Line 2. "Messbuachalla." This makes Etain the great-grandmother of
Conary, the usual account makes her the grandmother, so that there is
here an extra generation inserted. Yet in the opening she and Eochaid
Airem are contemporary with kings who survived Conary!
Line 4. "The fairy host, &c." The order of the words in the original
is misleading and difficult sithchaire and Mider are the subjects to ro
choillsiut and to doronsat.
PAGE 23
Line 12. That there should be adjusted)" fri commus, lit. "for
valuation," but commus has also the sense of "adjusting."
PAGE 24
Line 4. "Since he for a long time, &c.," fodaig dognith abairt dia
sirsellad. See Meyer's Contributions, s.v. abairt.
Line 23. "To gaze at her." Up to this point the L.U. version
(exclusive of the Prologue) bears the character of an abstract,
afterwards the style improves.
PAGE 25
Line 2. "But it shall not be in the abode, &c." Windisch seems to
have mimed the point here, he considers these lines to be an
interpolation.
PAGE 26
Line 5. Following Windisch's suggestion, this poem has been placed
here instead of the later place where it occurs in the text. This
famous poem has been often translated; but as there appear to be points
in it that have been missed, a complete literal rendering is appended:
O fair-haired woman, will you come with me
into a marvellous land wherein is music (?);
the top of the head there is hair of primrose,
the body up to the head is colour of snow.
In that country is no "mine" and no "thine";
white are teeth there, black are eyebrows,
the colour of the eyes is the number of our hosts,
each cheek there the hue of the foxglove.
The purple of the plain is (on) each neck,
the colour of the eyes is (colour of) eggs of blackbird;
though pleasant to the sight are the plains of Fal (Ireland),
they are a wilderness (7) for a man who has known the Great Plain.
Though intoxicating to ye the ale of the island of Fal,
the ale of the Great Country is more intoxicating
a wonder of a land is the land I speak of,
a young man there goes not before an old man.
Stream smooth and sweet flow through the land,
there is choice of mead and wine;
men handsome (?) without blemish,
conception without sin, without crime.
We see all on every side,
and yet no one seeth us,
the cloud of the sin of Adam it is
that encompasses us from the reckoning.
O woman, if thou wilt come to my strong people,
it is top of head of gold shall be on thy head,
unsalted pork, new milk and mead for drink
shalt thou have with me there, O fair-haired woman.
Line 2. Hi fil rind. The meaning of rind (?) music) is uncertain.
Line 3. Is barr sobarche folt and. This line is often translated as
"hair is wreathed with primrose": the image would be better, but it is
not the Irish. Barr is "top of head," and folt is "hair."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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