"Greatest toil, this, greatest toil, Battle with the Hound of gore! Liefer would I battle twice With two hundred men of Fal! "Sad the fight, and sad the fight, I and Hound of feats shall wage! We shall hack both flesh and blood; Skin and body we shall hew! "Sad, O god, yea, sad, O god, That a woman should us part! My heart's half, the blameless Hound; Half the brave Hound's heart am I! "By my shield, O by my shield, If Ath Cliath's brave Hound should fall, I will drive my slender glaive Through my heart, my side, my breast! "By my sword, O by my sword, If the Hound of Glen Bolg fall! No man after him I'll slay, Till I o'er the world's brink spring! "By my hand, O, by my hand! Falls the Hound of Glen in Sgail, Medb with all her host I'll kill And then no more men of Fal! "By my spear, O, by my spear! Should Ath Cro's brave Hound be slain, I'll be buried in his grave; May one grave hide me and him! "Tell him this, O tell him this, To the Hound of beauteous hue Fearless Scathach hath foretold My fall on a ford through him! "Woe to Medb, yea, woe to Medb, Who hath used her guile on us; She hath set me face to face 'Gainst Cuchulain-- hard the toil!" "O Cuchulain-- splendid deed-- Lo, 'tis time for thee to rise. Here in rage against thee comes Ferdiad, red-faced Daman's son!" Here am I-- no easy task-- Holding Erin's men at bay; Foot I've never turned in flight In my fight with single foe!" "Dour the man when anger moves, Owing to his gore-red glaive; Ferdiad wears a skin of horn, 'Gainst which fight nor might prevails!" "Be thou still urge not thy tale, Fergus of the mighty arms. On no land and on no ground, For me is there aught defeat!" "Fierce the man with scores of deeds; No light thing, him to subdue. Strong as hundreds-- brave his mien-- Point pricks not, edge cuts him not!" "If we clash upon the ford, I and Ferdiad of known skill, We'll not part without we know: Fierce will be our weapon fight!" "More I'd wish it than reward, O Cuchulain of red sword, Thou shouldst be the one to bring Eastward haughty Ferdiad's spoils!" "Now I give my word and vow, Though unskilled in strife of words, It is I will conquer this Son of Daman macDarè!" It is I brought east the host, Thus requiting Ulster's wrong. With me came they from their lands, With their heroes and their chiefs!" "Were not Conchobar in the 'Pains,' Hard 'twould be to come near us. Never Medb of Mag in Scail On more tearful march had come!" "Greatest deed awaits thy hand: Fight with Ferdiad, Daman's son. Hard stern arms with stubborn edge, Shalt thou have, thou Culann's Hound!"
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