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An draíocht mar chóras catha (Magic battle tactics) This extract comes from the Cath Maige Tuired (The Second Battle of Mag Tuired) the account of the epic battle between the Túatha Dé Danann and the Fomoire. Is ón dtéacs Cath Maige Tuired an cur síos seo ar an gcath idir na Túatha Dé Danann agus lucht Fomoire. |
| Then Lug
chanted the spell which follows, going round the men of
Ireland on one foot and with one eye closed... Lug and
Balor of the piercing eye met in the battle. The latter
had a destructive eye which was never opened except on a
battlefield. Four men would raise the lid of the eye by a
polished ring in its lid. The host which looked at that
eye, even if they were many thousands in number, would
offer no resistance to warriors... "Lift up the
eyelid, lad," said Balor, "so I may see the
talkative fellow who is conversing with me." The lid
was raised from Balor's eye. Then Lug cast a sling stone
at him which carried the eye through his head, and it was
his own host that looked at it... |
Conid and rocan Lug an cétal-so síos, for lethcois agus letsúil timchell fer n-Érenn... Imma-comairnic de Luc agus di Bolur Birugderc esin cath. Súil milldagach le suide. Ní horscailtie inn sóul acht i rroi catae namma. Cetrar turcbaud a malaig die shól conu drolum omlithi triena malaig. Slúoach do-n-éceud darsan sól, nín-géptis fri hócco, cie pidis lir ilmili... "Tócaib mo malaig, a gillr," al Balor, "co ndoécius an fer rescach fil ocum acallaim"... Tócauhar a malae dia deirc Baloir. Fucaird Luc ier sin liic talma dó, co ndechaid an súil triena cend. Conid a slúag bodessin derécacha. |
| From Cath
Maige Tuired (The Second Battle of Mag Tuired),
edited by Elizabeth A Gray (Volume LII in the Irish Texts Society main series.) |
