¶1] Welcome, thou son of Manus, from blue-harbored Tirconell; hasten, bright face, to Croghan's long-speared host.
¶2] Hasten to us, if thou art coming; to the north a visit is enough; make thy dwelling in Connacht, thou lord of the Ultonian plain.
¶3] Hasten thee, gentle (?) countenance, to view the province of Ól nÉagmocht; be not laggard of foot, come hither, admit no hindrance about it.
¶4] Welcome to thee, come hither, and gather thy noble assembly; make a full hosting, and advance through the fresh, bright-surfaced plain of Connacht.
¶5] Assemble the warriors of Ulster, it is long since they have been assembled, to check the contest of the tribes of Conn with thy thick, soft, gold-brown locks.
¶6] Ask of the seed of Suibhne, thou chief of Mourne, if they are grieved that the Connachtmen are contending with the powerful striplings of Ulster's land.
¶7] Say to the clans of noble Niall that they should make a union and alliance; display to them their great ties with us, thou golden king amongst chessmen.
¶8] Bring to us one after another the seed of Eóghan, the race of Conall, around thy bright, modestly-flushing face, to seek the tributes of the province.
¶9] Gather around thy brightly fringed locks thy battle-allies, thy marriage connections, and the host from Liathdruim's walled castle—Colla's mighty kindred, so smooth of skin.
¶10] Though we speak thus, we know that on the day of the hosting thou needest only the descendants of noble Dálach of Bregia, the many-gifted ones of the five provinces.
¶11] Those four sections yonder of the race that sprang from Conall—all the armies of Tara would not be capable of fighting against them.
¶12] Dálach's race, they of the smooth-walled fortresses, the race of Dochartach, the host of Baoigheall's seed, and Gallchobhar's bright, haughty stock, from whom the Ulstermen are without rest.
¶13] Those are the four battalions that follow the high-prince, disturbers of Conn's Banbha, valiant raiders of Conall's race.
¶14] Should the men of Ireland fail thee, the proven warriors of the four battalions, the champions of Tara's hill, will gain for thee the headship of Connacht.
¶15] Bring with thee the four-hosted seed of Conall in their full strength, that the plain of Croghan, delightful country, of fertile nooks, may be brought under rule.
¶16] Until thou avenge all that thou hast undergone, make neither peace nor settlement about the rich territory of Sreang's ancient line, thine inherited portion of Ireland.
¶17] Be not satisfied until thou art here, we know, O bright bosom, that when the race of Conall shall have arisen, it is not yonder they will make peace with us.
¶18] Thou needst not fear to entrust thyself to them, until the assemblies of that race of Conall be simultaneously laid low thou art not likely to be overthrown in despite of them.
¶19] It were unfitting for thee to seek other aid, it befits that race of Conall, O shapely of form and white of hand, to do their utmost for thee.
¶20] Few among them, O modest eye, but are either beloved, worthy fosterers, or goodly fostersons, or sometime fosterbrothers to thee, thou fair-cheeked one.
¶21] Those who are older than thou are as thy fosterers, while the offspring of the rest are thy goodly fosterchildren, thou prophesied one of the Plain of Cormac.
¶22] Just such words as these Conall of Cruacha uttered long ago on Magh Léana, thou star of Sligo's host.
¶23] It was a day when battle was declared against Conn on Magh Léana, at the instigation of foreigners, by fearless Mugh Nuadhad, head with a sheltering mane of sleekly waving locks.
¶24] Around famed Mugh Nuadhad, with one accord, gather the pick of the men of Ireland, save only—princely, unconquered troop—the valiant (?) men of Connacht.
¶25] Conn had with him but the men of Connacht, for his protection in battle against the forces of all the rest of Ireland, warriors with sleek, shapely steeds.
¶26] 'Too few for us are the Connachtmen,' said Conn, in converse with Conall, 'seeing that all Ireland is opposing us, thou soft, smooth and gentle of countenance.'
¶27] 'The men of Ireland, from sea to sea,' such were the words of Conall, "should not make thee to quail whilst thou art amongst the hosts of the plain of Connacht.'
¶28] 'Fosterer, fosterchild, or fosterbrother to thee,' said Conall, 'is everyone in the plain of Croghan, O yellow of hair, O beloved of women.'
¶29] 'The elders of Connacht, one and all,' continued Conall, 'are-fosterers to thee, thou gentle, fair, black-lashed youth.'
¶30] 'Those of thine own age, o stately eye, are thy foster brethren,' said Conall, 'since thou wast reared, thou bright of cheek, along with the people of Telton's smooth hills.'
¶31] 'To end,' said Conall of Cruacha, our diffident(?) youths are all fostersons to thee, thou horseman of the Plain of the Champion.'
¶32] 'Why, therefore, shouldst thou think thy number too small?' continued the high-king's fosterer, 'a, host of united friends are here, we shall not stir one foot in thy despite.'
¶33] The battle of the morn is won by Conn, sleek of hair, over Mugh Nuadhadd; well did Conall fulfil his good pledge to Conn.
¶34] And thus it is with thee, O'Donnell, thou shalt feel no inferiority in combat, while amongst Conall's warlike stock, o slender, powerful stately-eyed one.
¶35] O lion of the Erne, there is but one province opposing thee, whilst all Ireland, save Conall, was unitedly attacking Conn.
¶36] There are many trusty officers as good as Conall around thy dark-lashed cheek; (they are to thee) even as in his day Conn's Conall was to his king.
¶37] Even as Conn set his trust in the troops of Croghan, and in Conall, set thou thy trust in thy foster-brethren, and in the goodly youth of Murbhach.
¶38] Better these about the warrior of the Plain of the Fair than seven times their number of a summoned and pressed army from the other territories of Ireland.
¶39] As long as that fierce, watchful host survive, thou wilt fear little vexation, o crimson-bladed champion of Oileach.
¶40] What is it that hinders thee from coming to confront the men of Connacht, continually despoiling the men of Ireland-warriors with lithe, docile steeds?
¶41] And yet, I understand the reason of thy delay, thou ruler of fair Fainn's plain; it is because the firmly-dyked plain of Connacht has no means to withstand thee.
¶42] It oppresses thy mind, Hugh, that Maeve's land, with fair, noble ramparts, should be spoiled by its own folk, although you are at variance.
¶43] Thou wouldst rather it were lost to thee wholly, O bright countenance, than that it should be destroyed between you; I think the babe is thine, O sleek-browed, supple-handed youth.
¶44] Hast thou heard of the women's dispute, or of the royal judgment which Solomon pronounced; thou stately scion from the rippling Moy, about the halving of the babe?
¶45] One day there came before Solomon two strange women, a comely, youthful-looking, bright pair, carrying between them a single infant.
¶46] Each of the women had come directly to him to certify that the babe was hers, in order that he might confirm that.
¶47] 'Since you have no witness in this matter regarding the babe, I would fain divide it between you,' said the sage of the world.
¶48] 'It is a good decision,' said one of the women, 'that great Solomon, son of David, has given us concerning the rosy, supple-armed offspring: that the child should be divided between us.'
¶49] 'I had rather my own babe were out of harm's way even shouldst thou have it altogether,' replied the other woman.
¶50] 'Thou art the mother of the boy,' said the judge famed for his awards; 'assuredly he has been in thy womb, thou dost not allow the child to be divided.'
¶51] Even thus, Hugh, son of Manus—where am I telling it of thee?—thou hast not ravaged the plain of Connacht on account of wrong or transgression.
¶52] Since it is thine, thou smooth and soft of skin, thou wouldst not ravage Connacht, o blameless hand; the babe was begot by thee.
¶53] Thou hast spared Conn's Croghan, thou hast protected the haven of ancient, clear-streamed Sligo against Conall's line, in spite of the impatient men of Ulster.
¶54] Didst thou follow the counsel of the rest, Telton would be in a blaze, and Croghan dismantled; listen not to their entreaties.
¶55] Even wert thou thyself attacking them, on account of the Ineen Duv, thou torrential stream from the Bregian Boyne, it would not be possible to devastate them.
¶56] In any province where that woman is, none dare to talk of strife; the Land of Fionntan has shown (?) that she has curbed the race of Conall.
¶57] Until the daughter of James came to us, and until the land of Bregia became subdued to her will, we would not keep peace with the rest for the twinkling of an eye.
¶58] From the time that she came across the sea the race of Dálach, on account of the queen of Cobha's pure plain, do not remember in their hearts the offences of others.