“An army will come over the clear sea, rowing to the stone that is in sight, that a hundred sounds of music come from.

“It sings a song to the army; it is not sad through the length of time; it increases music with hundreds singing together; they do not look for death or the ebb-tide.

“There are three times fifty far islands in the ocean to the west of us, and every one of them twice or three times more than Ireland.

“It is not to all of you I am speaking, though I have made all these wonders known.  Let Bran listen from the crowd of the world to all the wisdom that has been told him.

“Do not fall upon a bed of sloth; do not be overcome by drunkenness; set out on your voyage over the clear sea, and you may chance to come to the Land of Women.”

With that the woman went from them, and they did not know where she went.  And she brought away her branch with her, for it leaped into her hand from Bran’s hand, and he had not the strength to hold it.

Then on the morrow Bran set out upon the sea, and three companies of nine along with him; and one of his foster-brothers and comrades was set over each company of nine.

And when they had been rowing for two days and two nights, they saw a man coming towards them in a chariot, over the sea.  And the man made himself known to them, and he said that he was Manannan, son of Lir.

And then Manannan spoke to him in a song, and it is what he said: 

“It is what Bran thinks, he is going in his curragh over the wonderful, beautiful clear sea; but to me, from far off in my chariot, it is a flowery plain he is riding on.

“What is a clear sea to the good boat Bran is in, is a happy plain with many flowers to me in my two-wheeled chariot.

“It is what Bran sees, many waves beating across the clear sea; it is what I myself see, red flowers without any fault.

“The sea-horses are bright in summer-time, as far as Bran’s eyes can reach; there is a wood of beautiful acorns under the head of your little boat.

“A wood with blossom and with fruit, that has the smell of wine; a wood without fault, without withering, with leaves of the colour of gold.

“Let Bran row on steadily, it is not far to the Land of Women; before the setting of the sun you will reach Emhain, of many-coloured hospitality.”

With that Bran went from him; and after a while he saw an island, and he rowed around it, and there was a crowd on it, wondering at them, and laughing; and they were all looking at Bran and at his people, but they would not stop to talk with them, but went on giving out gusts of laughter.  Bran put one of his men on the island then, but he joined with the others, and began to stare the same way as the men of the island.  And Bran went on rowing round about the island; and whenever they went past his own man, his comrades would speak to him, but he would not answer them, but would only stare and wonder at them.  So they went away and left him on that island that is called the Island of Joy.