They had tunics of purple,
With green were they crowned;
On their wrists glistened silver,
Where brooches were bound.

And there neared them a herald
To learn why they wailed;
“’Tis for Fraech,” was their answer,
“By sickness assailed;

’Tis for Fraech, son of Idath,[FN#29]
Boy-darling is he
Of our lord, who in Erin
Is king of the Shee!"[FN#30]

And Fraech heard the wail in their cry;

[FN#29] Pronounced Eeda.

[FN#30] The Fairies.

“Lift me out of it,” he says to his people; “this is the cry of my mother and of the women of Boand.”  He is lifted out at this, and he is brought to them.  The women come around him, and bring him from them to the Sid of Cruachan (i.e. the deep caverns, used for burial at Cruachan).

They saw something, at the ninth hour on the morrow he comes, and fifty women around him, and he quite whole, without stain and without blemish; of equal age (the women), of equal form, of equal beauty, of equal fairness, of equal symmetry, of equal stature, with the dress of women of the fairies about them so that there was no means of knowing of one beyond the other of them.  Little but men were suffocated around them.  They separate in front of the Liss.[FN#31] They give forth their lament on going from him, so that they troubled[FN#32] the men who were in the Liss excessively.  It is from it is the Lament-cry of the Women of the Fairies with the musicians of Erin.

[FN#31] The Liss is the outer court of the palace.

[FN#32] “Oo corastar tar cend,” “so that they upset, or put beside themselves.”  Meyer takes literally, “so that they fell on their backs” (?)

He then goes into the dun.  All the hosts rise before him, and bid welcome to him, as if it were from another world he were coming.

Ailill and Medb arise, and do penance to him for the attack they had made at him, and they make peace.  Feasting commenced with them then at once.  Fraech calls a servant of his suite: 

“Go off,” he says, “to the spot at which I went into the water.  A salmon I left there—­bring it to Find-abair, and let herself take charge over it; and let the salmon be well broiled by her, and the ring is in the centre of the salmon.  I expect it will be asked of her to-night.”  Inebriety seizes them, and music and amusement delight them.  Ailill then said:  “Bring ye all my gems to me.”  They were brought to him then, so that the were before him.  “Wonderful, wonderful,” says every one.  “Call ye Find-abair to me,” he says.  Find-abair goes to him, and fifty maidens around her.  “O daughter,” says Ailill, “the ring I gave to thee last year, does it remain with thee?  Bring it to me that the warriors may see it.  Thou shalt have it afterwards.”  “I do not know,” she says, “what has been done about it.”  “Ascertain then,” says Ailill, “it must be sought, or thy soul must depart from thy body.”