Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Metrical Dindshenchas (Author: [unknown])
Verse
poem/story 1
p.3
ESS RUAID I
- O thou that comest from the north, surrounded by troops in noble triumph! art thou attentive, till the hour for sleep, to the plain tale of the fierce rapids?
- Ess Ruaidwhat Ruad owned its rapids? who visited the fair-formed haven? was it man or woman of forgotten power that gave the mound its noble name?
- Aed ruad, Badurn's comely sonsince his day the royal rapids have lost their vehemence: on their bank ('twas a dolorous event) stands his mound and his noble monument.
- I have not heard, on land or lovely sea, of any of the children of Ír or Eber that could attain a third part of the beauty of generous Aed, lord even of Emain.
- A bitter pang aroused Aed, rich with a good father's wealth, when he plunged into the
[...]
rapids, to his judgement and destruction.
- Thus came Argatmar's grandson to the doom of chill death: his name abides on his rapids, the name of the brave dead man unblamed.
- Then was dug on the hill the grave of Aed, covered by a single cloak: and there, above that one man's comely face, stands his honoured mound.
p.5
- Hither chanced to come in after-days the daughter of Máine mil-scothach: a slumber lulled her in her turn: Ruad was her name, in her first husband's time.
- She fared her way, wandering afar, the worshipful maiden they acclaim, when she gave that great love, in vain, to Aed srónmár, son of Labraid.
- From Mag Móen, scene of mighty battles, the daughter of mighty Máine, the taper-fingered, came on a path of happy love, leaving on her left hand Erin of the red weapons.
- She crossed the waves that laughed at her in the ship of Abcán the arch-poet till that fair and modest maiden happened upon the famous bay.
- Ruad knew not whose was the country nor the harbour till she chanced on it, but she asked, in no uncertain wise, that the river should be her freehold.
- Then she fell asleep among the streams of the eddying bays; she perished lamentably in her boat of fair bronze.
- The maiden with the white hands, bright and good, never reached the hero her lover: she leapt overboard, not mastered by a spell, but at the doleful music from the fairy mounds.
- So from her, without utterance of falsehood, comes the name of Ess Ruaid, with its greatness: her death, without dear claim of kinship, have I told to thee, good sir!
p.7
- Be my soul with thee in holy Heaven, O hospitable and loving Lord! O King of stars and wonders, that art of higher birth than any man!