Then Eisirt, beginning with the King, set out to tell every hidden sin that each man or woman had done, and ere he had gone far they with much laughter and chiding fetched him out of the ale-pot and dried him with fair satin napkins.
"Now ye have confessed that I know somewhat to the purpose," said Eisirt, "and I will even eat of your food, but do ye give heed to my words, and do ill no more." Fergus then said, "If thou art a poet, Eisirt, give us now a taste of thy delightful art." "That will I," said Eisirt, "and the poem that I shall recite to you shall be an ode in praise of my king, Iubdan the Great." Then he recited this lay:-- "A monarch of might Is Iubdan my king.
His brow is snow-white, His hair black as night; As a red copper bowl When smitten will sing, So ringeth the voice Of Iubdan the king.
His eyen, they roll Majestic and bland On the lords of his land Arrayed for the fight, A spectacle grand! Like a torrent they rush With a waving of swords And the bridles all ringing And cheeks all aflush, And the battle-steeds springing, A beautiful, terrible, death-dealing band.
Like pines, straight and tall, Where Iubdan is king, Are the men one and all.
The maidens are fair-- Bright gold is their hair.
From silver we quaff The dark, heady ale That never shall fail; We love and we laugh.
Gold frontlets we wear; And aye through the air Sweet music doth ring-- O Fergus, men say That in all Inisfail There is not a maiden so proud or so wise But would give her two eyes Thy kisses to win-- But I tell thee, that there Thou canst never compare With the haughty, magnificent King of Faylinn!" At this they all applauded, and Fergus said, "O youth and blameless bard, let us be friends henceforth." And they all heaped before him, as a poet's reward, gifts of rings and jewels and gold cups and weapons, as high as a tall man standing.

Then Eisirt said, "Truly a generous and a worthy reward have ye given me, O men of Ulster; yet take back these precious things I pray you, for every man in my king's household hath an abundance of them." But the Ulster lords said, "Nothing that we have given may we take back." Eisirt then bade two-thirds of his reward be given to the bards and learned men of Ulster, and one-third to the horse-boys and jesters; and so it was done.
Three days and nights did Eisirt abide in Emania, and all the King's court loved him and made much of him.

Then he wished them blessing and victory, and prepared to depart to his own country.

Now AEda, the King's dwarf and minstrel, begged Eisirt to take him with him on a visit to the land of Faylinn; and Eisirt said, "I shall not bid thee come, for then if kindness and hospitality be shown thee, thou wilt say it is only what I had undertaken; but if thou come of thine own motion, thou wilt perchance be grateful." So they went off together; but Eisirt could not keep up with AEda, and AEda said, "I perceive that Eisirt is but a poor walker." At this Eisirt ran off like a flash and was soon an arrow flight in front of AEda.

When the latter at last came up with him, he said, "The right thing, Eisirt, is not too fast and not too slow." "Since I have been in Ulster," Eisirt replied, "I have never before heard ye measure out the right." By and by they reached the margin of the sea.