He catches it up in the air again, so that it falls on the head of the other man, and the first man catches it in his hand, and it divided not a ringlet nor the skin of the head of either of them, and these two men did not perceive it.  Two brown, rich-hued, bright-faced youths; reddish-grey mantles around them; white-silver brooches in their mantles over their breasts; a bright-hilted sword under their waists; purple sandals they wore; as sweet as strings of lutes when long sustained in players’ hands was the voice and song of one of the men, so that enough of delight it was to the host to listen to the sound of his voice.  Worthy of a king or of a prince was each man in that company as regards apparel and appearance; thou wouldst think, at the sight of them, they were all kings.  Neither spears nor swords do they bear, but their servants bear them.”

    [12-12] The following passage extending to page 337 is not found in
    LL. owing to the loss of a leaf.  It is translated here from Stowe with
    the help of H. 1. 13 and Add. 18,748.

“An over-proud body is that,” quoth Ailill; “and who may they be, O Fergus?” he asked.  “I know full well,” [W.5466.] replied Fergus; “the poets of Ulster are they, with that Fercerdne the fair, much-gifted, whom thou sawest, even the learned master of Ulster, Fercerdne.  ’Tis before him that the lakes and rivers sink when he upbraids, and they swell up high when he applauds.  The two others thou sawest are Athirne the chief poet, whom none can deny, and Ailill Miltenga (’Honey-tongue’) son of Carba; and he is called Ailill ‘Honey-tongue’ for that as sweet as honey are the words of wisdom that fall from him.”

“There came yet another company to the mound in Slane of Meath,” said macRoth.  “A most terrible, dreadful sight to behold them.  Blue and pied and green, purple, grey and white and black mantles; a kingly, white-grey, broad-eyed hero in the van of that company; wavy, grizzled hair upon him; a blue-purple cloak about him; a leaf-shaped brooch with ornamentation of gold in the cloak over his breast; a shield, stoutly braced with buckles of red copper; yellow sandals he wore; a large, strange-fashioned sword along his shoulder.  Two curly-haired, white-faced youths close by him, wearing green cloaks and purple sandals and blue tunics, and with brown shields fitted with hooks, in their hands; white-hilted swords with silvered bronze ornaments they bore; a broad, somewhat light countenance had one of them.  One of these cunning men raises his glance to heaven and scans the clouds of the sky and bears their answer to the marvellous troop that is with him.  They all lift their eyes on high and watch the clouds and work their spells against the elements, so that the elements fall to warring with each other, till they discharge rain-clouds of fire downwards on the camp and entrenchments of the men of Erin.”