THE PLAIN OF THE BOYNE I. original: BRUG NA BÓINDE I. The "Brug" (modern Brú) refers to the Great Mound of Newgrange and the surrounding ritual landscape.

CINÁED UA HARTACÁN composed this. original: cecinit

Splendid is this, O plain of the Son of the Young! The "Son of the Young" is Aengus Mac ind Óc, a god of the Tuatha Dé Danann associated with Newgrange.
Wide is your road, traveled by hundreds;
You have covered many a true prince
of the kindred of every king that surrounds you.

Every noble wonder has adorned you, 5
O bright and pure plain, with scores of hosts;
O grassy land, rich in wagons and keen of sight,
O land of birds, of islands, and of ancient graves. original: n-úag. The "land of islands" may refer to the bends and islands in the River Boyne.

The house of the Son of the Young stands above your stronghold, 10
A royal ground of fair hospitality;
Indeed, over your dark waters, they offer
hostages from the fairy mounds original: sídib of Ireland within it.

Pharaoh's daughter This likely refers to Scota, the legendary Egyptian ancestor of the Irish people. lies upon your fierce ground;
A fair noble, she was a praiseworthy crown. 15
Over her, that tower yonder was raised;
Not meager is the song of praise above her head.

I see the white pool of Féic of the Warriors original: Féic na Fían; a famous pool on the Boyne near Slane where the "Salmon of Knowledge" was said to be caught.
To your west—no small feat of skill—
Until the day of judgment—a powerful boast— 20
It shall remain in the hollow of the king’s fortress.

A couple used to sleep here
After the battle of Mag Tuired Moytura, the site of a Great Mythological battle between the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomorians. over there:
The Great Woman The "Great Woman" is often identified as the Morrígan, or perhaps Boann, the goddess of the river. and the noble Dagda;
Their dwelling place there is easy to recognize.

The following notes refer to variations in the original medieval Irish manuscripts: L (Book of Leinster), U (Lebor na hUidre), R (Rawlinson), B (Book of Ballymote), M (Book of Lecan), S (Stowe), H (Trinity College Dublin), and V.

1. a] in B. plain original: maig] hostel/mound original: bruigh SM. 2. your original: do] in H; from M.
tracks original: rethaib] LUB; ranks original: srethaib others. hundreds original: cét] LU; path/treasure original: sét others. 3. you have covered original: forolgais] LU; you have granted original: dalais
M; you have cast from you original: rolais dit others. true princes original: flathe fír] LU; warriors in truth original: fian iar fir RBMSS3; warriors with truth original: fian co fir HS2V.
4. every original: cech] LU; the S2; great others. surrounds you original: immotrét] V; mótret LU; imotréd RBSS2S3;
imatret H; rigatred M. 5. adorned you original: Rotbrecai] LU; you have taken original: dogabais S2; you have taken original: rogabais others.
every original: cach] LU; great others. scores original: fichtib] fithib R; fitib H. 7. grassy land, rich in wagons original: férach fénach] LU; root-filled, grassy original: fremach ferach others. 8. ancient/perfect original: n-úag] LU; cold original: n-úar others. 9-12] Found in LU
only. 13. Pharaoh's original: Foraind] Araind LU. upon the ground original: fort lár] LU; fair on the ground original: cain ar S2; on the ground original: ar lár others.