It is the dividing into quarters of the earth,
it is summit (7) of heaven,
it is breaking of the neck,
it is a battle against a spectre.
It is drowning with cold (or ? water),
it is a race up heaven,
it is a weapon under the ocean,
it is affection for an echo;
(so is) my affection and my love and my desire of the one on whom I
have set (my love).
PAGE 18
Line 2. The translation given is Windisch's, "it is sorrow under the
skin is Strachan's rendering.
Line 5. Translation uncertain. Irish is dichend nime.
Line 8. Is combath fri huacht (I read husce).
Literal rendering of the poem:
Arise, O glorious Ailill,
great bravery is more proper to thee than anything;
since thou shalt find here what was wished by thee,
thy healing shall be done by me.
If it should please thee in thy wise mind,
place hand about my neck;
a beginning of courtship, beautiful its colour,
woman and man kissing each other.
But, if this is not enough for thee, O good man,
O son of a king, O royal prince,
I will give for thy healing, O glorious crime,
from my knee to my navel.
A hundred cows, a hundred ounces of gold,
a hundred bridled horses were collecting,
a hundred garments of each variegated colour,
these were brought as a price for me.
A hundred of each other beast came hither,
the drove was great;
these to me quickly, till the sum was complete,
gave Eochaid at the one time.
Line 14. Of poem. "Were collecting," ratinol. This is the rendering
in Windisch's Dictionary, but is a doubtful one.
Line 18. Imerge means "drove," not "journey," as in Windisch.
Line 27 of text. "Wrought a great healing, &c." Irish, ro lessaig,
"healed him" (Windisch); "waited upon him" (Strachan).
PAGE 19
Line 17. "For fear of danger." Baegal, "danger," has sometimes the
sense of "chance," "risk."
Line 23. "That is what I would demand of thee." Translation not quite
certain Irish, cid rotiarfaiged.
PAGE 20
Line 2. "That both of us do indeed deem, &c." lit. "it is so indeed
well to us both."
Line 22. For the incident compare Bodleian Dinnshenchas (Nutt, p. 27):
the introduction of Crochen is a human touch which seems to be
characteristic of the author of this version. The Dinnshenchas account
seems to be taken from the romance, but it gives the name of Sinech as
Mider's entertainer at Mag Cruachan.
Line 25. "The Fairy Mound of Croghan." Irish, co sith sínighe Cruachan;
for sínighe read Maighe, "to the sid of Mag C."
PAGE 21
Line 2. Until the same day upon the year, &c.," on lo cu cele, "from
that day to its fellow," i.e. "till the same day next year."
Line 10. "Three wands of yew." This looks like an early case of a
divining-rod.
Line 21. "Hath smitten thee," rotirmass for ro-t-ormaiss, "hath hit
thee."
Line 29. "They ruined," "docuas ar," an idiomatic phrase; "they
overcame," an idiomatic phrase. Compare Annals of Ulster under years
1175, 1315, 1516.
PAGE 22
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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