Before XXI. 1CUCHULAIN AND THE RIVERS1
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Dunn, Joseph
"Our comradeship dear;
Thy noble eye's gleam;
Thy golden-rimmed shield;
Thy sword,a treasures worth!
4"Thy white-silver torque
Thy noble arm binds.
Thy chess-board worth wealth;
Thy fair, ruddy cheek!4
"To fall by my hand,
I own was not just!
'Twas no noble fight.
Alas, golden brooch!
1"Thy death at Cu's hand
Was dire, O dear calf!a
Unequal the shield
Thou hadst for the strife!
"Unfair was our fight,
Our woe and defeat!
Fair the great chief;
Each host overcome
And put under foot!
Alas, golden brooch!"1
W. 4092. "Come, O Laeg my master," cried Cuchulain; "now cut open Ferdiad and take the Gae Bulga out, because I may not be without my weapons." Laeg came and cut open Ferdiad and he took the Gae Bulga out of him. And Cuchulain saw his weapons bloody and red-stained by the side of Ferdiad, and he uttered these words:—
"O Ferdiad, in gloom we meet.
Thee I see both red and pale.
I myself with unwashed arms;
Thou liest in thy bed of gore!
"Were we yonder in the East,
Scathach and our Uathach near,
There would not be pallid lips
Twixt us two, and arms of strife!
"Thus spake Scathach trenchantly (?),
Words of warning, strong and stern:
'Go ye all to furious fight;
German, blue-eyed, fierce will come!'
"Unto Ferdiad then I spake,
And to Lugaid generous,
To the son of fair Baetan,b
German we would go to meet!
"We came to the battle-rock,