Then there came to her pleasure For birth of a boy; And a sweet smiling measure The Harp played, 'twas Joy. And she swooned in her anguish, For hard the third birth: From the Harp, her pains soothing, Sleep's strain came on earth. Then from Boand passed her slumber, And, "Uaithne,"[FN#9] she cried, Thy three sons, thou sharp Child-Birth, I take to my side. [FN#9] Pronounced something like Yew-ny. Cows and women by Ailill And Maev shall be slain; For on these cometh Sorrow, And Joy, and Sleep's strain: Yea, and men, who these harpers, Thy children, shall hear, By their art to death stricken, Shall perish in fear." Then the strains died away in the palace, The last notes seemed to sink, and to cease: "It was stately," said Fergus, "that music." And on all came a silence, and peace. Said Fraech, "The food divide ye! Come, bring ye here the meat!" And down to earth sank Lothar, On floor he set his feet; He crouched, on haunches sitting, The joints with sword he split; On bones it fell unerring, No dainty part he hit! Though long with sword he hewed, and long Was meat by men supplied, His hand struck true; for never wrong Would Lothar meat divide. Three days at the chess had they played; three nights, as they sat at the game, had gone: And they knew not the night for the sparkling light from the jewels of Fraech that shone; But to Maev turned Fraech, and he joyously cried, "I have conquered thee well at the chess! Yet I claim not the stake at the chess-board's side, lest thy palace's wealth be less." "For no lengthier day have I sat in such play," said Maev, "since I here first came." "And well may the day have seemed long," said Fraech, "for three days and three nights was the game!" Then up started Maev, and in shame she blushed that the chiefs she had failed to feed; To her husband, King Ailill, in wrath she rushed: "We have both done a goodly deed! For none from our stores hath a banquet brought for the youths who are strangers here!" And said Ailill, "In truth for the play was thy thought, and to thee was the chess more dear." "We knew not that darkness had come," said Maev, "'tis not chess thou should'st thus condemn; Though the day had gone, yet the daylight shone from the heart of each sparkling gem; Though the game we played, all could meal have made, had men brought of the night advice, But the hours sped away, and the night and the day have approached and have fled from us thrice!" "Give command," said the king, "that those wailing chants, till we give them their food, be stilled." And food to the hands of each they gave, and all with the meat were filled; And all things merrily went, for long the men with a feast were fed, For, as feasting they sat, thrice rose the day, thrice night above earth was spread.