Matheson Collection > Irische Texte

244 Translation of parts of the Acallam omitted in Silva Gadelica.
^ the coui'se (?) of our previous question, and the first moon of
' the previous quarter the same month takes; and the third moon",
says Patrick, "is the moon of the kalends of that month's
original era".
"Success and benison attend thee, saint Patrick!" says
Cailte; "and a blessing came to the generation of the men of
L^eland the day thou earnest unto them. For there was a de-
Tv^ mon at the butt of every single grassblade therein before thine
advent, but today there is an angel at the butt of every grass-
blade therein. And blessing to the men of Ireland who shall
see thee and to those of them who shall not see thee, for thy
miracles and marvels will serve them. And well, my soul,
Patrick", says Cailte, "when is that year of the Quartill of
which thou toldest me?" "Yestreen was the fii'st night of it",
says Patrick, "And the month that contains the three moons",
says Cailte, "when comes it?" "Tomorrow night is the eve of
its commencement, and the day next to it. "And when are
your cornfields ripe, O Derg, son of Dinertach?" "Unless that
ill-omened flock of birds tarry (here), we shall be reaping to-
morrow", says the warrior. "When do ye expect those birds
to come to you?" asks Cailte. "Tomorrow certainly", says
Flann, son of Plann, "at the same time^ of day tomorrow as
Dub, son of the king of Iruath, put a spell and charm on the
three sons of Uar, son of Idast, when weapons killed them,
and the wave of the flood overwhelmed the three brothers".
"And why then", says Cailte, "should I not bestow a spell
and charm on Flann and Derg, the two kings of West Munsters,
in the name of the Trinity, unchanged and unchangeable, against
the birds that come every year to ruin them?"
So, early on the morrow, he fared forward, with the nobles
of the provinces of Munster, and Patrick together with them,
up to the summit of Sheve Mish. Then the birds came to the
cornfields as they used to come every year, and every one be-
held them, and they settled on the cornfields, and Cailte said:
«/
* For coraai»im I noli read comaimscí'.