“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]