Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

CATHLIN OF CLUTHA.
ARGUMENT.
In address to Malvina, the daughter of Toscar. The poet relates
the anival of Cathlin in Sehna, to sohcit aid against Uuth-earmor
of Cluba, who had killed Cathmol for the sake of his daughter
Lanul. Fingal declining to make a choice among his heroes,
who were all claiming the command of the expedition, they re-
tired " each to his hill of ghosts," to be determined by dreams.
The spirit of Trenmor appears to Ossian and Oscar. They sail
from the bay of Caimona, and on the fourth day, appear off the
valley of Rath-col, in Inis-huna, where Duth-carmor had fixed his
residence. Ossian despatches a bard to Duth-carmor to demand
battle. Night comes on. The distress of Cathlin of Clutha. Ossian
devolves the command on Oscar, who, according to the custom of
the kings of Morven, before battle, retired to a neighboring hill.
Upon the coming on of day, the battle joins. Oscar carries the
mail and helmet of Duth-carmor to Cathlin, who had retired from
the field. Cathlin is discovered to be the daughter of Cathmol in
disguise, who had been carried ofl' by force by, and had made her
escape from, Duth-camior.
Come, thou beam that art lonely, from watching in
the night ! The squalling winds are around thee, from
all their echoing hills. Red, over my hundred streams,
are the light-covered paths of the dead. They rejoice
on the eddying winds, in the season of night. Dwells
there no joy in song, white-hand of the harps of Lutha ?
Awake the voice of the string ; roll my soul to me.
It is a stream that has failed. Malvina, pour the song.
1 hear thee from thy darkness in Selma, thou that
watchest lonely by night ! Why didst thou withhold
the song frqm Ossian's falling soul ? As the falling
brook to the ear of the hunter, descending from hia
Btorm-covered hill, in a sunbeam rolls the echoing
stream, he hears and shakes his dewy locks : such is
he voice of Lutha to the friend of the spirits of heroes.
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