44 THE BATTLE OF VENTRY. 



795 Teid Cailti gusan maidhin a raibhe Oscur 7 na hallmuraig 7 tuc beim cloidim 

 fona comhair gan choigill donti ba neasa do co n-dearna dha chuid cudruma de. 

 Togbhais Oscur a cheann 7 fechais air. 'A ChaiUi/ ar se 'dar lim nfr lamais 

 do chloidem do dearghadh ar neach eili no gur dingmhais aen da raibhi a comair 

 mo chloidim-si. Adhnair duit fos fir an domhain mhoir 7 fiana Eirenn uiU a 



8oon-enchath 7 gan comlann d' faghail ann no gur chuid/rt7Hs mo chuid chatha 

 orum-sa. 7 is cubhais damh-sa/ ar s^ * cor ail lium do chur isin cosair cro ar 

 a son.' Do chlaechloidh sin imoro a chiall 7 a chonn do Chailti 7 tuc a 

 agaid ar chath na n-allmurach aris 7 ruamna na feirgi ana ghnuis 7 ana ghealagaid 

 7 torcradar ochtmogha laech leis don ruathar sin. 



805 Is ann sin imoro tainic Oscur ana ruibnedhaibh rodhiana reatha a timcheall 

 a chatha fein 7 do ghabh ag drud 7 ag dingi 7 ag dluthceartugud na n-allmu- 

 rach a ceann a cheili 7 tainic fein futha da eis amhail theid sruth seaghmar 

 sestanach tar chladhaibh clachisli camcharadh no amail do bheith tred caerach 

 ar mormuigh 7 cu allaid ana ceartlar ag a coimleagadh 7 nochar smachtamhla 



810 ar an tred he 'na Oscur ar na hallmurachaib 7 nochar tana silcur na tragha o 

 na fearaib 'na faenluighi. Uair [fo. 9 a. 2.] cebe 'ga raibhe sfneadh saegail tar 

 efs an chatha sin, nf ag neach do chuid Oscair do bhi 7 torcradar na ceithri 

 ced sin leis 7 tuc a aghaidh arfs ar an morchath 7 dochuaidh futha amhail 

 leoman luathfeargach 7 do ghabh ag imirt a feirgi orrtha. 



Cailte went to the place where Oscar and the foreigners were, and he gave a blow 

 of his sword straight in front without sparing to him that was next to him, so that he 

 made two equal portions of him. Oscar raised his head and looked upon him. * O 

 Cailte,' said he, ' it seems to me, thou hast not ventured to redden thy sword on any 

 one else before overcoming one of those that are opposite my sword. Shame to thee, 

 moreover, all the men of the great world and the fianns of Erinn in one fight, and 

 thou not able to find combat in it, before thou meddlest in my share of the fight. 

 And I pledge my faith,' said he, ' that I should like thee to be laid low on thy bed of 

 blood on that account.' That altered Gailte's mind and intention, and he set his 

 face again towards the army of the foreigners, with the redness of anger in his counte- 

 nance, and in his white face, and eighty warriors fell from that onslaught. 



Then Oscar went on his slaughterings of very swift course round his own (share of the) 

 fight, and began to close in and to urge and to press the foreigners hard against each 

 other, and he went himself among them after that as a noble roaring river goes over low- 

 stoned, crooked dikes, or like a flock of sheep on a great plain, and a wolf right in their 

 midst driving them together, and not greater is his power over the flock than (that of) 

 Oscar over the foreigners, and not thicker was the sowing of the strand from the men 

 lying low. For whoso came out whole of this battle, he was not one of Oscar's portion, 

 and those four hundred fell by him, and he set his face against the great army again, and 

 went among them like a quickly-roused lion, and began to let loose his anger upon them. 



