Two men of art, they say, were with the sons
Of Míl—,—a poet and a harp player,
When Míl—, having taken Ireland, left
The land to his sons’ rule; the poet was
Cir, and fair Cendfind was the harp player.
The sons of Míl— for the kingship fought—
(Blithely, with merry sounds, the old poem says)
Eber and Eremon, the sons of Míl—
And when division of the land was made
They drew a lot for the two men of art.
With Eber who had won the Northern half
The Harper Cendfind went, and with Eremon
The Northerner, Cir the poet stayed;
And so, the old Book of the Conquests says,
The South has music and the North has lore.
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To you who are both of the North and South,
To you who have the music and the lore,
To you in whom Cir and Cendfind are met,
To you I bring the tale of poetry
Left by the sons of Eber and of Eremon.
A leabhráin, gabh amach fá’n saoghal,
Is do gach n-aon dá mbuaileann leat.
Aithris cruinn go maireann Gaedhil,
T’réis cleasa claon nan Gall ar fad.* |