| Ba ³ná÷ me ag Šiu¢al le ciuµuiŠ na ha¢ann | 1 | Twas my custom to stroll with the river in view |
| A‰ báinŠea¥ ú‰ ’Š an d‰ú¥t go t‰om, | 2 | Through the fresh meadows covered with dew, |
| In aice na gcoillte i gcoim an tŠléi¢e, | 3 | By the edge of the woods on the wild mountain-side |
| Gan µai‰g gan µoill a‰ šoillŠe an lae. | 4 | At the dawn of the day I’d cheerfully stride. |
| Do ³eala« mo ¥‰oi«e nuai‰ ¥ínn Lo¥ G‰éine, | 5 | My heart would brighten Loch Graney to spy, |
| An talaµ, an tí‰, iŠ ío³a‰ na Špéi‰e, | 6 | And the country around it, to the edge of the sky. |
| Tai÷neaµa¥ aoi¢inn Šui«eaµ na Šléi¢te | 7 | The serried mountains were a delight to the beholder |
| Ag bagai‰t a gcinn ta‰ d‰uim a ¥éile. | 8 | Thrusting their heads over each other’s shoulder. |
| ²ealfa« an c‰oi«e ¢ea« c‰íon le cianta— | 9 | ’Twould lighten the heart wizened with years— |
| Cai÷te gan ¢‰í³ nó líonta ’e ¹ianta— | 10 | Triflingly spent or drenched with tears— |
| I Šéi÷lea¥ Šea‰¢ gan Šeal¢ gan Šai¢‰eaŠ | 11 | Of the bitter outcast without wealth or goods |
| D’±éa¥fa« tamall ta‰ ba‰‰a na gcoillte | 12 | To catch a glimpse o’er the top of the woods |
| A‰ la¥ain ’n-a Šcuainte a‰ ¥uan gan ¥eó, | 13 | Of the ducks paddling by in the pellucid bay, |
| An eala a‰ a ¢fuaid ’Š í ag gluaiŠea¥t leó, | 14 | Escorting the swan on her stately way, |
| Na héiŠc le mei«i‰ ag éi‰³e in ái‰de | 15 | Of the fish in joyous arching flight |
| Péi‰Še im ‰a«a‰c go tai«¢‰eac t቉¢‰eac, | 16 | And of the perch, a speckled spritely sight, |
| Da÷ an lo¥a aguŠ go‰m na dtonn | 17 | Of the blue surging swell on the tinted lake |
| Ag tea¥t go tolga¥ to‰anna¥ t‰om | 18 | Crashing ashore with a thunderous quake, |
| ¡ío« éanlai÷ i gc‰ainn go mei«‰a¥ mó«µa‰, | 19 | Of the birds in the trees merrily singing, |
| Léimnea¥ eilte i gcoillte im ¥óµga‰, | 20 | While the deer through the woods are nimbly springing, |
| Géimnea¥ a«a‰c iŠ ‰a«a‰c a‰ šlói³te, | 21 | To see the huntsmen with bugles blaring, |
| T‰éan‰i÷ ga«a‰ iŠ Reyna‰d ‰ómpa. | 22 | As after Reynard the hounds are tearing |
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| A‰ maidin indé ¢í an Špéi‰ gan ¥eó, | 23 | Yesterday morning, no clouds in the sky, |
| ¡í Cance‰, ón ng‰éin, ’n-a cao‰÷ai¢ teó | 24 | Presaged another hot day in July; |
| IŠ í ga¢÷a ¥um Šao÷ai‰ ta‰ éiŠ na hoi«¥e | 25 | Up came the sun after a rest for the night, |
| IŠ obai‰ an lae Šin ‰éimpi Šínte. | 26 | To her day’s work, making all nature bright. |
| ¡í duillea¢a‰ c‰ao¢ a‰ ³éaga im ÷im¥eall, | 27 | With treeleaves rustling overhead |
| Fio‰÷ann iŠ féa‰ ’n-a Šlaoda taoi¢ liom, | 28 | And grass and ferns before me spread, |
| GlaŠ‰a« fáiŠ iŠ blá÷ iŠ lui¢na | 29 | The expanse of flowers would cheer the soul |
| Scaipfea« le fán dá ¥‰ái«tea¥t Šmaointe. | 30 | And lighten thoughts however dole. |
| Do ¢í me co‰÷a iŠ an codla« dom ÷‰ao¥a«, | 31 | Totally fagged and dying to sleep, |
| Do šíneaŠ ÷o‰m a‰ co÷‰om Ša ¢féa‰ ³laŠ | 32 | I lay down where the grass was deep |
| In aice na gc‰ann i dteannta t‰ínŠe, | 33 | Beside a rill, with trees about |
| Taca lem ¥eann ’Š mo hannlaí Šínte. | 34 | A support for my head and my feet stretched out. |
| A‰ ¥eangal mo šúl go dlú÷ le ¥éile, | 35 | On shutting my eyes to go to sleep, |
| G‰eamui³÷e dúnta i ndú¢³laŠ néallta, | 36 | Locking them tight in slumber deep, |
| IŠ m’a³ai« agam foili³÷e a‰ ¥uili¢ go ŠáŠta | 37 | My face protected from the flies, |
| I dtai«¢‰eaµ d’±uiling me an cuili÷e c‰ái«te | 38 | A dream caused me to agonize |
| Do ¥o‰‰ui³ do lom do ¹oll go hae me | 39 | To shake, to chafe my psyche deep |
| Im ¥odla« go t‰om gan µea¢ai‰ gan éi‰im. | 40 | In my senseless, helpless sleep. |
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| Ba ³ai‰id mo šuan ’nuai‰ ¥uala, šaoil me, | 41 | Short was my sleep when I heard, thought I, |
| An talaµ magcuai‰t a‰ luaŠca« im ÷im¥eall | 42 | A violent quaking of the ground nearby |
| Anfa« a dtuai« iŠ fuada¥ fío¥µa‰ | 43 | A storm from the north violently brewing |
| IŠ calai« an ¥uain ag tua‰gain teinte; | 44 | And fire from the harbour luridly spewing; |
| Siolla« dem šúil da‰ šaµlui³eaŠ uaim | 45 | In my mind’s eye, a quick survey |
| Do ¥onna‰caŠ ¥u³am le ciuµuiŠ an ¥uain | 46 | Revealed towards me by the bay |
| An µáŠa¥ ¢olga¥ ÷olga¥ ÷ai«¢Šea¥ | 47 | A violent, bulging, big-assed crone |
| ¤náµa¥ ¥olga¥ ³oi‰gea¥ ³ai³dea¥; | 48 | Her bulk hinting at testosterone; |
| A haei‰de cea‰t, má µeaŠ me dí‰ea¥, | 49 | Her stature, if I reckoned right, |
| Sé nó Šea¥t do šlata iŠ fui«lea¥, | 50 | Was six or seven yards in height |
| Péi‰Še bea¥t dá b‰at ag Š‰aoillea« | 51 | She dragged her cloak for yards behind her |
| Léi Šan tŠlab le d‰ab iŠ ‰íoball. | 52 | Through the mud and mire and squalor. |
| Ba µua‰ ba µéa«a‰ ba fia«ain le féa¥aint | 53 | ’Twas mighty, majestic, wild and horrid |
| SuaŠ ’n-a héadan c‰éa¥ta¥ c‰éimea¥, | 54 | To gaze upon her blemished forehead; |
| Ba anfa« ceanntai‰, Šcann‰a« Šao³alta, | 55 | The rictus of her gummy grin |
| A d‰aid ’Š a d‰andal manta¥ méi‰Šc‰ea¥. | 56 | Would make you jump out of your skin. |
| A ‰í ga¥ má«! ba láidi‰ líoµ÷a | 57 | God almighty! In her huge claw |
| A bíoma láiµe iŠ lánŠtaf innti, | 58 | Was the biggest staff you ever saw |
| Coµa‰÷a p‰áiŠ ’n-a ¢a‰‰ a‰ Špíce | 59 | A brass plaque at its spike defined |
| IŠ coµa¥ta báille in ái‰de ai‰ Šc‰ío¢÷a. | 60 | The bailiff’s powers to her assigned. |
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| Adu¢ai‰t go do‰‰«a¥ d’±oclai¢ dána:— | 61 | In a gruff voice these words she spoke: |
| MúŠcail! co‰‰ui³! a ¥odlatai³ ³‰ánna; | 62 | Up! Shake a leg! ya sleepy yoke; |
| IŠ du¢a¥ do šli³e ¢ei÷ Šínte id šliaŠta | 63 | Shame on you, to be stretched out here |
| IŠ cúi‰t ’n-a Šui«e iŠ na mílte ag t‰iall ann; | 64 | With court convened and crowds drawing near. |
| Ní cúi‰t gan a¥t gan ‰ea¥t gan ‰ia³ail | 65 | It’s not a court without rule or code. |
| Ná cúi‰t na gc‰ea¥ ma‰ ¥lea¥t tu ‰iaµ | 66 | Nor a marauding court in your usual mode |
| An ¥úi‰t Šeo ³luaiŠ ó šluai³te Šéiµe— | 67 | This court is built on a civilized base— |
| Cúi‰t na dt‰ua³ na mbua« iŠ na mbéi÷e. | 68 | The court of the weak with a female face. |
| IŠ mua‰ le maoi«eaµ a‰ šíol‰a¥ Éi¢i‰ | 69 | It’s indeed a great boast for Ireland’s seed |
| UaiŠle Ší«e ma‰ šui«da‰ d’aon³u÷ | 70 | That to sit in court the fairy lords agreed |
| ¦á lá iŠ oi«¥e a‰ ¢inn an tŠléi¢e | 71 | For two days and a night holding forth |
| I bpálአ¢ui«nµa‰ ¢‰ui³ean ´ai³e G‰éine. | 72 | On top of the mount, in Moy Graney fort. |
| IŠ daingean do ³oill Šé a‰ šoillŠe an ‰ío³ | 73 | Intense is the grief of the spectral lord, |
| ’S a‰ µai÷i¢ a ÷ea³lai³ ÷ai«¢Ši³ Ší«e, | 74 | Of his spritely household’s noble horde |
| ’S a‰ uiµi‰ na bui«ne ¢í ’n-a ndáil | 75 | And all of the others assembled there |
| Ma‰ d’im÷i³ ga¥ dí÷ a‰ ¥‰ío¥ai¢ Fáil— | 76 | At the scale of Ireland’s disrepair— |
| Gan Šeal¢ gan Šaoi‰Še ag Šíol‰a¥ Šeanda, | 77 | The ancient race without wealth or liberty |
| CeannaŠ a ndli³e ná cíoŠ ná ceann¹oi‰t, | 78 | No tributes, leaders nor legal autonomy |
| Sc‰ioŠa« an tí‰ iŠ ní’l ’n-a ndiai« | 79 | The rape of the land with naught in its train, |
| In inad na luí¢eanna a¥t flí³ea¥ iŠ fia«ail; | 80 | In place of the crops, a weed-rank terrain; |
| An uaiŠle b’±ea‰‰ ¥um fáin ma‰ lea³da‰ | 81 | The nobles languish in a foreign land |
| IŠ ua¥ta‰ láiµe ag fáŠlai³ šai¢‰e, | 82 | While the jumped-up rich get the upper hand, |
| Ag fealla« le fonn iŠ fo³ail gan féa¥aint | 83 | In betrayal ardent, in plunder greedy |
| D’±eanna« na lo¢a‰ ’Š an lom dá léi‰Šc‰ioŠ. | 84 | Flaying the sick, despoiling the needy. |
| IŠ do¥‰a¥ dú¢a¥ ma‰ «íu³a ga¥ daoi‰Še | 85 | It is blackly baneful and sticks in the craw |
| Doil¢e dú‰ i ndú¢¥eilt dli³÷e | 86 | That, in darkest despair over the absence of law, |
| An fann gan fei«m ná fa³ai« ó éinne | 87 | There’s nothing from no one for the purposeless weak |
| A¥t clampa‰ doiµin iŠ lui³e ¥um léi‰Šc‰ioŠ, | 88 | But a depredacious future that is hopelessly bleak, |
| FallŠa¥t fea‰ dli³e iŠ fa¥tnai«e á‰dni‰t, | 89 | The knavery of lawyers, tyranny on high |
| Cam iŠ cal³aiŠ failli³e iŠ fá¢a‰, | 90 | Injustice, fraud and neglect apply |
| Scamal an dli³e aguŠ fío‰«a÷ fann¥i‰t, | 91 | The law is clouded, the scales awry, |
| Dalla« le b‰íb, le fee ’Š le fallŠa¥t. | 92 | With all the pull that bribes can buy. |
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| Fa‰‰a ga¥ fío‰, iŠ fui«eall nío‰ fága«, | 93 | Along with the rest—and all was debated— |
| Dea‰¢a« díble a‰ ¢íobla an lá Šan | 94 | An indictment was entered and that day dated, |
| CúiŠ da‰ ndói³ ná geo¢ai‰Še Šao‰ t‰íd,— | 95 | A charge that you cannot easily refute: |
| Cnú na hóige «á feói« le faol‰uŠ | 96 | The wizening celibacy among your youth, |
| IŠ eaŠnaµ daoine Šui«te a‰ Éi‰e— | 97 | The consequent lack of people in Ireland |
| Do µea÷ let ¥uiµne an Šíol‰a¥ daonna; | 98 | And the decline in population on this island; |
| IŠ folaµ ’Š iŠ t‰ái³te fága« tío‰÷a, | 99 | The land left empty and in decline |
| An coga« iŠ an bአgan Špአdá ndíoga«, | 100 | Wrecked by war, by death and rapine |
| Ua¢a‰ na ‰i³÷e ’Š a‰ im÷i³ ta‰ Šáile | 101 | The kings with gumption who have gone overseas |
| Nuai‰ ná deineann Ši¢ tuillea« ’n-a n-áit dío¢. | 102 | Have not been replaced by new inductees. |
| IŠ nበd’¢u‰ n-iomad gan Šio‰‰ui³ gan Šíol‰a¥ | 103 | Your race without young ones is sad to see |
| IŠ mná ’n-a mui‰ea‰ a‰ mui‰ ’Š a‰ tío‰÷ai¢, | 104 | With women burdening the land and the sea, |
| ConnŠai³ ¥o‰po‰«a iŠ bo‰‰acai³ óga, | 105 | Once buxom maids and lasses fresh |
| IŠ bonnŠai³ ¢‰o÷alla¥ fola aguŠ feola, | 106 | With boiling blood and sultry flesh |
| LóiŠti³ lioŠta aguŠ leigi÷i³ šáŠta | 107 | Are now lethargic, relicts debased |
| IŠ mó‰«ai³ šioŠcai÷e d’im÷i³ i ¢áŠta; | 108 | Once trim girls are gone in the waist; |
| IŠ t‰ua³ gan toi‰‰¥eaŠ tollai‰í ’en tŠó‰t Šo, | 109 | ’Tis a pity that these are without fruit of the womb |
| IŠ t‰ua³ gan to‰ma¥ b‰ollai³ iŠ bóta iad, | 110 | Without swelling breasts and bellies in bloom. |
| IŠ minic iad ullaµ an focal dá ¢fa³díŠ | 111 | They just look for the word, please don’t wait |
| Ag tuitim dá mogaill iŠ molaimŠe a ¢foi«nne. | 112 | Until they are past their sell-by date. |
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| Sé cinnea« le Šaoi÷e i gc‰í¥ na coµai‰le | 113 | The solons decided after deliberation long |
| In inad na daoi‰Še d’innŠin dói¢ Šin:— | 114 | Not to try the case before the fairy throng: |
| Duine den ¢ui«n Šeo, líon a gcoµa¥ta, | 115 | But to appoint a plenipotent magistrate |
| A‰ ÷itim don díŠle, Šui«eaµ i ¢Fódla. | 116 | Who could, with the people, mediate. |
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| Tai‰geann Aoi¢eal c‰oí gan ¥laon¢ea‰t, | 117 | There was an offer from Aoibheal, with a heart so clean |
| Ca‰a na Muiµnea¥, Ší«¢ean Léi÷¥‰aig, | 118 | Munstermen’s friend and Craglea’s queen |
| Sca‰a« le Šaoi÷i¢ Ší«e na Šlua³ Šo | 119 | To the assembled council to bid farewell |
| Sca÷aµ do Šcaoilea« daoi‰Še i dTua«µain. | 120 | And in the land of Thomond to bide a spell. |
| ²eall an µíonla ¥aointaiŠ ¥ói‰ Šeo | 121 | This gentle upright lady swore |
| FallŠa¥t dli³e do ¥laoi«e go cóµa¥ta¥, | 122 | To rip out bad laws by their core |
| SeaŠaµ i dteannta fann iŠ fánlag | 123 | To stand steadfast beside the poor and weak |
| IŠ cai÷fi« an teann ¢ei÷ ceannŠa tlá÷ li¢, | 124 | So the mighty will have to cherish the meek. |
| Cai÷fi« an nea‰t gan ¥ea‰t Šo Št‰íoca« | 125 | The powerful desist from inflicting wrongs |
| IŠ cai÷fi« an cea‰t ’n-a ¥ea‰t ¢ei÷ Šui«te; | 126 | And justice enthroned where it belongs: |
| GeallaimŠe anoiŠ nᥠcliŠ ná coµa¥ta, | 127 | I promise now that no power nor lure, |
| Cai‰deaŠ MiŠŠ ná Pimp ’n-a coµ«alta | 128 | Nor the blandishments of pimp or whore |
| »iu¢alfaŠ t‰íd an dli³e Šeo ³nái÷ | 129 | Will undermine the dispensation |
| ’S a gcúi‰t ’n-a Šui«e ag an Šíol‰a¥ neaµ«a; | 130 | Of this tribunal for its duration; |
| Tá an ¥úi‰t Šeo ŠeaŠµa¥ feaŠta ’Šan ¢Fiacail, | 131 | The village of Feakle is where the court is sitting |
| Siu¢ailŠe, iŠ f‰eagai‰ í, cai÷fe tú t‰iall ann, | 132 | Go and attend it—you’ve got to get cracking |
| Siu¢ail gan tafann go tapa a‰ do ¹‰iacail, | 133 | Go quietly or at your peril dire |
| Siu¢ail! nó Št‰acfad Šan la÷ai³ im «iai« ÷ú!” | 134 | I’ll drag you there through the muck and mire. |
| Do ¢uail Ší c‰úca im ¥úl ’Šan ¥ába | 135 | With her crook she grabbed the hood of my cape |
| IŠ ³luaiŠ ¥um Šiu¢ail go lúba¥ láidi‰, | 136 | And off she dragged me with no escape |
| Sciob léi ŠíoŠ me t‰í Šna gleannta, | 137 | Down through the valleys I was propelled |
| Cnoc ´ánµaí iŠ go binn an teampaill. | 138 | To Moinmoy Hill church where the court was held. |
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Dei‰ea« leiŠ an mB‰olla¥ |
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End of the Prologue
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A‰ A³ai« go Cuid a Dó
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On To Part Two
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