MacNeill — Three Poems in Middle-Irish. 551 



27. He was a yew above the copse, kingly was the oak, when Mac 

 Con arose, his fit {lit. mass) of anger on him. 



28. Worth two Mac Cons will be the conflict that his mother 

 brought forth from evil without brother, without son. 



29. My king's crown, my king-shield, my sword with my javelins, 

 my white-faced battle-standard that has won good land — 



30. I bequeath, while alive, to Cas, it will be a share with & 

 sKce (?), thou shalt have fear before Cas as fire to a girdle.^ 



31. He shall be a sword to hew, he shall be a heart to be wrath- 

 ful, for they will be sharp spears that will serve his seed. 



32. They will clear out the descendants of larel from their wood- 

 land (?) from their plain ; they will breed like wild boars, they 

 will increase like grain. 



33. They will not be withstood on the place (?) of the fights ; king- 

 ship dreaded, violent, warlike, mighty will be theirs. 



34. I have cast far afar- on thy friend in my sorrow ; though Cas 

 is (now) my lion, it was (formerly) Eogan M6r. 



35. My grasp was strong (in) every territory where I was head ; I 

 did not earn gratitude, I was a stiff lord (?). 



36. Of my peoples actively I did not renounce my sway ; their 

 sons do not bring a charge against^ my sons. 



37. Hardly did I leave between two waves of sea* on the plain of 

 the three provinces^ five men that did not do homage to me. 



38. Every [ ] in a fetter, every hostage (?) in bonds, 



every murderer, every wicked one in a chain was bound. 



39. Every good heir of a king, from his sovereignty his banish- 

 ment,^ (it was my wont) to keep him in security till he should 

 complete his conditions (?). 



^ i.e. predicted far in advance (?) ^ Or, will not oppose? 



* i.e. between the seas on east and west. 



* Leinster and the two Mimsters (?). 



® Or, captivity. See W. under ld7n, gabdil lama. 



