The Pursuit after Diarmuid O'Duibhne, and Grainne

N a certain day that Fionn Mac Cumhaill rose at early morn in Almhuin the broad and great of Laighean, and sat upon the grass-green plain without, having neither servant nor attendant by him, there followed him two of his people; that is to say, Oisin the son of Fionn, and Diorruing the son of Dobhar O’Baoisgne. Oisin spoke, and what he said was: “What is the cause of this early rising of thine, 0 Fionn?” quoth he. “Not without cause have I made this early rising,” said Fionn; “for I am without a wife without a mate since Maighneis the daughter of Garadh glundubh mac Moirne died; for he is not wont to have slumber nor sweet sleep who happens to be without a fitting wife, and that is the cause of my early rising, 0 Oisin.” “What forceth thee to be thus?” said Oisin; “for there is not a wife nor a mate in the green-landed island Erin upon whom thou mightest turn the light of thine eyes or of thy sight, whom we would not bring by fair means or by foul to thee.” And then spoke Diorruing, and what he said was: “I myself could discover for thee a wife and a mate befitting thee.” Who is she?” said Fionn. “She is Grainne the daughter of Cormac the son of Art the son of Conn of the hundred battles/” quoth Diorruing, “that is the woman that is fairest of feature and form and speech of the women of the globe together.” “By thy hand, 0 Diorruing,” said Fion, “there is strife and variance between Cormac and myself for a long time, and I think it not good nor seemly that he should give me a refusal of marriage; and I had rather that ye should both go to ask the marriage of his daughter for me of Cormac, for I could better bear a refusal of marriage to be given to you than to myself.” “We will go there,” said Oisin, “though there be no profit for us there, and let no man know of our journey until we come back again.”