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Edited by Kuno Meyer

The story of Baile the Sweet-spoken

Baile the sweet-spoken, son of Buan. Three grandsons had Caba, son of Cing, son of Ross, son of Rugraide: Monach and Buan and Fercorb, de quibus Dál m-Buain, and Dál Cuirb and Monaig Arad. Buan's only son was Baile. He was the special love of Ailinn, daughter of Lugaid, son of Fergus of the Sea; or of the daughter of Eogan, son of Dathi; and he was the special amour of every one who saw him or heard of him, both men and women, on account of the tales about him. And they (he and Ailinn) agreed to meet in a love-tryste, at Ross na Ríg, at the house of Maelduib, on the brink of the Boyne in Breg.

 10The man (Baile) came from the north to meet her, from Emain Macha, across Sliabh Fuaid, over Murthemne to Tráig Baili. They unyoked their chariots and put their horses on the turf to graze. And there was glee and merry-making.

 14 As they were there, they saw a horrible apparition(?) of a man coming towards them from the south. Fitful was his course and his approach. He sped over the earth like the darting of a hawk from a cliff, or the wind from the green sea. His left was towards the land.

 17“To him!” said Baile, “and ask him whither he goes or whence he comes, or what is the cause of his haste.”

 19“To Tuaig-Inber I am going and back northward now from Mount Leinster, and I have ¹ no news but that the daughter of Lugaid, son of Fergus, has given love to Baile, son of Buan, and was coming to meet him, when the warriors of Leinster overtook her and killed her, as druids and good seers foretold of them, that they would not meet in life, and that they would meet after their deaths, never to part. This is my news.” And he went from them after that, and they were not able to detain him.

 26When Baile heard that, he falls dead without life; and  p.225 his tomb is raised and his rath, his stone is put up and his funeral games are held by the men of Ulster. And a yew grew up through his grave, and on its top the form and shape of Baile's head was visible. Hence it is called Tráig Baili.

 31The the same man went southward to the place where was the maiden Aillinn, and went into the bower. “Whence cometh he whom we know not?” said the maiden. “From the north of Erin, from Tuaig-Inber, and past this place to Mount Leinster.” “Hast thou news?” said the maiden. “I have no news worth lamenting here, but by the side of Tráig Baili I saw the men of Ulster at funeral games, digging a rath and placing a stone and writing the name of Baile, son of Buan, the royal heir of Ulster, who was coming to meet a sweetheart and lady-love to whom he had given love; for it is not their fate to meet in life, not that one of them should see the other alive.” He darted out when he had completed his evil tale. Aillinn fell dead without life, and her grave is dug, etc.

 42And an apple-tree grew through her grave and was a large tree at the end of the seventh year, and the shape of Aillinn's head on its top. At the end of seven years princes and seers and prophets cut down the yew which was over Baile and make a poet's tablet of it; and the are written in it. In the same manner the wooings of Leinster are written in the tablet (made of the tree that grew on Aillinn's grave).

 49The came Halloween, and its feast was made by Cormac, son of Art. Poets and men of every art came to that feast, as was the custom, and they brought their tablets with them. And Art saw them and when he saw them he asked for them. And the two tablets were brought to him, and they were in his hands face to face. The one tablet of them sprang upon the other, and they twined together as the woodbine round a branch, nor was it possible to sever them. And they were (kept) like any other jewel in the treasury at Tara, until Dunlang, son of Enna, burnt it when he slew the maidens. Hence said the poet etc. ²

 466

1. The apple tree of noble Aillinn
   the yew of Baile,—small inheritance—
   Although they are introduced into poems,
   They are not understood by unlearned people.

“And the daughter of Cormac, the grandson of Conn, said:—”

1. What I liken Aluime to,
   Is to the yew of Ráith Baile,
   What I liken the other to,
   Is to the apple tree of Aillinn.

“Fland mac Lonan dixit:—”

1. Let Cormac decide with proper sense,
   So that he be envied by the hosts;
   Let him remember,—the illustrious saint,—
   The tree of the strand of Baile Mac Buain.
2. There grew up a tree under which companies could sport,
   With the form of his face set out on its clustering top;
   When he was betrayed, truth was betrayed,—
   It is in that same way they betray Cormac.

“Cormac dixit:—”
Here was entombed the son of White Buan.

@article{T301042,
  editor 	 = {Kuno Meyer},
  title 	 = {Scél Baili Binnbérlaig},
  journal 	 = {Revue Celtique},
  number 	 = {13},
  address 	 = {Paris},
  publisher 	 = {Émile Bouillon},
  date 	 = {1892},
  pages 	 = {220–225}
}
 T301042.bib