Cover art is ‘Rock of Cashel’ by William Henry Bartlett

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Book of Leinster

Notes

This poem is a celebration of the legendary House of Temair (Tara) as it existed in the time of Cormac mac Airt, the idealized high king of Ireland often compared to Solomon for his wisdom and the splendor of his court. The poem enumerates with loving detail the dimensions of the great hall, its retinues of warriors, cup-bearers, poets, and royal women, its golden vessels and its candles — presenting Tara as a kind of Irish Jerusalem or paradise of kingship. The final prose note gives a legendary account of Cormac’s origins, explaining the place-name Conmac through a story of his rescue and the payment made on his behalf across Connacht.

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Translation

The Enumeration of the House of Temair — that is, the great house of thousands of retainers

Cormac the poet sang:

1. The transient world — the drinking of a hundred cauldrons; the lie of many feasts in speaking — except the worship of the King of all.
2. I see every law upon its course, from fame and right to the sun. Temair today — though it is a wasteland — there was a time it was the assembly-place of heroes.
3. Its sloping side was no meager thing — it was the famous, storied assembly of the Irish; great was the company for whom it was a familiar home — the green, grassy fortress.
4. It was a foundation of noble, vigilant order; it was a fortress-sacred tree of blossoming fame — for display it was a famous ridge — in the time of Cormac grandson of Conn.
5. Beautiful is the call that beautifies it, as it was chosen above ruins; the meeting-place of the Boyne — the millstone of contest — Cathair Chroind, the fold of victories.
6. When Cormac lived in glory, his courses were bright and famous; no fort like Temair was found — it was the secret of the gateway of life.
7. Strong is that kingship before companies — the kingship of the smooth plain of Temair; better than a fort of family surges is the enumeration of its household.
8. The great house of thousands of retainers — of ramparts it was no sorrow; a pure city of bright streams, of bright men — seven hundred feet was its measure.
9. The foolishness of the clumsy did not compass it, nor the narrowness of the harsh wise — it was not rough in its cutting — six times fifty cubits its height.
10. Nine partitions did not overcome its rough-pointed divisions — nine sections around it — the display of the fair families — a city of great fame and great strength.
11. The dwelling of the king — a king to be worshipped — upon whom wine was poured with fair company; it was a shelter, it was a fort, it was a fortress — three times fifty beds within it.
12. Three times fifty warriors with fullness — it was no common fort for feasting; six were the crews of the fortress’s levels — each bed of those within it.
13. Beautiful was the host in that fashion — gold shone above its […] — a bay of noble, plundering fifty — each bay of it completely pure.
14. Seven times fifty bright, steadfast candles before the crowded, fierce company; for steadfast, bright attendance — six was the measure of the hearth.
15. Seven times fifty more I have heard — for the right of noble, distinguished purity — the gentle, fine wax candles of clay.
16. That bright, sunny city — feast-laden, warrior-laden, with its foundations; within it for good renown and good custom — twice six doors among its doors.
17. This was the right of that kingship — drinking from which the host drank; great was the great size of that full vessel — three hundred drinks in that great vat.
18. Their drink of pride and arrogance — of the red great-kings, of the man-portions; the count was not small — thirty cup-bearers served it.
19. Nine times fifty goblets of its choice — that was the distribution of the choice of its plenty; besides its pure, strong car-treasure — it was all gold and silver.
20. Three times fifty bright-valiant fifties — without any pause for delay; in attendance without any mounding — of the choice kings, of the great kings.
21. Fifty apportioning stewards with the generous, true, manly lord; fifty truly pure feast-attendants, with fifty of the royal, kingly women.
22. Fifty men standing so that they might keep the settled wolf-watch; as long as the king was at the lime-burning that was not refused — the darkest retreat.
23. It was pleasant for the prince — greater it was every day, the more it increased; three thousand women in attendance — the son of Art was served every day.
24. The head of every truly worthy company of poets — they sought the right of their assemblies; it is certain it is no folly though one says it — without age, each art has its own age.
25. Let us enumerate the household in assemblies — the house of Temair of the ramparts; this is its true count — thirty thousand of thousands.
26. When Cormac was in Temair, for fame above every great valor — the royal birth of the son of Art Oenfir — his like was not found among the people of the world.
27. Cormac of the beauty of form — he was a strong, firm foundation of lordship; born of Echtach the fearful — a son to the daughter of Olc Acha.
28. When Solomon was seeking — better than every kindred for uniting; a birth that would be equal to Cormac — from God [came] the growth of the world.

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Prose note following the poem:

Conamail Conriucht, chieftain of the harbor-fleet of Connacht, took Cormac son of Art from the Cave of Ceis Corainn. And Lugni Fer Trí nÓg gave a mart [a cow] for every homestead in Connacht on his behalf in return. Whence the name was received — that is, Conmac. The daughter of Olc Achi was his mother. Achi Ibrach.

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