THE BATTLE OF VENTRF. 



27 



domhain moir uili gairthi scigi 7 fanamhaid do 7 ba mofdi a menma leisan macamh 

 sin uili 7 rangadar s^ gona uadha ar an allmurach suil do gonadh he fein. 7 ro 480 

 fearsead comrac feigh fuilech forbartach coimneart calma croidheamhail ruibh- 

 nech reachtmar r6dghonach treasach taibhdearg tulganach aigmheil ingnadh 

 anaithnidh iachtach urrlamh osnadach laimdearg leidmeach luathghonach dighair 

 dluthmhear dasachtach cneathach crannruadh croidemail comrac na desi sin. 

 Uair da sirthi 6 imhlibh oirrtheracha Innsi Cirbam .i. Mara Romoir Ruaidh co tir 485 

 na fuinedach, nf fuidhthi eaturru sin comhrac deisi budh ferr 'na in comrac sin. 7 

 do badar sluaigh an domhain mhoir uili 7 fiana Eirenn 'ga coimgreasadh. 



Ocus ar teacht na hoidhchi tra 7 ar tairgsin a n-arm 7 ar scoltadh a sciath 

 [fo. 6 a. 2.] ni drud 6 cheili doronsat amhail as gnath do comrac sgur o \}i\\Q.Udh 

 aghaidh, acht rucadar ruathar foirtill fergadhbal a commhail a chele 7 ro dunsad 490 

 a lamha luatha leidmheacha tar a cheli 7 tucadar cuir ana athluma d' aroile, gur 

 bruighedar an gealtracht gainmighi. 7 do badar isin comsuathadh sin co tafnic an 

 lan mara 7 gur leath eaturra 7 tir 7 do bhi do med feirgi na deisi sin nar seachnadar 

 a n-inadh comraic co tafnic an lan mara tarsta 7 gur baidheadh ar aen fad a fiadnaisi 

 sluag an domhain 7 ffan Eirenn. 7 tucadh gair adhbhalmhor ac sluagaibh an do- 495 

 mhain 7 ag fianaibh Eirenn ac comchaineadh na deisi sin. 7 is ann do frith arna 



the great world raised cries of derision and jeering at him, and the courage of the 

 boy was all the greater, and he infiicted six wounds on the foreigner, before he was 

 wounded himself. And they fought a combat sharp, bloody, masterly (?), evenly 

 matched, valiant, courageous, powerful, proud, niurderous, dashing, red-sided, sudden- 

 wounding, terrible, wonderful, unheard-of, howling, quick, groanful, red-handed, brave, 

 quick-wounding, eager, close, mad, furious, wound-giving, red-speared, courageous was 

 the combat of those two. For if search were made from the eastern borders of the 

 jsland of Cirbam, to wit, of the Red Sea to the land of the western people, there would 

 not be found between them a braver combat of two than that combat, And the hosts 

 of the whole great world and the fianns of Erinn were urging them on. 



And when now the night had come, and when their weapons were broken, and 

 their shields split, they did not leave ofF from each other, as it is customary to put 

 off combat if night should come on, but they made a strong angry awful rush at 

 each other, and closed their nimble strong hands across each other, and gave each 

 other quick dexterous puUs, so that thcy made the white sandy shore seethe. And 

 they continued in that embrace, until the tide of the sea came and spread between them 

 and the land, and such was the fury of those two, that they did not give up their place 

 of combat, till the tide of the sea came over them, so that they were both drowned 

 before the eyes of the hosts of the world and of the fianns of Erinn. And an exceeding 



486. etrru MS. 489. ugnath MS. 



E 2 



