Before VII. THE YOUTHFUL EXPLOITS OF CUCHULAIN
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Dunn, Joseph
W. 472. Medb perceived this and she upbraided him for it, and chanted the lay:—
Medb:
"Fergus, speak, what shall we say?
What may mean this devious way?
For we wander north and south;
Over other lands we stray!"
Fergus:
"Medb, why art thou so perturbed?
There's no treacherous purpose here.
Ulster's land it is, O queen,
Over which I've led thy host!"
Medb:
"Ailill, splendid with his hosts,
1Fears thee lest thou should'st betray.1
Thou hast not bent all thy mind
To direct us on our way!"
Fergus:
"Not to bring the host to harm
Make these changing circuits I.
Haply could I now avoid
Sualtach's son, the Blacksmith's Hound!"a
Medb:
"Ill of thee to wrong our host,
Fergus, son of Ross the Red;
Much good hast thou found with us,
Fergus, in thy banishment!"
"2If thou showest our foemen love,
No more shalt thou lead our troops;
Haply someone else we'll find
To direct us on our way!2"
"I will be in the van of the troops no longer," cried Fergus; "but do thou find another to go before them." For all that, Fergus kept his place in the van of the troops.
The four mighty provinces of Erin passed that night on Cul Silinne. The sharp, keen-edged anxiety for Cuchulain came upon Fergus and he warned the men of Erin to be on their guard, because there would come upon them the rapacious lion, and the doom of foes, the vanquisher of multitudes, and the chief of retainers, the mangler of great hosts, the hand that dispenseth 3treasures,3 and the flaming W. 502. torch, even Cuchulain son of Sualtaim.a And thus he foreshowed him and chanted a lay, and Medb responded:—
Fergus:
"Well for ye to heed and watch,
With array of arms and men.
He will come, the one we fear,
Murthemne's great, deedful youth!"
Medb:LL. fo. 58a.
"How so dear, this battle-rede,
Comes from thee, * Roig's son most bold.