THE FORT OF ESA original: RATH ESA

Nine years were spent at that siege;

its speed was not very great.

Midir was at that delay,

ruining the work.

After the destruction of that fairy mound,

there came fifty steadfast men—

that group was handsome in form—

to speak with the spear-wielding kings.

There were brought there on a Wednesday

(it was a famous story I heard)<\-
35
->to Eochaid, in the shape of Étaín,

three times fifty women original: tri cóicait ban, a powerful excellence.

It was from those women that he chose

his own truly-pure daughter In the legend, Midir tricks Eochaid into choosing his own daughter, thinking she is his wife Étaín;

what he boasted of was a lie,

so that was the meeting upon which he settled.

It was she who bore Meiss Buachalla,

the mother of the companionable Conaire Conaire Mór, a legendary High King of Ireland;

it was a harsh, fierce meeting:

she was reared among the noble people of Éber original: slúag n-Ébir; a poetic name for the Irish.

When Eochaid went again

to destroy the full Brí Léith,

he took his wife after regaining her

from Midir—a feat of splendor.

It was then that he demanded

his honor-price original: eneclaind; the legal compensation due to a person under Irish law based on their status from Midir—

the righteous, fair, and strong Eochaid—

and he carried it off after a legal judgment.

25. 'con] don YHS₂. 26. a hoibne] her speed L; her work (with n written above) MS₃. dolaim] delay L; delay, etc. RB; delay S; dismissal/refusal [other versions]. 28. na hoipre] of the work, etc. RBS₃. 30. fuilngech] steadfast, etc., LYS₂; patient M. 31. delbda] shapely, etc. RM; daring, etc. YS₂S. 33. tuctha] were brought M; was given S. and] omitted in LRB. 36. cóicait] fifty L; twenty [other versions]. 37. díb] of them L; there [other versions]. doróega] he chose YS₃; he shall choose H; he chose S₂. 39. aní] the thing L; that thing S. ro máide] L; he boasted H; he boasts Y; he boasts S₂; he boasted M; he was boasted S₃; he was boasted S; he boasted R; he boasted B. 40. conid] so that it is, etc. YSS₃H. si] L; she/it, etc.