Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Metrical Dindshenchas (Author: [unknown])
poem/story 9
LIA NOTHAIN
- Here under a hard headstone lies a woman doomed to dark disastrous fate, without fame for happy fortune in return, whose name was Nothain the strong smiter.
- She was daughter to Conmaer, doer of deeds unlamented, that blue-clad dark-forked terror: her portion of food was provender for a hundred men, woodland fare in the forest.
- Conmaer fared, journeying to his goal, from Crích Berre of the combats, seeking the womanforbidding was her fameas far as Cruachan, home of warriors.
- Many a step fiercely he strode throughout the vast breadth of Erin: a year he wasted in misery, searching for his daughter.
- He found the woman tall and shaggy in a shrouded serried thicket: to the man who longed to see her she was a right horrid and hideous sight.
- They passed the length of the night, 'tis truth, the faultless man and brave woman, the two of them together, forspent at their parleying.
p.29
- This was the first word she said, the woman who boasted not in flow of words: 'Are they alive, your folk and your own belongings noble of name?
- My nurse, my lady mother, my sister, my brother hot of mood, and all my friends at Druim Cain, are they still with thee, O Conmaer?
- Of all thy friends, said dark Conmaer, that thou sawest in thy western home, none is left in their strong habitations but myself, tall daughter mine!
- Then spake the virtuous lady her quick answer, ill-boding: Woe worth the cause! its issue shall be that Nothain shall not survive them.
- Thrice fifty years, tell it forth!nothing short and nothing overhave I been sheltering from grove to grove, nor ever seen expanse of level land.
- Let me go with thee to-morrow to Mag nÁrach, variously beautiful,my span of life lasts no longertill thou set up my warrior-stone.
p.31
- Death seized herit was no deed of glorythrough the tale her father told: the woman lies, in darkness undeserved, under a hard headstone.
- This is the cause whereof comes the name Lia Nothain, beyond dispute: hence in our dwellings her name endures, though she is dead.
- Save me from sorrow and suffering, O King whitely fair, truly radiant! let me not be sorrowful in yon session hereafter, when I have praised every one that is here!