They hang up their arms in that house, and they sit, and welcome is made to them.

“Welcome to you,” say Ailill and Medb.  “It is that we have come for,” says Fraech.  “It shall not be a journey for boasting[FN#24] this,” says Medb, and Ailill and Medb arrange the chess-board after that.  Fraech then takes to the playing of chess with a man of their (?) people.

[FN#24] This is the rendering in the Yellow Book of Lecan, considered by Meyer to be the true reading.  The Book of Leinster text gives “aig-baig,” a word of doubtful meaning.  The Eg.  Ms. has also a doubtful word.

It was a beauty of a chess-board.  A board of findruine in it with four ears[FN#25] and edges of gold.  A candle of precious stones at illuminating for them.  Gold and silver the figures that were upon the table.  “Prepare ye food for the warriors,” said Ailill.  “Not it is my desire,” said Medb, but to go to the chess yonder against Fraech.”  “Get to it, I am pleased,” said Ailill, and they play the chess then, and Fraech.

[FN#25] The “ears” were apparently handles shaped like ears.  The same word is used for the rings in the cloaks, line 33 above.

His people were meanwhile at cooking the wild animals.  “Let thy harpers play for us,” says Ailill to Fraech.  “Let them play indeed!” says Fraech.  A harp-bag[FN#26] of the skins of otters about them with their adornment of ruby (or coral), beneath their adornment of gold and silver.

[FN#26] Meyer translates this:  “the concave part of the harp.”

It is from the music which Uaithne, the Dagda’s harp, played that the three are named.  The time the woman was at the bearing of children it had a cry of sorrow with the soreness of the pangs at first:  it was smile and joy it played in the middle for the pleasure of bringing forth the two sons:  it was a sleep of soothingness played the last son, on account of the heaviness of the birth, so that it is from him that the third of the music has been named.

Boand awoke afterwards out of the sleep.  “I accept,” she says, “thy three sons O Uaithne of full ardour, since there is Suan-traide and Gen-traide, and Gol-traide on cows and women who shall fall by Medb and Ailill, men who shall perish by the hearing of art from them.”

They cease from playing after that in the palace:  “It is stately it has come,” says Fergus.  “Divide ye to us,” says Fraech to his people, “the food, bring ye it into the house.”  Lothur went on the floor of the house:  he divides to them the food.  On his haunches he used to divide each joint with his sword, and he used not to touch the food part:  since he commenced dividing, he never hacked the meat beneath his hand.

They were three days and three nights at the playing of the chess on account of the abundance of the precious stones in the household of Fraech.  After that Fraech addressed Medb.  “It is well I have played against thee (i.e. have beaten thee),” he says, “I take not away thy stake from the chess-board that there be not a decay of hospitality for thee in it.”