]"Woe to him possesses wealth,
'Less he find a way to 'scape;
And your wives will be enslaved,
And your chiefs fill pools of blood![4]

"Far away he[c] held his course,
Till he reached Armenia's heights;
Battle dared he, past his wont,
And the Burnt-breasts[d] put to death!

"Hardest for him was to drive
Necht's sons from their chieftest haunts;
And the smith's hound--mighty deed--
Hath he slain with single hand!

[W.1483.] "More than this I've naught to say,
As concerns Dechtire's son;
My belief, in troth, is this:
Ye will now meet with your fate."

[b] See above, p. 41.

[4-4] H. 2. 17.

[c] That is, Cuchulain.

[d] That is, the Amazons.

[3-3] LU. and YBL. 820-831 and, partly, in Eg. 1782.

After this lay, that was the day that Donn ('the Brown Bull') of Cualnge
came into the land of Margine [1]to Sliab Culinn[1] and with him fifty
heifers of the heifers [2]of Ulster;[2] and there he was pawing and digging
up the earth in that place, [3]in the land of Margine, in Cualnge;[3] that
is, he flung the turf over him with his heels. [4]While the hosts were
marching over Mag Breg, Cuchulain in the meanwhile laid hands on their
camps.[4] It was on the same day that the Morrigan, daughter of Ernmas,
[5]the prophetess[5] of the fairy-folk, came [6]in the form of a bird,[6]
and she perched on the standing-stone in Temair of Cualnge giving the Brown
Bull of Cualnge warning [7]and lamentations[7] before the men of Erin. Then
she began to address him and what she said was this: "Good, now, O luckless
one, thou Brown Bull of Cualnge," so spake the Morrigan; "take heed; for
the men of Erin. [8]are on thy track and seeking thee[8] and they will
come upon thee, and [9]if thou art taken[9] they will carry thee away to
their camp [10]like any ox on a raid,[10] unless thou art on thy guard."
And she commenced to give warning to him in this fashion, [11]telling him
he would be slain on the Tain, and she delivered this judgement[11] and
spake these words aloud:[a]--

[1-1] LU. and YBL. 853.

[2-2] Stowe.

[3-3] LU. and YBL. 857.

[4-4] LU. and YBL. 842-843.

[5-5] H. 2. 17.

[6-6] LU. and YBL. 844.

[7-7] H. 2. 17.

[8-8] H. 2. 17.

[9-9] H. 2. 17.

[10-10] H. 2. 17.

[11-11] H. 2. 17.

[a] The following passage in '_rosc_' is exceedingly difficult and
obscure, and the transl