THE BATTLE OF VENTRY. 45 



*Cia anois is fearr isin chath?' ar Finn re Ferghus. 'Do mac moirmenm-Sis 

 nach fein' ar Ferghus ' .i. Oisin ilbuadhach 7 ata s^ a tiublar na n-allmurach 

 'ga luathmharbhadh.' ' Cidh tuarascbail fuil ar an chath anois .-' ' ar Finn re Ferghus. 

 ' Truagh sin,' ar Ferghus ' uair ni tafnic 7 ni ticfa neach budh tualaing a innisin no 

 a faisneis anois. Uair is cubais dam-sa ' ar se ' nach dluithi 7 nach daingne na 

 coillti dluithi dosbarracha doscailti is dluithi 7 is doimtachta a n-iarthar na hEorpa 820 

 anaid anois, uair ataid irsi a sciath 7 brollaigi a luireach a lamaib a cheili. Ocus 

 is cubhais eili dam' ar Ferghus 'da m-beith an darna fer no an treasfer da fuil isin 

 chath 7 athainneadha teineadh a laimh gach ain dib aca m-bualadh fa cheili, nach 

 bhudh aibhsigi splangcach theinedh uatha a n-airde 'na a tig do theinntigh a 

 cimsaibh a clogat 7 a cathbharr 7 a cathluireach, o faebraibh tana tiubhthuagh 7 825 

 chloidem corrger curata. Ocus is cubais eili dam ' ar Fergus ' nar fear a lo 

 foghmhair cith ferthana is truma 'na an cith fola fearus for na sluaghaibh anuas, 

 ar is do teilg gaeth 7 sian gearan na n-arm 7 golghairfeadhach na sluag a n-adr 

 7 a firmaiminnt. Cubhais eili dam fos ' ar Ferghus ' nar theilg gaeth da tainic 



6 na duilibh riamh do dhuilleabar do morcoill urdail ar theilg gaeth aniubh a 830 

 nellaib 7 a n-a^r d' foltaibh fada finncasa forordha 7 do chiabaibh casa cirdhubha 



7 d' urrlaghaibh leabra lanmaiseacha arna teascadh do bhiaillibh imleathna 

 infaebhracha. Uair do muchadar na fola 7 na fuilt sin fearas for na cathaibh leath 



'Who is foremost in the battle now?' said Finn to Fergus. ' Thine own great- 

 spirited son,' said Fergus, ' to wit, Oisin of the many victories, and he is in the thick 

 midst of the foreigners killing them quickly.' ' What aspect is on the fight now?' said 

 Finn to Fergus. ' Woeful is this,' said Fergus, ' for there never came and there never 

 will come any one capable of telling and relating it as it stands now. For I pledge my 

 faith,' said he, ' not closer and not thicker are the dense bush-topped inseparable forests 

 that are densest and most impassable in the west of Europe than they are now. For 

 the bosses (?) of their shields, and the breasts of their hauberks are in each other's 

 hands. And again I pledge my faith,' said Fergus, ' if every second or every third man of 

 those that are in the battle had firebrands in their hands as they strike each other, not 

 more terrible would be the blaze of fire from them on high than the fire that comes out 

 of the rims of their helmets and their battle-hats and their battle-hauberks, from the 

 thin edges of the firm axes and of the sharp-pointed heroes' swords. And again I pledge 

 my faith,' said Fergus, ' it never rained a shower-pouring on a harvest day-heavier than 

 the rain of blood that rains down on the hosts, for the wind, and the stormy groans of the 

 weapons, and the lamenting cries of the hosts threw it upward into the air and the firma- 

 ment. Again I pledge my faith,'said Fergus, ' no wind that ever came from the elements, 

 tore the like number of leaves from a great forest, that the wind has now tom into the 

 clouds and into the air of long fair-curled golden hair, and of curly jet-black locks, and 

 of long beautiful hairs, that havc been cut oft" by broad, sharp-edgcd axes. For that 



