Heroic Romances of Ireland Part 52

in trath sin. Tolluid ar inchaib Eochoda iarsain asbert Eochaid iarom,

at that hour. He came under protection of Eochaid thereon; said Eochaid then,

fochen dond laech nad athgenmar. Is ed doroehtmar or in

welcome to the hero whom we know not. It is for that we have come, said the

t-oclaech. Ni tathgenmar or Eochaid. Atotgensa chetus ol in

(young) warrior. We know thee not, said Eochaid. I know thee indeed, said the

t-oclaech. Cia th'ainm seo? ol Eochaid. Ni airdairc son, ol se,

warrior. What (is) thy own name? said Eochaid. Not ill.u.s.trious that, said he,

Mider Breg Leith. Cid dotroacht ol Eochaid. Do imbert fidcille

Mider of Bri Leith. What brought thee? said Eochaid. To play at chess

frit-su ol se. Am maith se em, ol Eochaid for fithchill. A fromad

with thee, said he. I am good myself truly, said Eochaid, at chess-play. Its essaying

dun ol Mider. Ata ol Eochaid, ind rigan ina cotlud, is le in tech

to us! said Mider. Is, said Eochaid, the queen in her sleep, it is hers the house

ata ind fithch.e.l.l. Ata sund chenae, ol Mider, fidch.e.l.l nad

where is the chessboard. There is here yet, said Mider, a chessboard which is not

messo. Ba fir on, clar n-argit ocus fir oir, ocus fursunnud cacha

worse. Was true that, a board of silver and men of gold, and s.h.i.+ning in every

hairidi for sin clar di liic logmair, ocus fer-bolg di figi rond credumae.

direction on that board of costly stones, and a men-bag of woven chains of bra.s.s.

Ecraid Mider in fidchill iarsin. Imbir ol Mider. Ni immer acht

Set out Mider the chessboard thereupon. Play! said Mider. Not will I play, except

di giull ol Eochaid. Cid gell bias and? ol Mider. c.u.mma lim ol

for a stake, said Eochaid. What stake shall be here? said Mider.

Equal to me, said

Eochaid. Rot-bia lim-sa ol Mider mad tu beras mo thoch.e.l.l,

Eochaid. Thou shalt have from me, said Mider, if thou carry off my stake,

L. gabur n-dub-glas ite cend-brecca, croderga, biruich,

50 horses of dark-gray, and they with dappled heads, blood-red, with ears p.r.i.c.ked high,

bruin-lethain, bolg(s)roin, coss choela, comra.s.sa, faeborda,[FN#133]

femendae,[FN#133]

chests broad, nostrils distended, feet thin, strong, keen, ? vehement,

aurarda, aignecha, so-(a)staidi,[FN#133] so

very high, spirited, easily stopped,

[FN#133] See Bruidne da Derga (Stokes), 50, 51, faeborda, lit. with an edge on them; femendae? = Lat. vehemens; soaistidi is the form adopted by Stokes in his edition of the Bruidne; Egerton MS. gives soastaide.