Then they played, sweet and sad was the playing,
Twelve of Ailill’s men died, as they heard;
It was Boand[FN#7] who foretold them that slaying,
And right well was accomplished her word.

[FN#7] Pronounced with sound of “owned.”

’Tis the three Chants of Child-Birth
Give names to those Three;
Of the Harp of the Dagda[FN#8]
The children they be.

[FN#8] The Dagda seems to have been the chief god of the old Celtic mythology.

To those harpers a fairy
Is mother, of yore
To that Harp, men call Child-Birth,
Queen Boand the three bore.

They are three noble brothers,
And well are they known;
They are kindly and gentle,
And tuneful of tone.

One is Joy-Song, one Sorrow’s,
One, “Song that gives Sleep,”
And the Harp’s strains, their father’s,
Remembered they keep.

For when Boand was at bearing,
Came Sorrow the first,
From the Harp, its strings tearing
With cry, Sorrow burst.

Then there came to her pleasure
For birth of a boy;
And a sweet smiling measure
The Harp played, ’twas Joy.

And she swooned in her anguish,
For hard the third birth: 
From the Harp, her pains soothing,
Sleep’s strain came on earth.

Then from Boand passed her slumber,
And, “Uaithne,"[FN#9] she cried,
Thy three sons, thou sharp Child-Birth,
I take to my side.

[FN#9] Pronounced something like Yew-ny.

Cows and women by Ailill
And Maev shall be slain;
For on these cometh Sorrow,
And Joy, and Sleep’s strain: 

Yea, and men, who these harpers,
Thy children, shall hear,
By their art to death stricken,
Shall perish in fear.”

Then the strains died away in the palace,
The last notes seemed to sink, and to cease: 
“It was stately,” said Fergus, “that music.” 
And on all came a silence, and peace.

Said Fraech, “The food divide ye! 
Come, bring ye here the meat!”
And down to earth sank Lothar,
On floor he set his feet;

He crouched, on haunches sitting,
The joints with sword he split;
On bones it fell unerring,
No dainty part he hit!

Though long with sword he hewed, and long
Was meat by men supplied,
His hand struck true; for never wrong
Would Lothar meat divide.

Three days at the chess had they played; three nights, as they sat at the game, had gone:  And they knew not the night for the sparkling light from the jewels of Fraech that shone; But to Maev turned Fraech, and he joyously cried, “I have conquered thee well at the chess!  Yet I claim not the stake at the chess-board’s side, lest thy palace’s wealth be less.”