Chased by king for Etain’s sake,
Birds their flight from Teffa wing: 
’Tis for her Da-Arbre’s lake
Drowns the coursers of the king.

Echaid, who in Meath shall reign,
Many a war for thee shall wage;
He shall bring on fairies bane,
Thousands rouse to battle’s rage.

Etain here to harm was brought,
Etain’s form is Beauty’s test;
Etain’s king in love she sought: 
Etain with our folk shall rest!

[FN#8] The metre of these verses is that of the Irish.

And after that he had spoken thus, the young warrior went away from the place where the maidens were; and they knew not whence it was that he had come, nor whither he departed afterwards.  Moreover it is told of Mac O’c, that after the disappearance of Etain he came to the meeting appointed between him and Mider; and when he found that Fuamnach was away:  “’Tis deceit,” said Mider, “that this woman hath practised upon us; and if Etain shall be seen by her to be in Ireland, she will work evil upon Etain.”  “And indeed,” said Mac O’c, “it seemeth to me that thy guess may be true.  For Etain hath long since been in my own house, even in the palace where I dwell; moreover she is now in that shape into which that woman transformed her; and ’tis most likely that it is upon her that Fuamnach hath rushed.”  Then Mac O’c went back to his palace, and he found his bower of glass empty, for Etain was not there.  And Mac O’c turned him, and he went upon the track of Fuamnach, and he overtook her at Oenach Bodbgnai, in the house of Bressal Etarlam the Druid.  And Mac O’c attacked her, and he struck off her head, and he carried the head with him till he came to within his own borders.

Yet a different tale hath been told of the end of Fuamnach, for it hath been said that by the aid of Manannan both Fuamnach and Mider were slain in Bri Leith, and it is of that slaying that men have told when they said: 

Think on Sigmall, and Bri with its forest: 
Little wit silly Fuamnach had learned;
Mider’s wife found her need was the sorest,
When Bri Leith by Manannan was burned.

THE COURTSHIP OF ETAIN

EGERTON VERSION

Once there was a glorious and stately king who held the supreme lordship over all the land of Ireland.  The name of the king was Eochaid Airemm, and he was the son of Finn, who was the son of Finntan; who was the son of Rogan the Red; who was the son of Essamain; who was the son of Blathecht; who was the son of Beothecht; who was the son of Labraid the Tracker; who was the son of Enna the Swift; who was the son of Angus of Tara, called the Shamefaced; who was the son of Eochaid the Broad-jointed; who was the son of Ailill of the Twisted Teeth; who was the son of Connla the Fair; who was the son of Irer; who was the son of Melghe the Praiseworthy; who was the son of Cobhtach the Slender from the plain of Breg; who was the son of Ugaine the Great; who was the son of Eochaid the Victorious.