Calthon And Colmal Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A B C D E F G H I J K| This piece as many more of Ossian's compositions is addressed to one of the first Christian missionaries The story of the poem is handed down by tradition thus In the country of the Britons between the walls two chiefs lived in the days of Fingal Dunthalmo Lord of Teutha supposed to be the Tweed and Rathmor who dwelt at Clutha well known to be the river Clyde Rathmor was not more renowned for his generosity and hospitality than Dunthalmo was infamous for his cruelty and ambition Dunthalmo through envy or on account of some private feuds which subsisted between the families murdered Rathmor at a feast but being afterward touched with remorse he educated the two sons of Rathmor Calthon and Colmar in his own house They growing up to man's estate dropped some hints that they intended to revenge the death of their father upon which Dunthalmo shut them up in two caves on the banks of Teutha intending to take them off privately Colmal the daughter of Dunthalmo who was secretly in love with Calthon helped him to make his escape from prison and hied with him to Fingal disguised in the habit of a young warrior and implored his aid against Dunthalmo Fingal sent Ossian with three hundred men to Colmar's relief Dunthalmo having previously murdered Colmar came to a battle with Ossian but he was killed by that hero and his army totally defeated Calthon married Colmal his deliverer and Ossian returned to Morven | A |
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| Pleasant is the voice of thy song thou lonely dweller of the rock It comes on the sound of the stream along the narrow vale My soul awakes O stranger in the midst of my hall I stretch my hand to the spear as in the days of other years I stretch my hand but it is feeble and the sigh of my bosom grows Wilt thou not listen son of the rock to the song of Ossian My soul is full of other times the joy of my youth returns Thus the sun appears in the west after the steps of his brightness have moved behind a storm the green hills lift their dewy heads the blue streams rejoice in the vale The aged hero comes forth on his stair his gray hair glitters in the beam Dost thou not behold son of the rock a shield in Ossian's hall It is marked with the strokes of battle and the brightness of its bosses has failed That shield the great Dunthalmo bore the chief of streamy Teutha Dunthalmo bore it in battle before he fell by Ossian's spear Listen son of the rock to the tale of other years | B |
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| Rathmor was a chief of Clutha The feeble dwelt in his ball The gates of Rathmor were never shut his feast was always spread The sons of the stranger came They blessed the generous chief of Clutha Bards raised the song and touched the harp joy brightened on the face of the sad Dunthalmo came in his pride and rushed into the combat of Rathmor The chief of Clutha overcame the rage of Dunthalmo rose He came by night with his warriors the mighty Rathmor fell He fell in his halls where his feast was often spread for strangers | C |
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| Colmar and Calthon were young the sons of car borne Rathmor They came in the joy of youth into their father's hall They behold him in his blood their bursting tears descend The soul of Dunthalmo melted when he saw the children of youth He brought them to Alteutha's walls they grew in the house of their foe They bent the bow in his presence and came forth to his wars They saw the fallen walls of their fathers they saw the green thorn in the hall Their tears rushed forth in secret At times their faces were sad Dunthalmo beheld their grief his darkening soul designed their death He closed them in two caves on the echoing banks of Teutha The sun did not come there with his beams nor the moon of heaven by night The sons of Rathmor remained in darkness and foresaw their death | D |
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| The daughter of Dunthalmo wept in silence the fair haired blue eyed Colmal Her eye had rolled in secret on Calthon his loveliness swelled in her soul She trembled for her warrior but what could Colmal do Her arm could not lift the spear nor was the sword formed for her side Her white breast never rose beneath a mail Neither was her eye the terror of heroes What canst thou do O Colmal for the falling chief Her steps are unequal her hair is loose her eye looks wildly through her tears She came by night to the hall She armed her lovely form in steel the steel of a young warrior who fell in the first of his battles She came to the cave of Calthon and loosed the thong from his hands | E |
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| Arise son of Rathmor she said arise the night is dark Let us fly to the king of Selma chief of fallen Clutha I am the son of Lamgal who dwelt in thy father's hall I heard of thy dark dwelling in the cave and my soul arose Arise son of Rathmor arise the night is dark Blest voice replied the chief comest thou from the clouds to Calthon The ghosts of his fathers have often descended in his dreams since the sun has retired from his eyes and darkness has dwelt around him Or art thou the son of Lamgal the chief I often saw in Clutha But shall I fly to Fingal and Colmar my brother low Will I fly to Morven and the hero closed in night No give me that spear son of Lamgal Calthon will defend his brother | F |
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| A thousand warriors replied the maid stretch their spears round car borne Colmar What can Calthon do against a host so great Let us fly to the king of Morven he will come with war His arm is stretched forth to the unhappy the lightning of his sword is round the weak Arise thou son of Rathmor the shadows will fly away Arise or thy steps may be seen and thou must fall in youth | G |
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| The sighing hero rose his tears descend for car borne Colmar He came with the maid to Selma's hall but he knew not that it was Colmal The helmet covered her lovely face Her bosom heaved beneath the steel Fingal returned from the chase and found the lovely strangers They were like two beams of light in the midst of the hall of shells The king heard the tale of grief and turned his eyes around A thousand heroes half rose before him claiming the war of Teutha I came with my spear from the hill the joy of battle rose in my breast for the king spoke to Ossian in the midst of a thousand chiefs | H |
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| Son of my strength began the king take thou the spear of Fingal Go to Teutha's rushing stream and save the car borne Colmar Let thy fame return before thee like a pleasant gale that my soul may rejoice over my son who renews the renown of fathers Ossian be thou a storm in war but mild when the foe is low it was thus my fame arose O my son be thou like Selma's chief When the haughty come to my halls my eyes behold them not But my arm is stretched forth to the unhappy My sword defends the weak | I |
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| I rejoiced in the words of the king I took my rattling arms Diaran rose at my side and Dargo king of spears Three hundred youths followed our steps the lovely strangers were at my side Dunthalmo heard the sound of our approach He gathered the strength of Teutha He stood on a hill with his host They were like rocks broken with thunder when their bent trees are singed and bare and the streams of their chinks have failed The stream of Teutha rolled in its pride before the gloomy foe I sent a bard to Dunthalmo to offer the combat on the plain but he smiled in the darkness of his pride His unsettled host moved on the hill like the mountain cloud when the blast has entered its womb and scatters the curling gloom on every side | J |
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| They brought Colmar to Teutha's bank bound with a thousand thongs The chief is sad but stately His eye is on his friends for we stood in our arms whilst Teutha's waters rolled between Dunthalmo came with his spear and pierced the hero's side he rolled on the bank in his blood We heard his broken sighs Calthon rushed into the stream I bounded forward on my spear Teutha's race fell before us N | K |
James Macpherson
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