I set me off to rescue Finn,
To Taura of the joyful streams;
With arms sure of victory,
To Cormac, son of Art Aonir.[132]
I will not put forth my strength,
Though bloody and light of foot,
Until that with the Feinn of Fail,
We have reached the shore of Loch Foyle.
Then did we slay the mighty hero,
When we had slain Cuireach.[133]
We killed a mighty warrior
When we had killed their leader.
We bore his head up to the hill,
Which lies above Buadhamair.[134]
Then indeed I had my triumph,
For I made a total havoc.
For the hero’s sake I slew
A man in every town[135] in Erin.
Then indeed I had my triumph,
For I made a total havoc.
For the hero’s sake I brought
Grief into every house in Erin.
Then indeed I had my triumph,
For I made a total havoc.
The calves I slew with the cows,
Whom I found in all fair Erin.
Then indeed I had my triumph,
For I made a total havoc.
The doors on which the red wind[136] blew,
I threw them each one widely open.
Then indeed I had my triumph,
For I made a total havoc.
The fields all ripe throughout the land,
I set them then a blazing brightly.
Then indeed I had my triumph,
For I made a total havoc.
In my day there won’t be seen
Either mill or kiln in Erin.
Then it was they loosed against me
The horse of Albin and of Erin.
My fleetness gave me victory,
Until I reached Ros illirglass.
Then I westward took my way
To Taura, although great the distance;
Not one horse of all the troop
Had Taura reached so soon as I did.
In Taura then I gave that day
The wife of him who cared not for her.
I gave the wife of him who cared not,
To him who cared for his as little;
In noble Taura then I gave
The wife of Cairbar to Cormac.
The wife of Cormac also gave,
Just as I had done, to Cairbar.
The king’s sword then I firmly seized,
A sword of matchless power and virtue;
My own sword, fit for little now,
I left it in the sheath of Cormac.
Then I passed me quickly over,
And from the door-keeper got his garment.
From whence it happened, it is true,
I became candlestick to Cormac.
Then did I many strange things do,
In presence of the King of Erin.
“Though ye may wonder at my speech,
Caoilte’s two eyes are in my candlestick.”
“Say thou not so,” said noble Finn,
The fair-haired prince of all the Feinn;
“Though I may now thy prisoner be,
Cast not reproach upon my people,
Such is not Caoilte’s noble nature,
Nought he does but what is generous.
He would not hold a servile candle
For any gold that earth may yield.”
Then did I draw forth his drink
For the excellent, manly king.
Four steps, one after the other,
I went along with him to serve him.
Then I betook myself to his right,
’Twas one source of my sharp sorrow;
I gave him of my own free will
A dirge so grating, loud, and mournful.
“Strange that he should give me this,”
Said the clever, well-formed king.
“The music smells of Caoilte’s own skin,
This mournful, unharmonious dirge.”
“Do not thou say so, O King,”
Said I, in his servant’s garb;
“These are boastful words thou speak’st.
’Tis worthy of one loving music.”
“By my hand, most noble Caoilte,
As Finn has been the Feinn’s great chief,
Though, as I am, no pledge I’ll give
To the men of Alb’ or Erin.”
As I plainly saw he knew me,
I now did boldly ask of Cormac,
“Thou wilt tell me how I may
Freedom purchase for my patron.”
“Thou shalt not have Finn made free,
I say, on any one condition,
Save this condition, noble Caoilte,
One thou never can’st fulfil;
That thou should’st obtain for me
Of all wild animals a pair,
Then to thee I’d give thy patron,
So soon as thou such pledge redeem’st.”
I seized upon the pleasing words
Of Cormac Mac Airt Inir,
That he would freedom give the king
So soon as I fulfilled such promise.
When I had thus by promise bound
Erin’s noble fair-haired king,
Though I had a trying task,
I set off to keep th’ agreement.
From Taura I a journey took,
A journey over all the land.
I gathered in the flocks of birds,
Though they were so very scattered.
Two fierce _geilts_ I brought along,
And two fine tall and long-clawed ospreys,
And ravens from Fee ya von;
Two wild ducks from Loch a Sellin,
Two crows down from Slieve Cullin,
Two wild oxen brought from Borrin,
Two swans I brought from Dobhran gorm,
Two owls from the wood of Faradrum,
Two polecats from Coiltie creive,
On the side of Druma Dabhran.
Two otters also I took with them,
From the rock of Donavan doivin,
Two gulls from the strand of Loch Lee,
Two _rualls_ from Port Lairge,
Four woodpeckers from Brosna ban,
Two plovers from Carrig dunan,
Two _eachts_ from Eachta ard,
Two thrushes from Letter Lomard,
Two wrens from Dun Aoife,
Two _geingeachs_ from Corrie dhu,
Two herons from Corrin Cleith,
Two gledes from Magh a Foyle,
Two eagles from Carrig nan clach,
Two hawks from Ceindeach forest,
Two sows from Loch Meilghe,
Two water-hens from Loch Earn,
Two moor-fowls from Monadh maith,
Two sparrow-hawks from Dulocha,
Two stone-chats from Magh Cullin,
Two tomtits from Magh Fualainn,
Two _caschans_ from Glen Gaibhle,
Two swallows from the Old Abhla,
Two cormorants from Dublin,
Two wolves from Crotta cliath,
Two blackbirds from Traigh dha bhan,
Two roe from Luachair Ir,
Two pigeons from Ceis Charran,
Two nightingales from Letter Fin chul,
Two plovers from Letter roy,
Two starlings from Taura the green,
Two rabbits from Sith dubh donn,
Two wild boars from Cluaidh chur,
Two cuckoos from Drum a daive,
Two grey birds from Laigheande,
Two lapwings from Lanan Furrich,
Two woodcocks from Craobh maidh,
Two hawks besides from Sliabh glé,
Two grey mice from Limerick,
Two otters from the Boyne,
Two larks from Monadh mòr,
Two bats from the cave of Cno,
Two badgers from the lands of Ullanach,
Two cornrails from Shannon valley,
Two water-wagtails from Bruach Bire,
Two curlews from the sea of Galway,
Two hares from Muirtheimhne,
Two eagles from the wood of Luaraidh,
Two hinds from Sith Buy,
Two _geiseadachs_ (peacocks) from Magh Mall,
Two _cith cenceachs_ from Cnamh choille,
Two yellow-hammers from Bruach Bru,
Two eels from the Black Water,
Two goldfinches from Sliabh da eun,
Two _cathails_ from Bray an Turla,
Two birds of prey from Magh builg,
Two coloured swallows from Granard,
Two fierce ospreys from Gruing,
Two redbreasts from the Great wood,
Two _bliorachs_ from Dun nam barc,
Two rock cod from Cala cairge,
Two whales from the great sea,
Two eels from Loch M’Lennan,
Two _gearrgarts_ from Magh nan Eilean,
Two little birds (wrens) from Mias a chuil,
Two fish (salmon) from Eas M’Moirn,
Two fine roe from Glen Smoil,
Two cows from Achadh Maigh Moir,
Two swift otters from Loch Con,
Two wild cats from the cave of Cruachain,
Two sheep from Sith Doolan gil,
Two sows of the sows of Mac Lir;
A ram and a red nimble sheep
I brought with me from Ennis.
I brought with me a horse and mare
Of the fine stud of Mananan;
A bull and cow in calf from Drumcan,
These I had from Muirn Munchain.
Ten hounds of the hounds of the Feinn
Did Cormaig insolently require.
Whatever thing he asked of me,
I brought it with me as I came.
When I had them all collected,
And brought them to one plain,
And sought to have them in control,
They all of them did scatter widely.
The raven flew away to the south,
A cause to me of much vexation;
I caught it in Glen da bhan,
By the side of deep Loch Lurgan.
The duck did also me forsake,
Nor was it easier to take it;
Over swift and swollen streams,
I chased it to Achin dughlas.
Then I seized it by the neck,
Although it was not very willing.
I took this duck along with me
That I might liberate Finn from Cormaig.
Of all the ills that I have met,
During all my life on earth,
Never shall my heart forget
This, till my body is in the grave:
With small birds, and with other birds,
How I strove along to drive them,
Travelling over hills and ditches,
That with them I soon might reach him;
While he still held Finn in bonds,
And thought that I could never find them;
And if I could but find him these,
Then was he bound to give him freedom.
This race that I had swiftly run,
Was such as no man ran before me.
Then I brought them all to Taura,
To the chief who ruled the palace;
Then had I further much to suffer,
That night was to me very grievous.
Within the town there was a stronghold,
To which by nine doors there was entrance.
Cormaig ’twas gave me the house,
As I now was very wearied.
Where I saw that they were placed
In the narrow, horrid dungeon;
Then came a loud and vigorous scream
From the throats of all the gathering.
There was a little ray of light
Reached them in through fifty openings.
Every door was closely shut,
Nor was the case an easy one;
They mournfully shut closely up,
While I as sadly was excluded.
My heart did now pour out its grief,
Watching by the doors till morning.
Though great the evil I had suffered,
As before they flew so swiftly,
Not one I suffered to escape
Till the day rose in the morning.
The name men gave to this great rabble
Was “Caoilte’s rabble,” and no wonder.
To see them standing side by side,
Was all the profit got by Cormag.
For when Finn did get his freedom,
All of them did scatter widely;
No two nor three of all did go
From Taura in the same direction.
My own swiftness and Finn’s escape
Was a miracle from heaven;
The three great things to me which happened
Were these and gathering that host.
It is security for my fame,
I believe in Christ, and in this,
Though great my gathering for Finn,
I have nought of which to boast.
Though long my leap to the east,
In Taura of the Fenian heroes,
Long was my leap to the west,
In Taura, twenty hundred feet,
Agile then was my leap,
Which amongst strangers I did take,
While the point of my foot alone yielded,
Slow is now any expedition I make.
I set me off.
[131] This is a remarkable composition, descriptive of an attempt of
Caoilt to deliver his friend and patron Finn from the hands of Cormac
M’Art, King of Ireland, against whom the Feinn had been stirring up
rebellion. Caoilt, after various strange doings, is told that he can
only have Finn’s liberty on condition of bringing to Tara a pair of all
the wild animals in Ireland. A portion of the poem has been translated
in Ireland, and published in the _Dublin University Magazine_ for March
1854, in connexion with an interesting paper upon the food of the
ancient Irish, and the early zoology of their country, by Dr. Wilde.
The translation is by that eminent Irish scholar, Mr. E. O’Curry.
In that paper the poem is said to be at least a composition of the
ninth century. It must be of extreme antiquity, as a reference to the
language of it presents an amount of difficulty owing to obsolete words
and phrases rarely met with. The Editor had the advantage of submitting
his work to the review of Mr. O’Curry. For the topography of the poem,
which is altogether Irish, the Editor has to refer the reader to the
notes to the paper in the number of the _Dublin University Magazine_,
referred to above, which are very full and very instructive.
[132] Art, King of Ireland, was called “Aonfhir,” or _The Solitary_,
from his love of solitude.
[133] Cuireach was a famous Leinster prince.
[134] Buadhamair, the ancient name of Cahir, in Tipperary.
[135] In Gaelic, a farm is called “baile,” _a town_.
[136] The red wind, a magical wind said to blow in Ireland, and to be
very destructive.