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Three Irish Bardic Tales

Being Metrical Versions of the Three Tales known as The Three Sorrows of Story-telling. By John Todhunter
Todhunter, John (1839-1916)

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DEIRDRÈ'S SONG OF THE TREACHEROUS FEAST.

1

A song for thee, O Champion!
A song of the traitor's guile:
The foxes have slain the lions,
The crows have harried the eagles.

2

A feast, a feast in the North,
And Barach made that feast:
There, breaking a vow for a vow,
Fergus the Feaster sits.

3

But Usna's Sons lie slain
In Eman of the spears:
They tamed the spears with their valour,
But treachery's nets o'erthrew them.
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4

Thrice shrieked the sword of their slaying
The sword of their safety slew them:
The foxes have slain the lions,
The crows have harried the eagles.
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