34 THE BA TTLE OF VENTRY. 



Eirenn 7 cloideamh dergfaebhrach gacha lamha do 7 doberedh an brathbeim re 

 cheli orrtha 7 ro heasairc an tucadh d' a n-ogaibh 7 do tanaig an tracht da tren- 

 feraibh 7 ro Hn an learg da laechaibh 7 do connairc Finn sin 7 ba cradh croidhe 



615 7 ba baegul bais 7 ba heasbaidh anma leis an dil tuc an t-allmurach ar an fein 7 do 

 bi ag coimgreasacht na feine chuigi 7 ro eirig Fearghus Finnbel 7 is ed adubert : 

 ' A fiana Eirenn/ ar se ' is truagh tarrla dibh a med d' eigin 7 d' anforlanw d' 

 [f]uilngeabhair um ceann Eirenn 'ga cosnamh 7 enlaech 'ga buain dib aniubh 7 

 nach fuilti acht amail bhis ealta minen ar fud craibhe [fo. 7 b. i .] eigin 'ga n-imdi- 



620 dean o bhis seabhac ar a ti sibh-si ag dul ar scath Finn 7 Oisin 7 Oscw/r 7 nach 

 cinnean neach ar a cheli agaib 7 nach tabhair neach uaib agaid ar an allmurach.' 

 ' Dar mo chubais,' ar Oisin * is fir uili an forgeall sin 7 ni fobair neach againn 

 seach a cheili a dingmhail.' ' Ni fuil neach is ferr 'na cheiU agaibh ' ar Fearghus. 

 ' Biaidh anois ' ar Oisin ' 'ga leigean na thorainn thinneasnaigh d' innsaigid an 



625 allmuraig. An agam, a laich,' ar Oisin ' co ferainn comrac rit tar ceann na feine.' 

 ' Is briathar dam-sa guma gerr an cairde sin ' ar mac righ Lochlann. 



Do thogadar imoro a n-da sciath imealchain aladhb^??ach a n-aicill a cheili 7 

 ro imreadar na craiseacha crechtaidbhli comaigmheili 7 na cloidme iarannblaithi 

 6rcumdaz^thi 7 dorinneadar urrlaidhi tric thinneasnach re hathfl: fada. Do bhi 



the son of the king of Norway, and he put on his grey-venomous frightful blue 

 dress, and he went among the fianns of Erinn, with a red-edged sword in either hand, 

 and he dealt destructive blows in turn among them, and he destroyed what was 

 sent against him of their youths. And he made the strand narrow with their cham- 

 pions, and he filled the plain with their warriors. And Finn saw this, and the destruc- 

 tion that the foreigner dealt among the fiann was torment of heart, and danger of 

 death, and loss of mind to him, and he kept urging the fianns on against him, and 

 Fergus Finnbel arose, and this is what he said : * Ye fianns of Erinn,' said he, ' it is 

 a sad thing that ye have got into such a strait and oppression which ye have suff^ered in de- 

 fending Erinn, and one warrior taking her from you to-day, and not otherwise are ye but 

 like flocks of small birds in some bush seeking shelter when a hawk is pursuing them, so 

 are ye going into the shelter of Finn and Oisin and Oscar, and none of you is better 

 than the other, and none of you gives his face against the foreigner.' ' By my faith,' 

 said Oisin, 'all that speech is true, and none of us tries to excel the other in warding 

 him off.' ' There is none of you that is better than the other,' said Fergus. * Do 

 now,' said Oisin, ' let forth a vehement thundering noise against the foreigner. Stay 

 with me, O warrior,' said Oisin, ' that I may fight Avith thee for the fiann.' ' I pledge 

 my word that this respite will be short,' said the son of the king of Norway. 



Then they raised their two beautifuliy-bordered shields with speckled points against 

 each othcr, and poised the frightfully-wounding fearful spears, and the iron-bladed gold- 

 ornamented swords, and made a quick vehement attack for a long time. Now, the combat 



628. iarannb'' liathi MS. 629. thi^mxeasnach MS. 



