It was a beauty of a chess-board. A board of findruine in it with four
ears[FN#25] and edges of gold. A candle of precious stones at
illuminating for them. Gold and silver the figures that were upon the
table. "Prepare ye food for the warriors," said Ailill. "Not it is my
desire," said Medb, but to go to the chess yonder against Fraech."
"Get to it, I am pleased," said Ailill, and they play the chess then,
and Fraech.


[FN#25] The "ears" were apparently handles shaped like ears. The same
word is used for the rings in the cloaks, line 33 above.


His people were meanwhile at cooking the wild animals. "Let thy
harpers play for us," says Ailill to Fraech. "Let them play indeed!"
says Fraech. A harp-bag[FN#26] of the skins of otters about them with
their adornment of ruby (or coral), beneath their adornment of gold and
silver.


[FN#26] Meyer translates this: "the concave part of the harp."


It is from the music which Uaithne, the Dagda's harp, played that the
three are named. The time the woman was at the bearing of children it
had a cry of sorrow with the soreness of the pangs at first: it was
smile and joy it played in the middle for the pleasure of bringing
forth the two sons: it was a sleep of soothingness played the last son,
on account of the heaviness of the birth, so that it is from him that