears
of grief. They had told it, but he was silent in the
tomb of Rothma's heath.
On the fourth day we raised our sails, to the roar
of the northern wind. Larthmor came to the coast.
His bards exalted the song. The joy of the king was
great; helooked to Rothma's gloomy heath. Hesaw
the tomb of his son. The memory of Uthal rose.
" Who of my heroes," he said, " lies there ? he seems
to have been of the kings of men. Was he renowned
in my halls before the pride of Uthal rose ? Ye are
silent, sons of Berrathon ! is the king of heroes low ?
My heart melts for tliee, O Uthal ! though thy hand
was against thy father. O that I had remained in
the cave ! that my son had dwelt in Finthormo ! I
might have heard the tread of his feet, when he went
to the chase of the boar. I might have heard his
voice on the blastof my cave. Then would my soul
be glad; but now darkness dwells in my halls."
Such were my deeds, son of Alpin, when the arm
of my youth was strong. Such the actions of Toscar,
the car-borne son of Conloch. But Toscar is on his
flying cloud. I am alone at Lutha. My voice is like
the last sound of the wind, when it forsakes the
woods. But Ossian shall not be longalone. He sees
the mist that shall receive his ghost. He beholds
the mist that shall form his robe, when he appears
on his hills. The sons of feeble men shall behold
me, andadmirethestatureof the chiefs of old. They
shall creep to their caves. They shall look to the
sky with fear: for my steps shall be in the clouds.
Darkness shall roll on my side.
Lead, son of Alpin, lead the aged to his woods.
The winds began to rise. The dark wave of the lake
resounds. Bends there not a tree from Mora with
its branches bare ? It bends, son of Alpin, in the
rustling blast. My harp hangs on a blasted branch.
The sound of its strings is mournful. Does the wind
touch thee, O harp, or is it some passing ghost? It
is the hand of Malvina ! Bring me the harp, son of
i, Alpin. Another song sliall rise. My soul shall de-
' part in the sound. My fathers shall hear it in their