The Hills of Tlachtga
Version Two
Tlachtga Hills, splendid and high,
Foreboding doom to a great, unswerving king
Before the step which Tlachtga... took,
The daughter of King Roth's clever votary.
Mog Roith, the son of Fergus Fal,
The kingly and noble son of Ross.
Cacht, the daughter of the quarrelsome Catmend
Was his colourful arid noble mother.
Roth, son of Rigoll was his fosterer.
This is why the name 'Mog Roith' was given him.
Two sons of Mog: Buan and Fer-Corb,
Were successful over armies in deeds of liberation.
She [Cacht] was the [foster] mother of the handsome sons
Of Der-Droighen, dark, strong and active,
And the real mother of Cairpre [Lifechair].
It is certain that he deceived the Hui-Bairdne.
The daughter of Mog hosted with thousands,
Tlachtga, the chosen - not that she was without feelings
To accompany her great and noble father,
To noble Simon of sevenfold splendour.
Three sons had Simon pleasing to look upon:
Sorrowful her struggle with their devilry.
... [text missing]... powerful.
Theirs was a powerful family, vehement and resilient.
The sons grew passionate Towards Tlachtga at the same time,
They flowed into her body - it is no lie [making] descendants of beauty and lineage.
For Trian it was no honour
Tlachtga Created the red and swiftly mobile wheel,
Together with the great and noble Mog,
And with Simon of sevenfold splendour.
She brought with her wise sayings;
She left the moving wheel,
The finished stone of Forcarthu she left,
And the pillar in Cnamchaill.
Whoever sees it will become blind,
Whoever hears it will become deaf,
And anyone who tries to take a piece of the
Rough spoked wheel will die...
After the woman came from the East,
She gave birth to three sons after hard labour.
She died, the light and lively one.
This urgent, unconcealable news was to be heard.
The names of the sons were of great import...
Muach and Cuma and Doirb the noble.
The crowd... [text missing)...
because it is appropriate that they shall hear it:
That as long as over the stately Banba [Ireland]
The names of the three sons are remembered
As the truthful story tells...
No catastrophe will befall its inhabitants.
The hill where this woman from the East is buried,
To surpass all other women, This is the name it was given:
The Hill of Tlachtga.
SOURCE:
Met. Dinds. IV, Tlachtga, 189, lines 29-40