XX. THE COMBAT OF FERDIAD 1AND CUCHULAIN1
Joseph Dunn translation
XX. THE COMBAT OF FERDIAD 1AND CUCHULAIN1
Such were the words of Medb, and she spake them here and Ferdiad responded:—
Medb:
"Great rewards in arm-rings, Share of plain and forest, Freedom of thy children From this day till doom! Ferdiad son of Daman, More than thou couldst hope for, Why shouldst thou refuse it, That which all would take?"
Ferdiad:
"Naught I'll take without bond— No ill spearman am I— Hard on me to-morrow: Great will be the strife! Hound that's hight of Culann, How his thrust is grievous! No soft thing to stand him; Rude will be the wound!"
W. 3056.
Medb:
"Champions will be surety, Thou needst not keep hostings. Reins and splendid horses Shall be given as pledge! Ferdiad, good, of battle, For that thou art dauntless, Thou shalt be my lover, Past all, free of cain!"
Ferdiad:
"Without bond I'll go not To engage in ford-feats; It will live till doomsday In full strength and force. Ne'er I'll yield—who hears me, Whoe'er counts upon me— Without sun- and moon-oath, Without sea and land!"
Medb:
"Why then dost delay it?
Bind it as it please thee,
By kings' hands and princes',
Who will stand for thee!
Thou shalt have thine asking,
For I know thou'lt slaughter
Man that meeteth thee!"
Ferdiad:
"Nay, without six sureties— It shall not be fewer— Ere I do my exploits There where hosts will be! Should my will be granted, I swear, though unequal, That I'll meet in combat Cuchulain the brave!"
Medb:
"Domnall, then, or Carbrè, Niaman famed for slaughter, Or e'en folk of barddom, Natheless, thou shalt have. Bind thyself on Morann, Wouldst thou its fulfilment, Bind on smooth Man's Carbrè, And our two sons, bind!"
Ferdiad:
"Medb, with wealth of cunning, Whom no spouse can bridle, Thou it is that herdest Cruachan of the mounds! High thy fame and wild power! Mine the fine pied satin; Give thy gold and silver, Which were proffered me!"
W. 3100.Medb:
"To thee, foremost champion, I will give my ringed brooch. From this day till Sunday, Shall thy respite be! Warrior, mighty, famous, All the earth's fair treasures Shall to thee be given; Everything be thine! "Finnabair of the champions (?), Queen of western Erin, When thou'st slain the Smith's Hound, Ferdiad, she's thine!"
Ferdiad:
Falls of Ai and Cruachan too,
And to dwell for alway there,
I'd not seek the deedful Hound!
"Equal skill to me and him—"
Thus spake Ferdiad withal—
And with them we learned our art.
"Not for fear of battle hard, Noble Eocho Fedlech's maid, Would I shun the Blacksmith's Hound, But my heart bleeds for his love!"
Medb:
One swift, proud, high-mettled steed.
Thou shalt have domains and land
And shalt stay not from the fight (?)!"
Ferdiad:
"But that Medb entreated so, And that poets' tongues did urge, I'd not go for hard rewards To contend with mine own friend!"
Medb:
"Son of Daman of white cheeks, Shouldst thou check this heroes' Hound, E'er so long thy fame will live, When thou comest from Ferdiad's Ford!"1
Battle with the Hound of gore!
Liefer would I battle twice
With two hundred men of Fal!
"Sad the fight, 2and sad the fight,2 I and Hound of feats shall wage! We shall hack both flesh and blood; Skin and body we shall hew!
"Sad, O god, 2yea, sad, O god,2 That a woman should us part! My heart's half, the blameless Hound; Half the brave Hound's heart am I!
"By my shield, 2O, by my shield,2 If Ath Cliath's brave Hound should fall, I will drive my slender glaive Through my heart, my side, my breast!
"By my sword, 2O, by my sword,2 If the Hound of Glen Bolg fall! No man after him I'll slay, Till I o'er the world's brink spring!
"By my hand, 2O, by my hand!2 Falls the Hound of Glen in Sgail, Medb with all her host I'll kill, And then no more men of Fal!
"By my spear, 2O, by my spear!2 Should Ath Cro's brave Hound be slain, I'll be buried in his grave; May one grave hide me and him!
Arms should slay me in fierce fight,
Should be food for ravenous birds?3
"Tell him this, 2O, tell him this,2 To the Hound of beauteous hue, Fearless Scathach hath foretold My fall on a ford through him!
W. 3149.
She hath set me face to face
'Gainst Cuchulain—hard the toil!"
"Not difficult to recognize him," said Cuchulain: "'tis my master Fergus that cometh hither with a warning and with compassion for me, before all the four provinces of Erin."
Fergus:
"O Cuchulain—splendid deed— Lo, 'tis time for thee to rise. Here in rage against thee comes Ferdiad, red-faced Daman's son!"
Cuchulain:
Holding Erin's men at bay;
Foot I've never turned in flight
In my fight with single foe!"
Fergus:
"Dour the man when anger moves, Owing to his gore-red glaive; Ferdiad wears a skin of horn, 'Gainst which fight nor might prevails!"
Cuchulain:
"Be thou still; urge not thy tale, Fergus of the mighty arms. On no land and on no ground, For me is there aught defeat!"
Fergus:
"Fierce the man with scores of deeds; No light thing, him to subdue. Strong as hundreds—brave his mien— Point pricks not, edge cuts him not!"
Cuchulain:
"If we clash upon the ford, I and Ferdiad of known skill, We'll not part without we know: Fierce will be our weapon fight!"
W. 3214.Fergus:
"More I'd wish it than reward, O Cuchulain of red sword, Thou shouldst be the one to bring Eastward haughty Ferdiad's spoils!"
Cuchulain:
"Now I give my word and vow, Though unskilled in strife of words, It is I will conquer this Son of Daman macDarè!"
Fergus:
"It is I brought east the host, Thus requiting Ulster's wrong. With me came they from their lands, With their heroes and their chiefs!"
Cuchulain:
"Were not Conchobar in the 'Pains,' Hard 'twould be to come near us. Never Medb of Mag in Scail On more tearful march had come!"
Fergus:
"Greatest deed awaits thy hand:
Fight with Ferdiad, Daman's son.
Shalt thou have, thou Culann's Hound!"
Ferdiad:
"Let's haste to th' encounter, To battle with this man; The ford we will come to, O'er which Badb will shriek! To meet with Cuchulain, To wound his slight body, To thrust the spear through him So that he may die!"
W. 3266.The Henchman:
"To stay it were better;
Your threats are not gentle;
Death's sickness will one have,
And sad will ye part!
To meet Ulster's noblest,
To meet whence ill cometh;
Long will men speak of it.
Ferdiad:
"Not fair what thou speakest;
No fear hath the warrior;
We owe no one meekness;
We stay not for thee!
Hush, gilla, about us!
The time will bring strong hearts;
More meet strength than weakness;
Ferdiad came to the ford of combat. "Look, my lad!" said Ferdiad, "is Cuchulain on the ford?" "That he is not," replied the gilla. "Look well for us," said Ferdiad. "Cuchulain is not a little speck where he would be in hiding," answered the gilla. "'Tis true, then, my lad; till this day Cuchulain hath not heard of a goodly warrior coming to meet him on the Cow-spoil of Cualnge, and now when he has heard of one, he has left the ford."
"The roll of a chariot,
Its fair yoke of silver;
A man great and stalwart
O'ertops the strong car!
O'er Bri Ross, o'er Branè
Their swift path they hasten;
Victorious they speed!
"A sly Hound that driveth,
A fair chief that urgeth,
A free hawk that speedeth
His steeds towards the south!
'Tis sure he will take us;
We know—vain to hide it—
W. 3335.
"Woe him on the hillock, The brave Hound before him; Last year I foretold it, That some time he'd come! Hound from Emain Macha, Hound formed of all colours, The Border-hound, War-hound, I hear what I've heard!"
Ferdiad:
"'Tis time now to help me;
Be silent! cease praising!
'Twas no deed of friendship,
The Champion of Cualnge,
Thou seest 'midst proud feats,
For that it's for guerdon,
The Henchman:
"I see Cualnge's hero, With feats overweening, Not fleeing he flees us, But towards us he comes. He runneth—not slowly— Though cunning—not sparing— Like water 'down high cliff Or thunderbolt quick!"
W. 3365.Ferdiad:
"'Tis cause of a quarrel, So much thou hast praised him; And why hast thou chose him, Since I am from home? And now they extol him, They fall to proclaim him; None come to attack him, But soft simple men (?)."
"Beautiful is the arrangement of that hair so that it makes three coils down behind over his shoulders. Even as a thread of gold it seems, when its hue has been wrought over the edge of an anvil; or like to the yellow of bees whereon shines the sun on a summer's day is the shining of each single hair of his hair. Seven toes he has on each of his feet and seven fingers on each of his hands and the brilliance of a very great fire is around his eye.
"Befitting him is the charioteer beside him, with curly, jet-black hair, shorn broad over his head. A cowled garment around him, open at the elbows. A horse-whip, very fine and golden in his hand, and a light-grey cloak wrapped around him, and a goad of white silver in his hand. He plies the goad on the horses whatever way would go the deed-renowned warrior that is in the chariot."2
And Cuchulain reached the ford. Ferdiad waited on W. 3387. the south side of the ford; Cuchulain stood on the north side. Ferdiad bade welcome to Cuchulain. "Welcome is thy coming, O Cuchulain!" said Ferdiad. "Truly spoken meseemed thy welcome till now," answered Cuchulain; "but to-day I put no more trust in it. And, O Ferdiad," said Cuchulain, "it were fitter for me to bid thee welcome than that thou should'st welcome me; for it is thou that art come to the land and province wherein I dwell; and it is not fitting for thee to come to contend and do battle with me, but it were fitter for me to go to contend and do battle with thee. For before thee in flight are my women and my boys and my youths, my steeds and my troops of horses, my droves, my flocks and my herds of cattle."
Ferdiad:
"What led thee, O Cua, To fight a strong champion? Thy flesh will be gore-red O'er smoke of thy steeds! Alas for thy journey, A kindling of firebrands; In sore need of healing, If home thou shouldst reach!"
W. 3417.Cuchulain:
"I'm come before warriors
Before troops and hundreds,
To drown thee in deep.
In anger, to prove thee
In hundred-fold battle,
Till on thee come havoc,
Defending thy head!"
Ferdiad:
Cuchulain:
"How then shall we combat?
For wrongs shall we heave sighs?
Despite all, we'll go there,
To fight on the ford!
Or is it with hard swords,
Or e'en with red spear-points,
Before hosts to slay thee,
Ferdiad:
"'Fore sunset, 'fore nightfall—
If need be, then guard thee—
I'll fight thee at Bairchè,
Not bloodlessly fight!
The Ulstermen call thee,
'He has him!' Oh, hearken!
The sight will distress them
Cuchulain:
"In danger's gap fallen,
At hand is thy life's term;
On thee plied be weapons,
Not gentle the skill!
One champion will slay thee;
We both will encounter;
No more shalt lead forays,
W. 3457.Ferdiad:
"Avaunt with thy warnings,
Thou world's greatest braggart;
Nor guerdon nor pardon,
'Tis I that well know thee,
Thou heart of a cageling
This lad merely tickles—
Without skill or force!"
Cuchulain:
"When we were with Scathach, For wonted arms training, Together we'd fare forth, To seek every fight. Thou wast my heart's comrade. My clan and my kinsman; Ne'er found I one dearer; Thy loss would be sad!"
Ferdiad:LL. fo. 84a.
"Thou wager'st thine honour Unless we do battle; Before the cock croweth, Thy head on a spit! Cuchulain of Cualnge, Mad frenzy hath seized thee All ill we'll wreak on thee, For thine is the sin!"
"Come not nigh me, noble chief, Ferdiad, comrade, Daman's son. Worse for thee than 'tis for me; Thou'lt bring sorrow to a host!
"Come not nigh me 'gainst all right; Thy last bed is made by me. Why shouldst thou alone escape From the prowess of my arms?
"Shall not great feats thee undo, Though thou'rt purple, horny-skinned? And the maid thou boastest of, Shall not, Daman's son, be thine!
"Finnabair, Medb's daughter fair, Great her charms though they may be, Fair as is the damsel's form, She's for thee not to enjoy!
"Finnabair, the king's own child, Is the lure, if truth be told; Many they whom she's deceived And undone as she has thee!
"Break not, weetless, oath with me; Break not friendship, break not bond; Break not promise, break not word; Come not nigh me, noble chief!
"Fifty chiefs obtained in plight This same maid, a proffer vain. Through me went they to their graves; Spear-right all they had from me!
"Though for brave was held Ferbaeth, With whom was a warriors' train, In short space I quelled his rage; Him I slew with one sole blow!
"Srubdarè—sore sank his might— Darling of the noblest dames, Time there was when great his fame— Gold nor raiment saved him not!
"Were she mine affianced wife,
I would not thy body hurt.
Right nor left, in front, behind!"
Cuchulain:
"We were heart-companions once; We were comrades in the woods; We were men that shared a bed, When we slept the heavy sleep, After hard and weary fights. Into many lands, so strange, Side by side we sallied forth, And we ranged the woodlands through, When with Scathach we learned arms!"
Ferdiad:
"O Cuchulain, rich in feats, Hard the trade we both have learned; Treason hath o'ercome our love; Thy first wounding hath been bought; Think not of our friendship more, Cua, it avails thee not!"
W. 3555. They betook them to their choicest deeds of arms. They took upon them two equally-matched shields for feats, and their eight-edged targes for feats, and their eight small darts, and their eight straightswords with ornaments of walrus-tooth and their eight lesser, ivoried spears which flew from them and to them like bees *LL. fo. 84b. on a day of fine weather.
Of every food and of every savoury, soothing and strong drink that was brought by the men of Erin to Ferdiad, a like portion thereof he sent over the ford northwards to Cuchulain; for the purveyors of Ferdiad were more numerous than the purveyors of Cuchulain. All the men of Erin were purveyors to Ferdiad, to the end that he might keep W. 3598. Cuchulain off from them. But only the inhabitants of Mag Breg ('the Plain of Breg') were purveyors to Cuchulain. They were wont to come daily, that is, every night, to converse with him.
They bided there that night. Early on the morrow they arose and went their ways to the ford of combat. "To what weapons shall we resort on this day, O Ferdiad?" asked Cuchulain. *LL. fo. 85a. "Thine is the choosing of weapons till night time," Ferdiad made answer, "because it was I had my choice of weapons on the day aforegone." "Let us take, then," said Cuchulain, "to our great, well-tempered lances to-day, for we think that the thrusting will bring nearer the decisive battle to-day than did the casting of yesterday. Let our horses be brought to us and our chariots yoked, to the end that we engage in combat over our horses and chariots on this day." "Aye, let us go so," Ferdiad assented. Thereupon they girded two full-firm broad-shields on them for that day. They took to their great, well-tempered lances on that day. Either of them began to pierce and to drive, to throw and to press down the other, from early morning's twilight till the hour of evening's close. If it were the wont for birds in flight to fly through the bodies of men, they could have passed through their bodies on that day and carried away pieces of blood and flesh through their wounds and their sores into the clouds and the air all around. And when the hour of evening's close was come, their horses were spent and their drivers were wearied, and they themselves, the heroes and warriors of valour, were exhausted. "Let us give over now, O Ferdiad," said Cuchulain, "for our horses are spent and our drivers tired, and when they are exhausted, why should we too not be exhausted?" And in this wise he spake, and he uttered these words at that place:—
"We need not our chariots break— This, a struggle fit for giants. Place the hobbles on the steeds, Now that din of arms is o'er!"
And Cuchulain lamented and moaned, and he spake these words and Ferdiad responded:—
Cuchulain:
"Ferdiad, ah, if it be thou, Well I know thou'rt doomed to die! To have gone at woman's hest, Forced to fight thy comrade sworn!"
Ferdiad:
"O Cuchulain—wise decree— Loyal champion, hero true, Each man is constrained to go 'Neath the sod that hides his grave!"
Cuchulain:
"Finnabair, Medb's daughter fair, Stately maiden though she be, Not for love they'll give to thee, But to prove thy kingly might!"
Ferdiad:
"Provèd was my might long since, Cu of gentle spirit thou. Of one braver I've not heard; Till to-day I have not found!"
Cuchulain:
"Thou art he provoked this fight, Son of Daman, Darè's son, To have gone at woman's word, Swords to cross with thine old friend!"
W. 3679.Ferdiad:
"Should we then unfought depart, Brothers though we are, bold Hound, Ill would be my word and fame With Ailill and Cruachan's Medb!"
Cuchulain:
"Food has not yet passed his lips, Nay nor has he yet been born, Son of king or blameless queen, For whom I would work thee harm!"
Ferdiad:
"Culann's Hound, with floods of deeds, Medb, not thou, hath us betrayed; Fame and victory thou shalt have; Not on thee we lay our fault!"
Cuchulain:
"Clotted gore is my brave heart, Near I'm parted from my soul; Wrongful 'tis—with hosts of deeds— Ferdiad, dear, to fight with thee!"
Then Cuchulain, too, girded his war-harness of battle and W. 3757. fight and combat about him, and performed all kinds of splendid, manifold, marvellous feats on high that day which he had not learned from any one before, neither with Scathach nor with Uathach nor with Aifè.
Each of them was busy hurling at the other in those deeds of arms from early morning's gloaming till the middle of noon. When mid-day came, the rage of the men became wild, and each drew nearer to the other.
Thereupon Cuchulain gave one spring once from the bank of the ford till he stood upon the boss of Ferdiad macDaman's shield, seeking to reach his head and to strike W. 3779. it from above over the rim of the shield. Straightway Ferdiad gave the shield a blow with his left elbow, so that Cuchulain went from him like a bird onto the brink of the ford. Again Cuchulain sprang from the brink of the ford, so that he alighted upon the boss of Ferdiad macDaman's shield, that he might reach his head and strike it over the rim of the shield from above. Ferdiad gave the shield a thrust with his left knee, so that Cuchulain went from him like an infant onto the bank of the ford.
It was then the first twisting-fit of Cuchulain took place, so that a swelling and inflation filled him like breath in a bladder, until he made a dreadful, terrible, many-coloured, wonderful bow of himself, so that as big as a giant or a man W. 3805. of the sea was the hugely-brave warrior towering directly over Ferdiad.
Such was the closeness of the combat they made, that their heads encountered above and their feet below and their hands in the middle over the rims and bosses of the shields.
Such was the closeness of the combat they made, that their shields burst and split from their rims to their centres.
Such was the closeness of the combat they made, that their spears bent and turned and shivered from their tips to their rivets.
Such was the closeness of the combat they made, that the boccanach and the bananach ('the puck-faced Fays' and 'the white-faced Fays') and the sprites of the glens and the eldritch beings of the air screamed from the rims of their shields and from the guards of their swords and from the tips of their spears.
Such was the closeness of the combat they made, that they forced the river out of its bed and out of its course, so that there might have been a reclining place *LL. fo. 87a. for a king or a queen in the middle of the ford, and not a drop of water was in it but what fell there with the trampling and slipping which the two heroes and the two battle-warriors made in the middle of the ford.
Such was the closeness of the combat they made, that the steeds of the Gael broke loose affrighted and plunging with madness and fury, so that their chains and their shackles, their traces and tethers snapped, and the women and children and pygmy-folk, the weak and the madmen among the men of Erin brake out through the camp south-westward.
At that time they were at the edge-feat of swords. It was then Ferdiad caught Cuchulain in an unguarded moment, and he gave him a thrust with his tusk-hilted blade, so that he buried it in his breast, and his blood fell into his belt, W. 3831. till the ford became crimsoned with the clotted blood from the battle-warrior's body. Cuchulain endured it not, under Ferdiad's attack, with his death-bringing, heavy blows, and his long strokes and his mighty, middle slashes at him.
Then it was they displayed all their skill and secret cunning to one another, so that there was not a secret of W. 3851. either of them kept from the other except the Gae Bulga, which was Cuchulain's. Howbeit, when the Fairy friends found Cuchulain had been wounded, each of them inflicted three great, heavy wounds on him, on Ferdiad, to wit. It was then that Ferdiad made a cast to the right, so that he slew Dolb with that goodly cast. Then followed the two woundings and the two throws that overcame him, till Ferdiad made a second throw towards Cuchulain's left, and with that throw he stretched low and killed Indolb dead on the floor of the ford. Hence it is that the story-teller sang the rann:—
"Why is this called Ferdiad's Ford, E'en though three men on it fell? None the less it washed their spoils— It is Dolb's and Indolb's Ford!"
"Ware! beware the Gae Bulga, Battle-winning Culann's hound!" et reliqua.
"Ah, that now sufficeth," sighed Ferdiad: "I am fallen of that! But, yet one thing more: mightily didst thou drive with thy right foot. And 'twas not fair of thee for me to fall by thy hand." And he yet spake and uttered these words:—
"O Cu of grand feats, Unfairly I'm slain! Thy guilt clings to me; My blood falls on thee!
Who treads treason's gap.
Now weak is my voice;
Ah, gone is my bloom!
"My ribs' armour bursts, My heart is all gore; I battled not well; I'm smitten, O Cu!
To come to the ford.
Hath Medb turned my hand!
"There'll come rooks and crows To gaze on my arms, To eat flesh and blood. A tale, Cu, for thee!"4
Laeg:
"Now arise, O Emain's Hound; Now most fits thee courage high. Ferdiad hast thou thrown—of hosts— God's fate! How thy fight was hard!"
Cuchulain:
"What avails me courage now? I'm oppressed with rage and grief, For the deed that I have done On his body sworded sore!"
Laeg:
"It becomes thee not to weep; Fitter for thee to exult! Yon red-speared one thee hath left Plaintful, wounded, steeped in gore!"
Cuchulain:
"Even had he cleaved my leg, And one hand had severed too; Woe, that Ferdiad—who rode steeds— Shall not ever be in life!"
W. 3993.Laeg:
"Liefer far what's come to pass, To the maidens of Red Branch; He to die, thou to remain; They grudge not that ye should part!"
Cuchulain:
"From the day I Cualnge left, Seeking high and splendid Medb, Carnage has she had—with fame— Of her warriors whom I've slain!"
Laeg:
"Thou hast had no sleep in peace, In pursuit of thy great Táin; Though thy troop was few and small, Oft thou wouldst rise at early morn!"
Cuchulain began to lament and bemoan Ferdiad, and he spake the words:
"Unhappy for thee that Laeg son of Riangabair did not make thee blush in regard to our comradeship!
"Unhappy for thee that the truly faithful warning of Fergus thou didst not take!
"Unhappy for thee that dear, trophied, triumphant, battle-victorious Conall counselled thee not in regard to our comradeship!
W. 4022. "There shall not be found the hand of a hero that will wound warrior's flesh, like cloud-coloured Ferdiad!
"There shall not be one that will contend for Cruachan that will obtain covenants equal to thine, till the very day of doom and of life henceforward, O red-cheeked son of Daman!" said Cuchulain.
"Ah, Ferdiad, betrayed to death. Our last meeting, oh, how sad! Thou to die, I to remain. Ever sad our long farewell! "When we over yonder dwelt With our Scathach, steadfast, true, This we thought till end of time, That our friendship ne'er would end! "Dear to me thy noble blush; Dear thy comely, perfect form; Dear thine eye, blue-grey and clear; Dear thy wisdom and thy speech! "Never strode to rending fight, Never wrath and manhood held, Nor slung shield across broad back, One like thee, Daman's red son!
W. 4051.
"Never have I met till now, Since I Oenfer Aifè slew, One thy peer in deeds of arms, Never have I found, Ferdiad! "Finnabair, Medb's daughter fair, Beauteous, lovely though she be, As a gad round sand or stones, She was shown to thee, Ferdiad!"
"Alas, golden brooch; Ferdiad of the hosts, O good smiter, strong, Victorious thy hand!
"Thy hair blond and curled, A wealth fair and grand. Thy soft, leaf-shaped belt Around thee till death!
"Our comradeship dear;
Thy noble eye's gleam;
Thy golden-rimmed shield;
Thy noble arm binds.
Thy chess-board worth wealth;
Thy fair, ruddy cheek!4
"To fall by my hand, I own was not just! 'Twas no noble fight. Alas, golden brooch!
Unequal the shield
Thou hadst for the strife!
"Unfair was our fight, Our woe and defeat! Fair the great chief; Each host overcome And put under foot! Alas, golden brooch!"1
W. 4092. "Come, O Laeg my master," cried Cuchulain; "now cut open Ferdiad and take the Gae Bulga out, because I may not be without my weapons." Laeg came and cut open Ferdiad and he took the Gae Bulga out of him. And Cuchulain saw his weapons bloody and red-stained by the side of Ferdiad, and he uttered these words:—
"O Ferdiad, in gloom we meet. Thee I see both red and pale. I myself with unwashed arms; Thou liest in thy bed of gore!
"Were we yonder in the East, Scathach and our Uathach near, There would not be pallid lips Twixt us two, and arms of strife!
"Thus spake Scathach trenchantly (?), Words of warning, strong and stern: 'Go ye all to furious fight; German, blue-eyed, fierce will come!'
"Unto Ferdiad then I spake,
And to Lugaid generous,
German we would go to meet!
"We came to the battle-rock,
Over Lake Linn Formait's shore.
From the Isles of the Athissech!
"As I stood and Ferdiad brave At the gate of German's fort, I slew Rinn the son of Nel; He slew Ruad son of Fornel!
W. 4122.
LL. fo. 88b.
"Ferdiad slew upon the slope Blath, of Colba 'Red-sword' son. Lugaid, fierce and swift, then slew Mugairne of the Tyrrhene Sea!
"I slew, after going in, Four times fifty grim, wild men. Ferdiad killed—a furious horde— Dam Dremenn and Dam Dilenn!
"We laid waste shrewd German's fort O'er the broad, bespangled sea. German we brought home alive To our Scathach of broad shield!
"Then our famous nurse made fast
That our angers should not rise
'Mongst the tribes of noble Elg!
"Sad the morn, a day in March, Which struck down weak Daman's son. Woe is me, the friend is fall'n Whom I pledged in red blood's draught!a
"Were it there I saw thy death, Midst the great Greeks' warrior-bands, I'd not live on after thee, But together we would die!
"Woe, what us befel therefrom, Us, dear Scathach's fosterlings, Me sore wounded, red with blood, Thee no more to drive thy car!
"Woe, what us befel therefrom, Us, dear Scathach's fosterlings, Me sore wounded, stiff with gore, Thee to die the death for aye!
"Woe, what us befel therefrom, Us, dear Scathach's fosterlings, Thee in death, me, strong, alive. Valour is an angry strife!"
"Good, O Cucuc," spake Laeg, "let us leave this ford now; too long are we here!" "Aye, let us leave it, O my master Laeg," replied Cuchulain. "But every combat and battle I have fought seems a game and a sport to me compared with the combat and battle of Ferdiad." Thus he spake, and he uttered these words:—
W. 4164.
"All was play, all was sport, Till came Ferdiad to the ford! One task for both of us, Equal our reward. Our kind, gentle nurse Chose him over all!
"All was play, all was sport, Till came Ferdiad to the ford! One our life, one our fear, One our skill in arms. Shields gave Scathach twain To Ferdiad and me!
"All was play, all was sport,
Till came Ferdiad to the ford!
I smote on the ford.
Bull-chief of the tribes,
Braver he than all!
"Only games and only sport, Till came Ferdiad to the ford! Lion, furious, flaming, fierce; Swollen wave that wrecks like doom!
"Only games and only sport, Till came Ferdiad to the ford! Lovèd Ferdiad seemed to me After me would live for aye! Yesterday, a mountain's size— He is but a shade to-day!
"Three things countless on the Táin Which have fallen by my hand: Hosts of cattle, men and steeds, I have slaughtered on all sides!
"Though the hosts were e'er so great, That came out of Cruachan wild, More than third and less than half, Slew I in my direful sport!
"Never trod in battle's ring;
Never sprang from sea or land,
King's son that had larger fame!"