Here Now The Deer-Stalking of Amargin in Taltiu

This Amargin was the son of Cass who was son of Bacc who was son of Ross Ruad ('the Red') who was son of Rudraige. He came upon the warriors going over Taltiu westward, and he made them turn before him over Taltiu northwards. And he put his left elbow under him in Taltiu. And his people furnished him with rocks and boulders and great clumps of earth, and he began to pelt the men of Erin till the end of three days and three nights.

The adventures of Curoi son of Darè follow now.

He was told that a single man was checking and stopping four of the five grand provinces of Erin from Monday at Summer's end till the beginning of Spring. And he felt it unworthy of himself and he deemed it too long that his people were without him. And it was then he set out to the host to fight and contend with Cuchulain. And when he was come to the place where Cuchulain was, he saw Cuchulain there moaning, full of wounds and pierced through with holes, and he felt it would not be honourable nor fair to fight and contend with him after the combat with Ferdiad. Because it would be said it was not that Cuchulain died of the sores and wounds which he would give him so much as of the wounds which Ferdiad had inflicted on him in the conflict before. Be that as it might, Cuchulain offered to engage with him in battle and combat.

Thereupon Curoi set forth for to seek the men of Erin and, when he was near at hand, he espied Amargin there and his left elbow under him to the west of Taltiu. Curoi reached the men of Erin from the north. His people equipped him with rocks and boulders and great clumps, and he began to hurl them right over against Amargin, so that Badb's battle-stones collided in the clouds and in the air high above them, and every rock of them was shivered into an hundred stones.

"By the truth of thy valour, O Curoi," cried Medb, "desist from thy throwing, for no real succour nor help comes to us therefrom, but ill is the succour and help that thence come to us." "I pledge my word," cried Curoi, "I will not cease till the very day of doom and of life, till first Amargin cease!" "I will cease," said Amargin; "and do thou engage that thou wilt no more come to succour or give aid to the men of Erin." Curoi consented to that and went his way to return to his land and people.

About this time the hosts went past Taltiu westwards. "It is not this was enjoined upon me," quoth Amargin: "never again to cast at the hosts." And he went to the west of them and he turned them before him north-eastwards past Taltiu. And he began to pelt them for a long while and time.

Then it was also that the men of Erin said it would be no disgrace for Amargin to leave the camp and quarters, and that the hosts would retire a day's march back to the north again, there to stop and stay, and for him to quit his feats of arms upon the hosts until such time as he would meet them on the day of the great battle when the four grand provinces of Erin would encounter at Garech and Ilgarech in the battle of the Raid for the Kine of Cualnge. Amargin accepted that offer, and the hosts proceeded a day's march back to the northwards again. Wherefore the 'Deer-stalking' of Amargin in Taltiu the name of this tale.

Oisligi Amargin i Taltin and-so annossa.

Amairgin é-side mac Caiss meic Baicc meic Rosa Ruaid meic Rudraigi. Ruc-saide bar na sluagaib ac techt dar Taltin síar, acus imsóe reme dar Taltin sathuáid íat. Acus tuc a ulli chlé faé i Taltin. Acus ra ecratar amunter é de chlochaib & chorthib & táthleccaib móra. Acus ra gab ac diburgun fer n-hErend co cend teora lá & teora n-aidche.

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Imthúsa Chonruí meic Dáire sund innossa.

Racuas dó-saide oenfer ac fostod & ac immfuirech chethri n-ollchuiced hErend o luán taite samna co taite n-imboilg. Acus ba dimbág laisium anísein & ba rochían leis batar a munter na écmais, & tanic reme do chomlund & do chomruc ra Coinculaind. Acus and úair ránic-sium go airm i m-bái Cuchulaind, ra chonnaic-sium Coinculaind and caíntech crechtach treachta, & niromiad & niro maiss leisium comlund na chomrac do dénam riss, aithle chomraic Fir diad, ar bith ar na bad mó bud marb Cuchulaind dina cnedaib & dina créchtaib dorat Fer diad fair inn uair reime. Acus gided tarcid Cuchulaind do-som comrac & comlund do denam ris-seom.

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Tánic Cúrúi reime assa aithle d'indsaigid fer n-hErend , acus and úair ránic-sium atchondairc-sium Amairgin and & a uille chlé faé ri Taltin aníar. Tanic Cu rúi ri feraib hErend atúaid. Ra ecratar a munter é de chlochaib & chorthib &tathleccaib móra. Acus ra gab ac díburgun [i n-]agid i n-agid, .i. i n-agid Amargin combofrecraitis na bairendlecca bodba innélaib & i n-áeraib úasu, co n-denad chét cloch di cach oen chloich díb.

Ar fír do gascid fritt a Chú rúi, ar Medb, scuir dún diburgun, dáig ni furtacht ná fórithin tic dún de acht is mífurtacht tic dún de. Tiur-sa bréthir, bar Cú rúi, na scuriub-sa co brunni brátha & betha, co ro scuirea Amargin. Scoirfet-sa , bar Amargin, & geib-siu fort na ticfa d'fortacht na d'fórithin fer n-hErend ní bas mó. Faemais Cú rúi aní sein. Acus tánic Cú rúi reme d'indsaigid a chríche & a muntire.

Rancatar dar Taltin siar risin re sin. Ni hed ra nasced, bar Amargin, itir gan na sluaig do diburgun aris. Acus tánic riu aniar & imsoe reme dar Taltin sairtúaid iat. Acus ra gab gá n-díburgun ra ré cían & ra reimes fata .

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Is and-sain dana ra ráidsetar fir hErend na bad athis d'Amargin dunad & longphort d'falmugud dó & na slúaig do thecht uide 1á for cúlu fa thuaid doridisi da fostud & da n-imfuirech & a gním gascid do scur dona sluagaib, ar co tissed chuccu do ló in mórchatha airm condricfaitis cethri ollchoiceda hErend for Gárig & Ilgarig i cath tanad bó Cualnge. Faemais Amargin aní sin. Acus lotar na slúaig uide 1á for cúlu fa thúaid doridisi. Conid Ossligi Amargin i Taltin and-sain.