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[FN#132] A conjecture: MS. tossad.
chomairi. Fuan corcair imbi, ocus mong or-budi fair co brainni
him. Tunic purple about him, and hair gold-yellow on him to edges
a da imdae. Rosc cainlech glas ina chind. Sleg coicrind ina laim.
of his two shoulders. Eye lustrous gray in his head. Spear five-pointed in his hand.
Sciath taulgel ina laim con gemaib oir forri. Sochtais Eochaid, ar ni
Shield white-bossed in his hand with gems of gold on it. Was silent Eochaid, for not
fitir a bith isin Temraig inn aidehi riam, ocus ni orslaiethe ind lis
he knew of his being in the Tara the night before, and not was opened the Liss
in trath sin. Tolluid ar inchaib Eochoda iarsain asbert Eochaid iarom,
at that hour. He came under protection of Eochaid thereon; said Eochaid then,
fochen dond laech nad athgenmar. Is ed doroehtmar or in
welcome to the hero whom we know not. It is for that we have come, said the
t-oclaech. Ni tathgenmar or Eochaid. Atotgensa chetus ol in
(young) warrior. We know thee not, said Eochaid. I know thee indeed, said the
t-oclaech. Cia th'ainm seo? ol Eochaid. Ni airdairc son, ol se,
warrior. What (is) thy own name? said Eochaid. Not illustrious that, said he,
Mider Breg Leith. Cid dotroacht ol Eochaid. Do imbert fidcille
Mider of Bri Leith. What brought thee? said Eochaid. To play at chess
frit-su ol se. Am maith se em, ol Eochaid for fithchill. A fromad
with thee, said he. I am good myself truly, said Eochaid, at chess-play. Its essaying
dun ol Mider. Ata ol Eochaid, ind rigan ina cotlud, is le in tech
to us! said Mider. Is, said Eochaid, the queen in her sleep, it is hers the house
ata ind fithchell. Ata sund chenae, ol Mider, fidchell nad
where is the chessboard. There is here yet, said Mider, a chessboard which is not
messo. Ba fir on, clar n-argit ocus fir oir, ocus fursunnud cacha
worse. Was true that, a board of silver and men of gold, and shining in every
hairidi for sin clar di liic logmair, ocus fer-bolg di figi rond
credumae.
direction on that board of costly stones, and a men-bag of woven chains of brass.
Ecraid Mider in fidchill iarsin. Imbir ol Mider. Ni immer acht
Set out Mider the chessboard thereupon. Play! said Mider. Not will I play, except
di giull ol Eochaid. Cid gell bias and? ol Mider. Cumma lim ol
for a stake, said Eochaid. What stake shall be here? said Mider. Equal to me, said
Eochaid. Rot-bia lim-sa ol Mider mad tu beras mo thochell,
Eochaid. Thou shalt have from me, said Mider, if thou carry off my stake,
L. gabur n-dub-glas ite cend-brecca, croderga, biruich,
50 horses of dark-gray, and they with dappled heads, blood-red, with ears pricked high,
bruin-lethain, bolg(s)roin, coss choela, comrassa, faeborda,[FN#133]
femendae,[FN#133]
chests broad, nostrils distended, feet thin, strong, keen, ? vehement,
aurarda, aignecha, so-(a)staidi,[FN#133] so
very high, spirited, easily stopped,
[FN#133] See Bruidne da Derga (Stokes), 50, 51, faeborda, lit. with an
edge on them; femendae? = Lat. vehemens; soaistidi is the form adopted
by Stokes in his edition of the Bruidne; Egerton MS. gives soastaide.
There is a gap here, a complete column being torn from the manuscript.
The lost part obviously describes the issue of the chess game or games,
and the penalties demanded by Bochaid: what these penalties were is
plain from the succeeding story. The work of Mider and his folk in
paying these penalties must also have been described: the next column
(Leabhar na h- Uidhri, 131 b. of the facsimile) opens thus:
iarsin doberar uir ocus grian ocus clocha for sin monai. Fri etna
thereupon is, placed earth and gravel and stones on the bog. Over foreheads
dam dano-batar fedmand la firu h-Erind cosind n-aidchi sin, co
of oxen then were yokes among men of Ireland till that very night, when
n-aicces la lucht in t-side for a formnaib. Dognith
it was seen (tbLat they were) among people of the Mounds on their shoulders. It was done
samlaid la Eochaid, conid de ata do som. Echaid Airem, ar
so by Eochaid, so that hence is to himself (the name of) Echaid Airem, for
is aice toisech tucad cuing for muinelaib dam do ferand h-Erind. Is
it is by him first was put yoke on necks of oxen for land of Ireland. This
ed dino and food ro boi im belaib in t-sluaig oc denam in tocuir:
is then there word which was on lips of the host at making of the causeway:
Rhetoric--
Cuire illaim,
Put into hand
tochra illaim,
place (it) into hand
aurdairc damrad trathaib iar fuin
noble (are) oxen for hours after sunset
for trom ailges
very heavy request
ni fes cuich les
it is not known to whom (is) gain
cuich amles de thochur dar moin Lamraige.
to whom harm from the causeway over moor of Lamrach.
Ni biad isin bith tochur bad ferr mani bethe oca
There would not be in the world a causeway which is better, if not (men) had been at
n-descin Forracbad de bochtae and iartain. Iarsin dolluid
the seeing them. Was left on that account a breach there thenceforth. Thereupon came
in rechtaire co Echaid ocus adfet scela in mor fedma, atconnaire
the steward to Echaid, and made known tales of the great serving band, that he saw
fiadai, ocus asbert nad rabi for fertas in betha cumachta
before him, and said that there was not on the chariot pole of life a power
dodrosce de. Am batar for a m-briathraib co n-accatar Mider
that excelled it. When they were at their talking they saw Mider (come)
chucu. Ard chustal ocus droch gne fair. Atrigestar Eochaid,
to them. High ? girt (he was), and evil face (was) on him.? Rose ?[FN#134] Eochaid,
[FN#134] This is a possible rendering, taking the word as a deponent
form of atregaim. It would be more natural to take the word as from
adagur; being equivalent to ad-d-raigestar, and to mean "feared him,"
but this does not agree with Eoebaid's general attitude.
ocus ferais faelti fri. Is ed dorochtmar ol Mider. Is toreda ocus is
and gave welcome to him. It is for that we have come, said Mider. It is cruel and is
di-cheill no tai frim, mor decrai ocus mor aingcessa do thabairt form
senseless thou art to me, great hardship and great suffering thy bestowing on me
adethaind ni bad maith lat chena acht is bairnech mo menma frit.
I used to get what seemed good to thee still but is angry my mind against thee.
Ni bara fri bure dait-siu on do-gignestar do menma for Eochaid.
Not anger against anger: to thyself the thing that shall choose thy mind, said Eochaid.
Gebthar dano, ol Mider. Inn imberam fidchill? for Mider. Cid gell
It shall be done then, said Mider. Shall we play at chess? said Mider. What stake
bias and? for Eochaid. Gell adcobra cechtar da lina for
shall be there? said Eochaid. The stake that wishes each of the two parties, said
Mider. Berar tochell n-Echdach alla sin. Rucais mo
Mider. Is carried off stake of Echaid in that very place. Thou hast carried off my
thocell, for Eebaid. Mad ail dam no-beraind o chianaib,
stake, said Echaid. If wish to me (had been) I could have carried it off long since,
for Mider. Cacht cid adcobrai form-sa? for Echaid. Di laim im
said Mider. Question what wishest thou from myself? said Echaid. Two arms about
etain, ocus poc di ol Mider. Sochtais Echaid la, sodain, ocus asbert,
Etain, and a kiss from her, said Mider. Was silent Echaid thereon, and said,
tis dia mis on diu, doberthar dait ani sin. In
thou shalt come in a month from to-day, (and) shall be given to thee that very thing. The
bliadain ria tuidecht do Mider co Echaid do imbert na fidehille boi oc
year before the coming of Mider to Echaid for playing of the chess was he at
tochmarc etaine, ocus nis n-etad leis. Is ed ainm dobered Mider
wooing of Etain, and nothing was found by him. This is the name used to give Mider
di: befind conide asbert:
to her: fair-haired lady, so that thence he said:
a be find in raga lim
O fair-haired lady, wilt thou come with me
i tir n-ingnad hi fil rind
into a land marvellous, that is music?
Is barr sobarche folt and
(thus) is the top of the head, of primrose the hair there,
is dath snechta corp co ind:
is colour of snow the body to the head:
Is and nad bi mui na tai,
It is there not will be 'mine' or 'thine,'
gela det and, dubai brai,
white teeth there, black eyebrows,
Is li sula lin ar sluag,[FN#135]
is colour of eyes number of our hosts,
