Naoise: Deirdre's Love, Great Hero, Hunter, Singer
Naoise, the husband of fair DeirdreOver whom kings and lords fought to catastrophe.Deirdre, she was as courageously determinedAs Naoise was beautiful and sweet-voiced.Naoise would not be a great warrior, a hero,If he was not masterly on the harp, inPoetry, at fidhcheall, skilled. Music andPoetry are close kin, and he had a song in his heart.Naoise, a great, valiant warrior and hunter,He composed as a harper, singing sweetlyBeautiful music that the fairest of all IrelandHerself heard: Deirdre of the sorrows of UlsterJust of marriageable age and a bad prophecy on her,She would be married to king Conchobhar soon;The aging, foul-tempered king disgusted the maiden,Determined that Life would be her own.For months, Deirdre saw, in visions,A handsome young warrior of raven hair, ofSnowy complexion, cheeks as red asBlood, a great fearless champion in battleNaoise matched the exact description of thoseVery visions of courageous Deirdre;A sincere maiden enamored of him, she wantedThem to live out their days with each otherAnd faithful Leabharcham, her nurse who helped herBeloved foster-daughter; Deirdre escaped and slippedAway one lovely day in springtime and sheHeard the harp and a very beautiful masculine voice.She followed his singing to the edge of the forest,Already smitten with his fine form, his singingEnchanted Deirdre and she knewThat she was in love with him, that valiant heroShe beheld him there, tall and muscled, a fine blackBeard, powerful shoulders and arms andFingers plucking each string of his harpAnd singing beautifully, better than her visions.His cornflower eyes saw her greyish-green eyes of the sea,Her flowing tresses of honey, her cheeks ofFoxglove, her tall elegant form, and her determination;She saw a beautiful, sweet-voiced, valiant man.They teased each other, “two earsOf mockery and shame” if he would leave her,But they knew that they desired thatThey would live out their days together foreverWith Naoise’s two loyal brothers,The young couple fled, finding refuge inScotland, living happily togetherUntil Conchobhar found their hiding-place.As fair as Deirdre was, as valiantAs Naoise was, they shared the two qualities;She would rather be the wife ofA fine young hero than the toy of a tyrantNaoise Mac Uisnich, ‘na Sheòd ‘s Shealgair ‘s Òranaicheˆ--ˆ-ˆ--ˆ-ˆ-ˆ-ˆ--ˆ--ˆ--ˆ--ˆ-ˆ-ˆ-ˆ-ˆ--ˆ--Naoise, ‘na chéile Dhèirdre mhaisich ˆ--ˆ-ˆ--ˆ-Thar a chog rìgh ‘s tighearna chun mharbhphaisg. ˆ-ˆ-ˆ--ˆ--Dèirdre, b’ise cho chridheil dhaingeann ˆ--ˆ--ˆ-ˆ-‘S gum bu Naoise àlainn ‘s binn-ghuthach ˆ-ˆ-ˆ--ˆ--Cha bhitheamh Naoise ‘na ghaisgeach mór, sheòd,Mura robh e ealant’ air clàrsach, sa’Bhàrdachd, le fidhcheall, ealant’. Tha ceòl‘S bàrdachd dlùth ‘n dàimh, ‘s ruith guth bhinn tro chluaiseanNaoise, ‘na ghaisgeach ‘s shealgair mór treun,Rinn e òrain ‘na chlàrsair, ‘seinn gu binn,Ceòl àlainn gun cual’ a’ bhean a b’ àill’ nah-Innse Fàil fhéin: Dèirdre a’ bhròin UlaidhDìreach aois-phòsaimh ‘s droch-fàisneachd oirre,Pòstamh i ‘n rìgh Conchobhar a dh’aithghearr;Choir an rìgh crosd’ aost’ gràin air a’ ghruagach,Dhaingeann gum biomh aice fhéin a’ BheathaRé mìosan, chunna Dèirdre, ‘m bruadar,Curaidh briagh òg am fhuilt fhithich, anSnuaidh sneachdail, gruaidhean cho dearg ris amFhuil, ‘na sheòd mhór neo-sgàthach ‘sna cathanCho-fhreagair Naoise ‘n tuairisgeul ceart a’Bhruadair sin fhéin Dhèirdre mhisneachail’;‘Na nighean ghlan am gaol leis, bu mhiannLeath’ gam mairsinn an làithean le chéile'S Leabharcham dhìleas, banaltam chobhair airA’ bhan-dalt’ a gràidh; theich ‘s liùg DèirdreAir falbh lath àillidh ‘n earraich ‘s chualaIs’ an clàrsach ‘s guth fearail glé mhaiseachLean is’ a sheinn don faobhar na coille,‘Cheana sheunta le dreach grinn, choir a sheinnDèirdre fo gheasaibh, ‘s bha fios aiceGun robh is’ an gaol leis, an seòd sin treunDh’amhraic i e ann, àrd ‘s fèitheach, feusagGhrinn dhubh, guailnean ‘s gàirdeanan ‘s corraganCumhachdach ‘tarrang gach teud a chlàrsaich‘S seinn gu h-àillidh, na b’ fheàrr na bruadaranDh’amhraic a ghorm-shùil glas-shùil na mara,Dualan sruthach na meala, gruaidh ‘n lusaNam ban-sìth’, cruth uasal àrd, ‘s a daingneachd;Dh’amhraic ise seòd àlainn, binn-ghuthachTharraing ead ás a chéile, “dà cluasanFhanaid ‘s nàire” air nan dh’fhàgamh e i,Ach bha fios ac’ gum bu mhiann leò gumMaireamh ead an làithean le chéile ‘chaoidhLeis an dith’s bhràthair dìleas aig Naoise,Theich an càraid òg, ‘lorg tèarmainn anAlba, ‘mairsinn gu sona còmhlaGus an lorg Conchobhar am falach.Cho h-àlainn ‘s gum bu Dèirdre, cho treun‘S gum bu Naoise, phàirtich ead na dà feart;Bu cheart cho math leatha ‘bhith ‘na céileSheòid ghrinn òig na ‘na déideag aintighearn
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