Читать книгу The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúalnge - Anonymous - Страница 18

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W. 194. When Medb was come to the place where her druid was, she craved light and augury of him. "Many there be," saith Medb, "who do part with their kinsmen and friends here to-day, and from their homes and their lands, from father and from mother; and unless unscathed every one shall return, upon me will they cast their sighs and their ban, ¹for it is I that have assembled this levy.¹ Yet there goeth not forth nor stayeth there at home any dearer to me than are we to ourselves. And do thou discover for us whether we ourselves shall return, or whether we shall never return."

And the druid made answer, "Whoever comes not, thou thyself shalt come." ²"Wait, then," spake the charioteer," let me wheel the chariot by the right,^b that thus the power of a good omen may arise that we return again."² Then the charioteer wheeled his chariot round and Medb went back ³again,³ when she espied a thing that surprised her: A lone virgin ⁴of marriageable age⁴ standing on the hindpole of a chariot a little way off drawing nigh her. And thus the maiden appeared: Weaving lace was she, and in her right hand was a bordering rod of silvered W. 204. bronze with its seven strips of red gold at the sides. A many-spotted green mantle around her; a bulging, strong-headed pin ¹of gold¹ in the mantle over her bosom; ²a hooded tunic, with red interweaving, about her.² A ruddy, fair-faced countenance she had, ³narrow below and broad above.³ She had a blue-grey and laughing eye; ⁴each eye had three pupils.^{4 5}Dark and black were her eyebrows; the soft, black lashes threw a shadow to the middle of her cheeks.⁵ Red and thin were her lips. Shiny and pearly were her teeth; thou wouldst believe they were showers of white pearls that had rained into her head. Like to fresh Parthian crimson were her lips. As sweet as the strings of lutes ⁶when long sustained they are played by master players' hands⁶ was the melodious sound of her voice and her fair speech.

As white as snow in one night fallen was the sheen of her skin and her body that shone outside of her dress. Slender and very white were her feet; rosy, even, sharp-round nails she had; ⁷two sandals with golden buckles about them.⁷ Fair-yellow, long, golden hair she wore; three braids of hair ⁸she wore; two tresses were wound⁸ around her head; the other tress ⁹from behind⁹ threw a shadow down on her calves. ¹⁰The maiden carried arms, and two black horses were under her chariot.¹⁰

Medb gazed at her. "And what doest thou here now, O maiden?" asked Medb. "I impart ^*LL. fo. 56a. to thee thine advantage and good fortune in thy gathering and muster of the four mighty provinces of Erin against the land of Ulster on the Raid for the Kine of Cualnge." "Wherefore doest thou this for me?" asked Medb. "Much cause have I. A bondmaid 'mid thy people am I." "Who of W. 220. my people art thou ¹and what is thy name¹?" asked Medb. "Not hard, in sooth, to say. The prophetess Fedelm, from the Sid ('the Fairy Mound') of Cruachan, ²a poetess of Connacht² am I." ³"Whence comest thou?" asked Medb. "From Alba, after learning prophetic skill," the maiden made answer. "Hast thou the form of divination?"^b "Verily, have I," the maiden said.^{3 4}"Look, then, for me, how will my undertaking be." The maiden looked. Then spake Medb:—⁴

"Good now,