¶1] Free people are the seed of Colla, champions of Liathdruim's homestead; stags of the royal herd from Conn's castle, vineblossoms from Frewin.
¶2] Manannans of western Europe, pure seed in kindly soil; smooth-fingered warriors from the stately Boyne of Bregia, twining stems of the bright host of the Gael.
¶3] Shore-defenders of-the Plain of the Fair, Ireland's 'Children of Israel,' little does it profit to strive against their fortune—sustaining pillars of the House of Tara.
¶4] Furnace sparks from the mouth of a forge, deep, diluvian waves; mighty warriors to give battle, set stones of the land.
¶5] Favored children of the host of Banbha, fierce fiery heroes; few are the like of the men amongst the contenders (?) of Gall or Gael.
¶6] Never have we heard of any kindred fit to be pitted against the race of Colla from the confines of Oriel, or of any Irishmen such as they.
¶7] There has not been nor will there ever be found— what avails it to discuss them?—a perfect simile of the noble Ulstermen from the Bregian Boyne.
¶8] There is but one tale about the seed of Colla, the race of Eachaidh—that the heroes lost possession of Ireland by force of their exploits.
¶9] Of their own will the proud race of Eachaidh Doimlén have relinquished the kingship of Fál's corn-abounding plain in exchange for other privileges.
¶10] Since the days of our ancestors the three Oirghialla of Bregia's soil have ever held privileges innumerable beyond (others of) the five blue regions of the Gael.
¶11] The king of the Oirghialla has not only the right to sit next to the king of Ireland, but I should think less of the best of the Oirghialla did he seek this privilege.
¶12] The plentifully attended king of Colla's tribe keeps vacant (at table) the space of his sword's length and his long hand between him and the freemen.
¶13] The kindred of noble Colla are entitled to a third of the honorprice, a third of the tribute and a third of the tax of Fearadhach's Plain, to be divided amongst them by the man.
¶14] They are entitled—what an achievement—from November to summer to quarter their steeds and their hounds from house to house on the plain of Teathbha.
¶15] The king of Tara can claim from the Oirghialla— and did he mention any more he would not get it—once in three years a hosting of but six weeks.
¶16] Even as regards that claim upon the kingly seed of generous Colla, he does not send a man to bind their agreements throughout summer or autumn.
¶17] The wealth which any of them loses when he joins the high-king's army, the princely champion is bound to find seven times its value.
¶18] Twenty-one cows are due to every man from the firm king of the fair Gaels, when they are returning home from that army; an award which has ennobled Eachaidh's descendant.
¶19] Thirty blades—no small gift—thirty mantles, thirty steeds and thirty sharp elfin spears as well, from the king of Ireland to Eachaidh's descendant.
¶20] Despite the prohibition of the king of Inisfail, the shrewd lords of the Plain of Eithne can safeguard criminals for a year beyond the just term of protection.
¶21] If they are accused of crimes, this is what the high king of Ireland can have, the oath of the defendant in the case of every offence committed by the race of Eachaidh.
¶22] The learned ones of Bregia's land say that the king of the Field of the Gael gets no further homage from the warriors of the Oirghialla than an exchange of hostages.
¶23] Moreover the hostages of Colla's bright-sworded kin are entitled to take counsel with all in order to find the meaning of their judgment (?).
¶24] The soldiery from the House of Tara have no chain or iron ring confining slender hand or foot, nor is there a man's body (of theirs) in stone prison.
¶25] They are not to be ironed, the captives from the line of noble Colla; it is enough to take their pledges, all agree that they may have their liberty.
¶26] Each man has the attire of a chieftain when returning from the king of Tara, a privilege granted to the nobly feasting Oirghialla beyond other mighty hostages of the men of Ireland.
¶27] They have gold on the hilts of their blades, gold on the rims of their helmets; of fine-spun gold are their garments, the hostages from Bregia's dewy castle.
¶28] Therefore are they, rather than any other Gaels known as 'golden hostages', of ruddy gold are the fetters of their hostages when the Oirghialla are returning home.
¶29] When returning from the king of Ireland they have not so much as the heads of their javelins, the thongs of their spears or the fine greaves of their legs but is gold.
¶30] It is the right of the seed of Colla of smooth goblets that the men of Ireland should rise up before them, but they, warriors with whom women readily make peace, are not bound to arise.
¶31] Such privilege have they obtained from the king of Ireland that a hand is not dipped in a golden basin, nor yet is palm of hand or sole of foot cleansed therein until they have first washed in it.
¶32] In Tara of the hostages, then, it is not lawful that any bathe before the high-king of the Oirghialla shall have done so, or that any other man should be assigned an apartment in the sleeping house before him.
¶33] The high king of the land of Bregia might not seat himself until he should have sat, nor arise from wine until the champion of the Erne arose.
¶34] A third of Ulster, the great third of Connacht, according to the boundary, was the original share of the wine-quaffing race of Colla amongst the lords of Fál.
¶35] The Erne, the Finn, the Boyne and the Bann, and each territory that lies between them—brown-nutted soils where the sun shines—these are the boundaries of the land of the Oirghialla.
¶36] The privileges of Colla's seed have ceased; the fighting men of Liathdruim do not remember what hath long been owing to them from the peoples of Tailte.
¶37] Even were it feasible to claim it the Oirghialla do not seek to obtain from Fiacha's kindred the due which was rightfully theirs.
¶38] It is not loss of power or of memory that affects the youths of Mourne; what is the reason that the privileges of Banbha's bright-haired scions are withheld?
¶39] Many are their breachmakers of battle, many their stuff of high chieftains, sufficient is the abundancy of their warriors, the great host of Maighin's fertile plain.
¶40] That they themselves do not unite, that, you would say, is the reason their rights are withheld from the three hosts of the Plain of Codhal.
¶41] There is good reason for resisting the power of the progeny of bold Eachaidh Doimlén—the seed of Colla are in three divisions, with a several king over each band of them.
¶42] A king over the seed of Mathghamhain from Moira, a king over the seed of Maine, son of Eachaidh, a king over the men of Fermanagh's bending woods, have the bright battalions of the men of Oriel.
¶43] It is wrong to have three kings over the seed of Colla, it is a cause of weakness; it were better to be depending on a single man, as a shepherd to all in general.
¶44] The three equal battalions of the kindred of Colla, warriors of Bregia's dewy mount, would do well to appoint a single man to rule them.
¶45] As for the true patrimony of Colla's tribe let the three royal bands deliver the kingship of the bright, blue-soiled plain, into the keeping of one man of the Oirghialla.
¶46] Why do not the race of Eachaidh put their trust in a valiant, rightly-judging king, over whom none (of theirs) of the wondrous line of Fiacha would have any degree of superiority?
¶47] Let the three noble battalions of Colla's seed elect one king amongst them, according to wisdom and shrewdness; according to age and dignity.
¶48] What ails them that they confide not in Cú Chonnacht, son of Cú Chonnacht scion [...](?) of the House of the Three, guarding champion of his kin.
¶49] The only levying steward of the three battalions is the righteous king of Fermanagh; gently-moving foot, save when meeting spear-points, enemy to the wrongs of Ireland.
¶50] Cú Chonnacht Óg Maguire, protecting shield to his soldiers; senior of the seed of Colla Dá Chríoch, their surety for peace or for war.
¶51] Most precious jewel of Conn's Half, heir of great Donn, son of Domhnall, a man whom the wealth of this world never beguiled, the best nourisher of art.
¶52] Counsellor in war of Bregia's land, chief of peace of the host of the Gael; a king who entwines the fair men of Fál, the fulfilment of Bearchán's prophecy.
¶53] Let your three united battalions assemble with Cú Chonnacht, the great host of Eachaidh's descendants, valiant, rightly-judging kindred.
¶54] This is the intention of Joan's son, upon the coming of the three royal gatherings; to go and inspect the plain of Niall, it shall profit both them and him.
¶55] A man from fair Cliú shall recognize the son of great Cú Chonnacht, son of Brian's son, 6 as chieftain over your battalions, O fair kindred of Eachaidh.
¶56] From the beginning to the end of the world, ye have not found, nor will ye find a more princely chief than this king, ye three patrimonies of Oriel.
¶57] Son of Joan, and Cú Chonnacht—what king might one compare with him? a heart from which hardness hath parted, the latest generation of kindliness.