Mac Neill — Three Poems in Middle-Irish. 535 



6. Thou shalt be great at first before God excellent in power. 

 Thou shalt be little, there shall be a time/ thou shalt be great 



thereafter.- 



7. I should choose my body [to be] under earth, chill its death (?) 

 In heaven, after judgment of deeds for the multitude, that 



it may be there. 



8. Though it decay under earth, it is true and not false, 



By the power of bright angels, heaven shall be given to it. 



9. Every meadow will be pleasing to thee ; the deer have 



not been allowed 

 Around its mound on the south, on which they will plant thy 

 cross. 



10. If I should come to them, the Talcends, glorious would be 



the import, 

 God who makest the sea, God who makest the land ! 



11. I and Mac Con, from us ravens will be sated, [there will be] 



journeys by women from the west, voyages by women 

 from the east. 



12. By Lugaid my tomb, (7) he builds here my sepulchre, 

 Eogan Mar will fall by the hand of Beinne Brit.^ 



13. Tara of Eal without king, Eogan without Cliu Mael, (8) 

 Banba's lands in grief, it is not a tale of pleasant shape. 



14. My mound, my protection, after parting with my army. 

 My pure bright haven, my tomb, and my grave. 



15. Though it is sweet to be here hunting for every game, 

 Sweeter the good hereafter with the bright noble Prince. 



16. My speech, it is not to me but to the bright Prince, 



It seems, it is not crooked to the King of heaven of stars.* 



17. The strong Tailcend will come with his good household ; 

 He will cleanse me to my breast on the spot, the prince. 



f Eead congab and? s Gloss, .i. duma ndergluachra. 



1 At a future time. Cf . tiie modem ' do bhios i gCorcaigli td bliadhain 6 

 shoin,' I was in Cork a year ago ; and cf. Frencli il y a. 

 ^ Perhaps ba-sa = it (their power) shall be; sa emphatic. 

 3 A British ally of Mac Con, see MS. Mat. p. 43. 

 * riched rindmas, Fel. ; rindnem, ib. May 29 ; ri na rind, SnaR, 7424. 



