Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Metrical Dindshenchas (Author: [unknown])
poem 8
Dun Gabail
- The wooing of the daughter of Goll Glas,
son of noble mettlesome Fedlimid,
by Lutur son of powerful Lurgnech,
from the western side of Spain.
- 5] Thus was mighty Lutur,
a man right tall and big,
fourteen heads no rash boast
above his shaggy grey neck.
- As for Gablach, big was the woman,
10] daughter of fair quick Fedlimid;
fifty cubits she was in height,
and the half of that in breadth.
- Four of them came from the east
both Goll and his daughter,
15] and Lutur, who came without ship,
and Lurgnech son of Calatrom.
- So they partook of their feast,
a pleasant modest household the four of them;
a hundred of every beast great was the amount
20] a hundred measures of every grain on earth.
- A bed was made for them thereafter,
all four in one couch;
they gave a blessing to each other;
happy they were and not replete.
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- 25] Another soldier was in the east,
he dwelt in the islands of the Red Sea,
Fuither son of Fordub the wrathful
son of the son of Labraid Lamderg.
- He gathered a vast following;
30] he came from the east on a sudden
it is sure that there was groaning and carnage
to contend for his leman.
- The names of the captains he brought from the east:
vigorous Labraid Lamfata,
35] Brothur son of Sce, Glas son of Garb,
Ibar son of Sce son of Sceobalb.
- There came of them from the east more than any other band
in the following of each champion;
a hundred heroes in the following of each man,
40] of the Fomoraig and Arsaide.
- While the others were in the house,
the four of them, a fellowship of equal size;
they hear the call without:
"Come out, of your own accord, or else by force!"
- 45] Up rose Lutur half his height,
and opened the royal house from before them;
he carried out with him before his shoulder
both pole and palisade.
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- He laid a stake of the keep
50] on them across nose and eyes;
so that the pools were full
of spatterings of their brains.
- Those two grappled with each other,
not good was the shelter when fatigue came on;
55] so Gablach slew Fuither,
it was a fatal journey, a heavy overthrow.
- The number that came over sea
to contend for the daughter of Goll,
not one of them escaped;
60] ungentle was that wooing.
- From Gabal daughter of bright Goll comes
Dun Gabail in Cuthraige;
there she slept with Lutur of the many ships,
futile was the rival wooing.
- 65] Goll Glas of the river-mouth gave
fortress and keep to his brave daughter,
above Life of the Leinstermen, that is not sluggish,
contentious was her first wooing.
- Thereafter Goll of the many feats gave
70] river and keep and famous weir
to his daughter free from perilous theft,
cattle-raids, and reavings, and wooings.
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