"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.
Men and arms have I enough
To attend Cuchulain here!"
Fergus:
"Thou shalt need them, Medb of Ai,
Men and arms for battle hard,
With the grey steed'sb horseman brave.
All the night and all the day!"
Medb:
"I have kept here in reserve
Heroes fit for fight and spoil;
Thirty hundred hostage-chiefs,
Leinster's bravest champions they.
Fighting men from Cruachan fair,
Braves from clear-streamed Luachair,
Four full realms of goodly Gaels
Will defend me from this man!"
Fergus:
"Rich in troops from Mourne and Bann,
Blood he'll draw o'er shafts of spears;
He will cast to mire and sand
These three thousand Leinstermen.
With the swallow's swiftest speed,
With the rush of biting wind,
So bounds on my dear brave Hound,
Breathing slaughter on his foes!"
Medb:
"Fergus, should he come 'tween us,
To Cuchulain bear this word:
He were prudent to stay still;
Cruachan holds a check in store."
Fergus:
"Valiant will the slaughter be
Badb's wild daughterc gloats upon.
For the Blacksmith's Hound will spill
Showers of blood on hosts of men!"
W. 540. After this lay the men of the four grand provinces of Erin marched 1on the morrow1 over Moin Coltna ('the Marsh of Coltain') eastwards that day; and there met them eight score deer 2in a single herd.2 The troops spread out and surrounded and killed them so that none of them escaped.
But there is one event to add: Although the division of the Galian had been dispersed 3among the men of Erin,
