’I am all alone before flocks;
I get them not, I let them not go;
I am alone at cold hours (?)
Before many peoples.

’Let some one say to Conchobar
Though he should come to me it were not too soon;
Magu’s sons have carried off their kine
And divided them among them.

’There may be strife about one head
Only that one tree blazes not;
If there were two or three
Their brands would blaze. [Note:  Meaning not clear.]

’The men have almost worn me out
By reason of the number of single combats;
I cannot work the slaughter (?) of glorious warriors
As I am all alone. 

                            I am all alone.’

***

It is there then that Cuchulainn did to the Morrigan the three things that he had promised her in the Tain Bo Regamna [Note:  One of the introductory stories to the Tain Bo Cuailnge, printed with translation in Irische Texte, 2nd series.]; and he fights Loch in the ford with the gae-bolga, which the charioteer threw him along the stream.  He attacked him with it, so that it went into his body’s armour, for Loch had a horn-skin in fighting with a man.

‘Give way to me,’ said Loch.  Cuchulainn gave way, so that it was on the other side that Loch fell.  Hence is Ath Traiged in Tir Mor.  Cuchulainn cut off his head then.

Then fair-play was broken with him that day when five men came against him at one time; i.e. two Cruaids, two Calads, Derothor; Cuchulainn killed them by himself.  Hence is Coicsius Focherda, and Coicer Oengoirt; or it is fifteen days that Cuchulainn was in Focherd, and hence is Coicsius Focherda in the Foray.

Cuchulainn hurled at them from Delga, so that not a living thing, man or beast, could put its head past him southwards between Delga and the sea.

The Healing of the Morrigan

When Cuchulainn was in this great weariness, the Morrigan met him in the form of an old hag, and she blind and lame, milking a cow with three teats, and he asked her for a drink.  She gave him milk from a teat.

‘He will be whole who has brought it(?),’ said Cuchulainn; ’the blessings of gods and non-gods on you,’ said he. (Gods with them were the Mighty Folk [Note:  i.e. the dwellers in the Sid.  The words in brackets are a gloss incorporated in the text.]; non-gods the people of husbandry.)

Then her head was healed so that it was whole.

She gave the milk of the second teat, and her eye was whole; and gave the milk of the third teat, and her leg was whole.  So that this was what he said about each thing of them, ’A doom of blessing on you,’ said he.

‘You told me,’ said the Morrigan, ’I should not have healing from you for ever.’

‘If I had known it was you,’ said Cuchulainn, ’I would not have healed you ever.’