52 THE BATTLE OF VENTRY. 



rochtain beo 'sa doman [fo. lob. i.] mor aris d' innisin sceil. 7 ni fearr de lium 

 gnimh na echt na aitheas da n-derrna me fein 'na enduine d' fianaibh Eirenn 7 fer 



945 innisti sceil do dhul beo as do na hallmurachaib 7 an fuil enduine beo a comgar 

 dhamh?' ar se. ' Ataim-si' ar Ferghus Finnbel. ' Cia reim na ruathar fuil ar an 

 cath anois?' ar Finn. ' Truagh sin, a Finn/ ar Ferghus ' is briathar dam-sa, o dho 

 chumaiscedar na catha 'sa maidm aniubh ar a cheili, nach ruc allmurach na Eiren- 

 nach ceim ar cul re 'roili no gur thuiteadar uile bonn re bonn. 7 is cubhais dhamh,' 



950 ar Ferghus ' nach leir re feadh raghairc grainne gainim na feoir ar an tracht sa this 

 le corpaibh curadh^ cathmhiled ana faenluighi ann. 7 is briathar eih dhamh,' ar se 

 ' nach fuil neach do na cathaib nach fuil isin chosair cro sin, acht madh taiseach 

 teaghlaig righ an domain 7 do dhalta-sa fein .i. Cael mac Crimthainn na cuan.' 

 * Eiridh-si da fis, a Ferghus' ar Finn. 



955 Teid Ferghus co hairm a raibhi Cael 7 do bhi 'ga fiarfaige dhe cinnas do bhi se. 

 ' Truagh sin, a Fergus ' ar Cael. ' Is briathar dhamh, da m-beanta mo luireach 7 

 mo chathbarr dim 7 m'eideadh uili, co nach fuil duil dom dhuil/<5 nach tuitfeadh o 

 cheili 7 is cubhais dam gura doilghi lium an laech ud adcim ag dul beo do na hall- 

 murachaib 'na me fein do beith mar ataim. 7 fagaim mo beannacht agad-sa, a 



960 Ferghus,' ar Cael * 7 togaibh leat ar do mhuin mhe docum na fairrgi co n-denainn 



I heard the foreigner saying these words, while going back into the great world alive 

 to tell tidings. And nothing avails any deed or feat or victory that I myself or any of 

 the fianns of Erinn have accomplished, since a man to tell tidings escapes alive of the 

 foreigners. And is there any man alive near me ?' 'I am,' said Fergus Finnbel. ' What 

 is the state or slaughter of the battle now?' said Finn. ' Woeful is that, O Finn,' 

 said Fergus, * I pledge my vi^ord that since the armies have mixed in the rout to-day 

 with each other, no foreigner or man of Erinn has taken a step backward before the 

 other, until they have all fallen sole against sole. And I pledge my faith,' said Fergus, 

 ' not visible for the length of sight are the grains of sand or grass on this strand below, 

 owing to the bodies of the heroes and of the battle-soldiers lying low there. And again 

 I pledge my word,' said he, ' there is nobody of the armies that is not on that bloody bed 

 except the chief-henchman of the king of the world and tliine own foster-son, to wit, 

 Cael the son of Crimthann of the Ports.' ' Rise to seek him, O Fergus,' said Finn. 



Fergus went where Cael was, and asked him how he was. ' Sad is that, O Fergus,' said 

 Cael. ' I pledge my word, that if my hauberk and my helmet were taken oif me and all 

 my armour, there would not be a particle of me that would not fall from the other, and 

 I swear, that I am more grieved that yon warrior whom I see should escape alive of the 

 foreigners, than that I myself am as I am. And I leave my blessing with thee, O Fergus,' 

 said Cael, ' and take me on thy back towards the sea, that I may swim after the foreigner, 



946. arna MS. 949. thuitadar MS. 957. nach MS. 



