Am trú-sa trá!

(I am * a doomed man - emphatic * indeed)

I’m doomed for sure!

So says Cú Chulainn in “Serglige Con Culainn” when he misses his second shot with a sling stone at a pair of magical birds who are flying in tandem, linked by a chain of gold. His failure to hit them shocks him because, as he goes on to explain, “Ó gabus-sa gaisced níro lá iomroll mo urchur cuss indíu.” (“Since I took up arms my aim has never failed until today.”)

Topics: Exclamations Woe