Here is a version of Emer's Jealousy, of the red branch of the mythology Irish.
Emer's Jealousy
[1.] An assembly was held in Ulster every year; it was three days before Samain, three days after and the day of Samain itself. At that time the Ulates were in the plain of Murthemne every year for the assembly of Samhain, and there was nothing in the world they did then but play, market, bright and beautiful things, meals and feasts; therefore the feasts of Samhain are celebrated throughout Ireland.
[2.] This time, therefore, the assembly of the Ulates took place in the plain of Murthemne, and they had come together to show each of their combats and their bravery, for, the main object of their assembly, was the record of their battles; now, they put in their pocket the tips of the tongues of all the men they had killed, and, to increase the number of their victories, they also put there the tongues of quadrupeds; all gave the proofs of their combats in public, but each in his turn. And this is how it happened: they had their swords on their thighs when they competed like this, and the swords turned against them when they lied, it was inevitable; indeed, by their swords the demons spoke against them; therefore swords were for the sincere warrior a guarantee of truthfulness.
[3.] The Ulates all came to the assembly, except two only, Conall the Triumphant and Fergus son of Roeg. “Let the assembly take place,” said the Ulates. "In truth not," replied Cuchulainn, "not before Conall and Fergus have come." Fergus, indeed, was his foster-father, Conall the Triumphant his foster-brother. Sencha then said: “Now let's play chess, let's sing poems and let the jugglers get to work. Which was done. Then, as the Ulates were busy thus, a troop of birds descended on the lake, close to them. There was not a finer flock of birds in Ireland.
[4.] The desire came to the women to have these birds playing on the lake. They were arguing, each wanted to be given the birds. Ethné Aitencâithrech, wife of Conchobar, said: “I wish to put on each of my two shoulders a bird of that troop. — "All of us," said the others, "we also desire it." — "If they are taken for someone, they will be taken for me first," said Ethne Ingube, wife of Cuchulainn. " What to do? asked the women. 'It is not difficult,' replied Leborcham, daughter of Oa and Adarc, 'I will go on your behalf to ask Cuchulainn. »
[5.] Then she went to Cuchulainn and said to him: “It would be pleasing to the women if you gave them these birds. He took his sword to strike her. "Ulster harlots can't think of anything better to do than give me to hunt birds today!" "You are certainly wrong," said Leborcham, "to be irritated against them: you are the cause of the third infirmity which overwhelms the women of Ulster, and makes them blind." There were three infirmities to which Ulster women were subject: being counterfeit, stuttering, and one-eyed. Indeed, all women who loved Conall the Triumphant were counterfeit; all those who loved Cuscrad the stammerer of Macha, son of Conchobar, spoke with a stutter; and likewise all the women who loved Cuchulainn ceased to see with one eye, to resemble him and out of love for him. Cùchulainn had a peculiar tic: when he was displeased, he stuck one of his eyes so deep in his head that a crane could not have reached it, and he pushed out the other, which seemed as big as a boiler to cook an ox.
[6.] "Hitch us the chariot, Loeg," said Cuchulainn. So Loeg harnesses the chariot, Cuchulainn climbs into it and strikes the birds with such a blow of his sword that their legs and their wings remain in the water. Between them, they took them all, carried them away and shared them with the women; there was no woman who did not have two birds, with the sole exception of Ethné Ingubé. Cuchulainn then came to his wife. "You're unhappy," he told her. "No," replied Ethne, "since it was because of me that they were given them." Besides, you couldn't refuse me,' she added; “there is none of these women who does not love you and who is not yours in part, but, for me, there is no one who has part of myself: I am yours alone. "So don't be displeased," resumed Cuchulainn. “If birds come to the plain of Murthemné or that of Bond, the two most beautiful will be for you. »
[7.] Shortly after, two birds were seen on the lake, and between these birds was a chain of red gold; they were singing soft music. Sleep seized the troop of warriors. Cuchulainn got up and walked towards the birds. “If” you listened to me,” said Loeg and Ethné, “you would not go to them, for there is a hidden power behind these birds. It will come to me,” added Ethné, other birds without these. — "Is it possible that you insult me like this!" said Cuchulainn. “Take a stone for the slingshot, Loeg. So Loeg took a stone and put it in the sling. Cuchulainn throws the stone at the birds. But he misses his shot. “Woe to me!” he cried. He takes another stone. He throws it at them, but he overshoots. "I have some misfortune," he said; “Since I took up arms, I had not missed my mark until this day. He throws his javelin at them; the javelin passed through the wing of one of the birds, both disappeared under water.
[8.] After this Cuchulainn departed; he leaned his back against a rock; his spirit grew sad, and sleep took possession of him; then he saw two women come to him; one had a green cloak around her, the other a crimson cloak five times folded over. The woman in the green coat approaches, begins to smile at him and gives him a whiplash. The other comes towards him, smiles at him and beats him in the same way. They were thus occupied for a long time in hitting him, each in turn, as nearly as he was dead. Then they walked away.
[9.] All the Ulates noticed that he had something and said that he had to be awakened. “No,” said Fergus, “don't stir it; he sees a dream. Finally, Cuchulainn awoke from his sleep. “What has been done to you? asked the Ulates. He couldn't answer them. “Let me be carried,” he said, “to my sickbed, that is to say to Teté Brecc. Let it be neither in Dùn Imrith nor in Dùn Delca. »
[10.] “Will you be taken to Emer, in Dùn Delca? said Loeg. “No,” he said, “take me to Teté Brecc. So they took him there, and he was there until the end of the year without speaking to anyone.
One day, then, before Samhain, at the end of the year, there were Ulates in his house, namely: Fergus between him and the wall, Conall the triumphant between him and the post, Lugaid with the red belts between him and the wall. pillow, Ethné Ingubé at his feet. They were then thus placed, when a man came towards them, in the house, and sat down in front of the frontage of the room where Cuchulainn was. "What brought you here?" asked Conall the triumphant. “Here,” he replied. “If the man who is here were in good health, he would protect all Ulates; he is sick and weak, his protection is even greater. I fear nothing, since I have come to speak to him. — "Welcome, fear not," said the Ulates.
[11.] Then the stranger arose and sang to them the following verses:
Cùchulainn! of your illness
Would not be long the duration.
They would heal you, if they were here
The daughters of Aed Abrat.
Here is what says, in Mag-Cruach,
Lebanon, which is to the right of Labraid the Rapid
“Love owns Fand;
She wants to marry Cùchulainn.
Precious would be the day really
Where Cùchulainn would come in my land;
[Let him come!] he will have silver and gold;
He will have a lot of wine to drink.
May he love me enough for that,
Cùchulainn. son of Sualdam!
I saw him in his sleep,
Certainly without his army. "
It is to Mag-Murthemné that you will go,
Samain's night, without damage to you.
From me will come Lebanon,
To cure your illness, O Cùchulainn!
O Cùchulainn! of your illness
Would not be long the duration.
They would heal you if they were here
The daughters of Aed Abrat. »
[12.] “Who are you? asked the Ulates. “I am Oengus, son of Aed Abrat,” he answered. Then he left them, and they did not know how he entered or where he came from. Then Cuchulainn sat up and spoke. “Here is the thing,” said the Ulates; “Tell me what happened to you. “I had,” he replied, “a vision on Samhain last year. He told them everything, as he had seen in a dream. "What to do with that, King Conchobar?" Cuchulainn asked. - " What to do? resumed Conchobar; “Rise up and go to the rock where the women appeared to you. »
[13.]Cùchulainn then departed, he came to the rock, and he saw the woman in the green cloak coming to him. "That's good, Cuchulainn," she said. "But, of course, it's not so good for me." Why did you come to see me last year? Cuchulainn asked. "We didn't come to hurt you," she said, "but to ask for your friendship." I come today to speak to you,” added the woman, “from Fand, daughter of Aed Abrat. Manannan, son of the Ocean, abandoned her and she gave you her love. Lebanon is my name. I have a commission for you from my husband, Labraid, the swift swordsman. He will give you Fand, if you ever fight with him against Senach the Devilish, Eochaid Iul and Eogan Inbir. ' 'It wouldn't succeed me,' said Cuchulainn, 'to fight men. — "Your illness will not last long," replied Liban; you will heal, and you will recover the strength you lack. You must do this for Labraid, because he is a hero who is the best warrior in the world. — "Where does he live?" Cuchulainn asked. “He is at Mag-Mell,” she said. "I would rather go somewhere else," replied Cuchulainn. “Let Loeg go with you to find out where you came from. "So let him come," said Liban.
[14.] They then set off, arriving at the place where Fand was. Then, Liban approached Loeg and took him by the shoulder. “You will not go away today alive, O Loeg,” she said, “unless you have the protection of a woman. “It's not what we were most accustomed to doing up to this time,” replied Loeg, “to seek the protection of a woman. "It is unfortunate, very unfortunate that Cuchulainn is not here in your guise," replied Liban. "I would also prefer that he were in my place," replied Loeg.
[15.] They then departed and went towards the island; there they saw the small bronze boat on the lake before them. They then boarded the boat and arrived on the island. They walked to the door of the house and saw a man coming towards them. Then Liban sang a quatrain:
“Where is Labraid, the swift swordsman,
The leader of victorious troops?
The victory is on his solid chariot;
He dyes the tips of the javelins red. "
The man then answered him by singing four verses:
"Labraid, the swift swordsman,
Is not slow, it will be powerful.
We assemble for the fight, we prepare for the carnage
Who will fill the plain of Fidga. "
[16.] Then they went home; they saw three times fifty rooms in the house and three times fifty women in these rooms. The women all welcomed Loeg. This is what they all said to him: "Welcome home," Loeg. because of the one with whom you came, of the one who sent you and of yourself. "What are you going to do now, Loeg?" said Lebanon. “Will you go” right away to talk to Fand? — "I'll go once" I know where she is. " - " It's easy; she is in a separate room. So they went to talk to Fand; she welcomed them in the same way you do the others.
[17.] Fand was therefore daughter of Aed Abrat. Aed Abrat means "apple," literally "fire of the eye." Fand, then, is the name of the tear that crosses the pupil. It was because of her purity that this woman was so named; it was also because of her beauty; for there was no woman in the world who was comparable to him. As they stood there, they heard the rumble of Labraid's chariot coming towards the island. "Labraid is not happy today," said Liban. "Let's talk to him. They went out; Liban welcomed Labraid and sang a poem to him:
“Hail, Labraid, swift swordsman!
Heir to a troop—small and armed with spears!
He chops shields, - He scatters javelins,
He wounds bodies, - he kills free men;
He looks for carnage, - he is very handsome there,
He annihilates the armies; - he scatters treasures.
O you who attack the warriors, hi, Labraid!
Hail, Labraid, swift swordsman!
Heir to a troop—small and armed with spears! »
[18.] Labraid did not answer yet, and Lebanon continued, singing:
Hello, Labraid, swift wielder of the battle sword;
Quick to give, - liberal towards all, - eager for battles;
To the wounded side, - to the beautiful speech, - to the strong right,
To loving domination, - to the daring right, - to vengeful power.
He pushes back the warriors. - Hi, Labraid!
Hail, Labraid, swift battlesword wielder! »
Labraid did not reply further; then, Lebanon sang a poem to him again:
Hail, Labraid, swift swordsman!
The bravest of warriors, - more proud than the seas!
he destroys the forces, - he engages in combat;
He tries the warriors, - he lifts up the weak;
He lowers the forts. - Hi, Labraid!
Hail, Labraid, swift swordsman! »
[19.] "I don't like your speech, woman," replied Labraid; and then sang:
“There is neither pride nor arrogance in me, O woman!
And a charmed deceiver does not intoxicate my judgment.
We are going to a fight of dubious outcome, important and very hard,
Where the red swords will play in the right hands.
Against the numerous and unanimous troops of Eochaid Iul.
I have no presumption; — there is neither pride nor arrogance in me, O woman! »
[20.] "Rejoice then," said Liban to him; “Loeg, coachman of Cuchulainn, is here; he has a commission for you from Cuchulainn who will bring you an army. Labraid welcomed Loeg, saying, "Hail to you, Loeg, for the woman you came with and the one who sent you." Return home, O Loeg,” continued Labraid, “and Liban will accompany you. »
So Loeg went to Emain and told his story to Cuchulainn and all the others. Cuchulainn sat up and passed his hand over his face. He spoke clearly to Loeg, and his mind regained its strength as he listened to his valet's tale.
[21.] There was at this time an assembly of four of the five great provinces of Ireland. We wanted to know if we could find someone to choose to give him the supreme kingship of Ireland. It was regretted that on Tara, hill of supremacy and lordship of Ireland, there was no king's jurisdiction. It was regretted that the peoples were without the authority of a king to repress the faults of their citizens at home. For there was no supreme king over the Irish for the space of seven years, from the death of Supreme King Conaire at Bruden da Derga, until this great assembly here of four of the five great provinces of Ireland, at Tara of the Kings, in the house of Erc, son of Coirpré the hero of the warriors.
[22.] These are the names of the kings who were at this assembly: Medb and Ailill, queen and king of Connaught; Cùroi, king of Desmond; Tigernach Tétbannach, son of Luchté, king of Thomond, Find, son of Ross, King of Leinster. They did not call to their council Conchobar, king of Ulster, because they were in league against the people of Ulster. In this assembly they celebrated the feast of the bull, to know by it to whom to give the kingship.
[23.] This is how the feast of the bull was celebrated. A white bull was killed; a man ate flesh and took broth from this bull in sufficient quantity to satisfy himself. Well sated, he fell asleep. Four druids were singing a word of truth over him, and he saw in a dream the manner of being of the one who was to be raised to royalty, his features, his costume, what he was doing at that moment. When the man awoke from his sleep, he told the kings what he had seen in a dream. He had seen a young, noble, vigorous warrior, with two red sashes around him; this warrior was part of a group of six people gathered near the couch of a sick person, at Emain-Macha, capital of Ulster.
[24.] The kings, assembled at Tara, sent deputies to Emain. At this moment the great lords of Ulster were assembled around Conchobar, their king, at Emain, and Cùchulainn, ill, was in bed. The deputies went to explain their mission to Conchobar and the nobles of his kingdom. “We have,” Conchobar told them, “a young man of distinguished nobility, whose description corresponds to the indications you give; it is Lugaid with red belts, son of the three Finds of Emain. He was brought up by Cùchulainn, and he is close to the pillow of his foster father, whom he cares for; indeed, Cuchulainn is ill. »
Then, Cuchulainn rose and took the floor for the teaching of his pupil. This is what he told her:
Teaching of Cùchulainn.
[25.] “Do not be quick and vulgarly savage quarreling. Don't be fiery, undignified, haughty. Do not be fearful, violent, prompt, reckless. Do not be among the drunkards, who are feared and who destroy. Beware of being compared to a flea that would spoil the beer in the house of the five provincial kings. Do not make long stays on the border of foreigners. Do not associate with obscure and powerless men. Do not allow the periods of limitation against an injustice to expire. Let the memories be consulted, to know to which heir should return the land! May the jurisconsults be conscientious and just in presence! Let there be judges to render justice to the country! May the branches of the genealogies be extended when children are born! May the living be called to inheritances, and may, under the faith of the oath, life be restored to the habitations of the dead! May the heirs become rich according to their just right! Let the holders foreign to the families go, giving way to the noble force of the legitimate successors! »
[26.] “Do not answer with pride. Don't speak loudly. Avoid buffoonery. Don't make fun of anyone. Do not deceive the old men. Have no bias against anyone. Don't ask for anything difficult. Doesn't return any canvassers unanswered. You will not grant, you will not refuse, you will not lend anything without good reasons. Humbly receive the teachings of the sages. Remember the doctrine of the elders. Follow the laws laid down by the ancestors. Don't be cold-hearted for your friends. Be strong against your enemies. Avoid disputes contrary to your honor in your many encounters. Don't be a stubborn storyteller. Do not oppress anyone. Do not hoard anything that is not useful. Let reproof correct those who do iniquity. May your justice not be corrupted by the passions of men. Do not take the property of others lest you repent of it. Do not be quarrelsome so as not to be hated. Do not be lazy lest you be weak. Take care not to be too restless, to lose consideration. Do you agree to follow these advices, my son? »
[27.] Lugaid replied:
“These precepts are good to practice without exception.
Everyone will see it.
None of them will be overlooked.
They will be executed, if possible. »
Then Lugaid left with the messengers for Tara. He was proclaimed king. He slept that night in Tara, and then each went home.
[28.] We will now continue the story of Cùchulainn's adventures.
"Go, Loeg," said Cùchulainn, "go find Emer, tell him side came to see me and mistreated me; tell her that I'm better and that she come find me. Loeg, to give Cuchulainn courage, sang to him the following verses:
Greatly useless is a warrior the bed
Where he sleeps ill;
His evil is the work of fairies,
Women who inhabit the plains of fire of the wretched chief.
They defeated you
They have taken you captive;
They got you off track.
The power of women has made you incapable of doing anything.
Wake up from the sleep where people beat you
Who are not soldiers.
The time has come to take your place with all your might,
Among the heroes that their tank leads into battle.
You have to sit on the seat of the war chariot.
Then the opportunities will present themselves to you
Where, covering you with wounds,
You will do great deeds.
When Labraid has shown his strength,
When the ray of his glory shines,
You will have to get up
And you will be tall.
Greatly useless is a warrior the bed
Where he sleeps ill;
His evil is the work of fairies,
Women who inhabit the plains of fire of the wretched chief.
[29.] Then Loeg went to where Emer was and told him how Cuchulainn was. 'in not having brought back the remedy which would do you the honor of curing your master. It is shameful for the Ulates not to seek the means to restore health to this great man. If Conchobar had a wound, if Fergus [son of Roeg] had fallen into a lethargic sleep, if a blow had torn the flesh of Conall the triumphant, it would be Cùchulainn who would come to their aid. And she sang the following poem:
Loeg, son of Riangabair! alas!
In vain you have several times visited the residence of side :
You are long in bringing it back here
The healing of Dechtiré's son.
Woe to the generous Ulates!
Neither the foster father nor the foster brother of Cùchulainn
Do not do the world any research
To find us a way to cure their heroic friend.
If Fergus, foster father of Cùchulainn, was in lethargy,
And if, to cure it, it needed the science of a druid.
Dechtiré's son would not rest,
Until he found a master of evil druid.
If it was Cuchulainn's foster-brother, Conall the triumphant,
Who had serious injuries,
Cùchulainn would travel the whole world,
Until he found a doctor to cure him.
If Loégairé the winner
Had been defeated in too daring a fight,
Cuchulainn would search all over Ireland with green meadows
The healing of Connad Mac Iliach's son.
If it was Celtchar of betrayals
Who would have fallen into a long lethargic sleep,
We would see night and day traveling,
In the land of side, Cùchulainn.
If it was the heroic Furbaide
Who was bedridden far away,
Cùchulainn would travel the whole world
To find a way to save him.
They died the inhabitants of the palace of side elderberry;
Their great exploits have come to an end.
Their dog is no longer ahead of the dogs of men,
Ever since sleep took hold of this domain of side.
Alas! the disease seizes me,
Because of Cùchulainn, dog of the blacksmith of Conchobar!
The pain I feel in my heart extends to my whole body.
When will I bring you a doctor who will cure you!
Alas! death is in my heart!
A disease stops the warrior who crossed the plain in a chariot,
And now he's not going
To the Assemblies of Murthemné!
Why doesn't he come out of Emain?
It is because of the side who left him.
My voice weakens and dies;
I am too unhappy!
Months, season, year have passed,
And at home sleep has not resumed its regular course,
There was no one near him. A sweet word
Did not make itself heard to him, O Loeg, son of Riangabair!
Loeg, son of Riangabair! alas!
In vain you have several times visited the residence of side ;
You are long in bringing it back here
The healing of Dechtiré's son.
[30.] Emer left for Emain, to see Cuchulainn. She sat down in the room where he was, and she spoke to him: 'It's for you,' she said to him, 'a shame to stay in bed for love of a woman; the cause of your illness is that you have been in bed too long. And, after talking with him, she sang a poem:
Arise, hero of the Ulates,
Wake up healthy and cheerful;
Look at the King of Ulster, see how tall he is!
You have slept long enough.
Look at his shining shoulders,
His drinking horns full of beer.
Here are his chariots advancing in the valley;
Watch their race on the bellicose chessboard.
Here are his mighty warriors,
Here are his young and gentle wives;
Here are his kings in battle,
Here are its majestic queens.
See how the shining winter begins,
How each hour brings its wonders.
See, it is for you that they are made
Its cold, its duration, its dull atmosphere.
Too heavy a sleep is an evil;
It is the weakening that follows defeat.
Too long a sleep is milk to satiety,
He is the lieutenant of death; from death he has all the power.
Wake up. Sleep is the drunken man's peace;
Throw it away with vigorous energy.
I've talked a lot, but it's a sweet love that inspires me.
Arise, hero of the Ulates!
Arise, hero of the Ulates.
Wake up healthy and cheerful.
Look at the King of Ulster, see how tall he is!
You have slept long enough.
[31.] When she had sung, Cuchulainn stood up, passed his hand over his face. His weakness and heaviness had ceased. So he got up and started walking. He went to the rock where his previous visions had taken place. Lebanon appeared to him again, spoke to him and invited him to come to the residence of the side. "Where is Labraid's location?" Cuchulainn asked. "I'll explain it to you," replied Liban. And she sang:
Labraid dwells on the shores of a pure sea,
That frequent troops of women.
You will arrive without fatigue in this country,
If first Labraid is notified.
His bold hand repels danger;
I've seen it a hundred times, and that's why I say it.
In a splendid shade of purple
Are the cheeks of Labraid.
He shakes his head like a wolf in battle
Before the thin swords that the blood reddens.
He breaks the weapons of helpless enemies;
He breaks the shields that house the warriors.
His skin is all eyes in the fight;
His pursuit is merciless.
He is the first of all soldiers,
Alone he killed more than a thousand.
Labraid, bravest of warriors, wonder of history,
Reached the land of Eochaid Iul, his enemy.
Her hair looked like golden wands,
His breath smelled of wine.
Labraid, the most wonderful of heroes, takes up the fight;
He is hard on the enemy who inhabits the distant lands.
Boat and horse races
In front of the island where Labraid is.
There is a warrior who has done beyond the seas a multitude of exploits:
It's Labraid, the swift swordsman.
Cùchulainn, defeated by him, was for a long time without being able to fight,
Because Labraid is the leader of side who put the hero of Ulster to sleep.
His horses have brakes of red gold on their collars.
These brakes are not his only jewels.
There is a pillar of silver and glass,
In the house that Labraid lives.
Labraid dwells on the shores of a pure sea
That frequent troops of women.
You will arrive without fatigue in this country
If first Labraid is notified.
[32.] "I will not go to this country at the invitation of a woman," said Cuchulainn. "Let Loeg go," replied Liban; “He will see everything. "Let him go," replied Cuchulainn. Loeg set out with Liban. They passed by Mag-Luada, by Bile-Buada, by Oenach-Emna, and arrived at Oenach-Fidga: it was there that they found Aed Abrat with his daughters. Fand welcomed Loeg: "Why," she asked, "does Cuchulainn not come?" — "It displeased him," said Loeg, to accept a woman's invitation. And addressing Labraid: "He doesn't even know if you've heard of him." "I invite him," answered Labraid; "let him hasten to come to me, for today is the day book the battle. »
[33.] Loeg returned to where Cuchulainn was. Liban accompanied him. "How was your trip, Loeg?" Cuchulainn asked. Loeg replied, "You must go, because the fight will take place today." And after having spoken thus, he sang a poem:
I'm gone in the blink of an eye
In a wonderful country that I already knew.
I reached the heap of stones with twenty battalions,
I found the long-haired Labraid there.
I found it on the heap of stones,
Sat; thousands of weapons around.
On her head, beautiful blond hair
Attached to a golden apple.
Despite the time that had passed since my last visit, he recognized me
To my crimson coat folded up five times.
He said to me: "Will you come with me,
In the house where Failbé le Beau is? "
There are two kings in the house:
Failbé the beautiful and Labraid.
Three times fifty warriors surround each of them;
Despite their number, all live in the same house.
On the right, fifty beds,
And in these beds so many warriors.
On the left, fifty beds,
And in each bed a warrior.
The beds have round pillars,
Beautiful, well-gilded columns.
They are lit by a candle,
The candlestick is made of a precious and shining stone.
At the western gate,
On the side where the sun sets,
There is a troop of gray horses with spotted manes.
And another herd of horses with dark red coats.
At the eastern gate there is
Three trees of purple glass,
From the top of which a troop of birds resounds a softly prolonged song,
To the ears of the young people who live in the royal fortress.
At the castle gate, there is a tree;
From its branches escapes a beautiful and harmonious music.
It is a silver tree that the sun lights up;
It shines as much as gold.
There are three times fifty trees there.
Sometimes their leaves touch, sometimes they do not touch.
Each tree feeds three hundred people,
Of abundant acorn and without bark.
There is a spring in the noble palace of side.
There are also three times fifty variegated coats,
With a shining gold brooch
To tie up each of the variegated coats.
There is a vat of rejoicing mead,
To share between the inhabitants of the house.
It never runs out; the custom is established
May it be full forever.
There is a woman in the noble palace;
She's not like the women of Ireland.
When she goes out, you can see her blonde hair;
She is beautiful, she has a lot of talents.
The words she addresses to everyone
Have a wonderful charm.
It hurts every man to the heart,
By the love she inspires.
The noble woman says:
"Who is this valet we don't know?"
Come here a little, if that's you
Who are the servant of the warrior of Murthemné. "
I went to his call slowly, very slowly.
I feared for my honor.
She said to me: "Does he come here,
The only son of the excellent Dechtiré? »
It is a misfortune that you did not go there, O Cùchulainn!
Everyone asks for you.
You yourself must see how it is made
The big house I saw.
If Ireland were all mine,
With supreme royalty over its fair inhabitants,
I would abandon it, — the temptation would be irresistible —
I would go and live in the country where I went.
I'm gone in the blink of an eye
In a country that I already knew.
I reached the pile of stone with twenty battalions;
I found the long-haired Labraid there.
[34.] “You bring me good news,” said Cùchulainn. — “Yes,” replied Loeg, “we must leave and go to that country. Everything you find there is good. » And then Loeg continued to tell of the beautiful things he had seen in the dwelling of the side there he sang:
I saw a land bright and noble,
Where no lies or injustice is said,
There is a king who commands a magnificent army:
It's Labraid, the swift swordsman.
When I crossed Mag-Luada,
The sacred tree of victory appeared to me.
I sat in Mag-Denna,
Nearly two double-headed snakes.
Lebanon told me:
In the place where I went,
It would be a very sweet wonder for me,
If, in your guise, Cùchulainn had come here.
They are pretty women; by their victories, they do not bring misfortune to the vanquished,
The daughters of Aed Abrat.
The beauty of Fand deserves a loud fame;
She has never been equaled by either queen or king.
I will repeat what I was told:
She is a daughter of Adam without sin.
The beauty of Fand in my time
Has no equal.
I have seen glorious warriors
With sharp weapons,
Brightly colored clothes;
These were not commoners' clothes.
I saw the joyful women at the feast;
I saw the troop of young girls;
I saw beautiful boys
Walk around the tree on the hill.
I saw the musicians in the house
Playing for Fand.
If I hadn't hastened to get out,
I would have received an injury — which is not cruel.
I saw the hill where this house stood.
Ethné Ingubé is a beautiful woman;
But the woman I'm talking about here
Would make entire armies lose their minds.
I saw a land bright and noble,
Where no lies or injustice is said.
There is a king who commands a magnificent army:
This is Labraid the fast sword wielder.
[35.] Cùchulainn left with Lebanon for this mysterious country. He took his chariot and his driver with him. He arrived with Lebanon on the island. Labraid welcomed him; the women all did the same together. Fand separately welcomed Cùchulainn. " What are we going to do? » asked the hero. — “The answer is easy,” replied Labraid; “What we will do is go find the enemy. » Then they went out, approached the enemy army and cast their eyes on it: it was innumerable, this army. “Go away,” said Cuchulainn to Labraid. Labraid left and Cùchulainn remained alone facing the enemy. The two magical ravens announced his presence. The warriors cried out: “It is probably,” they said, “the grimacing hero of Ireland who is coming; this is what the crows tell us. »
[36.] The armed troops arrived in compact masses; there was not an empty place left in the country. Eochaid Iul went to wash his hands at the spring; it was good morning. Cùchulainn saw his shoulder in the open cloak and threw a javelin at him which passed through his body and which, at the same time, killed thirty-three men. Then he attacked the frenzied Senach, and after a great fight he killed him. Labraid then returned, and in front of him, Cùchulainn continued the massacre. Labraid begged him to stop the carnage. “It is to be feared,” said Loeg, “that the warrior will turn his fury against us, for he has not yet had his fill of fighting. It is necessary to prepare three vats of fresh water to quench his ardor. When he is in the first tank, the water becomes so hot that it boils; when it passes into the second, the heat of the water is so great that no one could stand it; but for the third tank, the water temperature is bearable. »
[37.] When the women saw Cùchulainn again, Fand sang:
The majestic hero who advances in a chariot on the road,
Although still without a beard, although young.
Is beautiful, thus traversing the country in its rapid course,
In the evening, after the Fidga assembly.
The sail of the ship which brought him did not resonate with the music of side ;
It is the color of blood.
The song that whispers silently above his chariot
Is he whose wheels sing beneath him.
The horses harnessed to his vigorous chariot
Long made my curiosity wait.
Nowhere have horses like this been found;
They are faster than the spring wind.
Cùchulainn juggles thirty golden apples,
Which we see pass and return in front of his face.
Nowhere has a king equal to him been found,
Either by gentleness or by force.
There is on each of her two cheeks
Dimples red as blood,
Green dimples, blue dimples,
Soft purple dimples.
His eye shoots seven rays of light;
We're lying when we say he's blind.
His noble eye is adorned
With an eyelash black as a beetle.
He has the worthy warrior on his head. -
It was told all over Ireland; —
He has hair of three different colors,
This young man without a beard.
His sword, which cuts and turns red with blood,
Has a handful of money.
His shield is decorated with yellow gold bumps
And a white brass border.
He walks through the warriors in the carnage;
He walks the battlefield in the midst of danger.
Among your brave warriors, there is not one
Who can be compared to Cùchulainn.
It was Cùchulainn who came here,
He is the young warrior of Murthemné;
And those who after a long time obtained his arrival
They are the daughters of Aed Abrat.
A long red rain of blood,
Falling next to the trees is a sign of his presence.
Superb, proud, haughty, he makes moans,
And woe to him against whom the hero is angry!
The majestic hero who advances in a chariot on the road,
Although still without a beard, although young,
Is beautiful thus traversing the country in his rapid course.
In the evening, after the Fidga assembly.
[38.] After Fand, it was Lebanon that welcomed Cùchulainn. She sang:
Hail to you, Cùchulainn, royal boar with happy success!
Grand prince of the plain of Murthemné!
You have a great spirit, you are the honor of warriors who triumph in battle.
Hero's heart, strong as a slingshot deftly
launched, red as blood in your anger,
Always ready to fight the enemies of the brave Ulates.
Your beautiful complexion has the color of the eyes of young women. Hi !
Hail to you, Cùchulainn, royal boar with happy success,
Grand prince of the plain of Murthemné!
“What have you done here since your arrival, O Cùchulainn? Lebanon asked. Cuchulainn replied:
Thrown was my javelin
In the Eogan Inbir fortress.
I don't know if I won the famous treasure
Which was to be the price of victory.
Did I succeed or not in the fight?
In any case, I have not yet obtained the reward to which I am entitled.
I threw my javelin, the fog prevented me from seeing if I reached the goal;
But if a man was hit, he is no longer alive today.
A beautiful army, very red, with many horses,
Came to attack me; the attack was from the flank.
They were the people of Manannan, sons of the Ocean;
Eogan Inbir had asked for their help.
I steered my chariot around them as best I could,
And when I had found the favorable point,
Alone against three hundred,
I killed them all.
I heard the groans of Eochaid Iul;
But when lips [want] to speak words of love,
Really, yes really, battles don't have to be
The subject of the words alternately launched.
Thrown was my javelin
In the Eogan Inbir Fortress:
I don't know if I won the famous treasure
Which was to be the price of victory.
[39.] Cùchulainn married Fand and remained in his company for a month. At the end of the month, he said his goodbyes. She said to him: “You can meet me wherever you want; I will go. » They agreed to meet in Ireland, at Ibar-Cind-Trachta. This was told to Emer. Emer had daggers made to kill Fand. She came, accompanied by fifty women, to the place where Cùchulainn and Fand had arranged to meet. Cuchulainn and Loeg were playing chess, and did not pay attention to the women who approached them. But Fand saw the women; she said to Loeg: “Look, Loeg, what I see. " - " What is this? » asked Loeg. He looked up. Then Fand sang:
[40.] Look, Loeg. Behind you
There are beautiful women of noble intelligence listening to you,
With blue, pointed daggers in the right hand;
Gold covers their beautifully shaped chests.
We will see what the brave warriors who go into battle in tanks will do.
It is clear that Emer, daughter of Forgall, has changed her ways.
Cùchulainn, addressing Fand, sang:
Don't worry, nothing will happen to you at all.
You will come in the mighty chariot,
By the sunny seat,
In front of myself.
I will know how to melt you
Against a multitude of women
To the four corners of Ulster.
In vain Forgall's daughter threatens.
In front of her fifty friends,
To do an act of violence.
Certainly, against me she will not dare.
[41.] Cùchulainn continued, addressing Emer:
I step back in front of you
As one recoils in front of his friends.
When i knock
From the hard javelin, my hand is not trembling;
My dagger is hardly thin,
Neither my weak anger or its narrow effects.
My strength is great
To be forced into retirement by the force of a woman.
“Answer me,” Emer said. “For what reason have you dishonored me before all the women of Ulster, before all the women of Ireland, and before all men of honour? I came here hiding from you, and I have great strength for me. Indeed, however great the quarrels that my pride may have caused you, you would certainly seek in vain against me a cause for divorce, whatever efforts you made. »
[42.] “A question, Emer,” said Cùchulainn. “What reason have you for not leaving me for a while in Fand’s company? She is pure, chaste, white, skillful, equal to a king; she has a multitude of attractions, this woman whom the waves have brought from regions beyond the immense seas. She is beautiful and of noble birth; she knows how to embroider and does hand work skillfully; she is intelligent, she has a mature and firm mind, she owns a number of horses and cows. There is nothing under heaven that she would not do for her husband, no commitment that she would not keep, whatever she had promised. As for you, Emer, you will not find a war-scarred victor equal to me. »
[43.] “Certainly,” replied Emer, “the woman to whom you are attached is no better than I.” But we find everything red beautiful, everything new white, everything strange pretty. Everything that is accustomed seems bitter, those who are absent are wrong, what we know is boring, and we leave it to go and learn everything that we do not know. my friend,” she continued, “there was a time when I was in dignity near you, and I would still be if you liked me. » His pain saddened Cùchulainn. “Upon my word,” he said, “you please me always, and you will please me as long as you live.” »
[44.] “So I will be abandoned,” said Fand. — “It had better be me,” replied Emer. — “No,” replied Fand, “it will be me who will be abandoned: this danger has been threatening me for a long time. » She was overwhelmed with pain and discouragement. She felt great shame at being divorced and returning home so much. Her great love for Cùchulainn became torture for her, and to express her sorrow, she sang this poem:
I am going to leave;
It's the best I can do, but it's by force.
Although my happiness demands,
I would rather stay.
It would be nicer for me to stay here,
Under your gentle husband authority,
Strange as I may seem to you
Than to return to the room of Aed Abrat, my father.
Emer! Cùchulainn belongs to you;
He has left me, O happy woman!
It is impossible for me to possess it,
And I can't help but regret it.
Many men have asked for my love.
Both at home and in the desert.
I rejected their prayers.
Because I am an honest woman.
What a misfortune to love a man
Who doesn't pay attention to me!
Better go away
Than not to find a love equal to mine.
Fifty women came here,
Emer with noble blond hair!
To attack Fand, — it was not good, —
And to kill her miserably.
I'm three times fifty
Very beautiful and unmarried women.
They belong to me and live in a fortress together.
They wouldn't abandon me.
I am going to leave;
It's the best I can do, but it's by force.
Although my honor demands,
I would rather stay.
[45.] However, Manannan came to know what was happening: he learned that Fand, daughter of Aed Abrat, engaged in an unequal struggle with the women of Ulster, was abandoned by Cùchulainn. He came from the East to seek Fand; he came near her and no one saw him, except Fand alone. Seized with great jealousy and deep sadness, Fand, upon seeing Manannan, sang a poem:
Look at the son of the warriors of the Ocean;
It comes from the plains of Eogan Inbir.
It's Manannan. Its beauty surpasses the whole world.
There was a time when he was very dear to me!
Today I uttered a noble cry;
My heart has proudly stopped loving the Ulster hero.
There is a path where love leads us;
Knowing him is no use.
The day the son of Ocean and I found ourselves together
In a room in the Inber fortress,
We immediately believed
That nothing could ever separate us.
When the majestic Manannan took me away,
I was a wife equal to him.
By taking me, he did not support
A loss in the hazardous game of marriage chess.
When the majestic Manannan took me away,
I was a wife equal to him.
A gold bracelet that I have
Was the gift he paid for my modest blush.
I had on the heath, outside the house,
Fifty women of many colors.
I gave him fifty men;
The fifty women were flawless.
This is no joke: four times fifty
Were the inhabitants of our only home,
Twice fifty happy and healthy men,
Twice fifty beautiful and healthy women.
I see coming here crossing the ocean,
Invisible to the fools around me,
The Hairy Rider of the Sea.
He does not need the ships of side.
He arrived near us.
Alone, you, oh side, you see,
Thanks to the superiority of your intelligence, the smallest object,
Still he would be far from you.
My misfortune was inevitable,
Because women have little common sense.
The Ulster hero I loved so much,
Delivered me to the injustice of my enemies.
God to you, beautiful Cùchulainn!
It is very easy to leave you;
Since I do not reach the goal of my desire,
Dignity commands my retirement.
The moment of departure has come for me.
There is a person here against
We were very wrong,
Loeg, son of Riangabair!
I will go find my true husband,
So that he does not do anything contrary to my will.
So that you don't say that I'm running away in secret,
Please look!
Look at the son of the warriors of the Ocean;
It comes from the plains of Eogan Inbir:
It's Manannan. Its beauty surpasses the whole world.
There was a time when he was very dear to me!
[46.] Having thus limed, Fand rose and approached Manannan. Manannan welcomed him and said, “Well! woman, are you waiting for Cùchulainn now, or will you come with me? » — “On my word,” she replied, “there is one of you whom I would prefer to attach to myself as a husband; but it is with you that I will go. I will not wait for Cùchulainn, for he has abandoned me; besides, there is not at your side a queen worthy of you; there is one near Cùchulainn. »
[47.] But Cùchulainn, seeing Fand moving away from him and following Manannan, spoke to Loeg: “What is this? » — “It is easy to see,” replied Loeg; “Fand is going with Manannan, son of the Ocean, and the reason is that she does not please you. » Then Cùchulainn made three jumps in the air and three jumps to the right of the place called Luachair. Then he remained for a long time without eating or drinking, traveling through the mountains; he slept there every night on the way to Mid-Luachair.
[48.] Emer went to King Conchobar at Emain and told him in what condition Cùchulainn was. Conchobar sent poets, scholars and druids from Ulster, with a mission to take Cuchulainn and bring him to Emain. Cuchulainn wanted to kill them. But they sang magic words before him, then they took him by the hands and feet, and common sense returned to him. So he asked for something to eat and drink. The druids gave him the potion of oblivion. As soon as he drank it, he forgot Fand and everything that this side had made him do it. The druids also gave the brew of oblivion to Emer; By this means they removed from her the jealousy, which had put her in a state similar to that of her husband. Manannan waved his cloak between Cùchulainn and Fand, to prevent any meeting between them forever.
[49.] The appearance of these side had almost killed Cuchulainn. For the power of demons was great before Christianity; it was so great that the demons, in corporeal form, gave battle to men, and made mysterious beauties appear to them, convincing them that with them they would live eternally. These are the apparitions that the ignorant called side and race of side.
