The Death of Calmar and Orla. an Imitation of MacPherson's "Ossian"

Dear are the days of youth! Age dwells on their remembrance through the

mist of time. In the twilight he recalls the sunny hours of morn. He

lifts his spear with trembling hand. "Not thus feebly did I raise the

steel before my fathers!" Past is the race of heroes! But their fame

rises on the harp; their souls ride on the wings of the wind; they hear

the sound through the sighs of the storm, and rejoice in their hall of

clouds. Such is Calmar. The grey stone marks his narrow house. He looks

down from eddying tempests: he rolls his form in the whirlwind, and

hovers on the blast of the mountain.

In Morven dwelt the Chief; a beam of war to Fingal. His steps in the

field were marked in blood. Lochlin's sons had fled before his angry

spear; but mild was the eye of Calmar; soft was the flow of his

yellow locks: they streamed like the meteor of the night. No maid was

the sigh of his soul: his thoughts were given to friendship,--to

dark-haired Orla, destroyer of heroes! Equal were their swords in

battle; but fierce was the pride of Orla:--gentle alone to Calmar.

Together they dwelt in the cave of Oithona.

From Lochlin, Swaran bounded o'er the blue waves. Erin's sons fell

beneath his might. Fingal roused his chiefs to combat. Their ships

cover the ocean! Their hosts throng on the green hills. They come to the

aid of Erin.

Night rose in clouds. Darkness veils the armies. But the blazing oaks

gleam through the valley. The sons of Lochlin slept: their dreams

were of blood. They lift the spear in thought, and Fingal flies. Not so

the Host of Morven. To watch was the post of Orla. Calmar stood by his

side. Their spears were in their hands. Fingal called his chiefs: they

stood around. The king was in the midst. Grey were his locks, but strong

was the arm of the king. Age withered not his powers. "Sons of Morven,"

said the hero, "to-morrow we meet the foe. But where is Cuthullin, the

shield of Erin? He rests in the halls of Tura; he knows not of our

coming. Who will speed through Lochlin, to the hero, and call the chief

to arms? The path is by the swords of foes; but many are my heroes. They

are thunderbolts of war. Speak, ye chiefs! Who will arise?"

"Son of Trenmor! mine be the deed," said dark-haired Orla, "and mine

alone. What is death to me? I love the sleep of the mighty, but little

is the danger. The sons of Lochlin dream. I will seek car-borne

Cuthullin. If I fall, raise the song of bards; and lay me by the stream

of Lubar."--"And shalt thou fall alone?" said fair-haired Calmar. "Wilt

thou leave thy friend afar? Chief of Oithona! not feeble is my arm in

fight. Could I see thee die, and not lift the spear? No, Orla! ours has

been the chase of the roebuck, and the feast of shells; ours be the path

of danger: ours has been the cave of Oithona; ours be the narrow

dwelling on the banks of Lubar."--"Calmar," said the chief of Oithona,

"why should thy yellow locks be darkened in the dust of Erin? Let me

fall alone. My father dwells in his hall of air: he will rejoice in his

boy; but the blue-eyed Mora spreads the feast for her Son in Morven. She

listens to the steps of the hunter on the heath, and thinks it is the

tread of Calmar. Let her not say, 'Calmar has fallen by the steel of

Lochlin: he died with gloomy Orla, the chief of the dark brow.' Why

should tears dim the azure eye of Mora? Why should her voice curse Orla,

the destroyer of Calmar? Live Calmar! Live to raise my stone of moss;

live to revenge me in the blood of Lochlin. Join the song of bards above

my grave. Sweet will be the song of Death to Orla, from the voice of

Calmar. My ghost shall smile on the notes of Praise." "Orla," said the

son of Mora, "could I raise the song of Death to my friend? Could I give

his fame to the winds? No, my heart would speak in sighs: faint and

broken are the sounds of sorrow. Orla! our souls shall hear the song

together. One cloud shall be ours on high: the bards will mingle the

names of Orla and Calmar."

They quit the circle of the Chiefs. Their steps are to the Host of

Lochlin. The dying blaze of oak dim-twinkles through the night. The

northern star points the path to Tura. Swaran, the King, rests on his

lonely hill. Here the troops are mixed: they frown in sleep; their

shields beneath their heads. Their swords gleam, at distance in heaps.

The fires are faint; their embers fail in smoke. All is hushed; but the

gale sighs on the rocks above. Lightly wheel the Heroes through the

slumbering band. Half the journey is past, when Mathon, resting on his

shield, meets the eye of Orla. It rolls in flame, and glistens through

the shade. His spear is raised on high. "Why dost thou bend thy brow,

chief of Oithona?" said fair-haired Calmar: "we are in the midst of

foes. Is this a time for delay?" "It is a time for vengeance," said Orla

of the gloomy brow. "Mathon of Lochlin sleeps: seest thou his spear? Its

point is dim with the gore of my father. The blood of Mathon shall reek

on mine: but shall I slay him sleeping, Son of Mora? No! he shall feel

his wound: my fame shall not soar on the blood of slumber. Rise, Mathon,

rise! The Son of Conna calls; thy life is his; rise to combat." Mathon

starts from sleep: but did he rise alone? No: the gathering Chiefs bound

on the plain. "Fly! Calmar, fly!" said dark-haired Orla. "Mathon is

mine. I shall die in joy: but Lochlin crowds around. Fly through the

shade of night." Orla turns. The helm of Mathon is cleft; his shield

falls from his arm: he shudders in his blood. He rolls by the side

of the blazing oak. Strumon sees him fall: his wrath rises: his weapon

glitters on the head of Orla: but a spear pierced his eye. His brain

gushes through the wound, and foams on the spear of Calmar. As roll the

waves of the Ocean on two mighty barks of the North, so pour the men of

Lochlin on the Chiefs. As, breaking the surge in foam, proudly steer the

barks of the North, so rise the Chiefs of Morven on the scattered crests

of Lochlin. The din of arms came to the ear of Fingal. He strikes his

shield; his sons throng around; the people pour along the heath. Ryno

bounds in joy. Ossian stalks in his arms. Oscar shakes the spear. The

eagle wing of Fillan floats on the wind. Dreadful is the clang of death!

many are the Widows of Lochlin. Morven prevails in its strength.

Morn glimmers on the hills: no living foe is seen; but the sleepers are

many; grim they lie on Erin. The breeze of Ocean lifts their locks; yet

they do not awake. The hawks scream above their prey.

Whose yellow locks wave o'er the breast of a chief? Bright as the gold

of the stranger, they mingle with the dark hair of his friend. 'Tis

Calmar: he lies on the bosom of Orla. Theirs is one stream of blood.

Fierce is the look of the gloomy Orla. He breathes not; but his eye is

still a flame. It glares in death unclosed. His hand is grasped in

Calmar's; but Calmar lives! he lives, though low. "Rise," said the king,

"rise, son of Mora: 'tis mine to heal the wounds of Heroes. Calmar may

yet bound on the hills of Morven."

"Never more shall Calmar chase the deer of Morven with Orla," said the

Hero. "What were the chase to me alone? Who would share the spoils of

battle with Calmar? Orla is at rest! Rough was thy soul, Orla! yet soft

to me as the dew of morn. It glared on others in lightning: to me a

silver beam of night. Bear my sword to blue-eyed Mora; let it hang in my

empty hall. It is not pure from blood: but it could not save Orla. Lay

me with my friend: raise the song when I am dark!"

They are laid by the stream of Lubar. Four grey stones mark the dwelling

of Orla and Calmar. When Swaran was bound, our sails rose on the blue

waves. The winds gave our barks to Morven:--the bards raised the song.

"What Form rises on the roar of clouds? Whose dark Ghost gleams on the

red streams of tempests? His voice rolls on the thunder. 'Tis Orla, the

brown Chief of Oithona. He was unmatched in war. Peace to thy soul,

Orla! thy fame will not perish. Nor thine, Calmar! Lovely wast thou, son

of blue-eyed Mora; but not harmless was thy sword. It hangs in thy cave.

The Ghosts of Lochlin shriek around its steel. Hear thy praise, Calmar!

It dwells on the voice of the mighty. Thy name shakes on the echoes of

Morven. Then raise thy fair locks, son of Mora. Spread them on the arch

of the rainbow, and smile through the tears of the storm.