Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

DAR-THULA. 323
« " We come from the sea," I said, " from Usnoth's
rLsing towers. We are the sons of Slissama, the
daughter of car-borne Semo. Where is Tura's chief,
son of the silent hall ? But why should Nathos ask ?
for I behold thy tears. How did the mighty fall, son
of the lonely Tura ?" " He fell not," Lamhor replied,
" like the silent star of night, when it flies through
darkness and is no more. But he was like a meteor
that shoots into a distant land. Death attends it3
dreary course. Itself is the sign of wars. Mournful
are the banks of Lego ; and the roar of streamy Lara !
There the hero fell, son of the noble Usnoth!" " The
hero fell in the midst of slaughter," I said with a
bursting sigh. " His hand was strong in war. Death
dimly sat behind his sword."
' We came to Lego's sounding banks. We found
his rising tomb. His friends in battle are there : his
bards of many songs. Three days we mourned over
the hero: on the fourth I struck the shield of Caith-
bat. Tiie heroes gathered around with joy, and shook
their beamy spears. Corlath was near with his host,
the friend of car-bome Cairbar. We came like a
stream by night. His heroes fell before us. When
the people of the valley rose, they saw their blood
with morning's light. But we rolled away, like
wreaths of mist, to Cormac's echoing hall. Our
swords rose to defend the king. But Temora's halls
were empty. Cormac had fallen in his youth. The
king of Erin was no more !
* Sadness seized the sons of Erin. They slowly,
gloomily retired : like clouds that loi:g havmg threat-
ened rain, vanish behind the hills. The sons of Us-
noth moved, in their grief, towards Tura's sounding
bay. We passed by Selama. Cairbar retired like
Lena's mist, when driven before the winds. It was
then I beheld thee, O Dar-thula! like the light of
Etha's sun. " Lovely is that beam!" I said. The
crowded sigh of my bosom rosB. Thou earnest in thy
beauty, Dar-thula, to Etha's mournful chief. But the
winds have deceived us, daughter of Colla, and the
foe is near!'
' Yes, the foe is near,* said the rushing strength of