“A lovable land is yon eastern land, Alba, with its marvels. I would not have come hither out of it, Had I not come with Naoise. “Lovable are Dún-fidga and Dún-finn, Lovable the fortress over them; Dear to the heart Inis Draigende, And very dear is Dún Suibni. “Caill Cuan! Unto which Ainle would wend, alas! Short the time seemed to me, With Naoise in the region of Alba. “Glenn Láid! Often I slept there under the cliff; Fish and venison and the fat of the badger Was my portion in Glenn Láid. “Glenn Masáin! Its garlic was tall, its branches white; We slept a rocking sleep, Over the grassy estuary of Masáin. “Glenn Etive! Where my first house I raised; Beauteous its wood:—upon rising A cattle-fold for the sun was Glenn Etive. * * * * * * * * * * “Glenn Dá-Rúad! My love to every man who hath it as an heritage! Sweet the cuckoos’ note on bending bough, On the peak over Glenn Dá-Rúad. “Beloved is Draigen, Dear the white sand beneath its waves; I would not have come from it, from the East, Had I not come with my beloved.” They crossed the sea, and arrived at the _Dún_ of Borrach, who bade them welcome to Ireland. Now King Conchobar had sent Borrach a secret command, that he should offer a feast to Fergus on his landing. Strange taboos called _geasa_ are laid upon the various heroes of ancient Ireland in the stories; there are certain things that each one of them may not do without forfeiting life or honour; and it was a _geis_ upon Fergus to refuse a feast. Fergus, we are told, “reddened with anger from crown to sole” at the invitation. Yet he could not avoid the feast. He asked Naoise what he should do, and Deirdre broke in with: “Do what is asked of you if you prefer to forsake the sons of Usnach for a feast. Yet forsaking them is a good price to pay for it.”