Matheson Collection > Reliquiae Celticae > Poetry, history and philology

THE TALE OF DEIRDRE. 451
eea with high waves across the plain before the sons of TJisnech,
whilst the Ulstermen were following after them on foot on dry
land. And sad was the plight in which the sons of TJisnech were,
being overpowered in the great sea, and Naesi holding up Deirdre
on his shoulders to save her against drowning. It was then that
Couchobar commanded the sons of Uisnech to be slain ; and the
Ulstermen all refused to do that, for there was no man among
them who had not wages from Xaesi. Conchobar had a servant
whose name was Maine of the Red-iiand, a son of the king of
Lochlann, and it was Naesi that slew his father and his two
brothers ; and he said that he would himself behead them to
avenge that deed. "If so," said Ai-dan, "slay me first, for I am
the youngest of my brothers." " That is not what will be done."
Tarla maithe Alban ag 61 ^
Agus clann Visneack d'ar choir cion ;
jy inghin 2 larla Dhuntreoir
Go tug Naoise pog gan f(h)ios ^
Do chuu'se chuice eilit bhaeth ^
Agh alluidh agas luogh '-' le cois
Agvs do g(h)abh se chuice '' ar chuairt
Ag tilleadh ^ 6 shluagh Inbher-nois.*^
Mar ^ do chuala mise sm
Li(o)nas mo cheann Ian do 'n è(a)d '^^
Chuaidhis a(n) curach air luiim
Fa coma Horn beò no eag.
Leanuj'd mise amach aw- snamh —
Ainnle ^^ is ^- Ardan nar ghnath breag
Tillid 1-' leo me a?' m' ais '^*
Dias do chi:ire(a)dh cath aiV chè(a)d.
Tug Naoise a bhriathar^^ gu fior
Luj'ghis fa thri a (bh)ftadhnu«s ^*' arm
Nach cu(i)r(e)adh se oram gru(a)mi
No go rachadh ar sluagh na marbh
Tug an bhe(a)n sm ò Dhuntreoir
Briathar ^" ro mhor is moid mhe(a)r
No go ràchadh Naoise d' è(a)g ^^
Nach rachadh si fein ad f(h)e(a)r.
1 MS., " Tarrla." -MS., " ninghin." ms., " gan nfios." ''MS.,"ealta
bhaogh," but O'Flanagan's version has "eilit bhaeth," which we liave aJopted.
^MS., "laoch." «MS., "chuige." " MS.^ " ttilaclh." « MS., " invenieise. '
"•'MS., "Mur." '"MS., "hnghis um cen doigh don ned." O'Flanaghau's
version has " Linas mo chino Ian don ed." '^ MS., " enle." '^ The MS. has
the contracted form 7. ''MS., " tpillad." '^ MS., "mais." ''MS., "a
bhriathar." '« MS., " a fiaghnuis." '"MS., " breathar." '8MS., "deg."