[1.]<L>a ȝay deacha finn mo rayth di helg er sleyv<i> n<y> b< > ⎡<f>nn⎤ T<re> meillich waytew ny wayn̄ ne ȝeaat skaew<i> vas i<n> g< >
[2.]Ossin is binn lwmmi di ȝloyr ba’nicht fois er a’myn̄ finn Agis Innis gay wayd feyg hwtti er sleyvi ny ban finn
[3.]Ga mor lewe crachamir sloe er ne i’ deacha voywe <ne i’> ⎡<sp>l<ey>⎤ Di hutti er sleyve ny ban finn di ȝeyich lay <f>in nyt wl<ey>
[4.]Innis doyf royt gi skayle ba’nit er a waill gin ȝoyth a beyig eaddit no erm'mi a doll leiwe a helg gi looyt
[5.]Di weich eaddit agis ermmi a doll linni a helg mir <sen> ni weicht feanee ȝeiwe ym / ȝoe / gin leynich royll <is ii h n>
[6.]Gin chottone schee schaiwe / gi’ lwryt sparri ȝeyr ȝlyn Gin che’nwart cloot di chorrit si ȝai ley in norn̄ gi f<i>r
[7.]Gin skay noynyt wairryt boye gin lanni chroye re skoltyt ⎡kenni⎤ a nearryt in doytin fa<y>n̄ scheat / <n>e royet nat bi ȝ<e>r no finn
[8.]Is schea / a barri e’nicht is awge ne ȝeat law vas a <ch n> Doll is dastill a choyn ȝill gi aggin er f<e>rri mi<r> Inn
[9.]Cath eggir a choymir schear a helg er sleyve ni ban fi<nn> A phatrik oyd chinni ni glair di balin grayn vas ir g<unn>
[10.]Noyr a hwyt finni ir gonni / di bimmi soirri & schea<r> Gow gyir o chnok gow knok / a moskleit hork & fe<y>
[11.]Di weich finni & brann / nane swe selli er in tleyw<e> git fer rewe in nayd halg / no gir eirryt kelga ni <w >
[12.]Di legimir tre m cowe a barri lowe syt w<a> gi garg warwe gi kow<e> ȝewe sin da eyg soll< > fane deach < >
<a>ylli n<a> h<ard>
MS p. 64:
[13.]Di hwtti vi meill feyg bar / er a ȝlann di weit fane tleyw<e> A hagws eyg & arbe ne ȝarni selgi mir sen reywe
[14.]Gir bee derri ir selgi hear / a ċlairre oyd ni glair is ni glok deach cayd kow fa lawre oyr hutti’ fa <r>on̄e x c tork
[15.]Di huttidir ly’ni ni twrk a roynit ni hwlg (<m>) er i’ lerga Mir a weyg ir la’nich is ir lawe di verdeis air er i’ telga
[16.]A phadrik ni baichill fear a wakka tow hear no horri selg i’ ley raid lin a waynow fin be woyt no sen̄
[17.]Ach sen selga a ronyt finn vcalpin ni mynni blayt G< >ar ni goyllane ansi cheille gi bi winni lwm
ane lay Lay ȝa deat
[18.]Di bimmi leich fullit fair / er mvollit hair sleyve crot gan ach eyle a chonni na lawe er in tleyve o air nyn
dtorkg
Restored text:
Auc<tor huius> Oisēan
1.“<L>á dhá deachaidh Fionn mo thriath do shealg air Sliabh na <Ban Fionn>, trí míle mhaithibh na bhFian, ní dheach[aidh] sgiamh uas <an> <gcionn>.”(4)
2.“Oisēin, is binn liom do ghlór – beannacht fós air anmain F[h]inn – agus innis gá mheud fiadh [a] thuit air Sliabh na Ban Fionn.”(8)
3.“Gē mór leibh <creacha ar> sluaigh <air nan> deachaidh bhuaibh <ni ’n spleadh> do thuit air Sliabh na Ban Fionn do dh’fhiadhach lé Fionn na <bhfleadh>.”(12)
4.“Innis domh roimhe ga[ch] sgéal – beannacht air <do> bhéal gan ghó; a bhiodh <éideadh> nō airm a’ dol leibh a shealg ga[ch] ló?”(16)
5.“Do bhíodh <éideadh> agus airm a’ dol linn a shealg mar <soin>; ní bhíodh féinnidh dhíobh am dhóigh gan léinidh shróill <is ii choin>;(20)
6.“Gan chotún síthe séimh, gan lúirigh <sparrtha> ghéir ghloin, gan cheinnbheirt <c[h]loch[dha] dā chóir> ’s a dhá shleigh a ndorn ga[ch] fir;(24)
8.“Is é a b’fhearr eineach is ágh, ní dheach[aidh] lámh uas a chionn; dol an dtaisteal a’ chuain ghil <ga[n]> fhaicinn air <fir> mar Fhionn.(32)
9.“Cath eagair a chuadhmar siar a shealg air Sliabh na Ban Fionn; a Phádraig, oid[e] chinn na gcliar, do b’álainn grian uas ar <gcionn>.(36)
10.“Nuair a shuidheadh Fionn ar gcoin, do b’iomadh soir & siar guth gadhair ō chnoc go cnoc a’ mosgladh thorc & <fiadh>.(40)
11.“Do bhíodh Fionn & Bran ’nan suidhe seal air an t-sliabh, gach fear dhíobh a n-áit[e] shealg nō gur éirigh cealg <na bhfiadh>.(44)
12.“Do lēigeamar trí m[íle] cú a b’fhearr lúth ’s a bh<a> go garg; mharbh ga[ch] cú dhíobh sin dá fhiadh <sul> fán deach<aidh> iall ’na <h-aird>.(48)
13.“Do thuit vi míl[e] fiadh barr air a’ ghleann do bhí fán t-sliabh, a h-éagmhais agh & earb; ní dhearnadh sealg mar sin riamh.(52)
14.“Gur b’<é> deireadh ar seilge shiar, a chléirigh oid[e] na gcliar is na gclog, deich céad cú fā shlabhraidh óir thuiteam fā <shróin> x c[éad] torc.(56)
15.“Do thuiteadar leinn na tuirc a rinne na h-uilc air an leirg; mura bheith ar lanna is ar lámh do bhéardaois ár air an t-seilg.(60)
16.“A Phádraig na bachall fiar, a bhfaca tú shiar nō shoir sealg aon laoi réd linn a bhFianaibh Finn bu mhó nā soin?(64)
17.“Ach sin sealg a rinne Fionn, [a] Mhic Alpainn na mionn bláth.” “Gáir na gceólān anns a’ chill gu bu bhinne liom aon lá!”(68)
Lá dhā deach[aidh]
18.Do b’iomadh laoch fuileach fiar air mullach shiar Sléibhe Crot, gan ach iall a choin ’na láimh air an t-sliabh ō ár nan dtorc.(72)
Translation:
1. “One day when Fionn my lord went to hunt on Sliabh na mBan bhFionn, he was with three thousand nobles of the Fiana, who were unsurpassed in splendour.”
2. “Oiséan, I love the sound of your voice – a blessing on Fionn’s soul too – and tell me how many deer fell on Sliabh na mBan bhFionn.”
3. “Although you may think that the spoils of our host are great, [I swear] by the number that did not escape from you that there is no exaggeration in the amount of prey which fell on Sliabh na mBan bhFionn by the hand of Fionn of the feasts.”
4. “Tell me in order all the tales – a blessing on your guileless mouth; did you take battle-dress or arms with you each day when you went hunting?”
5. “We carried battle-dress and arms whenever we went hunting in that manner; I believe there was no warrior in the band without a satin shirt and two hounds;
6. “Without a wondrous smooth aketon and a clinched mailcoat sharp and bright, a jewelled bascinet in his possession, and his two spears in each man’s hand;
7. “Without a green conquering shield and a hard sword for splitting heads; if you searched the world man by man, you would not have found anyone better than Fionn.
8. “He was the noblest and the bravest; never was he overpowered; one might voyage over all the bright sea without setting eyes on a man like Fionn.
9. “As a well-arranged battalion we set out westwards to hunt on Sliabh na mBan bhFionn. O Patrick, teacher and head of the clergy, the sun was lovely above our heads.
10. “When Fionn would put our hounds in position, the voices of dogs were plentiful to east and west as they roused boar and deer from hill to hill.
11. “Fionn and Bran would be a while seated on the mountain; every man in the band would stay in his hunting position until the deer’s bristles rose.
12. “We unleashed three thousand hounds which were fierce and of surpassing energy; every one of these killed two deer some time before the leashes were replaced in their collars.
13. “Six thousand horned deer fell in the valley beneath the mountain, not counting hinds and does; such a great hunt had never been held before.
14. “The outcome of our hunt in the west, O cleric and bell-adorned teacher of the clergy, was that ten hundred gold-chained hounds were slain by the snouts of ten hundred boars.
15. “The boars which did the evil deeds fell by our hand on the slope; had it not been for our blades and our valour, they would have made slaughter of the hunting-party.
16. “O Patrick of the crooked croziers, have you ever in you time seen, in west or east, a single day’s hunting among Fionn’s Fiana which was greater than that?
17. “But that is the tale of the hunt held by Fionn, O son of Alpin of the bright halidoms.” “The cry of the bells in the church would be far sweeter to me any day!”
18. There were many blood-stained warriors lying bent-over on the western summit of Sliabh gCrot with only the leashes of their hounds in their hands, following their slaughter by the boars on the mountain.
