part 9

Then the followers of the peas said fiercely, bloodily and hatefully: "Malediction and a curse be on the followers of the potato, and distortion also.                                     115

"May slaughter fall on them, and strong frost without snow; may they lack oats, grass, wood and shelter."

Said another man: "You greedy worms of the beans, may bounty never fall on you and may bounty be for us."

Then Dennis Healy came -- a good-hearted person without doubt -- he said Amen to that, as I myself say without wrangling.

The followers of the potatoes gathered from all the quarters of Ireland, and the followers of the peas gathered; and they were truly loyal to each other.

The next morning when the day cleared, they opposed each other when the sun was rising (lit., going into its chariot).             120

They came brightly at the top of every pass, the people of the peas and beans and the people of the potato-roasting.

Dennis Nolan spoke to them all cleverly: "Do you hear me, O friends, ye who are present.

"Have courage and wisdom, be faithful to each other, and ye will soon beat the people of the porridge from the land."

Then a mighty shout was raised and they all took courage; because of the ability of the sage of the Spaniards, the victory went against the people of the peas.

They rushed against each other like a strong wind through oak trees, or like an ocean storm against the rocks of the sea coast.      125

They made soft ground of hard rock, they made hard rock of the swamp; all the heathery patches of the fields were drowned with their blood.

There were boastful shouts at each other, shouts of screeching and screaming, shouts of crying and lamenting, from every side of the plain.

There were moans and groans, noise and crunching, lashing and wounding, and slaughtered bodies under the feet.

There was a thrusting of straps for horses in the cattle-field, and an echoing battle fury amongst their livestock, everyone's nag against each other and a lamenting burning on bodies.