Chapter III: Book I

One eve it chanced to Al-yill and to Maev,
—The while the beautiful, full-blazing sun
Sank ’mid the bright cloud-rafters of the sky,—
That they were standing on their green-grassed mound
Of high Rath Croohan on Moy Wee; and thence,
They, gazing outward from themselves athwart
The pleasant, well-cleared land with plains and ridges,
Beheld that it was full of groves with fruit,
And lands with corn, and greens with flocks and herds,
And lakes with fowl, and streams with fish and otters;
And full of folk with growth and height and health
And gladsomeness and kindly, pleasant greeting;
And full of peace and rule. And while they gazed,
The very golden, fiery-blazing sun
Went to his own deep place below the world,
And fresh, cool, dewy airs o’erswept Moy Wee.
Then that most royal pair went to their sleeping
In their own rath and their own royal house;
And while their heads were on their kingly pillow,
There rose this talk betwixt them. Al-yill said:
“’Tis a true word, O woman, it is good
To be the wife of a strong man!” Maev said:
“’Tis a true word; but wherefore dost thou cite it?”
“For this cause,” answered Al-yill. “Thou art better
To-day in wealth and riches, peace and rule,
Than on the day whereon I came and took thee.”
“Nay, I was well in power, strength, and riches,
And wealth and rule and peace before that day,”
Maev answered. “Of thy being well,” said Al-yill,
“We never heard or knew; but heard instead
That thou wast busied with thy woman’s work,
The while the foemen of thy neighbouring regions
Were violently bearing off from thee
Great preys and plunders and vast driven spoils.”
This was the answer which Maev made to him
Before sleep came upon them there that night:
“Not so was I! My father, Yohee Fayla
The son of Find the son of Findoman,
Held the high-sovereignty of all wide Erin;
And he had six choice daughters, Daerbra, namely,
Ethna and Ella, Clothra, Moogawn, Maev.
But, of those six, I, Maev, was most distinguished,
Most noble. In bestowing of good gifts,
And costly things and things of price and treasure,
I was the noblest of them. In hard battle,
And fighting and hard vigorous battle-combat,
I was the strongest of them. And my father
For that good cause gave me a goodly household,
Which was much spoken of; so that with me
There were full fifteen hundred kingly warriors
Of sons of exiles out of extern lands,
And fifteen hundreds of the sons of noble
Dwellers amidst ourselves. And for that cause
He also put me into sovereignty
O’er Croohan and a Third ’midst the Three Thirds
Of Connaught; and thereafter ‘Maev of Croohan’
Became my queenly name and designation.
And here in Croohan then I ruled in strength
And peace and power, till ere long I wedded
Tinny the son of Conrig Cass, a king
Above the men of Domnann in the west;
And we ruled jointly here in peace and power.
And after Tinny fell, I ruled once more
Alone in strength and power.
Then men came
From thy own brother who is king o’er Leinster,
Namely, from Finn the son of Ross the Red,
To woo me for him. And men came as well
From Carpry Neea Faer, thy second brother,
The son of Ross the Red and king o’er Tara,
To woo me for him; and men came as well
From Yohee Bec from Munster. And I went not;
For I was she who asked a wondrous bride-price,
Which, before me, no woman e’er had asked
Of any man from ’midst the men of Erin.
I asked a man devoid of avarice,
Devoid of jealousy, devoid of fear.
Had the man, who should gain me, avarice,
It were not fit that we should be together;
For I myself am good for giving gifts
And costly things, and things of price and treasure;
And on my man it would bring raillery
And scorn and very fierce, disdainful words
Were I of greater bounteousness than he;
Though it in truth would bring no raillery
Were we of equal bounteousness. Again,
Had the man, who should gain me, any fear,
It were not fit that we should be together;
For I myself, by myself and alone,
Break battles and engage in wars and combats;
And on my man it would bring raillery
Were I of greater liveliness than he,
Though it indeed would bring no raillery
Were we of equal liveliness. Again,
Had the man, who should win me, jealousy,
It were not fit that we should be together,
Seeing that I was ne’er without a man
Beneath the shield and shelter of another.
Good, then, I found that man I sought for, namely,
Thyself, O Al-yill son of Ross the Red,
Of Leinster; for thou hadst no avarice:
Thou hadst no jealousy: thou hadst no fear.
And when I saw thee first, thou wast a youth
Tender and fresh and young and free from blemish;
And thou wast strong in war, yet not so strong
That thou wouldst e’er be able to o’ercome me
Or rule or govern me whilst we should live.
So, because thou couldst give that wondrous bride-price,
And for thy love and dearness, then, I took thee;
And I bestowed on thee a bridal gift
(The best of such as men bestow on women)—
An outfit for twelve men in costly cloth,
A chariot costing three times seven bondmaids,
The breadth of thine own face in rich red gold.
The weight of thine own left fore-arm in pure,
White-bright findrinny. Whosoe’er he be
Who causes thee disgrace and loss of honour,
There is for thee no honour-price therein,
More than there is for me; because, in truth,
A man upon a woman’s maintenance,
Is what thou art, O Al-yill!”
Al-yill said:
“Not so, indeed, am I. Though to my brothers,
Namely, to Finn and Carpry Neea Faer
(Seeing that they were older men than I),
I left the sovereignty of kingly Tara
And Leinster of delightful waters,—yet,
In riches and in generous gift-bestowing,
I was their equal. And I never heard
Of any Fifth amidst the Fifths of Erin
Being in woman-government, except
This Fifth alone. Therefore I came here then.
I took this kingship. An inheritance
I deemed it from my mother, Mawta Murrisc,
Who was the daughter of red-sworded Mahga,
Of Connaught. And where might I find a queen
Better than thee, thou being, as thou wert,
The daughter of a famed high-king of Erin?”
They bore that night away in rest and sleep.
Next morning, ere the glorious sun rose up
Above the deep recesses of the world,
Above the eminences of that Fifth,
Maev said to Al-yill: “There is yet a thing,
Beyond those words I said at night, last night:—
My precious things, my treasures and my wealth,
Are more than thine are.” “That seems strange to us,”
Said Al-yill; “for there is not anyone
With whom there is a greater store of riches
And very precious things and wealth and treasure
Than there is with myself, and this I know.”
Then, that it might be known with which of these
There was in truth the greater store of treasure,
There were first brought to them their humble treasures,
Their wooden drinking-mugs, their two-eared vats,
Their cruses and their vessels wrought from iron,
Their washing-troughs and tubs. And secondly,
There were brought forth to them their costly treasures,
Their arm-rings, finger-rings, and golden clasps,
And all their radiant work of skilful goldsmiths,
And their apparel, purple, blue, and green,
Yellow and black and striped and tawny-grey;
And these were viewed and counted severally;
And they were found alike in costliness
On one side and the other.
After that
There were brought forth to them from leas and lawns
And immense treeless lands and chequered greens
Their immense flocks of sheep; and these were told,
Numbered, and reckoned; and were found alike
In costliness and weight and multitude.
Over Maev’s sheep there was a wondrous ram,
Distinguished, huge, costing a powerful bondmaid.
An answering ram was o’er the ewes of Al-yill.
Then, from green, grassy grazing-grounds and pinfolds,
There were brought forth for them their flocks of mares,
And their fine, joyous steeds; and these were told,
Numbered and reckoned; and were found alike
In costliness and size and multitude.
Over Maev’s mares there was a special stallion,
Distinguished, huge, costing a powerful bondmaid:
O’er Al-yill’s mares there was an answering stallion.
And there were brought for them from fruitful oak-woods,
And solitudes and hollow, shelving glens,
Their immense herds of swine; and these were told,
Numbered, and reckoned, and were found alike
In costliness and weight and multitude.
With Maev there was a boar distinguished, special,
And there was one with Al-yill.
Last of all,
There were brought forth for them from desert groves,
And lone, unpeopled lands throughout that Fifth,
Their droves and herds and flocks of wandering kine,—
Their immense herds well-nigh innumerable;
And these were numbered, and were found alike
In costliness and multitude and greatness.
O’er Al-yill’s herds there was a special bull,
Distinguished, choice for size and hue and beauty.
His four hooves and his head were very white:
Three manes were on him, which were very white,
Even like snow upon a noble mountain,—
The rest of his vast, shapely form being red,
As though he had been dyed with partar-red,
As though he had been dipped in radiant blood,
As though he had been rubbed with partar-dye.
Upon his two white horns the men of Connaught
Had set far-shining gold. Findbenna, “white-horned”—
This was his name; and he had been calved, indeed,
By a cow ’mid Maev’s own herds; and he had held it
Not famous or illustrious to abide
On woman’s maintenance; and he had gone,
Till he was o’er the herds owned by the King.
To Maev that hour, her being without a bull
Of equal choiceness o’er her herds of kine,
Was like her being without any tittle
Of precious things or treasures through vast Erin.
So that this was the hour wherein Mac Roth,
The royal messenger and kingly envoy,
Was called to Maev; and Maev commanded him
To find out whether there was any place
In any Fifth of the Five Fifths of Erin,
Wherein there was a bull equal in choiceness
Unto that bull above the herds of Al-yill.
Mac Roth replied: “I know a place already
Wherein there is a bull which is the best
In Erin. It is in the Ulster Fifth;
And in the beautiful, high-mountained cantred
Of Cooley of blossomful, sweet-watered glens,—
In the strong house of Dawra, son of Feeacna,
In Cooley. He is called the Donn of Cooley,
And this is his description:—He is young
And very huge; and his high horns are gold-decked:
He is brown-black, smooth-sided, dark-maned, red-eyed:
He is strong-breasted, strong-necked, strong-browed, bull-like:
He is wide-nostrilled, wide-eyed, curled, high-headed:
He is impetuous, vehement, swift, courageous:
He is proud, envious, scornful, strong-attacking:
He has a lion’s rage, a sea-beast’s ardour:
He has a plunderer’s blow, a wood-bear’s onset.
He is the sire of immense herds and droves.
He has great victories. ’Tis of his victories
To shield one hundred warriors from the heat
And cold, with his far-spreading shade and shadow.
’Tis of his victories that, every eve,
Fifty young lads perform their childish games
And childish sports on his long level back,
Commodious and delightful—’tis no lie!
’Tis of his victories that Bananahs
And Bocanahs and dread Folk of the Glen,
Dare not approach to that same land and cantred
In which he is. ’Tis of his victories,
When he fares home to his own liss and shelter,
At falling of the shade of night, at night,
To utter forth his loud, deep, sweet cranndord
Before him, so that to the men of Cooley,”
Mac Roth said, “in the north or south or mid-part
Of Cooley, it is their sufficiency
Of music and of gladness, that cranndord
Sung by their Donn of Cooley as he fares—
With gait as of a king of lofty pride;
With gait as of a rolling ocean-billow—
To his own liss and his own green and shelter,
At falling of the shade of night at night.”
So spake Mac Roth, Maev’s famous messenger.
A Druid and a man of might and knowledge
Was standing near them there. “O Maev,” he said,
“O daughter of great Yohee, I through knowledge
Of druids and the arts of hidden knowledge,
Can manifest the lives and history
Of these two bulls, whereof ye are discoursing.
They have had many shapes; for at the first
Their names were Root and Riccny: and the two
Were two choice swine-herds who belonged to Ōkill,
King of the Shee in Connaught, and to Bove,
King of the Shee in Munster; and, with venom
As to their power to cast thin-withering spells
Each on the other’s swine, those two contended.
So the kings took their swine from them. And straightway,
After their being swine-herds they were birds,
Old ravens: at the Sheemound in Rath Croohan
First they were heard; and, later, at the Sheemound
On Feven; and the men from north and south
Heard them with noise and loudness and hoarse clamours
Contending; and their names were Etty and Inguen.
And after being birds they were huge beasts,
Who dwelt beneath the oceans and the waters.
Their names were Bled and Blod. They dwelt one year
Within the Suir to southward; and one year
In the bright-streaming Shannon. In the Shannon
Men saw them like two hills or mountain-peaks
Contending with hard blows, till swords of fire
Came from their mouths e’en to the clouds of heaven.
Then, in the sight of all the hosts who watched them,
They left that river, and became two warriors
There on the shore before them; and their names
Were Rinn and Faebur; and they fought with weapons
A fight of no hereditary tameness
Throughout the space of three days and three nights;
Till they became two stags who fought; and then
Two towering, haughty phantoms, who fought long
In phantom-fight,—their exploits were not small,—
So that men died for fear and dread at watching
That phantom-fight; and while they were two phantoms
Their names were Scaw and Skeeath. Next they rose,
Rising into the heaven; and, ’midst the clouds,
Became two dragons who sent wondrous showers
Of heavy snow, each on the other’s country:
In no man’s memory had such been seen;—
Till with career of headlong speed they fell
Out of the air, and went into the shapes
Of little water-worms, with every colour
Shining upon them; and one went to Cooley
Of peaks and blossomful, sweet-watered glens,
And went into Glass Crond, a Cooley river;
And one came hither to kind, gladsome Connaught,
And went to the spring-well of Oorawn Garad
Nigh to us here. Once, when at Oorawn Garad,
Thou didst, O Queen, raise up this second worm
In thy bronze vessel at the well. Thou sawest
The colours shining on it: and it told thee
Of things that should befall thee. Their two names
While they were worms were Crinniuc and Timmiuc. Now,
Lastly, those swine-herds are these two huge bulls,
Namely, Findbenna and the Donn of Cooley,
Wondrous for forms and powers. O great Queen,
It is in Destiny that these shall meet,
And in night-lasting, man-appalling combat,
Decide their long contention: yet I see not
Which of the two shall in the end prevail.”
The Druid ended. Maev addressed Mac Roth.
“Go thou, Mac Roth,” said Maev, “go hence to Cooley,
Go to the house of Dawra. Beg from him
For me, one year’s loan of that special bull.
At the year’s end the loan-price of the bull
Shall reach him, fifty heifers, and the bull
Himself in safety back. And take with thee
Another proposition, O Mac Roth:—
If, to the people of that territory
And of that land, it seem an evil thing
To give that wonderful distinctive jewel,
Their Donn of Cooley,—say to Dawra, then,
He shall himself come with the bull to Connaught;
And I will give him from my smooth Moy Wee
A measure equalling the land he has
In mountainous Cooley there. And he shall have
A chariot costing three times seven bondmaids;
And, beyond all, my own especial friendship.”
Mac Roth went forward on his way and journey.
This was his number: nine. Across wide Erin
To Cooley over unobstructed ways
These travelled, that they soon might reach the house
Of Dawra in the pleasant, high-peaked land.
We leave Mac Roth upon that road and way.

This was the day and this the point of time
Wherein Maev’s spies and envoys out of Ulster,
Who had been spying out the men of Ulster
In Avvin Maha and in each chiefs doon
And each king’s house throughout the lands of Ulster,
Came with great urgency to Croohan. Then
Maev went to her own quiet House-for-Converse,
To hear their tales and tidings out of Ulster;
And her one daughter, namely, Findabair,
Went with her there. (And thus was Findabair:
Of age to wed, white-browed and very radiant.)
The envoys then with envoys’ reverence
Accosted Maev, and told their words and tidings;
And having told them, they withdrew. But that
Which there they told to her, we tell not now:
We tell that later. Maev with liveliness
Spake to her daughter, Findabair, and said:
“O child,” said Maev, “from what these say we know
That this is now the time and the occasion
For our unheard-of, long-prepared-for hosting
Into the lands of Ulster; for we know
From what these say that at this time no ill
Is likely to befall us.” Findabair
Said to her mother, even to Maev: “Dear mother,
What were the reasons for this marvellous hatred
Between thyself and Ulster?” Then Maev said:
“Child, it is natural to hate proud Ulster.
But I perceive that thou hast heard indeed
That for myself there were great reasons.” Then,
In that reposeful, quiet House-for-Converse
In high Rath Croohan on Moy Wee, Maev spake
These words to Findabair:
“O child!” said Maev,
“There were great reasons for me; and those reasons
Thou now shalt know, being of age to know them.
My father, Yohee Fayla, was called Fayla,
‘Righteous,’ because with constant righteousness
He acted towards all people. In the battle
Of Letteree in Corann, he had slain
Wise Fahtna Fahee, great High-king of Erin,
And had himself become High-king. We then
To the High-king’s most royal seat of Tara
Went with great joy; and I myself had then
Fulfilled my sixteen years. But Yohee Fayla,
(Because with ever-upright righteousness
He acted towards all people), paid to Conor
The son of Fahtna Fahee a great eric
For the slain father. He bestowed on Conor
The kingship of the high-proud Ulster Fifth
In eric; and, O child, this was not all
That eric: he allotted unto Conor
Four of his daughters who were with himself
In Tara; and those four, in fervent sorrow,
Moogawn and Clothra, Ethna and I,—Maev,
Were borne from Tara north to Avvin Maha
To be of Conor’s women. Child, I thought
My pride would ne’er recover of that hurt.
E’en then it ne’er had seemed to me too much
That I myself should not be deedless. E’en,
I young, it had not seemed to me too much
That I should hope to be myself the chiefest
Of rulers in all Erin. And we dwelt
In Avvin; and in this wise there was I—
Hated and without honour, hating greatly,
Dejected, in dark sadness; and toward Conor,
I had timidity and horror. Then,
After one year my pride arose in me;
And, through high pride of mind, I rode from Avvin,
Forsaking Conor; and I rode towards Tara.
It was a shining and extreme clear night;
And I was chased; but like the wind of spring,
My chariot-steeds went south toward kingly Tara,
And crossed the boundary and came to Tara,
Where was my father the High-king of Erin.
So, child, my being thus given unto Conor
Without my will; and my sad days in Avvin;
And, afterwards, my severance from Conor
Without his will; were the first powerful causes
And the first reasons for this eminent hatred
Between myself and Ulster. It was then,
When I had left stern-hearted Conor, so
Escaping from that dreadful grief, that Yohee,
My father, gave me that distinguished household,
Which was much spoken of,—so that with me
There were full fifteen hundred kingly warriors
Of sons of exiles out of extern lands;
And fifteen hundreds of the sons of noble
Dwellers amidst ourselves. And it was then
That Yohee put me into sovereignty
O’er Croohan and a Third ’midst the Three Thirds
Of Connaught, where thenceforth in quietness
I did possess,—the power of Conor here
No more being on me; and ere long I wedded
Tinny the son of Conrig Cass, a king
Above the men of Domnann; and two years
Passed thus in quietness. But it was then,
Namely, at ending of these two good years,
That the great Feast of Tara was made ready
By Yohee Fayla; and the Five Great Fifths
Of Erin were around him there in Tara,
Except myself and Tinny. Seeing this,
The men of Erin asked just Yohee Fayla
To bring me to that Feast, and Yohee sent
Srebloo-a, his own woman-messenger,
Hither to Croohan to invite me. Then,
Upon the morrow, Tinny and myself
Arrived together at that hero-seat,
Tara, the meeting-place of kings and heroes.
Amidst the vast assemblage I perceived,
In his own Ulster place and seat of honour,
Conor the son of Fahtna, King of Ulster,
The hawk-like king; but at that Feast his power
Was not upon me. Then, until the end
Of fourteen days added on to a month,
The racings of swift steeds and feats of riding
Pertaining to that Feast were made, and then
The men of Erin separated, each
Going back to his own land and house and doon.
O child,” said Maev, “Conor remained behind
Each king and prince and chief who had been there,
That he might watch and lurk for me. One morn,
As I was riding to the Boyne for bathing,
The dreaded king, with his own men around him,
Delivered a well-calculated onfall,
With fury and with virulence, with callings
And mockery. He forced me to his will
Against my will; and I was bound and placed
In angry bondage. That was heard in Tara;
And when ’twas heard, the household of the King
Of Erin round about the King of Erin
Came forth from Tara. Tinny son of Conrig
Came forth from Tara. Then red battle broke
Between those people upon either side.
Harsh was the battle-thunder through the battle:
Abundant were the streams of blood that flowed;
And I, hurt, bowed, bound, desperate, heard and saw.
Tinny the son of Conrig Cass, my husband,
And joint partaker with me over Croohan,
Fell there; and ere the eve the household troops
Of Yohee Fayla were defeated wholly,
And driven o’er the Boyne before the men
Of Conor son of Fahtna. Then, indeed,
I deemed my overthrow complete. I seemed
Helpless of all relief. But my own men
From Connaught, my right-valiant, lusty heroes,
Coming amidst the gory, crowded battle,
By strength of fighting brought me from that danger
And from that venomous bondage. They, by strength
Of fighting, over the wide Plain of Meath,
Over the wide expanse, taking me safely,
We crossed the Shannon of green-flowing streams,
To Croohan, here, my doon and rightful dwelling.
O child, this thing is truth without deceit,—
I knew that my high pride of mind and spirit
Would ne’er recover from this second hurt
Until I should behold red-sworded Conor
Pale in his death before me. And, O child,
Untiring, throughout all my lifetime after,
I was preparing that I might fulfil
That which I wished for. I, in no long time,
Ruled the Three Thirds of Connaught. Then I wedded
Thy father, Al-yill son of Mawta Murrisc,
Winning the friendship of the sons of Mahga
In Connaught, and the friendship and alliance
Of Leinster and the war-skilled Leinster-men.
My many sons, thy brothers, I bestowed
In fosterage with powerful Munster princes,
Winning their friendship. Five times five years so
Have been consumed since that great hurt and danger
Which I have spoken of. My people now
Are multiplied in numbers. I have gotten
Great wealth and power and great battle-strength;
And I have triumphed and thriven in well-nigh all
My enterprises and my purposes,
Till now, indeed, I am accounted chiefest
Of rulers in all Erin, save alone
In that high-proud, strength-guarded Ulster Fifth,
Where Conor, lofty and illustrious,
Rules with huge power:—yea, even he gathers tribute
Out of the Islands of the Foreigners
Beyond the Northern Sea. But now, O daughter,
From what these envoys have averred, we know
That this is now the time and the occasion
For dealing woe to Ulster. It is well
That we have so despatched Mac Roth to Cooley
To beg this year’s loan of the Donn of Cooley
For me. We know the bull will be refused.
That will be cause to us for the great hosting,
Which we have long prepared to trouble Ulster.
Thereon a strange thing shall be seen in Ulster:
We will destroy and spoil the men of Ulster:
We will strike fear into them. In the end,
If they shall rise and come and give us battle,
It is my hope that Conor son of Fahtna,
Of most stern valour, on that day may know
The grievousness of death; and that with sureness
His numbing death-mists may lay hold of him.
So we, indeed, shall put the pride off Ulster;
And I, thereafter, shall, indeed, be chiefest
Of rulers through the Five Great Fifths of Erin.
And for thyself, dear child, on this great hosting
We shall perceive which are the great and true
And lively warriors: and, when we return,
Thou shalt be wedded to some noble warrior
And kingly hero midst our battle-heroes.”

This was the talk ’twixt Maev and Findabair
In Maev’s own quiet, private House-for-Converse
In high Rath Croohan, on Moy Wee in Connaught,
Before the Táin.
As for those messengers
Which Maev had sent,—across wide, noble Erin
To Cooley, over unobstructed ways
They travelled till they reached the well-roofed house
Of Dawra, son of Feeacna. Therein
Mac Roth received a truly joyful welcome.
(That was befitting, for Mac Roth indeed
Was chief of all the messengers of Erin.)
Dawra inquired what cause had brought on them
That travel, and Mac Roth related all
That friendly emulation and contention
’Twixt Maev and Al-yill. “And to ask,” he said,
“For Maev one year’s loan of thy Donn of Cooley
To rival that huge, beautiful Findbenna,
Is that which I have come for. Thou shalt get
Fifty fair heifers, and the bull himself
In safety back. And, yet another thing:
If, to the people of this territory
And of this land, it seems an evil thing
To give that wonderful, distinctive jewel,
Their Donn of Cooley, come thou then thyself
To Connaught, to Rath Croohan, with the bull;
And Maev will give thee from her smooth Moy Wee
A measure equalling the land thou hast
In mountainous Cooley here; and thou shalt get
A chariot costing three times seven bondmaids;
And, beyond all, Maev’s own especial friendship.”
That proposition gave much joy and gladness
To Dawra son of Feeacna. He shook
Till the seam-sewings of his down-filled bed
Brake underneath him. “By our faith of conscience!”
He said, “however bad, however good,
This may appear unto the men of Ulster,—
On this occasion this distinguished treasure,
Namely, the Donn of Cooley, shall be taken
To Maev and Al-yill, to the realm of Connaught!”
And to Mac Roth it gave much joy and gladness
To find that answer to his words and message.
Then they were served. Green rushes and green reeds
Were strown beneath them. Pleasing food was brought.
A feast was poured for them. Anon they grew
Loud-voiced, confused; and soon this colloquy
Happened betwixt two of those messengers.
“’Tis a true word,” said one, “the man of this house
Is a great man!” “He is a great man, truly,”
The second said. “Is there,” the first man asked,
“’Midst all the men of Ulster any man
Greater than this man is?” The second said,
“Truly there is! Greater than this man is,
Is Conor whose he is. Yet were the men
Of Ulster all to rally to this man,
It were to them no shame or loss of honour.”
The first man said, “He shows to us great honour,
When this thing (which to take by force from Ulster
Would be a work for the Four Fifths of Erin)
Namely, the Donn of Cooley, is thus given
Freely to us nine messengers alone.”
A third then came on them to join that talk;
And this one was a woman. “What,” said she,
“Is being talked of here betwixt you two?”
They told their talk, and how the one had said,
That Dawra truly showed to them great honour,
Since that thing (which to take by force from Ulster
Would be a work for the Four Fifths of Erin),
Namely, the Donn of Cooley, was thus given
To those nine messengers alone. She said:
“Fain in this hour were I to see a burst
Of blood and clotted gore out of that mouth
Whereout that saying came! Because,” said she,
“Were not the bull thus yielded willingly,
He would be taken forcibly. The hosts
Of Al-yill and of Maev, with skilful guidance
From powerful Fergus son of Roy, would take him!”
This was the time when the Distributor
To Dawra came into that separate house
Where these were feasted: and a man laden
With drink was with him, and a man laden
With food; and he had heard all that they said.
And anger came on him; and he set down
His food and drink before them; and he said not
To them that they should take it; and he said not
That they should leave it. He went after that
Into that house where Dawra was himself,
And said with haste: “Is it thyself who gavest
That wondrous jewel to these messengers,—
The Donn of Cooley?” “It is I, indeed,”
Said Dawra. “In the place where he was given,”
The man said, “there was neither king nor kingship!
There was no strength or sway or government!
They say the truth!” “What say they, then?” asked Dawra.
“They say,” the man said, “that unless thou givest
Him willingly, thou then ere long shalt give him
Unwillingly, constrained by the great hosts
Of Al-yill and of Maev, guided and led
By Fergus son of Roy!” “I swear,” said Dawra,
“By all the gods whom I adore, that that
Which I bestow not on them willingly,
They shall not make me yield unwillingly.”
They slept till morn. Early upon the morrow
The messengers arose; and they went straightway
Into that house where Dawra slept himself,
And said to him: “O Noble One, allow us
Place-guidance that we thus may find the place
Wherein thy Donn of Cooley is.” “Not so!
In truth or deed,” Dawra replied to them;
“But were it wont of mine to violate
Travellers, messengers, or journeying folk,
Who travel by these passes and these ways,
Not one of you should journey hence alive.”
“For what cause?” asked Mac Roth. “There is great cause,”
Dawra replied. “Ye said unless the bull
Should be delivered to you willingly,
He should be seized on forcibly by hosts
Of Maev’s and Al-yill’s, guided on their way
By Fergus son of Roy.” Mac Roth responded,
Deprecating, “Yet, O Noble One,
Whate’er they may have said, these messengers,
Made heady by thy viands and thy ale,
It is not right so to take cognizance
Or heed of it, or so to make of it
Ground of reproach to Al-yill and to Maev.”
These were the words that Dawra said to him:—
“Yet, O Mac Roth, I will not give my bull
On this occasion, if I have strength to help it.”

Thus, with these words, those messengers returned.
They traversed Erin, till they reached at length
Rath Croohan on Moy Wee in Connaught. Then
Maev asked of them their tidings, and Mac Roth
Told her those tidings;—that they had not brought
The bull from Dawra. “Through what cause?” asked Maev.
Mac Roth related all. Maev said to him:
“This is no cause for trouble, O Mac Roth;
There is no need to trim these knots away.
We knew the bull would be refused. And now
He shall be taken by strength of mighty hosts,
With guidance from our Fergus son of Roy.
And we will not alone take their great bull:
There is no ill we will not do to them.
E’en though the dangerous, storm-troubled days
Of winter now come near, we yet will go.
We will lay waste, harry, and devastate
All Ulster and all Crithny. We will take
Their wives, their children, and their tender sons,
Their steeds and flocks of mares, their troops of kine,
Their herds of every sort of grazing kine.
And we will not alone burn to the grass
Their strongly-timbered houses, wide and fair;
But their high, fortified green mounds, whereon
Their houses are, we will so level down
That all their glens and trenches will be filled
After our track. And at the end of all
The Donn of Cooley shall be brought to Croohan.
Whoever shall arrive or not arrive
In safety here after this powerful hosting,
The Donn of Cooley shall arrive. I swear,
By all the gods by whom my people swear,
The Bull of Cooley then shall come to Croohan.”

BOOK II