Heroic Romances of Ireland Part 43

Eocho spoke: "What gift requirest thou from me?" "For milking-kine,"

Ailill said, "I ask"; and Eocho, "Few of these indeed are mine!

Forty sons of Munster's princes have I in my halls to rear; These, my foster-sons, beside me m my troop have journeyed here; Fifty herdsmen guard the cattle, forty cows my wards to feed, Seven times twenty graze beside them, to supply my people's need."

"If, for every man who follows thee as liege, and owns a farm, Thou a cow wilt yield," said Ailill, "then from foes with power to harm I will guard thee in the battle!" "Keep then faithfully thy vows,"

Eocho said, "this day as tribute shall to Croghan come the cows."

Thrice the sun hath set and risen while they feasting there abide, Maev and Ailill's bounty tasting, homeward then they quickly ride: But the sons of Glaschu met them, who from western Donnan came; Donnan, from the seas that bound it, Irross Donnan hath for name; Seven times twenty men attacked them, and to battle they were brought, At the isle of O'Canada, fiercely either party fought; With his foster children round him, Eocho Bec in fight was killed, All the forty princes perished, with that news the land was filled; All through Ireland lamentation rose for every youthful chief; Four times twenty Munster princes, weeping for them, died of grief.

Now a vision came to Ailill, as in sleep he lay awhile, or a youth and dame approached him, fairer none in Erin's Isle: "Who are ye?" said Ailill; "Conquest," said the fairy, "and Defeat "Though Defeat I shun," said Ailill, "Conquest joyfully I meet."

"Conquest thou shalt have!" she answered: "Of the future I would ask, Canst thou read my fate?" said Ailill: "Light indeed for me the task,"

Said the dame: "the kine of Dartaid, Eocho's daughter, may be won: Forty cows she owns; to gain them send to her thy princely son, Orlam, whom that maiden loveth: let thy son to start prepare, Forty youths from Connaught with him, each of them a prince's heir: Choose thou warriors stout and stately; I will give them garments bright, Even those that decked the princes who so lately fell in fight:

Bridles, brooches, all I give thee; ere the morning sun be high Thou shalt count that fairy treasure: to our country now we fly."

Swiftly to the son of Ta.s.sa sped they thence, to Corp the Gray: On the northern bank of Naymon was his hold, and there he lay; And before the men of Munster, as their champion did he stand: He hath wrought-so runs the proverb-evil, longer than his hand.

As to Corp appeared the vision: "Say," he cried, "what names ye boast!"

"Ruin, one is called," they answered; "one, The Gathering of the Host!"

An a.s.sembled host I welcome," answered them the gray Corp Lee; "Ruin I abhor": "And ruin," they replied, "is far from thee; Thou shalt bring on sons of n.o.bles, and of kings a ruin great": "Fairy," said Corp Lee, the Gray one, "tell me of that future fate."

"Easy is the task," she answered, "youths of every royal race That in Connaught's land hath dwelling, come to-morrow to this place; Munster's kine they hope to harry, for the Munster princes fell Yesterday with Connaught fighting; and the hour I plainly ten: At the ninth hour of the morning shall they come: the band is small: Have thou valiant men to meet them, and upon the raiders fall!

Munster's honour hath been tarnished! clear it by a glorious deed!

Thou shalt purge the shame if only in the foray thou succeed."

"What should be my force?" he asked her: "Take of heroes seven score For that fight," she said, "and with them seven times twenty warriors more: Far from thee we now are flying; but shall meet thee with thy power When to-morrow's sun is s.h.i.+ning; at the ninth, the fated hour."

At the dawn, the time appointed, all those steeds and garments gay Were in Connaught, and they found them at the gate of Croghan Ay; All was there the fay had promised, all the gifts of which we told: All the splendour that had lately decked the princes they behold.

Doubtful were the men of Connaught; some desired the risk to face; Some to go refused: said Ailill, "It should bring us to disgrace

If we spurned such offered bounty": Orlam his reproaches felt; Sprang to horse; and towards the country rode, where Eocho's daughter dwelt: And where flows the Shannon river, near that water's southern sh.o.r.e, Found her home; for as they halted, moated Clew[FN#49] rose high before.

[FN#49] Spelt Cliu.

Dartaid met them ere they halted, joyful there the prince to see: All the kine are not a.s.sembled, of their count is lacking three!"

"Tarry not for search," said Orlam, "yet provision must we take On our steeds, for hostile Munster rings us round. Wilt home forsake, Maiden? wilt thou ride beside us?" "I will go indeed," she said.

Then, with all thy gathered cattle, come with us; with me to wed!

So they marched, and in the centre of their troop the kine were set, And the maiden rode beside them: but Corp Lee, the Gray, they met; Seven times twenty heroes with him; and to battle they must go, And the Connaught n.o.bles perished, fighting bravely with the foe: All the sons of Connaught's princes, all the warriors with them died: Orlam's self escaped the slaughter, he and eight who rode beside: Yet he drave the cows to Croghan; ay, and fifty heifers too!

But, when first the foe made onset, they the maid in battle slew.

Near a lake, did Eocho's[FN#50] daughter, Dartaid, in the battle fall, From that lake, and her who perished, hath been named that region all: Emly Darta is that country; Tain bo Dartae is the tale: And, as prelude, 'tis recited, till the Cualgne[FN#51] Raid they hail.

[FN#50] p.r.o.nounced Yeo-ho.

[FN#51] p.r.o.nounced Kell-ny.

THE RAID FOR DARTAID'S CATTLE

LITERAL TRANSLATION

The Pa.s.sages that occur only in the Yellow Book (Y.B.L.) are indicated by being placed in square brackets.

EOCHO BEC, the son of Corpre, king of Cliu, dwelt in the Dun of Cuillne,[FN#52] and with him were forty fosterlings, all sons of the kings of Munster; he had also forty milch-cows for their sustenance. By Ailill and Medb messengers were sent, asking him to come to a conference. "[In a week,"][FN#53] said Eocho, "I will go to that conference;" and the messengers departed from him.

[FN#52] The eleventh century MS., the Leabhar na h-Uidhri, which gives the first four lines of this tale as a fragment, adds here as a note: "this is in the land of the O'Cuanach": apparently the O'Briens of Cuanach.

[FN#53] At Samhuin day (Egerton).

One night Eocho lay there in his sleep, when he saw something approach him; a woman, and a young man in her attendance. "Ye are welcome!"

said Eocho. ["Knowest thou us?"] said she, "Where hast thou learned to know us?" "It seems to me as if I had been near to you." "I think that we have been very near to one another, though we have not seen each other face to face!" "In what place do ye dwell?" said Eocho.

"Yonder in Sid Cuillne (the fairy mound of Cuillne)," said she. "And, wherefore have ye come?" "In order to give thee counsel," said she.

For what purpose is the counsel," said he, "that thou givest me?"

"Something," she said, "that will bring thee honour and renown on thy journey at home and abroad. A stately troop shall be round thee, and goodly foreign horses shall be under thee."[FN#54] "With how many shall I go?" said Eocho. "Fifty hors.e.m.e.n is the number that is suitable for thee," she answered.

[FN#54] Y.B.L. adds a pa.s.sage that Windisch does not translate: it seems to run thus: "Unknown to thee is the half of what thou hast met: it seems to us that foreign may be thy splendour"(?)

"To-morrow in the morning fifty black horses, furnished with bridles of gold and silver, shall come to thee from me; and with them fifty sets of equipment of the equipment of the Side; and all of thy foster-children shall go with thee; well it becomes us to help thee, because thou art valiant in the defence of our country and our soil."

Then the woman left him.

Early in the morning they arise, there they see something: the fifty black horses, furnished with bridles of gold and silver tied fast to the gate of the castle, also fifty breeches of silver with embellishment of gold; and fifty youths' garments with their edges of spun gold, and fifty white horses with red ears and long tails, purple-red were all their tails and their manes, with silver bits (?)[FN#55] and foot-chains of bra.s.s upon each horse; there were also fifty whips of white bronze (findruine), with end pieces of gold that thereby they might be taken into hands.[FN#56]

[FN#55] co m-belgib (?) Windisch translates "bridles," the same as cona srianaib above.

[FN#56] Y.B.L. adds, "Through wizardry was all that thing: it was recited (?) how great a thing had appeared, and he told his dream to his people."

Then King Eocho arises, and prepares himself (for the journey): they depart with this equipment to Cruachan Ai:[FN#57] and the people were well-nigh overcome with their consequence and appearance: their troop was great, goodly, splendid, compact: [fifty heroes, all with that appearance that has just been related.

"How is that man named?" said Ailill. "Not hard, Eocho Bec, the king of Cliu." They entered the Liss (outer court), and the royal house; welcome was given to them, he remained there three days and three nights at the feasting.]

[FN#57] Egerton here gives "Ailill and Medb made them welcome;" it omits the long pa.s.sage in square brackets.