Page:Fragments of Ancient Poetry.djvu/79

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XIII^[1].

CUchulaid sat by the wall; by the tree of the rustling leaf^[2]. His spear leaned against the mossy rock. His shield lay by him on the grass. Whilst he thought on the mighty Carbre whom he slew in battle, the scout of the ocean came, Moran the son of Fithil.

Rise, Cuchulaid, rise! I see the ships of Garve. Many are the foe, Cuchulaid; many the sons of Lochlyn.

Moran! thou ever tremblest; thy fears increase the foe. They are the ships of the Desert of hills arrived to assist Cuchulaid.

1. This is the opening of the epic poem mentioned in the preface. The two following fragments are parts of some episodes of the same work.
2. The aspen or poplar tree.

I