Togail na Tebe = The Thebiad of Statius : the Irish text

THE THEBAIDrough wintry night to approach the city of Larissa, and Tydeuswas sad at the suffering of that night ; for his garments werechill icy pieces around him, and heavy drenching showers ofwet dripped from his hair and his clothing. And he faredforward on toward the place in which Polynices was, and heessayed to rest in that place. Thereupon Polynices perceivedthat, and said :" Who causes me this violence and disturbanceat this time ? " Then said Tydeus : " Arise," said he, " and leaveto me the place and abode in which thou art, that I may sleepand enjoy long slumber there."Now jealous contentious fury, and very great and manifestanger seized those soldiers, so that they did not show the kindnessor the companionship of the place, or of their identicalposition that night, and they were brief in conversation andmutual address at that time. Then heat and wrath, vigour andanger, swelling and fury against one another seized those heroes,so that those brave warriors doffed their garments at the sametime and place for that contest.Now Polynices was taller and statelier, more kingly andvaliant, comelier and shapelier than any man, and that championwas thirty years of age at that time. Tydeus, again, son ofOeneus, the brave champion of Calydon, was a man small instature, strong, lively, wrathful, ireful, beautiful, ungentle, angry,rashly clamorous, high-spirited. Then Polynices, the strongtower of the Thebans, seized in one hand a broad grey verylarge spear with a stout goodly shaft wherewith to thrust at,and to put to flight his enemies ; and in the other a broad, verylong, very huge sword for slaughtering and smiting. Tydeus,again, son of Oeneus, took his weapons of war, battle and conflictthen ; and although that youth was of lesser age and height, hewas stronger and of better constitution than any man.Moreover strong, ever brave, and fierce were the heavy strongsmiting assaults that each of them continued to deliver uponthe other, so that resembling a red-rushing blazing fire werethe flamings of the arms and the many edges while causing thecrimson blood to shower from the bodies and heads of thosemighty soldiers, and shrewd was the smiting they continued25