Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Metrical Dindshenchas (Author: [unknown])
poem 15
Faffand
- Broccaid the powerful with winning of hostages,
of the bright and famous race of the Galian,
he had a son, Faifne the poet;
the record of his final madness is no falsehood.
- 5] It was she was the mother of the comely son,
even Libir quick and eager of mood:
their daughter was the swift lady of the hosts
Aige, the noble and skilful.
- Exceeding fair were the four, curled and gentle;
10] they were a noble kin, of virtuous behaviour,
the father and the lovely mother,
the daughter and the brother soft and fair.
- The evil spirits made an onset
(it was no feeble deed of wanton folly):
15] they changed into the form of a wild doe
the noble Aige of the love-spots.
- She traversed Erin from shore to shore
fleeing before all the fierce and fiery packs;
so that she coursed round Banba, land of judges,
20] bravely, four fair times.
- Her doings and her valiance had an end,
here came to pass her final dissolution;
they tore her in pieces in their wickedness,
did the warriors of Meilge of Imlech.
p.69
- 25] Hence is the name of chill Aige
given to the river of the many-coloured plain
since she was tortured without secrecy
and flung upon the flowing water.
- That ancient stream is deathless till Doomsday,
30] which pours across Life in furious wise:
(if you will heed, not wrongly noised abroad (?))
Aige is its name for all time.
- Westward came rushing,
the swift druid, the skilled poet,
35] to blemish the famous king of Berre,
Meilge, son of kindly Cobthach.
- He denounced rightfully upon the king
reproach and shame together,
and disgrace an unremitting harrying ...
40] in revenge for his sweet sister.
- The keen poet fell
by the harsh and horrid cause;
he was betrayed for ever ...
for blemishing the king of high Tara.
- 45] He was chastised, he was maimed,
he was parted from his misery;
in Faffand of the wrathful warriors
he met the pursuit of swift spoilers.
p.71
- There he begged a boon
50] at the place where the soldier cut him down (?)
that his name should serveO deed of woe!
to designate the ancient hill for ever.
- Known to me with laughter (?) in sooth
is the death of Libir and Broccaid;
55] not obscure is the cause whence is named
the rath where Broccaid was buried.
p.73