[ { "title": "The Death of Calmar and Orla. an Imitation of MacPherson's \"Ossian\"", "author": "George Gordon, Lord Byron", "lines": [ "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." ], "linecount": "122" }, { "title": "Imitation of Tibullus. Sulpicia AD Cerinthum (Lib. Quart.)", "author": "George Gordon, Lord Byron", "lines": [ "Cruel Cerinthus! does the fell disease", "Which racks my breast your fickle bosom please?", "Alas! I wish'd but to o'ercome the pain,", "That I might live for Love and you again;", "But, now, I scarcely shall bewail my fate:", "By Death alone I can avoid your hate." ], "linecount": "6" }, { "title": "From the Arabic: An Imitation", "author": "Percy Bysshe Shelley", "lines": [ "My faint spirit was sitting in the light", "Of thy looks, my love;", "It panted for thee like the hind at noon", "For the brooks, my love.", "Thy barb whose hoofs outspeed the tempest's flight", "Bore thee far from me;", "My heart, for my weak feet were weary soon,", "Did companion thee.", "", "Ah! fleeter far than fleetest storm or steed", "Or the death they bear,", "The heart which tender thought clothes like a dove", "With the wings of care;", "In the battle, in the darkness, in the need,", "Shall mine cling to thee,", "Nor claim one smile for all the comfort, love,", "It may bring to thee." ], "linecount": "16" }, { "title": "Imitation", "author": "Edgar Allan Poe", "lines": [ "A dark unfathomed tide", "Of interminable pride--", "A mystery, and a dream,", "Should my early life seem;", "I say that dream was fraught", "With a wild and waking thought", "Of beings that have been,", "Which my spirit hath not seen,", "Had I let them pass me by,", "With a dreaming eye!", "Let none of earth inherit", "That vision on my spirit;", "Those thoughts I would control,", "As a spell upon his soul:", "For that bright hope at last", "And that light time have past,", "And my wordly rest hath gone", "With a sigh as it passed on:", "I care not though it perish", "With a thought I then did cherish." ], "linecount": "20" } ]