Cuchulain:  “Clotted gore is my brave heart,
               Near I’m parted from my soul;
               Wrongful ’tis—­with hosts of deeds—­
               Ferdiad, dear, to fight with thee!”

[1]After this colloquy, Ferdiad spake:[1] “How much soever thou findest fault with me to-day,” said Ferdiad, [2]"for my ill-boding mien and evil doing, it will be as an offset to my prowess.”  And he said,[2] “To what weapons shall we resort to-day?” “With thyself is the choice of weapons to-day till night time,” replied Cuchulain, “for it is I that chose on the day gone by.”  “Let us resort, then,” said Ferdiad, “to our heavy, hard-smiting swords this day, for we trow that the smiting each other will bring us nearer to the decision of battle to-day than was our piercing each other on yesterday.”  “Let us go then, by all means,” responded Cuchulain.

    [1-1] Stowe, Eg. 106.

    [2-2] Eg. 106.

Then they took two full-great long-shields upon them for that day.  They turned to their heavy, hard-smiting swords.  Each of them fell to strike and to hew, to lay low and cut down, to slay and undo [3]his fellow,[3] till as large as the head of a month-old child was each lump and each cut, [4]each clutter and each clot of gore[4] that each of them took from the shoulders and thighs and shoulder-blades of the other.

    [3-3] Stowe, Eg. 106.

    [4-4] Eg. 106.

[W.3708.] Each of them was engaged in smiting the other in this way from the twilight of early morning till the hour of evening’s close.  “Let us leave off from this now, O Cuchulain!” cried Ferdiad.  “Aye, let us leave off, if the hour has come,” said Cuchulain.  They parted [1]then, and[1] threw their arms away from them into the hands of their charioteers.  Though it had been the meeting of two happy, blithe, cheerful, joyful men, their parting that night was of two that were sad, sorrowful and full of suffering. [2]They parted without a kiss a blessing or aught other sign of friendship, and their servants disarmed the steeds, the squires and the heroes; no healing or curing herbs were sent from Cuchulain to Ferdiad that night, and no food nor drink was brought from Ferdiad to him.[2] Their horses were not in the same paddock that night.  Their charioteers were not at the same fire.

    [1-1] Stowe.

    [2-2] H. 2. 12.

They passed there that night.  It was then that Ferdiad arose early on the morrow and went alone to the ford of combat, [3]and dauntless, vengeful and mighty was the man that went thither that day, even Ferdiad son of Daman.[3] For he knew that that would be the decisive day of the battle and combat; and he knew that one or other of them would fall there that day, or that they both would fall.  It was then he donned his battle-weed of battle and fight and combat, [LL.fo.86a.] or ever Cuchulain came to meet him.  And thus was the manner of this harness