n Ard Caille, sinister harsh fate!in Muskerry of the three plains,
his head west against the Fox Stone,
Find with princely treasures was buried.
Trans. Kuno Meyer
n Ard Caille, sinister harsh fate!
in Muskerry of the three plains,
his head west against the Fox Stone,
Find with princely treasures was buried.
Glasdic was his name originally,
the sons of Morna named him Finn;
seven years he was in hard plight,
under Loch Ree he found fair help.
Finn's first race — it was a chosen course —
which he ever ran before the sons of Morna,
into Loch Corrib from Loch Ree
around Connaught of the beautiful shields.
Into Mag Corainn, to Assaroe,
along Cuallach of Brefne of lasting fame,
by the side of the Shannon — woe that was greatest !—
to lofty Slieve Aughty in one day.
In the eighth year of his life
when he was visiting Dathi's Tara,
he slew Aillén, whose hand was full
with candle, *** with timpán.
"A timpán for sleep!" said all,
the practice at each Hallowe'en,
a customary deed; every year,
lasting incitement, the candle was burning brightly1.
After that deed Finn slept
with shapely Sadb, a stately diadem;
and Sadb had for a household companion
Finn as her husband.
For fear of sword-fierce Conn
Finn went to learn noble poetry:
Cethern Fintan's son,
he was his tutor in poetic composition.
After a feast the fiana bring Finn
to avenge the poet Orcbél;
the fairy-woman from Slieve Slánga
had achieved the fierce bold deed.
When he had joined the fian with worth,
this was his journey on that night:
from Bri Ele, a veritable tower,
to the mountain of Marg son of Edlicon.
From Slieve Margue, a rare deed,
westward to the mountain of the Two Paps of Anu,
to Inver Colptha he ran a race
with the deer(?) of Fiaclach, Conchenn's son.
From Inver Colptha, it is remembered,
to Slieve Slánga of the noble Ulstermen;
thence — the pursuit was fierce —
to Inver Colptha straightway.
In revenge of the poet Orcbél
Finn slew Ua Fidga at a feast
in the west at the Paps, a brave achievement,
with the spear of Fiaclach, Conchenn's son.
Two staves Finn heard
at the mound of the Paps above him:
"Stalwarth Ua Fidga has been slain"
was the exact beginning of the first stave.
"Venom is the spear" was the powerful beginning
of the second stave, — I know it not;
there after the deed of valour
on bright Allhallowe'en he heard them.
Seven deer by Slieve Bloom
was Finn's first chase, — a brave and stout exertion —
at the end of seven years crowned with honour,
at the famous Apple-tree of the fiana.
A vessel full of gold, of glorious silver,
the woman out of Slieve Slánga gave to him;
we know for certain that this was the first fair treasure
which he took to the fian for noble distribution.
His glorious mother was of the Érainn of Cermna,
Torba, the perfect daughter of Ech;
Finn mac Geoir was his mother's son,
king of Lámraige of heroic strength.
The father of Cáilte of the wiles
was called Lethi Lethancherd;
Cáilte, lays tell us,
was the son of Finn's fair and beautiful sister.
When the steeds of the king of Ross were aglow
racing against a woman on foot2,
then worthy Cáilte was born,
at the glorious fair of Colman.
He is the only one of the fiana of Finn
up to whom a pleasant pedigree is carried,
that Cáilte, — happy event!—
from him sprang the Cáiltraige.
There were eight Cáiltes gathered around Finn:
Corra and the Ua Daim Derg dílinn,
Cass, Cur, Escru and Aithne,
Oll and Nena Nuagnithe.
This is the best treasure which Finn found,
Crimthann's fidchell, I know it for certain;
Fiachra of Fál had hidden it
in the land of Crimthann Nia Nár.
Once — a famous expedition — Finn found a stream,
nothing but silver was its fair gravelly bottom;
it springs past the hawthorn
to the south-east and close to Albine.
Ossín said: "The most marvellous dainty jewel
which Finn himself found,
that is, without vaporous ignorance3,
the fair close-woven hood of Crothrainne."
Gold is its woof, silver underneath it,
soft to the skin is its lining;
you will be hound, man, or deer
as you turn it, as you change it.
It is worth fifty bond-maids whatever,
it was made in the Land of Promise,
for thirty years in Mag Mell,
with fifty ***
Thirty jewels — it is not the wisdom of an ignorant man —
Finn took out of the jaws of the crane-bag,
after he had slain Glonna at the vast ford
and Liath Luachra of the swift deeds.
Notes:
1. For a full account of the incidents here alluded to see Agallamh na Senórach ed. Whitley Stokes
2. Ae to this episode see my edition of Cath Finntrága, p. x.
3. Literally, "without the vile smoke of blindness."
Sources : Kuno Meyer, Todd Lecture Series 16
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