Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 3, 1892.djvu/522

 5 1 4 The Bodleian Dinnshenchas.

Also in LL. 169 b 10 ; BB. 372 a 42 ; H. 26 a ; Lee. 470 a ; and R. 103 b i.

Loch Dacaech is said to be the ancient name of Waterford Harbour, Four- Masters, A.M. 3506.

I cannot translate half the quatrain, and here, as elsewhere, prefer to confess ignorance rather than to guess boldly and badly, after the fashion of native scholars.

[51. Sruthair Matha.] — Sruthair Matha, cid dia da?

Ni ansa .1. Matha mac Roirenn m.aicc Roga Rechtaidi ri'g- muccaidh Cathair^ Moir immz/j-n-erbaigset ^ muccaid Quind Q,et- Cdi\haig .1. Odba Uaincenn Taac Blai Ballethain vixaicc Cath- lomna Linne. Co mbai dairi toirthech i n-iarthur Maige Macha,

3 ni bai riam dairi bad torthaighe. Ceped aird [d]ia mbeth in gaeth tairis, robad maidhm cridie do muccaib Y^renn a boladii, [15b 2] co-ndaste umpu ic saigidh in dairi. Taraill a bolad- treotu Catha/r Mair. DoUotar na mucca fo boladh in daire .1. mucca Lagen la muccaib Cath^f/r M^Vr co Com///- irv n-Uisci. Roreith in muccaid fo annarb/zi', [co torchair,] cor-roimidh a tulcnaim asa cind seig. Dochoidh^ iarum do airddibad a gaile don sruth sin, co robaidedh ann, co nderbairt araile duine do- bruach in tsrotha : "Ach! in srutli dar Matha!" Unde Sruthar Matha'* nominatur. Unde poeta dixit*:

Matha vaacc Rorend co mbaig, ba rigmuccaid co robaig, doluidh fon sruthair snamaig, xiiacc Rogha*^ co rodanaib.

Matha, son of Roiriu, son of Roga the Law-giver, was the royal swineherd of Cathair the Great. He and the swineherd of Conn of the Hundred Battles, namely, Odba Uanchenn, son of Blae Broad-limb, son of Cathlomna Linne, contended together. There was a fruitful oakwood in the west of the Plain of Macha, and never has there been an oakwood more fruitful. From what point soever the wind would blow over it, the odour thereof would be a heart-break to the swine of Ireland, so that they went mad in seeking the oakwood. The odour reached the herds of Cathair the Great. Following the odour of the oakwood went the swine, that is, the swine of Leinster together with the swine of Cathair the Great, as far as the Meeting of Three Waters. The swineherd ran to drive them away, and he fell, and his frontal bone broke out of his head. So he went to quench his ardour with that stream, and was drowned therein. And a certain man exclaimed from the brink of the stream, " Ah ! the stream {smthy over {dar) Matha !" Hence " Sruthar Matha".

Matha, son of Roiriu, with battle.

Was a royal swineherd till he contended.

1 MS. rectaige rimuccaidhi catair. ^ ]vi5_ odhba. ^ ms. docoigh.

4 MS. sruth armatha. * MS. dicitur. ^ MS. rodha.