Thereupon Finn meditated upon a decision, even to leave Ireland for fear of the prophecy which the Cronánach had made to him; for dread and great fear had seized him that the fian would be slaughtered and he himself meet with death that year. And this is the decision which he took, to leave Ireland and to go across the sea eastward, there to spend his fian-ship (for his kingship was no less in the east than here), so that the issue of that year and of the prophecy which had been made of him might be the further off. And he communicated that decision about going eastward across the sea to Aengus of the Brugh and to the nobles of his people and to all the fian and uttered the lay:
- Let us go across the murmuring, placid sea,
oh fian of Finn from great Tara;
unless I find speedy help
I shall part from ever-fair Ireland.- To the Luaighne the battle is destined,
not a deed of wailing, but a cause of tears4;
unless I find proper help
I shall part from my own fian here- Aengus mac in Og will come
to our help for the sake of
[...]
gossipred;
it is easy to go to the Brugh
before going on the
[...]
journey.