Then Adamnán63 grandson of Tinne, came after him into the assembly, and greatly blamed the Húi Néill (for remitting the tribute), and censured Finachta, saying:
- To-day though he bound (his) locks,
the withered grey toothless king,
the cattle which he remitted to Moling,
reasonable for the champion, he gets not [etc.]64
Then arose the strong, choice household of Tara, and Alusan son of Oengus, their champion and their leader, after Moling to kill him. Swiftly and hurriedly they pursued the cleric to kill him. Fear and great dread seized the cleric at the numerous unknown host, so he entrusted himself to the saints to protect him, and he sang these words:
- O Brigit, bless our way, etc.65
Now when the hosts were overtaking Moling, the saints to whom he had entrusted himself put a dark mist66 between him67 and the host, and they went past him, so that he was in their rear. The hosts halted for some time, until they forgathered in one place, and he went a long way from them. Then they beheld him going towards the ford, so then they let loose their horses against him.
When they were overtaking him, he said to his gillie: ‘What sort of horse is nearest to us now?’ ‘A white horse,’ says the gillie. ‘We feared not,’ says Moling: ‘a white horse, gory rain: what horse is nearest now?’ ‘A black horse,’ says the gillie. ‘Black horse, slaughter’ says Moling: ‘we feared not that.’ ‘And what horse seest thou now?’ ‘A dun horse,’ says the gillie. ‘Dun horse sweaty: 'tis not he that we dreaded. And what horse seest thou now?’ ‘A chestnut horse,’ says the gillie. ‘Chestnut horse
[...]
?’ says the cleric: ‘we feared not that. What seest thou now?’ asks he. ‘A brown horse,’ says the gillie. ‘That is true,’ says Moling, ‘a brown horse with the colour of his liver upon him, that is what we dreaded. What sort of a rider?’ says Moling. ‘A young brown warrior, who is biggest of the world's men,’ says the gillie. ‘That is Alusan son of Oengus,’ says the cleric.
The cleric then came over across the ford. There a strong thirst seized the gillie, and he declared that he could not proceed without a drink. The cleric gave a
- Pater noster is for me
against all horrid (?) things!
with me be my pater noster
with them be their
[gap: unclear]
?- Qui es in caelis, O living God,
to protect me from bale:
from demons with many sins (?)
may sanctificetur protect me!- Nomen tuum be with me always,
and adueniat be my lasting use,
regnum tuum be with me on an expedition,
and panem nostrum before a journey.- Cotidianum every day
and da nobis from God,
that He may not leave me behind Him
let us pray dimitte nobis.- Debita nostra so that I shall reach,
together with sicut et nos
dimittimus with me for weariness,
debitoribus nostris.- To meet me death is seen:
I beseech ne nos inducas
that demons may not take advantage68 of me
I beseech in temptationem.- Sed libera nos a malo
may my Friend still save me.
When my tale is determined
may I remember amén.- For beseeching thee, O God of heaven,
for entreating Thee and for praying Thee
may I attain a pure-bright good life
through praying the pater.- The world's men, whatever their number,
though they all do misdeed,
their credo and their paternoster
protect them thro' pure abundance.- Mary's intercession with her Son
by his Godhead, by his Manhood,
so that the seven parts of the paternoster
may be clearly attained by me.- The world's men, whatever their number,
though they all do misdeed,
they all will go to heaven
if they pray their paternosters.- Not as
[...]
not as morning would shine,
not as (is it) with him
who remembers not his paternoster.Pater noster.
Thereafter Alusán son of Oengus came to the cleric, and flung a stone at him so that it went past him, and still
Moling, however, after that fared forward to his home. There a strong thirst seized him, and he said: ‘I should like to drink the water of the Barrow, but for the blood of the parricide that will be committed round Ross Glaisse.’ And he said:
- I would drink Barrow's water
up from the midst of my palm,
but for the blood of the parricide
that is committed round Ross Glaisse.- I would drink Barrow's water,
it would decidedly be my portion,
but for the slaughter to be inflicted therein
by Leinstermen on Ossorians.- I would drink Barrow's water,
in which shirts are cleansed,
were not yellow dun (things) therein,
that float out of mountain streams.- I would drink Barrow's water,
it would be my portion without falling,
were it not for the privy of Leighlin
and the impurity of Ussiu.- A branch of the river Jordan,
which passed over seven seas,
to the north of my oratory's side;
it will be communion for all.- Whoever went to my leat,70
from every disease it will heal him:
it will be communion, it will be sacrifice
to every one who shall drink it.
‘'Twere well with me,’ saith he, ‘to drink my skinful of the water of the Barrow, and though it be well, may there be a coming from my Lord to consecrate it and to hallow my leat; may there be cleansing and consecration and communion and sacrifice to every one who may drink it and perambulate it!’
Then he told with diligence his tales and his goings, and continued safeguarding his (spiritual) nutriment.
A madman and a fox (lived with him), also a wren, and a little fly that used to buzz to him when he came from matins, till the wren hopped on it and killed it; and this killing by the wren was displeasing to him, so he cursed the wren, and then he said:
- ‘My fly,’ etc.
‘Howbeit,’ says Moling, ‘but he that marred for me the poor pet that used to be making music for me, let his dwelling be for ever in empty houses, with a wet drip therein continually. And may children and small people be destroying him!’71
Howbeit then, but the wren killed the fly. Then the fox killed the wren. The dogs of the steading killed the fox. A cowherd killed the madman, namely, Suibne son of Colmán72
However, Moling was then serving the Lord. His miracles and marvels were wrought. He used to bring the dead to life: he used to heal the blind and lepers and cripples and sufferers from every disease. He used to preach God's word to everyone. An angel of God used to be comforting him and tending him, persuading him to every good thing and hindering every evil. He was a poet, a prophet,73 a knower, a teacher. He was a sage, a psalmist, a priest, a bishop, a soulfriend,74 a noble.
Nobly and honourably he went unto the angelic resting-place,75 with quiring of the household of heaven and with prayer of the household of earth, after fasting, and almsgiving, and prayer, and fulfilment of every good thing, in the eighty-second year of his age.