Ferdiah.

Highly rewarded thou must be,
  For much reward thou sure canst claim,
Else why with such persistency
  Thus sing his praises since he came? 
And now that he approacheth nigh,
  And now that he doth draw more near,
It seems it is to glorify
  And not to attack him thou art here.

Not long Ferdiah’s charioteer had gazed
With wondering look on the majestic car,
When, as with thunder-speed it wheeled more near,
He saw its whole construction and its plan: 
A fair, flesh-seeking, four-peaked front it had,
And for its body a magnificent creit
Fashioned for war, in which the hero stood
Full-armed and brandishing a mighty spear,
While o’er his head a green pavilion hung;
Beneath, two fleetly-bounding, large-eared, fierce,
Whale-bellied, lively-hearted, high-flanked, proud,
Slender-legged, wide-hoofed, broad-buttocked, prancing steeds,
Exulting leaped and bore the car along: 
Under one yoke, the broad-backed steed was gray,
Under the other, black the long-maned steed.

Like to a hawk swooping from off a cliff,
Upon a day of harsh and biting wind,
Or like a spring gust on a wild March morn
Rushing resistless o’er a level plain,
Or like the fleetness of a stag when first
’Tis started by the hounds in its first field—­
So swept the horses of Cuchullin’s car,
Bounding as if o’er fiery flags they flew,
Making the earth to shake beneath their tread,
And tremble ’neath the fleetness of their speed.

At length, upon the north side of the Ford,
Cuchullin stopped.  Upon the southern bank
Ferdiah stood, and thus addressed the chief: 
“Glad am I, O Cuchullin, thou hast come.” 
“Up to this day,” Cuchullin made reply,
“Thy welcome would by me have been received
As coming from a friend, but not to-day. 
Besides, ’twere fitter that I welcomed thee,
Than that to me thou shouldst the welcome give;
’Tis I that should go forth to fight with thee,
Not thou to me, because before thee are
My women and my children, and my youths,
My herds and flocks, my horses and my steeds.” 
  Ferdiah, half in scorn, spake then these words—­
And then Cuchullin answered in his turn. 
“Good, O Cuchullin, what untoward fate
Has brought thee here to measure swords with me? 
For when we two with Scatha lived, in Skye,
With Uatha, and with Aife, thou wert then
My page to spread my couch for me at night,
Or tie my spears together for the chase.” 
  “True hast thou spoken,” said Cuchullin; “yes,
I then was young, thy junior, and I did
For thee the services thou dost recall;
A different story shall be told of us
From this day forth, for on this day I feel
Earth holds no champion that I dare not fight!”
And thus invectives bitter, sharp and cold,
Between the two were uttered, and first spake
Ferdiah, then alternate each with each.