O Connal, lay me in my grave, And raise my stone o’er that of Cu; In grief I’ll soon from this depart, Let my lips touch Cu’s lips in death.
Evir am I, of fairest form, No vengeance can me satisfy; In tears no pleasure I can find, ’Tis sad that I am left behind.[130] Connal.
The author of this is Caoilte Mac Ronan. [131]
I set me off to rescue Finn, To Taura of the joyful streams; With arms sure of victory, To Cormac, son of Art Aonir.[132] I will not put forth my strength, Though bloody and light of foot, Until that with the Feinn of Fail, We have reached the shore of Loch Foyle. Then did we slay the mighty hero, When we had slain Cuireach.[133] We killed a mighty warrior When we had killed their leader. We bore his head up to the hill, Which lies above Buadhamair.[134] Then indeed I had my triumph, For I made a total havoc. For the hero’s sake I slew A man in every town[135] in Erin. Then indeed I had my triumph, For I made a total havoc. For the hero’s sake I brought Grief into every house in Erin. Then indeed I had my triumph, For I made a total havoc. The calves I slew with the cows, Whom I found in all fair Erin. Then indeed I had my triumph, For I made a total havoc. The doors on which the red wind[136] blew, I threw them each one widely open. Then indeed I had my triumph, For I made a total havoc. The fields all ripe throughout the land, I set them then a blazing brightly. Then indeed I had my triumph, For I made a total havoc. In my day there won’t be seen Either mill or kiln in Erin. Then it was they loosed against me The horse of Albin and of Erin. My fleetness gave me victory, Until I reached Ros illirglass. Then I westward took my way To Taura, although great the distance; Not one horse of all the troop Had Taura reached so soon as I did. In Taura then I gave that day The wife of him who cared not for her. I gave the wife of him who cared not, To him who cared for his as little; In noble Taura then I gave The wife of Cairbar to Cormac. The wife of Cormac also gave, Just as I had done, to Cairbar. The king’s sword then I firmly seized, A sword of matchless power and virtue; My own sword, fit for little now, I left it in the sheath of Cormac. Then I passed me quickly over, And from the door-keeper got his garment. From whence it happened, it is true, I became candlestick to Cormac. Then did I many strange things do, In presence of the King of Erin. “Though ye may wonder at my speech, Caoilte’s two eyes are in my candlestick.” “Say thou not so,” said noble Finn, The fair-haired prince of all the Feinn; “Though I may now thy prisoner be, Cast not reproach upon my people, Such is not Caoilte’s noble nature, Nought he does but what is generous. He would not hold a servile candle For any gold that earth may yield.” Then did I draw forth his drink For the excellent, manly king. Four steps, one after the other, I went along with him to serve him. Then I betook myself to his right, ’Twas one source of my sharp sorrow; I gave him of my own free will A dirge so grating, loud, and mournful. “Strange that he should give me this,” Said the clever, well-formed king. “The music smells of Caoilte’s own skin, This mournful, unharmonious dirge.” “Do not thou say so, O King,” Said I, in his servant’s garb; “These are boastful words thou speak’st. ’Tis worthy of one loving music.” “By my hand, most noble Caoilte, As Finn has been the Feinn’s great chief, Though, as I am, no pledge I’ll give To the men of Alb’ or Erin.” As I plainly saw he knew me, I now did boldly ask of Cormac, “Thou wilt tell me how I may Freedom purchase for my patron.” “Thou shalt not have Finn made free, I say, on any one condition, Save this condition, noble Caoilte, One thou never can’st fulfil; That thou should’st obtain for me Of all wild animals a pair, Then to thee I’d give thy patron, So soon as thou such pledge redeem’st.” I seized upon the pleasing words Of Cormac Mac Airt Inir, That he would freedom give the king So soon as I fulfilled such promise. When I had thus by promise bound Erin’s noble fair-haired king, Though I had a trying task, I set off to keep th’ agreement. From Taura I a journey took, A journey over all the land. I gathered in the flocks of birds, Though they were so very scattered. Two fierce geilts I brought along, And two fine tall and long-clawed ospreys, And ravens from Fee ya von; Two wild ducks from Loch a Sellin, Two crows down from Slieve Cullin, Two wild oxen brought from Borrin, Two swans I brought from Dobhran gorm, Two owls from the wood of Faradrum, Two polecats from Coiltie creive, On the side of Druma Dabhran. Two otters also I took with them, From the rock of Donavan doivin, Two gulls from the strand of Loch Lee, Two rualls from Port Lairge, Four woodpeckers from Brosna ban, Two plovers from Carrig dunan, Two eachts from Eachta ard, Two thrushes from Letter Lomard, Two wrens from Dun Aoife, Two geingeachs from Corrie dhu, Two herons from Corrin Cleith, Two gledes from Magh a Foyle, Two eagles from Carrig nan clach, Two hawks from Ceindeach forest, Two sows from Loch Meilghe, Two water-hens from Loch Earn, Two moor-fowls from Monadh maith, Two sparrow-hawks from Dulocha, Two stone-chats from Magh Cullin, Two tomtits from Magh Fualainn, Two caschans from Glen Gaibhle, Two swallows from the Old Abhla, Two cormorants from Dublin, Two wolves from Crotta cliath, Two blackbirds from Traigh dha bhan, Two roe from Luachair Ir, Two pigeons from Ceis Charran, Two nightingales from Letter Fin chul, Two plovers from Letter roy, Two starlings from Taura the green, Two rabbits from Sith dubh donn, Two wild boars from Cluaidh chur, Two cuckoos from Drum a daive, Two grey birds from Laigheande, Two lapwings from Lanan Furrich, Two woodcocks from Craobh maidh, Two hawks besides from Sliabh glé, Two grey mice from Limerick, Two otters from the Boyne, Two larks from Monadh mòr, Two bats from the cave of Cno, Two badgers from the lands of Ullanach, Two cornrails from Shannon valley, Two water-wagtails from Bruach Bire, Two curlews from the sea of Galway, Two hares from Muirtheimhne, Two eagles from the wood of Luaraidh, Two hinds from Sith Buy, Two geiseadachs (peacocks) from Magh Mall, Two cith cenceachs from Cnamh choille, Two yellow-hammers from Bruach Bru, Two eels from the Black Water, Two goldfinches from Sliabh da eun, Two cathails from Bray an Turla, Two birds of prey from Magh builg, Two coloured swallows from Granard, Two fierce ospreys from Gruing, Two redbreasts from the Great wood, Two bliorachs from Dun nam barc, Two rock cod from Cala cairge, Two whales from the great sea, Two eels from Loch M’Lennan, Two gearrgarts from Magh nan Eilean, Two little birds (wrens) from Mias a chuil, Two fish (salmon) from Eas M’Moirn, Two fine roe from Glen Smoil, Two cows from Achadh Maigh Moir, Two swift otters from Loch Con, Two wild cats from the cave of Cruachain, Two sheep from Sith Doolan gil, Two sows of the sows of Mac Lir; A ram and a red nimble sheep I brought with me from Ennis. I brought with me a horse and mare Of the fine stud of Mananan; A bull and cow in calf from Drumcan, These I had from Muirn Munchain. Ten hounds of the hounds of the Feinn Did Cormaig insolently require. Whatever thing he asked of me, I brought it with me as I came. When I had them all collected, And brought them to one plain, And sought to have them in control, They all of them did scatter widely. The raven flew away to the south, A cause to me of much vexation; I caught it in Glen da bhan, By the side of deep Loch Lurgan. The duck did also me forsake, Nor was it easier to take it; Over swift and swollen streams, I chased it to Achin dughlas. Then I seized it by the neck, Although it was not very willing. I took this duck along with me That I might liberate Finn from Cormaig. Of all the ills that I have met, During all my life on earth, Never shall my heart forget This, till my body is in the grave: With small birds, and with other birds, How I strove along to drive them, Travelling over hills and ditches, That with them I soon might reach him; While he still held Finn in bonds, And thought that I could never find them; And if I could but find him these, Then was he bound to give him freedom. This race that I had swiftly run, Was such as no man ran before me. Then I brought them all to Taura, To the chief who ruled the palace; Then had I further much to suffer, That night was to me very grievous. Within the town there was a stronghold, To which by nine doors there was entrance. Cormaig ’twas gave me the house, As I now was very wearied. Where I saw that they were placed In the narrow, horrid dungeon; Then came a loud and vigorous scream From the throats of all the gathering. There was a little ray of light Reached them in through fifty openings. Every door was closely shut, Nor was the case an easy one; They mournfully shut closely up, While I as sadly was excluded. My heart did now pour out its grief, Watching by the doors till morning. Though great the evil I had suffered, As before they flew so swiftly, Not one I suffered to escape Till the day rose in the morning. The name men gave to this great rabble Was “Caoilte’s rabble,” and no wonder. To see them standing side by side, Was all the profit got by Cormag. For when Finn did get his freedom, All of them did scatter widely; No two nor three of all did go From Taura in the same direction. My own swiftness and Finn’s escape Was a miracle from heaven; The three great things to me which happened Were these and gathering that host. It is security for my fame, I believe in Christ, and in this, Though great my gathering for Finn, I have nought of which to boast. Though long my leap to the east, In Taura of the Fenian heroes, Long was my leap to the west, In Taura, twenty hundred feet, Agile then was my leap, Which amongst strangers I did take, While the point of my foot alone yielded, Slow is now any expedition I make. I set me off.
No author’s name given. [137]
There lies beneath that mound to the north Mac Cumhal’s son, in battle firm. Of Dearg’s daughter the white-tooth’d son, In wrath who never harshly spoke. There lies beneath that mound to the south Mac Conn’s son, his skin like bloom, The man who never met his match, Whose arm in fight dealt no soft blows. There lies beneath that mound to the east Oscar, so brave, famous in deeds. Though the Clan Morn were famous men, He counted them of little weight. There lies beneath that mound to the west The man by women thought so fair, M’Ronan for his beauty famed, Beneath the mound to the west he lies. Beneath the mound that is below me Lies he so famed for ugly pate; Conan, in every virtue rich, Beneath the mound below me lies. There lies.
Gorry, let us go to Finn, A service which we do not like, To ask of him the head of Gaul, That we may lay it down to rest. I am unwilling to go, Since I hear not aught of the head, And that we cannot have revenge, For the head of the great Mac Morn. Whether thou willest or not, I will, Said the great but foolish Conan; I will slay all the men I can In vengeance for the yellow-haired Gaul. Let us kill the three princes of the Feinn, As we can’t slay Finn himself. Speak, Gorry, speak quickly out, Let us be found at once on their hands. Thou shalt kill great Ossian M’Finn, I will kill the valorous Oscar, Dyre shall kill the dauntless Caoilte, Let them have us all assault. I shall show no foolish softness, Gentleness doesn’t suit with Finn; Though in our arms we all should fall, We will have no help from Gaul; If Finn is there his strength will be there, Let us send Finn down to his grave. True and guileless are the words Which to thee I speak, Gorry. Gorry.
The author of this is——. [138]
’Twas on a day Finn went to drink In Alve, with his people few; Six women and six men were there, The women fair, with whitest skin. Finn was there and guileless Diarmad, Caoilte and Ossian too, and Oscar, Conan the bald, slow in the field, With the wives of these six men; Maighinis the wife of dauntless Finn, The fair-bosomed maid, my own dear wife, Fair skin Gormlay, of blackest eye, Naoif, and the daughter of Angus. When drunkenness had the women seized, They had a talk among themselves: They said that throughout all the earth No six women were so chaste. Then said the maiden without guile, “The world is a many-sided heap; Though pure are ye, they are not few Women quite as chaste as you.” They had been a short time thus, When they saw a maid approach, Her covering a single seamless robe, Of spotless white from end to end; The maiden of the pure white robe Drew near to where M’Cumhal sat. She blessed the king of guileless heart, And close beside him there sat down. Finn asks her to give them her tale, The handsome maid of whitest hand: “Maid of the seamless robe, I ask, What virtue’s in thy spotless veil?” “My seamless robe has this strange power That women, such as are not chaste, Can in its folds no shelter find,— None but the spotless wife it shields.” “Give my wife the robe at once,” Said the bulky, senseless Conan, “That we may learn what is the truth Of what the women just have said.” Then Conan’s wife does take the robe, And in vexation pulls it on; ’Twas truly pity it was done, Her fair-skinned breast was all exposed. Then when the bald-pate Conan saw How that the robe shrunk into folds, He seized in passion his sharp spear, And with it did the woman slay. Then the loved Diarmad’s wife The robe from Conan’s wife did take; No better did she fare than she, About her locks it clung in folds. Then Oscar’s wife seized on the robe, Which looked so long and softly smooth; But wide and large as were its wings, The robe her middle did not reach. Then fair Maighinis took the robe, And put it also o’er her head; The robe there creased and folded up, And gathered fast about her ears. “Give my wife the robe,” said Mac Rea, “For the result I have no fear, That we may see, without deceit, Of her merit further proof.” “I would pass my word for it, Though I claim not to be learned, That never have I once transgressed, I’ve been faithful aye to thee.” Mac Rea’s wife now showed her side, The robe was then put o’er her head; Her body was covered, feet and hands, None of it all was left exposed. Her bosom then one kiss received From Mac O’Duine, from Diarmad; The robe from her he then unfolds, From her who thus did stand alone. “Women, give me now my robe, I am the daughter of Deirg the fierce, I have done nought to cause me shame, I only erred with sharp-armed Finn.” “Bear thou my curse, and quick away,” These were then the words of Mac Cumhail. On women he denounced a curse, Because of her who came that day. ’Twas on a day.