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 shore, 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 assembled, 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 nobles 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] Pronounced Yeo-ho. [FN#51] Pronounced Kell-ny. THE RAID FOR DARTAID'S CATTLE LITERAL TRANSLATION The Passages 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?"