“If this be the Twisted
one,
By him shall men’s bodies
fall;
Shrieks there shall be round
the liss;
Deeds to tell of shall be
wrought!
“Stones shall be on
graves from him;
Kingly martyrs shall increase.
Not well have ye battle found
On the slopes with this wild
Hound!
[3]"If this be the Twisted one, Men shall soon be slain by him; ’Neath his feet shall corpses lie; Under bushes mantles white![3]
“Now the Wildman’s
form I see,
Nine[c] heads dangling by
his side;
Shattered spoils he has, behold;
Ten[d] heads as his treasure
great!
[W.2766.] “And your women, too, I see, Raise their heads above the lines; I behold your puissant queen Makes no move t’engage in fight!
“Were it mine to give
advice,
Men would be on every side,
That they soon might end his
life;
If this be the Twisted one!”
[a] This superscription is not found in the MSS.
[1-1] Eg. 93.
[b] Literally, ‘the Chafer (or Scorpion?).’
[2-2] Stowe.
[3-3] Eg. 93 and H. 2. 17.
[c] ‘Eight,’ LU. and YBL. 2060.
[d] ‘Nine,’ LU. and YBL. 2061, H. 2. 17 and Eg. 93.
Fergus macRoig heard this and he deemed it an outrage that Dubthach should counsel how to betray Cuchulain to the hosts. And he reached him a strong, sharp kick with his foot away from him, so that Dubthach struck with his mouth against the group outside. And Fergus reproached him for all the wrongs and iniquities and treachery and shameful deeds he had ever done to the Ulstermen of old and anew. And then he spake these words:—
“If this ‘Black-tongue’
Dubthach be,
Let him skulk behind the hosts;
No good hath he ever wrought,
Since he slew the princesses![a]
“Base and foul, the
deed he wrought:
Fiachu, Conchobar’s
son, he slew.
No more fair was heard of
him:
Carbre’s death, Fedilmid’s
son!
“Ne’er for Ulster’s
weal doth aim
Lugaid’s son, Casruba’s
scion;[b]
Such is how he acts to men:
Whom he stabs not he incites!
“Ulster’s exiles
it would grieve
If their beardless boy[c]
should fall.
If on you come Ulster’s
troops
They will make your herds
their spoil!
“Strewn afar your herds
will be
By the rising Ulstermen.
Tales there’ll be of
mighty deeds
That will tell of far-famed
queens!
[W.2800.] [1]"Corpses will be under foot,[1] [2]Food there’ll be at ravens’ rests;[2] Bucklers lying on the slopes; Wild and furious deeds increase!
[3]"I behold just now your wives Raise their heads above the ranks. I behold your puissant queen Moves not to engage in war![3]