Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Death-Tales of the Ulster Heroes (Author: unknown)

tale 1

The Death of Cet mac Mágach

Version from the Edinburgh MS. XL., p. 7.

{MS page 7}Cid diatá aided Ceit maic Mágach? Ní hansa.

¶1] Luidh Cet fecht ann a crích nUlad do chuinghid gona duine, inní ba minic lais .i. Ulaid do goin, úair ní dechaid asa nóendin ríam cen guin Ultaig.

¶2] Luid sium síar íarum & trí nói195 cinn do Ultaib lais & docuredh íarum Conall Cernach for a lurg co Bréfni Connacht. Laad snechta an gemrid do sunnrad, co fúair Conall a fástig hé ac fuine a chotach196 & a ara. Bátar tra na eochu fón carpat amuich.

¶3] ‘Is é Cet so,’ ar Conall, ‘& ní fíu dúin comrac fris ar a doilghi & ar a cródacht. Is amnus in fer fil and,’ ar Conall. ‘Fé amai!’ ol in t-ara, ‘ní maith tig tar do beólu, in péist fil for dígail Ulad cen gabáil tige fair & ní meabal tra comtuitim duit fris, oir atá dia beódacht197 connuic so.’ ‘A athair,’ ar Conall, ‘ní tibur m' anum do láith gaili fer nÉrenn & dobér tra comartha forsna eochu.’ Gadaid Conall dúal a muing na n-eoch & dobeir andlochtan a cinn in carpait & téit as sair co hUltu.

¶4] ‘Fé, a Ceit!’ ar an t-ara. ‘Ní fé,’ ar Cet, ‘is maith in t-anocul tuc for na heocha. Conall so,’ ar sé, ‘& biaid caradrad de & bid maith hé.’ ‘Fé amae!’ or in t-ara, ‘in fer rolá ár Connacht do tabairt méla fort & ní toircéba t'ainm co bráth can a bás nó can a rúacad a fescur.’ ‘Maith ám,’ ar Cet. Lotar ina diaid co hÁth Ceit.


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¶5] ‘Amin, a Chonaill!’ ar Cet. ‘Cid sin, a Ceit?’ ar Conall. ‘Ní racha as aniu, a clóain,’ or Cet. ‘Dóig lem,’ or Conall ac intód198 cuici & nothúairgenn {MS page 8} cách díb a chéili co clos fon díthrub uli a ngníthech & a mbolcfadach & gáir na scur &[...]199 an anr-200 ac láigedh na láth ngaili robátar isin áth, co torchair cechtarde anunn & anall. Marb immorro Cet fo cétóir & dororchair Conall a nél.

¶6] Ocus dúscid Conall asa nél. ‘Ber lat na hechu co hUltu,’ or sé, ‘ar ná romaigset Connachta cetus.’ Faroféimid in gilla tra a tócbáil-som ina carpat & ceilebraid in gilla dó íarum & luid dia tig. ‘Olc so tra,’ or Conall, ‘aonfer do Connachtaib & rogellus-sa ám,’ ar sé, ‘nacham muirfed aonfer do Chonnachtaib & robo ferr lem má ríge in domuin nech do Chonnachtaib dom athguin co ná bad for aon fer do Chonnachtaib nobeith mo marbad.’

¶7] Bélchu Bréfni tra, is é tánic ar tús. ‘Cet so,’ or sé ‘Conall dono sunna,’ ar sé ‘& bid201 maith an Ériu festa,’ or sé, ‘ó dotorchair in dá árchoin so doloitsitar an Éiriu eturra,’ la tabairt airlaindi a tsligi for Conall. ‘Fair t'irlaind dím, a athair!’ or sé. ‘At beó,’ ar Bélchú. ‘Ní buide202 frit ón,’ ar Conall, ‘am beó-sa.’ ‘Fír, a Conaill,’ ar Bélchú, ‘ac cuincid do gona atái form-sa & ní dingén-sa, oir is marb cena tú.’ ‘Ní lémtha cid mo brat do goin,’ ar Conall, ‘a caillech trúag!’ ‘Nítmairbfet-sa203 tra, acht atá ní cena,’ ar sé. ‘Notbér lem dom tig & not-ícfaiter acum & madat204 slán immorro caithfet frit.’

¶8] Iarsin tra tócbaid for a muin & a leth ina diaid, co ráinic a tech & dobeir leaga cucui gur bo slán. ‘Bid fír,’ ar Bélchú fria maccaibh, ‘raga in fer sa úaim & ní dingna ar les. Marbaid in fer resiu dech205


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úain. Tigid iarum cucui uili amárach d'agaid, co facar-sa in airecul fosclaicthi ar bar cinn & marbaid é ina lebaid.’ Rofitir fer in imnid & an uile móir .i. Conall in mídúthracht robói dó.

¶9] ‘Dún in tech!’ ar Conall fri Bélcoin. Téit sair & fácaid in tech fuslaicthi. ‘Maith didiu, a Bélchú,’ ar Conall, ‘tarr am lebaid-sa!’ ‘Ní tó,’ or Bélchú. ‘Do cenn dít-sa,’ ar Conall, ‘mina tísi isin lebaid.’ ‘Bid éicin,’ ar Bélchu. Dúnaid206 didiu Bélchú in tech. Iar cotlud do Bélchoin fuslaicid207 Conall an tech. Dothecait maic Bélchon dochum na imdaidi a mbái a n-athair & doberait a tri sligi trit gur marbsat & eirgid Conall íarsin & imrid a claidem forra co mbói spreathach a n-incinni im na fraighthaib & beridh a ceithri cinnu lais sair, co ríacht a thech résiu roba matin. Conid hí Aided Ceit & Bélchon Bréfni cona maccaib in sin.