"Ah,áinBóCú that now sufficeth," sighed Ferdiad: "I am fallen of that! But, yet one thing more: mightily didst thou drive with thy right foot. And 'twas not fair of thee for me to fall by thy hand." And he yet spake and uttered these words:--
"O Cu of grand feats, Unfairly I'm slain! Thy guilt clings to me; My blood falls on thee!
"No meed for the wretch[a] Who treads treason's gap. Now weak is my voice; Ah, gone is my bloom!
"My ribs' armour bursts, My heart is all gore; I battled not well; I'm smitten, O Cu!
[4]"Unfair, side by side, To come to the ford. 'Gainst my noble ward[b] Hath Medb turned my hand!
"There'll come rooks and crows To gaze on my arms, To eat flesh and blood. A tale, Cu, for thee!"[4]
[b] Omitting _seng_; the line has a syllable too many in the original.
[4-4] Eg. 106 (_Revue Celtique_, tome xi, p. 327).
[W.3964.] Thereupon Cuchulain hastened towards Ferdiad and clasped his two arms about him, and bore him with all his arms and his armour and his dress northwards over the ford, that so it should be [1]with his face[1] to the north[a] of the ford the triumph took place and not to the west[b] of the ford with the men of Erin. [LL.fo.87b.] Cuchulain laid Ferdiad there on the ground, and a cloud and a faint and a swoon came over Cuchulain there by the head of Ferdiad. Laeg espied it, and the men of Erin all arose for the attack upon him. "Come, O Cucuc," cried Laeg; "arise now [2]from thy trance,[2] for the men of Erin will come to attack us, and it is not single combat they will allow us, now that Ferdiad son of Daman son of Darè is fallen by thee." "What availeth it me to arise, O gilla," moaned Cuchulain, "now that this one is fallen by my hand?" In this wise the gilla spake and he uttered these words and Cuchulain responded:--
Laeg: "Now arise, O Emain's Hound; Now most fits thee courage high. Ferdiad hast thou thrown--of hosts-- God's fate! How thy fight was hard!"
Cuchulain: "What avails me courage now? I'm oppressed with rage and grief, For the deed that I have done On his body sworded sore!"
Laeg: "It becomes thee not to weep; Fitter for thee to exult! Yon red-speared one thee hath left Plaintful, wounded, steeped in gore!"
Cuchulain: "Even had he cleaved my leg, And one hand had severed too; Woe, that Ferdiad--who rode steeds-- Shall not ever be in life!"