Comhrac Firdia agus Con Chulainn

Illustration by Ó Deaghdha, Seán. From Ó Canainn, Pádraig. ND. An Giolla Deacair. An Press Náisiúnta: Baile Átha Cliath.

Thagadh galar uafásach ar na hUltaigh amanna áirithe den bhliain. I bhfad roimh am na Tána chaith cuid de shinsir na nUltach go dona le banfhlaith sí darbh ainm di Macha. Agus le pionós a chur orthu chuir sí eascaine nó mallacht orthu; agus d’iarr sí agus d’agair sí go dtiocfadh an galar gránna seo ar fhir Uladh gach am agus gach tráth dá ghéire dá dteastódh a lúth is a neart uathu, agus gach am dá mbeadh a namhaid ag teannadh is ag brú isteach orthu. Ní raibh aon laoch ná gaiscíoch in Ulaidh saor ón ngalar sin cé is moite de Chú Chulainn.

A terrible affliction came upon the Ulstermen at certain times of the year. Long before the time of the Cattle Raid some of the ancestors of the Ulster people ill-treated a princess of the Sí who was named Macha. And to punish them she put an imprecation or a curse on them. And she asked and she pleaded that this awful affliction would come upon the men of Ulster each and every time their agility and strength was keenly needed by them, and every time that their enemy would be squeezing and pushing in on them. There was no hero nor warrior in Ulster free from that affliction except for Cú Chulainn.

Agus is mar sin a tharla nuair a tháinig arm Mhéibhe chomh fada le teorainneacha Uladh, agus de bhrí sin ní raibh aon duine d’fhir Uladh rompu chun fód a sheasamh agus an Chúige a chosaint, ach amháin Cú Chulainn. Mharaigh Cú Chulainn na laochra ba mhó cáil in Arm Mhéibhe. Ar deireadh thiar ní raibh fágtha ag Méibh de na laochra móra cáiliúla ach Ferdia. Ba compánach mór, agus cara dílis do Chú Chulainn, Ferdia. Bhí an bheirt acu ar aon scoil le chéile ag foghlaim gaisce. Bhíodar san Acadamh Cogaidh céanna faoina máistrí céanna, agus de bhrí sin d’fhoghlaim siad na cleasa céanna.

And it is like that it happened when the army of Méibh came as far as Ulster’s borders, and because of that there was no one of the men of Ulster before them to stand the ground and to protect the Province, except Cú Chulainn. Cú Chulainn killed the heroes of greatest renown in Méibh’s Army. Finally there was not left at Méibh of the great, famous heroes but Ferdia. A great companion and a loyal friend to Cú Chulainn was Ferdia. The two of them were at the same school together learning martial arts. They were in the same War Academy under the same masters, and because of that they learned the same feats.

D’iarr Méibh ar Fherdia dul agus Cú Chulainn a throid ag an Áth. Ach chuimhnigh Ferdia ar chairdeas na hóige agus dhiúltaigh sé troid in aghaidh a sheancharad, Cú Chulainn. Ansin gheall Méibh saibhreas mór dó agus nuair a d’eitigh sé a chuid saibhris gheall sí a hiníon Fionnabhair dó le pósadh. Ar a bpointe is a ndearna sí sin, ghéill an laoch calma.

Méibh asked Ferdia to go and fight Cú Chulainn at the Ford. But Ferdia reflected upon the friendship of youth and he refused to fight against his old friend, Cú Chulainn. Then Méibh promised great riches to him and when he refused his riches she promised her daughter Fionnabhair to him to marry. At the point that she did that, the brave hero yielded.

Ba scólta, briste an croí a bhí ag Cú Chulainn bocht nuair a fuair sé amach gur cuireadh Ferdia chun é a throid. D’fhéach sé a chur ina luí ar Fherdia tarraing siar ar an troid, ach ní raibh aon mhaith dó leis. Agus nuair nach raibh, thosaigh “Comhrac mór na hÁtha” dáiríre fíre.

It was tormented, broken the heart that poor Cú Chulainn had when he found out that Ferdia was put to fight him. He looked to convince Ferdia to pull back from the fight, but there was no use for him with it. And when it wasn’t, the “Great Single Combat of the Ford” really and truly began.

Throid an dá sheancharaid le sleánna agus le gathanna. Bhíodar araon chomh mar-a-chéile, agus ní bhfuair ceachtar acu an bua ar an duine eile. Nuair a tháinig dorchadas na hoíche stad siad den troid ar feadh tamaill, agus nuair a stad bhí an bheirt ina gcompánacha chomh dílis arís, agus bhíodar ina n-óige. Chuadar araon faoi dhéin a chéile, agus chuir gach duine acu a lámha go muirneach timpeall muineál an duine eile, agus thugadar trí phóg ghrámhar, cheansa dá chéile. Bhí a gcuid capall sa bhanrach céanna an oíche sin, agus a gcuid carbadóirí ina suí ag an tine chéanna. Scar a gcuid carbadóirí luachair ghlas faoina gcoinne, agus chuireadar pillíní a bhíodh déanta le haghaidh daoine gonta orthu.

The two old friends fought with spears and with javelins. They were both so evenly matched that neither of them got the victory over the other person. When the darkness of the night came they stopped fighting for a while, and when stopped the two were companions as loyal again as they were in their youth. They both approached each other, and each one of them put his arms affectionately around the neck of the other person, and they gave three loving, gentle kisses to each other. Their horses were in the same paddock that night, and their charioteers were sitting at the same fire. Their charioteers spread green rushes for them, and they put little cushions that were made for wounded people on them [the rushes].

Tháinig chucu ansin na daoine a bhí eolasach ar leigheas, agus chuireadar luibheanna íocshláinte lena gcneá. Agus níl aon luibh ná planda dár cuireadh le cneácha Chon Chulainn nach gcuireadh sé a macsamhail anonn thar an Áth chuig Ferdia, i riocht is nach mbeadh sé le rá ag fir Éireann dá mba rud é go bhfaigheadh sé an bua ar Fherdia, go bhfuair sé an ceann ab fhearr air, toisc go raibh íocshláinte níos fearr á thabhairt dó féin ná mar bhí go Fherdia.

The people came to them then that were knowledgable about healing, and they put revitalizing herbs to their wounds. And there was no herb or plant that was put to the wounds of Cú Chulainn that he did not put their like across over the Ford to Ferdia, in a manner that it could not be said by the men of Ireland if it was that he would get the victory over Ferdia, that he got the better of him because better healing balms were given to himself than was to Ferdia.

Ar an taobh eile den scéal ní raibh aon chógas dár chuir fir Éireann chuig Ferdia, maidir le bia agus deoch agus leigheas, nár chuir Ferdia cion maith díobh anonn trasna na hÁtha chuig Cú Chulainn. Ligeadar a scíth ar an gcuma sin ar feadh na hoíche, agus nuair a tháinig fáinne an lae arís d’éirigh siad araon agus chuadar anonn chuig Áth an Chatha.

On the other side of the story there was not any medical preparations that the men of Ireland put to Ferdia, concerning food and drink and medicine, that Ferdia did not put a good amount of them over across the Ford to Cú Chulainn. They rested in that way for the night, and when the sunrise came again they both arose and they went over to the Ford of the Battle.

Ar an dara lá throid siad ó mhaidneachan an lae go titim na hoíche, agus chaith siad an oíche sin arís ina gcompánacha dílse, ceanúla. Bhí a gcneácha chomh mór agus chomh doimhin sin tar éis an dara lae troda nach raibh aon luibh ná aon phlanda dár fhás as an talamh in ann iad a leigheas. Ach rinneadar na cneácha a leigheas le orthaí agus le draíocht. Níl aon ortha ná draíocht dár cuireadh le cneácha Chon Chulainn nár chuir sé a lándóthain acu trasna na hÁtha thiar go dtí Ferdia. Agus níl aon chineál bia ná dí dár tugadh do Fherdia nár chuir sé a lándóthain acu trasna na hÁtha soir chuig Cú Chulainn.

On the second day they fought from the dawning of the day to the falling of the night, and they spent that night again as loyal, loving companions. Their wounds were so great and so deep after the second day of fighting that no herb or plant which grew out of the ground was able to heal them. But they made to heal their wounds with incantations and with magic. There was no incantation or magic that was put to the wounds of Cú Chulainn that he didn’t send plenty of them across the Ford back towards Ferdia. And there is no kind of food or drink that was given to Ferdia that he didn’t send plenty of them across the Ford over to Cú Chulainn.

Lig siad a scíth an oíche sin, agus d’éirigh siad go moch ar maidin agus chuaigh siad go dtí Áth an Chatha. Bhí brón agus briseadh croí ar Chú Chulainn nuair a chonaic sé chomh lag is bhí Ferdia ag féachaint, mar bhí a éadan go dubhghnéitheach, agus a shúile ag dul amach thar a cheann. Thug Cú Chulainn sciolladh beag dó faoi rá is go ndeachaidh sé ag cur troda ar a sheanchompánach ar chomhairle mná.

They rested that night, and they arose early in the morning and they went towards the Ford of the Battle. Sorrow and a breaking heart was upon Cú Chulainn when he saw how languid Ferdia was looking, as his face was ashen, and his eyes were going out over his head. Cú Chulainn gave a little ridicule to him as to say that he went making a fight upon his old companion on the advice of a woman.

Agus is mar seo a d’fhreagair Ferdia é: “A Chú Chulainn, a fhíor-laoich, is éigin do neach a theacht ar deireadh thiar go dtí an áit a mbeidh fód a bháis, agus dá dtéinn ar ais gan comhrac a thabhairt duitse is beag an tásc ná an tuairisc a bheadh ar m’ainm, agus is beag an meas a bheadh ar m’fhocal.”

And it is like this that Ferdia answered him: “Oh Cú Chulainn, oh true hero, one must come at long last to the place that will be the ground of his death, and if I go back without giving single combat to you it is little the reputation or the fame that would be on my name, and it is little the respect that would be on my word.”

Agus ansin throid siad mar rinneadar an lá roimhe sin, agus throideadar ó fháinne an lae go titim na hoíche. Is le claimhte a throideadar an lá seo, agus níl áireamh ná insint scéil ar an tuargaint a thug an bheirt sheancharad do cholainn a chéile. Ní raibh a gcarbadóirí thart timpeall na tine céanna an oíche sin, agus nach raibh a gcuid capall sa mbánóg céanna. Mo chreach is mo chrá bhí deireadh go deo leis an seanchairdeas.

And then they fought as they had done the day before that, and they fought from the dawning of the day to the falling of the night. It is with swords that they fought this day, and there is no account or retelling about the battering that the two old friends gave to each other’s bodies. Their charioteers were not around the same fire that night, and their horses were not in the same paddock. My ruin and my torment, there was an everlasting end to the old friendship.

Dúirt Cú Chulainn ansin: “Táim i gcosair chró. Tá fuil mo chroí reoite. Níl suim dá laghad agam i ngaisce ná i mór-éacht ag troid leatsa, a Fherdia, cara mo chléibh agus mo chompánach ó bhíomar ar aon scoil le chéile.”

Cú Chulainn then said: “I’m a gory mess. The blood of my heart is congealed. I have not the least interest in heroic deeds nor in great feats fighting with you, oh Ferdia, friend of my bosom and my companion since we were at the same school together.”

Maidin lá arna mháireach d’éirigh Ferdia go moch agus chuaigh sé chomh fada leis an Áth. Bhí sé á fheiceáil dó go gcuirfí críoch leis an troid an lá sin, agus go leagfaí ar lár é féin nó Cú Chulainn, nó b’fhéidir an bheirt acu. Rinne gach duine acu lán a dhíchill an lá sin, agus níl aon chleas airm dár fhoghlaim siad ar feadh na mblianta a chaitheadar san Acadamh Cogaidh nár fhéachadar lena chéile. Throideadar ar feadh an lae fhada, ghléigil; amanna meastaí go mbíodh an bua ag Cú Chulainn, agus amanna eile ceaptaí gur ag Ferdia a bhíodh sé. Níl aon uair dá mbíodh Cú Chulainn ag claonadh do neart agus do ghastacht Ferdia, nach dtosaíodh Lao, carbadóir Chon Chulainn, á cháineadh agus ag caitheamh tarcaisne leis. Agus ar an cloisteáil sin dó rinne Cú Chulainn tréan-iarracht eile.

Morning of the next day Ferdia arose early and he went as far as the Ford. It was obvious to him that an end would be put with the fight that day, and that he himself or Cú Chulainn would be felled to the ground, or maybe the two of them. Each one of them did his utmost that day, and there wasn’t any martial feat that they learned during the years that they spent in the War Academy that they didn’t try with each other. They fought for the long, bright day; at times it was thought that Cú Chulainn had the victory, and at other times it was thought that Ferdia had it. There wasn’t any time that Cú Chulainn was bending to the strength and to the swiftness of Ferdia that Lao, Cú Chulainn’s Charioteer, didn’t start condemning him and throwing an insult at him. And on him hearing that Cú Chulainn made another valiant attempt.

Ar deireadh thiar dúirt Cú Chulainn le Lao an ga bolga a thabhairt chuige, agus le buille den arm draíochta sin thit Ferdia do phlimp ar an talamh. “Déanfaidh sin,” arsa Ferdia, “Seo é fód mo bháis, agus cér cás é, ach gurb é Cú Chulainn, cara mo chléibh agus mo chompánach scoile, a leag ar lár mé.”

At long last Cú Chulainn told Lao to give to him the Ga Bolga, and with a blow of that magical weapon Ferdia flopped down on the ground. “That will do it,” said Ferdia, “Here is the place of my death, and what matters but that it was Cú Chulainn, my bosom friend and my school companion, that fell me to the ground.”

Nuair a bhí an dé imithe as colainn Ferdia rinne Cú Chulainn laoi-chaointe bhrónach, dhubhach, dhoilíosach, chásmhar faoin seanchara ab éigin dó a mharú. San laoi-chaointe sin chuir sé síos ar na laethanta nuair a bhíodar ina scoracha óga le chéile; rinne sé tagairt don ghean agus don ghnaoi agus don chairdeas a bhí eadarthu ó casadh le chéile ar dtús iad; rinne sé áireamh ar na catha a throideadar taobh le taobh. Ní túisce a bhí an laoi-chaointe déanta aige ná mar tháinig lagar mór air de bharr a ghonta uafásach, agus ba fada, fada ina dhiaidh sin go raibh na loit cneasaithe agus go raibh sé i riocht gaisce agus mór-éachta eile a dhéanamh.

When the soul was departed from Ferdia’s body Cú Chulainn made a sorrowful, melancholy, remorseful, plaintive narrative poem of lamentation about the old friend that he had to kill. In that narrative lamentation poem he described the days when they were youths together; he made mention of the love and of the affection and of the friendship that was between them since they first met together; he made account of the battles that they fought side by side. No sooner than he had done the lamentation than a great weakness came upon him on account of his awful wounds, and it was long, long after that until the wounds were healed and until he was in shape to do other heroic deeds and great feats.

Adapted from: Ua Concheanainn, Tomás agus a chéile. ND. Eamhain Macha. Brún agus Ó Nóláin: Corcaigh.