And the battle-steeds springing,
A beautiful, terrible, death-dealing band.
Like pines, straight and tall,
Where Iubdan is king,
Are the men one and all.
The maidens are fair--
Bright gold is their hair.
From silver we quaff
The dark, heady ale
That never shall fail;
We love and we laugh.
Gold frontlets we wear;
And aye through the air
Sweet music doth ring--
O Fergus, men say
That in all Inisfail
There is not a maiden so proud or so wise
But would give her two eyes
Thy kisses to win--
But I tell thee, that there
Thou canst never compare
With the haughty, magnificent King of Faylinn!"

At this they all applauded, and Fergus said, "O youth and blameless
bard, let us be friends henceforth." And they all heaped before him,
as a poet's reward, gifts of rings and jewels and gold cups and
weapons, as high as a tall man standing. Then Eisirt said, "Truly a
generous and a worthy reward have ye given me, O men of Ulster; yet
take back these precious things I pray you, for every man in my
king's household hath an abundance of them." But the Ulster lords
said, "Nothing that we have given may we take back." Eisirt then bade
two-thirds of his reward be given to the bards and learned men of
Ulster, and one-third to the horse-boys and jesters; and so it was
done.

Three days and nights did Eisirt abide in Emania, and all the King's
court loved him and made much of him. Then he wished them blessing and
victory, and prepared to depart to his own country. Now AEda, the
King's dwarf and minstrel, begged Eisirt to take him with him on a
visit to the land of Faylinn; and Eisirt said, "I shall not bid thee
come, for then if kindness and hospitality be shown thee, thou wilt
say it is only what I had undertaken; but if thou come of thine own
motion, thou wilt perchance be grateful."

So they went off together; but Eisirt could not keep up with AEda, and
AEda said, "I perceive that Eisirt is but a poor walker." At this
Eisirt ran off like a flash and was soon an arrow flight in front of
AEda. When the latter at last came up with him, he said, "The right
thing, Eisirt, is not too fast and not too slow." "Since I have been
in Ulster," Eisirt replied, "I have never before heard ye measure out
the right."

By and by they reached the margin of the sea. "And what are we to do
now?" asked AEda. "Be not troubled, AEda," said Eisirt, "the horse of
Iubdan will bear us easily