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DANFHOCAÍL
IRISH EPIGRAMS IN VERSE
DANFHOCAIL
IRISH EPIGRAMS IN VERSE
COLLECTED AND EDITED BY
THOMAS F. O'RAHILLY, MA.
If.R.I.A. ; PROFESSOR OF IRISH IN
TRINITY COLLEGE
DUBLIN
DUBLIN
THE TALBOT PRESS LIMITED
85 TALBOT STREET
192 1
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PREFACE
Scattered here and there throughout our Modern- Irish MSvS., there exists a considerable body of epigrammatic verse, mostly in single quatrains, one or more of which not infrequently serve the purpose of filling up the blank spaces of the MSS. It has often occured to me that an interesting collection of verse could be made by -taking the best of these and publishing them in book-form ; and as no one else seemed likely to do the work, I resolved to attempt it myself. The result is seen in the present volume. As to whether I was right in thinking that the collection would prove an interesting one, it is for the reader to decide.
The title, Ddnfhocail, has been chosen m order concisely to indicate the fact that the collection is confined to verse written in the old syllabic metres [dan) or in their looser modern developments.
While I can claim to have spread my net wide, as the large number of MSS. drawn on sufficiently shows, I do not, I need hardly say, claim that the collection is exhaustive, — ^that it includes all the " best." New quatrains of merit are liable to turn up at any time in the most unlikely or out-of-the-way MSS., and
hence finality in a work of this kind is, for the present at least, out of the question. Since the text was printed I have, in fact, come across several other quatrains which I should have included had I met them earlier.
I have taken some pains to secure a reliable text, though I am not always fully satisfied with the results of my endeavours. I have also tried to make the text easily intelligible to readers acquainted only with the Irish of to-day. For such readers the book will, I hope, prove a convenient stepping-stone between current Irish and the " bardic " verse which constitutes so important a part of our Middle and Early-Modern Irish literature.
In conclusion, I have to thank Dr. Osborn Bergin for his kindness in reading over portion of the text and making some useful suggestions.
Thomas F. 0'Rahili,y.
CONTENTS
PAGE
|
DÁNFHOCAII, : — |
|
|
Generosity and Niggardliness |
I |
|
Wealth and Poverty |
5 |
|
Silence and Speech |
10 |
|
Good Sense |
12 |
|
I^eaming |
13 |
|
Women. I^ove |
15 |
|
Heredity. Offspring |
20 |
|
Youth and Old Age |
23 |
|
Death and Eternity |
24 |
|
Piety |
27 |
|
The Clergy |
29 |
|
Poets |
30 |
|
Drink |
,.. 32 |
|
Treachery |
34 |
|
' Comhairle na Bárrsgolóige ' (part |
of) 36 |
|
Tadhg mac Dáire's Counsel to the Ei |
irl of Thomond 38 |
|
Other Counsels |
39 |
|
Miscellaneous |
40 |
|
Addenda |
... 51 |
|
Notes |
59 |
|
Principal Abbreviations |
100 |
|
G1.0SSARY |
lOI |
|
Index of Authors ... ... |
112 |
|
Additionai, Notes |
114 |
DANFHOCAIL
AN FHÉILE AGUS AN SPRIUNLAITHEACHT.
1. Caith an mhaith atá id láimh,
is cuir amáireach ar cáirde ; muna gcaithe tú an saoghal, ataoi i mbaoghal a fhágtha.
2. Déana mar do-níodh Guaire,
tréinfhear do b'uaisle croidhe ; ó's buaine bladh ná saoghal, caith le daonnacht a bhfoighe.
3. Caith agus do-gheobhair ó Dhia,
caith go fial agus gheobhair nios mo an té ler leor beagán ó Dhia, is leor le Dia beagán do.
4. Riot tar cheann a n-abraim-se,
ná cuir do dhruim le daonnacht ; go bráth ná tuill easmailte, ná caith do chuid it aonar.
5. An Té do riar ar bheagán
each ar cheartlár an fhásaigh, an rath i mbun na caithmhe isi m'aithne gur fhágaibh.
6. Mairfidh gach cnuas da gcaittear,
na bi faiteach da sgaoileadh ; biaidh fear coigilte an tsaidhbhris Ian do dhaidhbhreas na saoilfeadh.
7. Gibe thaisgeas a fhuigheall
ni maith thuigeas an saoghal ; nach é féin bhias dá chaitheamh don té thaisgeas is baoghal.
8. Da gcongbhae agat do mhaoin,
badh beag a tarbha dhaoibh féin : a coimhéad ortsa do ghnáth, a caitheamh ag each tar h'éis.
— Bonaventura 0 Heoghusa.
9. Daoine saidhbhre sanntacha,
gan tairbhe san mhaith choitchinn, dóibhsean ni bheidh m'annsacht-sa, beag Oram lucht an doichilL
10. Cidh maith turas is trosgadh, crábhadh gan osnadh bhréige, ré ndul duitse don tsaoghal is fearr daonnacht is féile.
11. Slad, brad, gargad ar dhuine, gáir cheall is chlog na cruinne,
saint, feall, fionghal go bhféighe, — báidhidh féile sin uile. — " Columcille."
12. Nochan fhuil fionghal na feall, na droch-luighe, na doicheall,
na gniomh éagcóir do-ní neach nach bhfalcann uile an t-eineach.
— ihid.
13. Nior chaith biadh 0 Conghail Chais
is cliath no comhla lé a lios ; nior shuidh ar each bile Rois, 's file da chois mar aon leis.
— Aons^hus 0 Dálaisíh Fionn.
14. Do b'fhéile thú ná Guaire
an uair do bhi tú dona ; anois is leór do chniaidhe — mo thruaighe thú bheith sona !
15. Mo chreach, a Dhiarmuid Ui Fhloinn, nach tú atá ar dhoras iofroinn,
ó's tú nach leigfeadh neach dod choir i n-áit a mbeitheá id dhorsóir.
— T. 0 Cearbhallám.
16. Riamh ó do tochladh thú, a mhúir,
nior hosgladh thú ré neach ; fear an tighe, gibe he,
car leigeadh é féin isteach ?
— Aonghus na nAor. 3
17. A dhorais nach bhfaghthar suas,
do dhiol-sa ni truagh le neach ; go créachtach ni blieith do chlár dá leigfeá-sa each isteach !
18. A fhir atá i n-ifreann riamh,
an bhfaca tú pian ba mho ná fear d'iarraidh neich ar neaeh leis nach maith a thabhairt do ?
19. Is fir-leamh bhur dturas-sa,
a uaisle bochta an oinigh ; oineaeh gan bheith cumasach
mo thruaighe ! is cruaidh an cluiche.
20. Do-nithear ainfhial don fhial nach dtig leis each do choimhriar ;
ni he an iial is ainfhial ann, aeht riar ainriar nach éadann.
21. Biodh nach dáilfeadh Ri Nimhe ionmhas d'fhear an deighchridhe,
ni fáth béime dá mbeath lom, — neaeh gan fhéile ni fhoghnann.
22. Ná sgaip tar cheart i bhfleadh ná i dtigheas
d'fhonn do eháile ehur i bhfad ; i ndiaidh na tairbhe bhios an grádh, is ar an té bhios eniinn is gnáth an rath.
28. Caitheamh gan bheith measardha,
's biothehonnlacht, coir a ndaoradh ; lean-sa an meadhón eatortha,
madh ail gan druim le daonnacht.
4
^A^ BHOCHTAINEACHT AGUS AN SAIBHREAS.
24. Is milis glór gacha íir
agá mbia cuid agus spré ; ní mar sin don duine lorn, is bun-os-cionn labhras sé.
25. Duine saidhbhir ag déanamh grinn
deirid uile gur binn a ghlór ; acht is seirbhe ná an searbhán goirt an duine bocht ag déanamh ceóil.
26. An té braittear i mbochtacht,
'na fhocal ni bhi acht searbhas ; briathra an té 'gá mbíd séada binne ná téada beann-chrot.
27. Bráthair don bhás an daidhbhreas,
ní dhligheann foighdhe faoilte ; deasgadh foilmhe fuath carad, ní carthar neach gan maoine.
Ad-chluinim riamh dá rádlia
nách gránna neach más saidhbhir ;
bídh ag seasamh 's ag suidhe
grain mhairbh ar dhuine dhaidhbhir.
— Maoilín Og Mac Bruaideadha.
5
28. Beithear rót go ro-ghrádhach,
an feadh mhairfeas do shaidhbhreas ; teithfidh uait an trom-ghrádh-so íá néalaibh, dá dtí an daidhbhreas.
29. Gur measadh mé as mo neamhstór, do b'fhiú dearg-ór mo labhairt ; iniu ní bhfaghaim éisteacht, do thréigsead mé mo charaid.
— Maoilín Ú^ Mac Bruaideadha.
30. Do nós an tsaoghail mhóir,
an tan bhraithid do stór go gann, dá dtagrair ceart ná cóir,
ní bhíonn acht glór amaide ann.
31. Ní misde an té bhíos saidhbhir
bheith aimhnirt tréith i dteagmháil, bheith balbh tuitmeach i dteangaidh, bheith ar leathchois nó ar leathláimh.
Ní fearrde an duine daidhbhir
bheith raighHc foirfe i bhfoghlaim,
bheith fosaidh dearbhtha i ndeighchéill, bheith neimhthréith ag cur comhlainn.
— Maoilin Úg Mac Bruaideadha.
32. Dá madh Honta dh'ór mo thrúnc,
is me bheith gan únsa don chéiU, do bheadh meas orm is clú,
's do leanfadh dlúth mo charaid mé. 6
33. Gibe bhias gan ni aige,
biodh go madh maith a bhéasa, gé bheadh go tuigseach tréitheach, annamh éisttear a sgéala.
34. Má bhraithid each tú ag dul ar gcúl,
is go mbeidh do chúil go fann, ni fhaicM thú mar a mbeir,
is mar a mbeir, ni tú bhias ann.
35. Mairg 'gá lagaid a lámha !
ni hiongna a rádha uaimse : an uair lagaid na lámha, lagaid na grádha an uair-sin
Na daoine saidhbhre earthar
no go lagaid a lámha ; grádh do neaeh gan mhaith aige
ni thabhair eara na námha.
36. Is mo eion fear deaghchulaidh
iona a chion ó bheith tréitheach ; truagh ar chaitheas le healadhain gan é umam 'na éadach !
— Dáibhí Ú Bruadair.
37. Duine saidhbhir fear dhá bhó,
is borrach mór fear a tri ; ni fhaghann fear a sé no a seacht coir nd ceart ó fliear a naoi !
38. Go réidh ! a bhean na dtri mbó,
as do bhólacht ná bí teann ; do chonnairc meise gan go bean is ba dhá mho a beann.
39. Is maith duine agá mbí muc, —
do bhiodar muca agam féin : is fearr an mhuc atá beó, nil acht ceo san mhuic iné.
40. Focal eile is é seanda
(misde mo mheanma a thuigsin), — on da mhaith do bhi béaraidh an éanmhaith atá uirrim.
41. NÍ chreidim féin ó ughdar léighinn
nach i an spré an uaisle ; óir mac Ri Gréag, dá mbeadh gan é, do bheadh 'na léice suaidhte.
42. Minic bhios damhna flatha
saidhbhir ratha óg álainn, 's a mhac i bhfeidhm na súiste : [ trí glúine ó rí go rámhainn. ' — Maoilín Úg Mac Bruaideadha.
43. Beag tharbhas an bheach dá mil, —
a bhfríth libh ar feadh do ré saothar a chruinnighthe ort, a tharbha so ní leat féin.
— Bonaventura Ú Heoghusa.
44. Nochan fhidir mac duine cia dá ndéanann a chruinne ;
an cruinne dhó féin do-ní, nó cruinne do neach eile.
— " Columcille."
45. Mairg neach cheiseas ar a chuid, maith an rannadóir Mac Dé ; is duilleach an choill úd thall, ro ba lorn a barr iné.
46. O's buidheach Dia don dealbhas
acht go ndearntar a fhulang, ma 'si a thoil mise i ndaidhbhreas, nár leige an saidhbhreas chugam.
47. Duine do-gheibh Ian a lámh eagal do dul ar seachrán ;
isi an lámh fhalamh is fliearr ler bh' ál anadh ó ifreann.
48. Fearr bochtaine ghearr a bhus
agus bheith i ngrásaibh Dé, ná saidhbhreas searbh an tsaoghail agus dul ar an dtaoibh gclé.
49. Crodh na cruinne 's a maoine,
cidh éigneach daoine iompa, fa dheoidh is amhlaidh aithnim na fuil acht aisHng ionta.
-ibid.
CAINT AGUS TOST.
50. A fhir shealbhas duit an dan, coimseach re each do bhéalrádh ;
a dhuine mhaith, mas maith sibh, do mhaith ni maith gan maoidhimh.
Nior thógais, má tharla rut, seanrann do rinneadh romhat : neach féin go mór dá mholadh céim is lór dá lochtughadh.
— Gofraidh Mac an Bhaird.
51. Na srotha nach mbionn ro-dhomhain
isiad labhras go dána ; 1 sinn féin riamh nior mholamair,
's is ciuin na hnnte lána.
52. Is iseal gotha na mórshruth mór,
is árd gotha na mbeagshruth mbeag ; an mart is mo géim is greadhan is aici bhios an bleaghan beag.
53. Mar bhios hnn fa Ian foghair nach bi fúithi fodhamhain,
neach san ló is honmhaire caint ni do is siorghaire substaint.
— Baothghalach Ruadh Mac Aodhagdin.
54. lomarca cainte ag neach
do-bheir neamhchion ar a chéil] ; do-ní duine le seadán gióir spadán don choir féin.
55. Is glic, do réir an tseancha,
an té thochtas a bbriathra ; d'eagla na ndánfhocal
is binn beál ó bheith iadhta.
56. Beag mo spéis i mbriathraibh mora,
ni maith caint na curthar le ; an bladhman na téid i dtarbha
do-ni an tréan 's an t-anbhfann é.
57. I dtigh duine eile ag ól
bhainfeadh sé sail mhór do bhéim ; 's ni bhainfeadh sé an t-earball do chat ar shail ina thigh féin.
CIALL.
58. Ciall agus michiall
dis ná gabhann a chéile ;
is dóigh le fear gan éin-chéill
gurab é féin fear na céille.
59. NÍ truimide an loch an lacha,
ni truimide each a srian,
ni truimide caora a holann,
's ni truimide colann ciall,
60. Is gilide cloidheamh cailc,
is miride cruaidh fabhairt ; urraim, agus tú i n-airc,
ni trumaide thú a tabhairt.
61. Tabhair dot eólas aire,
iarr an t-eólas roimhe ; ni do ghnáth is tréan tuile, féach, a dhuine, an t-áth oile.
62. Is mór milltear le luas beirte,
is fada is beite ar ti a déanta ; féach go mall do chluiche timcheall, sul dti h'intinn ar éin-bheirt.
63. Feith re fagháil an da sgéal,
madh ail leat do bhreith bheith buan ; gibe breitlieamh nach bi claon
do-ni an da thaobh d'fheitheamh uadh.
^A^ FHOGHLAIM.
64. Aoibhinn do lucht an eólais,
mar is dóibh is aithnid Dia ; an cnoc is aoirde isé is fuaire, gé gurb uaidh is giorra an ghrian.
64b. An cnoc is aoirde isé is fuaire,
ciodh uaidh is giorra an ghrian ; an té is caoile do-chi an choir, is do is daoire an Ri gan riar.
65. Dligheann daoi tiugh teagosga^
tearc teagosg don tsaoi threórach, tuigeann mac léighinn leathfhocal, ni beag nod don eólach.
66. Madh fiafruightheach, budh feasach ; glic an éigse ilcheasach,
solus na ceasa ad-chluinidh, dorus feasa fiafruighidh.
— Gofraidh Fionn Ú Dálaigh.
67. NÍ ghabhann aineólach dall eólas Ó neach da marann ;
eólas d'fhagháil ní hail lais,
ná a rádh go mbeadh 'na iongnais.
13
68. Amharc daill idir cheapaibh, fosdadh fiadh ar ghairbh-leacain,
no guth madra i ngleann ghlas, tagra le ceann gan eólas.
69. Is mairg nach dean a leas,
da madh fios do cá mbeadh a aimhleas tafann lag gadhair le heas, tagra le ceann gan eólas.
70. Adúdh teine fá shrúill,
no run do leigean le mnaoi, comhairle thabhairt do dhuine dhúr ná beadh a dhúil san ni.
14
NA MNA. AN GRÁDH.
71. NÍ hail Horn sean-bhean mar mhnaoi,
máthair chúig searrach no sé ; ní hail Horn í gan áiméis, 's ni hail horn í is áirnéis lé.
Is ail Horn bean cháirdeamhail óg, is ail liom a beith ró-dheas suairc,
is ail liom a beith geanmnuidhe módhail, is ail liom iomad óir lé mar dhuais.
— Totnds 0 Gliosdin.
72. Bean ghránna is gan í suairc,
a pósadh ba chruaidh an céim ; créad an fáth 'na bpósfadh fear acht an bhean do b'áil leis féin ?
73. Comhairle charad do-bheirim duit,
agus faid a mhairfir, din dom réir : ná pós bean dá áiUeacht gnúis go mbraithfe tú ar dtúis a méin.
74. Ná togh bean ar a sgéimh,
go bhfionnair cad é a locht ; tar éis iad do bheith dearg, is searbh bias na gcaor gcon.
15
75. Caora cárthainn, cé dearg,
adeirthear gur searbh a mblas ; nó go bhfionna tú go maith cé hí, ná bí le mnaoi ar a dath.
Acht abair go mbiaidh — is ná bíodh — searc do chroidhe dhí tar chách ;
cuinnibh ar do láimh an tslat 's an dimheas, go bhíionna tú slighe na mná.
76. Ná pós bean mar gheall ar eallach,
má nír, is aithreach duit ; tiocfaidh an t-earrach is feanntar an t-eallach, is beidh an bhean 'na fámach dubh.
77. Dar Duinnín is dar Donn
is bun-os-cionn liom atá mo bhean ; dá n-abrainn gur dubh é an íiach,
do bhéarfadh sí Dia nách eadh acht geal !
78. Ná creid do chomhrádh mná,
's ná glac a lámh i gcoingheall rúin ; gaibh comhairle an duine ghlic, agus féach an misde thú.
79. Gach péacóg do chailín deas
déarfaidh leat "Is tú mo pháirt ! " mar thigid chugat leig uait,
's ná bíodh gruaim ort fá na mnáibh.
80. Is cluiche meallta na mná,
is mairg théid 'na ndáil i bhfad ; mo mhallacht d'éinfhear im dhiaidh chreidfeadh a mbriathra go bras,
i6
81. As na mná cidh mór bhur ndóigh,
fada dhóibh ag dul re gaoith ; is tearc neach na meallaid siúd, mairg léigeas a run le mnaoi.
82. Go n-athruighe an iiach a dhubh,
's go dtéid an eala i gcruth nach ban, go ngoire an chuach gach mi, ni chreidfead choidhche na mná.
83. Túisge thréigfidh éisg an snith,
's do thréigfidh an mhuir a dul 's a teacht, ná thréigfidh an bhean a huaill
is gach cleasradh buan mar chleacht.
84. Dá madh dubh an fhairge,
dá madh cailc na cruadh-chairrge, dá madh pinn eiteach na n-éan, dá madh meamram an t-aiéar,
'S tugtar peann i láimh gach íir do shíol Eabha agus Ádhaimh, — d'fhágfadaois uile dá n-éis dá dtrian uilc ban gan fhaisnéis.
85. Tá sgéal agam ar na mná,
is giorraide an lá bheith dá luadh : grádh gach fir dá dtig i gcéin,
's dá bhfear féin do-bheirid fuath,
86. Ná taobhuigh t'anam re mnaoi,
cidh taidhbhseach a caoi 's a deór ; fa thuirse ní bhia acht seal,
geóbhaidh chúichi an fear bhias beó. 17
87. Is mairg atá mar atáim,
's is mairg do-bheir grádh leamh ; is mairg do bhios gan mhnaoi, 's is da mhairg agá mbí bean.
88. Bean le mbionn a dhá croidhe 'na cliabh
nár leige Dia me bheith 'na dáil ; bíonn croidhe acu ag comhrádh liom go ciúin, agus an croidhe eile i gcogadh liom 's ag cnáid.
89. Teine da hadódh faoi loch,
no fál buinne da chor le cuan, combairle 'thabhairt do mhnaoi bhuirb, — no buille uird ar iarann fhuar. ^
90. Dar an spéir, on dar an spéir isé adhbhar mo gháire féin,
an bhean ag bualadh a fir trid an gcoir do rinne féin !
91. Socrú na caillighe mar is ail le féin : ^
larraim mo bheith óg arís,
iarraim ar Chriost mo bheith deas,
iarraim na hiomairi do-chid
óigfhir im aghaidh, do dhul as.
Im chosaibh go dtige lúth,
m'fhiacla go rabhaid go dliith ró-gheal, go ndirighe mo dhrom aris,
agus tri trir d'óigfhearaibh ag tnúth lem ghean. — Tomds 0 GUosdin.
i8
92. 0 nach bhfuil, a Shiobhán Sal,
t' fhaicsin i bhfus i ndán dun, ar Shliabh Shíóin, fear mar chách, beanfad asat Ian mo shúl !
93. Coll, Ailm agus lodha,
Luis, lodha agus Nuin, Onn is Gort deas sgiamhach — Í mo chli-se do ghuin.
94. Is truagh, a Dhé, mo ghalar, —
gan me agam ná ise ;
ni fhuilim féin agamsa,
's ni hagam atá sise.
95. Tuigseach sean-ráidhte na sean,
go blasta beacht a' teacht i réim ; — tig an cumann druim tar ais, buailtear duine da shlait féin.
96. Cumann cealgach ag mnaoi,
is cumann dearbhtha 'na dhiol uaim ; mise i ngéibheann dá grádh,
's ise ag caitheamh gach léim ar luas
97. Cuma liom, ni abraim é ;
gibe bheir go léir a ghean, is gan grádh d'fhagháil dá chionn, a thuras, dar liom, is leamh.
98. Comhfhaid do théid teas is fuacht,
comhfhaid do théid fuacht is grádh ; téid an t-éad go smior,
isj^fanann annsin go brách.
19
^A^ FHOLAlOCHT. CLANN.
99. Síoda, ór agns airgead, ceól is laidean na tíre do thabhairt do choileán don chuaine, ní dhéana sé uasal choidhche é.
100. An saoghal is an sparán, an diallaid 's an gearrán, —
ní dhéanfadh uile 0 Briain de Dhiarmuid 0 Mhearán.
101. Ubhall ní thig ar chárthann,
áime toradh an droighnigh, is créad thiocfadh ó bhodachán acht somachán mar shíolradh ?
102. Dá mhéid céim réim is rachmas
do-gheibh an bathlach, mac an^ daoi, briseann a dhúthchas tríd a chrúba d'éis a chúrsa 'chur i gcrích.
103. Ná tóg mac mogha go hard,
ná méaduigh a gcrodh ná a gconách ; nuair theannaid ina maoine, ní hiontaobh na handaoine.
104. Tarraing nádúra ní dual
as an ngual do bhios go dubh ; gé go ndearnais geal é iné, atá 'na ghual féin iniu.
105. Tuigthear ar thoradh na gcrann uaisle na bhfréamh ó bhfásann ;
gach géag mar an ngéig ó dtig, téid leis an dtréad ó dtáinig.
106. Ní hi a fhuil uaisligheas neach 'na haonar, ná a fholt sgathach ;
muna bhfuil uaisle oile ann, uaisle fhola ní fhoghnann.
107. Ní comhfhad fhásas gach slat,
's ní hionann bhíos gach aon-mhac ; ní hionann ádh clú don chloinn, 's ní lán gach cnú don chrobhaing.
108. Ní comhfhad bhíos barr na méar, ní bhíonn uile cách coimhthréan ;
clár nocha bhíonn gan bhranán, ní bhíonn ál gan uachtarán.
— Muireadhach Alhanach Ú Dálaigh.
109. Annamh gort gan déasach fiadh,
is tuigeadh cách ciall mo rainn ; is tearc fear ar a mbí rath
ná bíonn meath ar chuid dá chlainn.
110. Ní bhí a chlann ó neach i niort
'g an tí bhus gann breath ar bhocht a ndéanaid na haithre d'ulc don lucht as a haithle is olc.
111. Goradh an mhic i dtigh an athar
goradh fairsing fial ; goradh an athar i dtigh an mhic is a dhá ghlúin 'na chHabh.
112. Féach leat, on féach leat dála na cloinne nách ceart :
gach ni bhus leat is leó, is gach ni is leó ni leat.
AN OIGE AGUS AN CHRlONNACHT.
113. An fhoghlaim do-gheibh duine i n-aois a leinbh leanbuidhe,
ni baintear as acht tre dhoghraing, madh olc maith an chéad-fhoghlaim,
114. Ná meas m'eagna ar m'óige,
's go meallfainn fear féasóige ; mo chridhe gan baois im bruinn, is sine ná m'aois m'fhoghluim.
115. 'Sé mo ghean, on 'sé mo ghean duine óg 's a mheanma sean ;
duine sean 's a mheanma óg, is air siúd is mo mo ghean.
116. Og gach neach san aois óige, óg arís gach seanóire ;
óg deireadh aoise gach duine, deireadh gach seanaoise óige.
117. Ró-bheag orm an chríne chrom, 's an tráthnóna ag druidim hom,
iall mo bhróige im dhá láimh, ciall is óige dom fhágáil.
23
^A^ BÁS AGUS AN TSlORRAlOCHT,
118. Is bréag adubhairt an chliar
nár bh'ionmhain le Dia an ghoid, 's gurb aige féin atá an Bás, an gadaidhe is feárr ar bith.
119. Gibé agaibh is sia saoghal
isé an t-éan agus é i sás ; ná maoidheadh sé a aga uainne, ní fada ón té is buaine an bás.
120. Ní tualaing neach mo mharbhadh,
gé do gheóbhadh mé im aonar ; ní mó is tualaing m' anacal
ón ló thiocfas mo shaoghal.
Cohimcille."
121. Ca ní is ro-bhuaine ná cré ?
ca ní is diombuaine ná í ?
gach ní dá mbeantar don chré,
mar caittear, is cré do-ní.
122. ^sé is bás dáríribh ann,
tréigean Dé, dul i n-iofrann ;
beag cás toiglie acht an teacii-sain bás oile ní huireasbaidh.
24
123. Mairg duine mhaireas i bhfad,
muna maith chaitheas a re ; mar chloidheamh ag cruinniú meirge fa chomhair dibhfeirge Dé.
124. An t-aoibhneas so — gá dtám dhó ? —
gearr mhaireas, ní mór a bhríogh ; an phian tuilltear ar a shon mairfidh so tré bhiotha sior.
— Bonaventura 0 Heoghusa.
125. Atá teine i dtigh na bpeacach,
pian gach crithir da gcuir di ; mairg atá fá theas na teineadh,
's nách feas cá lá is deireadh dhi.
126. Corp sleamhain,
agus taobh fada reamhar ;
beidh an cholann ag lobhadh, is an t-anam ag deamhan.
127. Fiodhbhadh chrion cnámha mo cholna,
cumhdach fallsa feóil mo bhall, úir gan taradh, ere mo ehalann, talamh me, 'gus anam ann.
128. IJir mo eharad seaeh úir eile
ni aithnim, is é san uaigh ; ag so im láimh é, 's ni aithnim, enáimh an té do aithninn uaim.
129. Tiomnaim mo bhú do bhoehtaibh, mo loeht don mhac mhalloehtain,
mo ehalann don ehré ó dtig, m'anam don té ó dtáinig.
25
130. Tniagh sin, a leabhair bhig bháin,
tiocfaidh an la, is budh fior, déarfaidh neach os cionn do chláir : " NÍ mhaireann an lámh do sgriobh."
131. Och, a lámh, on och, a lámh,
ar sgriobhais do mheamram bhán ;
mairíidh an meamram fa bhuaidh, 's beir-se san uaigh id chuail chnámh !
132. Is buaine bladh ná sgríbhinn,
buaine sgríbhinn ná meabhair, is buaine bladh ná saoghal, buaine ná daoine leabhair.
26
AN CHRAIBHTHEACHT.
133. Do mholadh Dé ná bí tuirseach,
bid a ghrása ag triall go mall, mealltar Ri Nimhe mar leanbhán, 's a dhuine, ná bí id bhalbhán dall.
134. An fhuiseóg bhuidheach go cinnte
canaidh don Choimdhe moladh ; duine 'na thocht san gcás-so is cosmhail gur ádhbhar gotha.
135. Don tsaoghal ná tabhair grádh,
ní díomhaoine bláth na gcraobh ; lean lorg a bhfuil ag triall
ó ifreann go hiath na naomh.
136. Ca fios damh, a Dhé Nimhe, (anois uair na haithríghe)
an mbiam an uair oile ann ? an uair bhus goire gabham.
— Tadhg Úg 0 Huiginn.
137. Go dtí dhíot gan mh'anadh ann, peacadh, a Dhé, dá ndearnam ;
gan teacht, a Choimdhe, as an gcol beart is doilghe na a dhéanomh.
— Gofraidh Fionn 0 Ddlaigh.
27
138. Mar sin gurab é Dia amháin
is aon-chuspóir gráidh don toil, ni hionghráidh acht ar son Dé aon-ní oile fan ghréin ghloin.
— Bonaventura 0 Heoghusa.
139. A fhir na heagna d'iarraidh, bheith ria is obair éigciallaidh,
gan grádh is eagla an Athar, madh ál t'eagna d'ollmhachadh.
Diomhaoin do dhuine ar domhan
bheith ag iarraidh ealodhan, na a mheas go bhfuighe sé sin, gan guidhe nDé do dhéinimh.
140. Treabh an talamh, cuir an siol,
déin-se fuirse min is fál, ná féach d'fhearann dá chruadhacht, thuas atá an Fear do-ni an fas.
141. Na creid an fhionnóigín liath,
na comhrádh gan chiall na mná ; pé luath mall d'éireóchaidh grian, is mar is toil le Dia bheidh an la.
142. Ni adhraim do ghothaibh éan,
ná sreódh ná séan ar bith ché, ná mac, ná mana, ná mnaoi ; isé mo dhraoi Críost Mac Dé.
— " Columcille."
143. A lucht déanta an chrábhaidh fhuair,
is díbh is dual ifreann lán ; crábhadh is gan ghníornh dá réir, samhail sin le déis gan ghrán.
AN CHLEIR.
144. Is daoine córa na bráithre,
bídh siad do ghnáth saoitheamhail ; acht mas don chrábhadh an doicheall, atá na sagairt naomhtha.
145. Mas ionmhuin leat na bráithre,
bí leó go sásta socair ; tabhaJr dhóibh gach ní iarraid, is na hiarr éinní ortha.
146. Cionnus sin, a Phápa ?
cad do bheir na bráithre ag marcuidheacht, 's gurab amhlaidli bhi San Proinsias, dar mo choinsias, ag coisidheacht ?
147. Mas bráthair bocht an bráthair méith,
is maith a ghné 's a shursaing teann ; mas le reimhe gheibh sé neamh, is duine leamh an bráthair seang.
■ — Maghnus 0 Domhnaill.
148. Sagairt óir is cailis chroinn bhi le linn Phádraig i nÉirinn ;
sagairt chroinn is cailis óir
i ndeireadh an domhain dear oil.
149. Nuair thiocfas an miol mór ar an Maing,
nuair thiocfas an Fhrainnc ar Shliabh Mis, nuair chaillfid na sagairt a saint, tiocfaidh a chaint don fhiach dubh.
— Eoghan Ruadh 0 Súilleabháin. 29
A^4 FILL
150. Deirim dan, on deirim dan an tráth bhíos mo bholg Ian ;
an uair nach mbionn mo bholg Ian, don deamhan dan ná amhrán !
151. A mbeith i mbrataibh loma ni nár do mhacaibh foghloma ;
buille ar mheath ni nár do neach, 's a dhán do bheith ar biseach.
152. Ma thig file fa do dhéin,
i bhfad i gcéin no i bhfogus duit, adhbhar gearáin ná tabhair uait, — is fada théid fuaim a ghuib.
153. Fear dána an gioUa so thiar :
adeirtliear iasg le breac beag,
goirthear nead do nid gacli eóin,
nead an fhinnin flieóir is nead.
— Tadhg Dull Ú Huiginn,
154. Fear dána ag déanamh dána
is dána an gníomh do-ní sé ; an fear nach dean dan direach fear dána dá ríribh é ! 30
155. Cáintear na íileadha,
's ní hiad do bhíonn cionntach ; ní fachtar as na soighthighe acht an lán do bhíos ionnta.
156. Saoithe na n-intleacht n-anbhfann
dalltar re hanbharr n-éigse ; dúnaid éanlaith na hoidhche súile re soillse gréine.
— Gofraidh Mac an Bhaird.
157. Ní file, ní seanchaidh saor,
ní liaigh, ní breitheamh bláthchaomh, ní hughdar léir-cheart learg, muna cléircheas an chéid-cheard.
158. ar lomarbháigh na hhFilí.
Lughaidh, Tadhg agus Tórna,
íilí eólcha bhur dtalaimh, coin iad go n-iomad bhfeasa
ag gleic fán easair fhalaimh.
— Flaithrí 0 Maoilchonaire.
31
AN T-ÚL.
159. Meisge mhór do-ní an lionn, —
ní misde liom gan bheith buan ; airgead do-bheirim go réidh
ar son mo chéiUe bhreith uaim.
160. Ní hí an mheisge is measa Horn, acht leisge a feicsin orom ;
ón ndigh mbig is cliste an ceann, ní thig misge gan míghreann.
161. Nuair théidhim isteach go tigh an oil
do-gheibhim póg ar son bheith leamh 's an tan chaithim deireadh mo stóir. sin bas lem thóin an doras amach.
162. Cuid do dhonas fhir an oil, — ní bhfaghann urraim ná onóir,
ní bhí dóigh ag daoinibh as, is gann a choir 's a chumas.
163. NÍ dheachaidh acht ceathrar re ceól
ar bhainis Seóin isteach, 's ni lugha ná sé fir dhéag táinig do lucht téad amach 32
164. Mallacht Dé go bráth
ar an ngloine ghránna ghann ; 's go madh measa ná sin an lámh nár chuir a leathlán ann !
— Aodh 0 Domhnaill.
165. Sás dighe do bheith go buan, —
bean-tighe chruaidh 's fear gan tart, cupán beag is gan é lán, 's a leigean ar clár i bhfad.
166. A fhir nách gnáthach soilbhir
acht go doilbhir dubhach, is buan do bheannacht don chopán Ó bhfuil do chorpán subhach.
33
FEALL.
167. Fan, is beir an méid so leat,
(ionann galar damhsa is duit) — nil fios nach é an té is annsa leat is túisge do chaillfeadh ort.
168. An sionnach, cé ar uairibh
chuireann cluain ar a bhfaiceann, go gcead do féin 's da chrionnacht, minic dioltar a chraiceann.
169. Ná déin cumann le fear Gallda,
ma nir, ni fearrde dhuit : beidh choidhche ar ti do mheallta, sin cumann an fhir Ghallda riot.
170. Da mbeadh go bhfuigheadh fear fill seal da re 'na re aoibhinn,
atáid each da chur i gcairt nach gnáth a dhul gan dioghailt.
171. Do rinne bréag re Dia mór,
mairg do chreidfeadh dhó dá éis ; bréag re daoinibh, amhlaidh sin, cosmhail ris go ndéanfadh sé.
— Bonaventura 0 Heoghusat
34
172. Tug an Coimdhe cor don rotha
do chla.on-regno na mbreath ngann ; iseal anocht atá an bráithrín, ní bhfuil acht regnavi ann.
173. NÍ mise teanga-liom-lat, ni bhim la uait is agat,
ni roich tnúth grinneall mo ghráidh, ni chrimeam cúl mo cliompáin.
174. Ni me an teanga-liom-leat,
ni thugaim m'annsacht go héasga ; mar a mbimse bim ann sin,
ni bhim an taobh thall 's an taobh-so.
35
CUID DO CHOMHAIRLE NA BARRSGOLOIGE DA MHAC.
175. Mo chomhairle dhuit, a mhic,
a leógain do shiol Airt, ná tabhair breith ar an gcéad sgéal go breith don taobh eile ort.
176. Ná bí cruaidh, is ná bí bog,
's ná tréig do charaid ar do chuid ; a mhic mo chroidhe, ná hadhain troid, 's ná hob í más éigean duit.
177. Ná bí síleach go tigh an oil ; ná déin ábhacht ar sheanóir ;
ná habair ná tiubhrthá cóir do dhuine bhocht lag dhearóil.
178. Ar t'éirghe amach fán sráid,
ná din cnáid fá dhuine bhocht ; ná mol is ná diomol daoi,
mar ná fachtar saoi gan locht.
179. Ná habair a dtuigfear duit,
beag an díoghbháil do-ní an tocht, éist re comhrádh ndaoine nglic, tuig, agus léig mórán thort. 36
180. Togh céile ar t'aithne féin,
gan dul tar lear ná i n-imigéin ;
togh buidhean an tséin ar a mbeidh rath, mar is dual da gcomhairle dul go maith.
181. Seachain gleacaidhe mUis sleamhain,
seachain teanga liomhtha mhear ; ná géill dá gcomhrádh caoin, ná fós d'éinní dá luaidhfid leat.
182. Seachain an cleasaidhe cam,
ná tathlaigh é fád bhrat ; caillíidh ort má gheibheann an chaoi, mar is dual gur claon a bheart.
183. An té nách truagh leis do chás,
ná déin do ghearán leis ; ná nocht dó do run,
is ná bíodh tnúth agat ris.
37
COMHAIRLE THAIDHG MHIC DHAIRE do Dhonnchadh 0 Bhriain.
184. Mo cheithre rainn duit, a Dhonnchaidh, is déin mar adéaraid siad, gan diogha rainn orthaibh uaimse, crainn go dtorthaibh uaisle iad.
Braith ar h'eagnamh, abair beagán, bí go réidh fá rachaidh thort ;
ná beir breith re gaol da ghoire go breith don taobh oile ort.
BÍ go min i gcriochaibh carad, i gcrich biodhbhadh ná bí tais,
déin go maith re deóraidh, a Dhonnchaidh, a leómhain do shiol gconchair gCais.
Ná hob sith, ná seachain cogadh, ná hairg cill an gcéin bheir beó,
ná bíodh do ghníomh teann ód theangaidh, ná díon feall, ná geallaidh gleó.
— Tadhs mac Ddire.
38
COMHAIRLI EILE.
185. Luigh agus éirigh ar do láimh dheis,
ná dean feis acht sáith, déana comhairle led ghaol,
's ná bí 't aon i n-aghaidh cháich.
186. Mairg a bhios gan chomhairleach ;
anois Ó tá tú it aonar, ar th' uaisle ná dean ro-chuimhne, go dtaga leat a dhéanamh.
187. Ná bí seilgeach ar sráid,
ná bí crithlámhach is tú ar ruaig; ná bí 'do bharánta le bréig, léig í go fálta uait.
188. Ná cáin duine dár chum Dia, ná hagair air a mhíchiall ;
ná habair fírinne 'na mbeadh aithis ; ná haithris, is ná mion-aithris.
39
ABHAIR FILE.
189. Dar liom, is maith an comhrádh
adeir an págánach san Laidin : mar a mbionn an sport 's an solas, go mbionn an dólás in' aice.
— Séamiis Ainglis.
190. NÍ i n-aon áird flianas an ghaoth,
cé go mbionn fraoch ar an sin ; ni mhaireann anfadh do ghnátli, is bidh an mhuir tráth go min.
191. Fuarsam gach ni do b'olc linn,
do locsam bheith go dubhach ; Ó nach bhfuil olc dar n-easba, déanam feasta go subhach.
192. Ni maith an mhaith an mhaith gan fonn, is maith fé dhó an mhaith obann ;
méaduigheann an mhaith, dar mo chúis, tan déintear í le deagh-ghnúis.
193. Ni bhfuil san nglór bhfaoilidh n-ait,
muna raibh méin mhaith da choir,— ni bhfuil san gcruth sheaghonn shuairc, — acht cloidheamh luaidhe i dtruaill óir. 40
194. A Dhé bhí,
mairg do-ní deirblié.ile um ní ; y
do-gheibh duine ní nach faic, téid as a ghlaic an ní ad-chí.
— " Cohimcille."
195. Síos suas. suas síos,
go madh fada buan é mar shlighe ! brat do bhí fá Dhinnís araoir go raibh Dinnís anocht faoi.
— Dáibhí do Barra.
196. Ceist agam ort, a chléirigh,
ó's tú léigheas an Bíobla :
créad bheir an óinseach sona,
's an duine dona críonna ?
Ní ceist orm é, ar an cléireach,
is léir dam gach ní acu, — bíonn an sonas i n-ionad na céille,
's na tréithe ag an gcríonnacht.
nó niar seo :
Fuaisgeóla mé an cheist sin
as ucht Rí na hAoine, — go mbíonn an donas i mbun an chruinnighV
's an sonas i mbun an sgaoilte.
197. O's éigean d'fhear an oinigh bréag uair éigin d'athoighidh,
ti'uagh, a Mhuire ! a mhéad do locht bréag an duine gan daonnacht.
41
198. A bhráthair Eoin, má táir ag triall
go teach na bpian tar mo chrois, beir leat m'arm agus m'each donn, — níor chuibhe dhuit dul ann dot chois'! — Toirdhealhhach Úg Mac Donnchadha.
199. Tug Dia a rogha do gach neach
dul ar neamh nó i dtigh na bpian : is urasa aithint ar a ghníomh cé acu slighe 'na bhfuil a thriall.
200. Do thuit Pól, do thuit Peadar íial
ar sgáth fola Thriaith na Rann : tuiteam mar sin is dona dhóibh, má tá an choir ag clanna Gall.
201. Turas Phádraig ar an gCruaich,
's a throsgadh san uaimh, — féach súd ; an chliar so da bhfaghaid neamh, ba duine leamh Mac Arpluinn úd.
202. Cibé heaglais leanas siad
ni tháinig riamh rómpa féin ; má 'si sin an eaglais fhior
cionnas shaorfaid Criost ar bhréig ?
— Bonaventura 0 Heoghusa.
203. Mmia bhfuil mo chreideamh go coir,
ar thaobh an óir ni me is lia : is duine dona atá mar táim,
gan an saoghal im láimh ná Dia. 42
204. Ní théid éan idir éanaibh, más fíor do na sean-sgéalaibh ;
luighidh tocht ar an fliiach
i measg na n-éan gcoimhthigheach.
205. 0 táim dom chur amach,
's nach leigthear dhamh is-toigh, buidheachas le Rígh na bhfeart
nach féidir mé chiir amach amuigh !
206. A bhean mhaith nach bhfuil i locht, ní tliiubhra mé guth ar do theach, acht más tusa chaith an phurgóid, is ormsa atá an dol amach !
207. Lán gaid do gliainimli thrágha,
nó beart gaoithe ar ghualainn, greann dá chur i gcoidreamh idir bhoidrisg do dhaoine duairce.
208. Baoth comhairle gach mic mhir ag nach mairid a shinnsir ;
amhail is crom craobh fo chnoibli, toll taobh ó bheitli gan bhráthair.
209. Má 'sí an tuigse, má 'sí an tol
is ciontach red chor tar chéill, bíodh ormsa an tuigse do chosg, 's bíodh cosg na tola ort féin.
— Bonaventura Ú Heoghusa. 43
210. Má 'si an toil is ciontacli ribh, slán libh, — ni bheanaim-se dhi a leigheas ni gliéabh rem ais, aithne dhamhsa go maith i.
-ibid.
211. ar Chail
Ughdar gach uilc do-ni so
do Dhia ghlórmhar (olc an chiall !) ; ionann dó-san agiis soin
a rádh nach fuil Dia 'na Dhia.
212. ar DIiiDis Scotus :
Cia an doclitúir is mór iúl le ndiontar clú Máthar Dé ?
aingeal glórmliar, deamhan súd, no isé Scotus ó Dhún é !
213. Atáid triúr, ón atáid triúr adhras go dileas Ri na nDúl,
Brighid, Pádraig, is Colum caomh, taobh re taobh insan Dún.
214. Vive diu, felix arhor, semperque vireto,
Frondibus ut nobis talia poma /eras.
Go maire tú do thortlia, a chroinn, bláth do thortha ar gach aon-chrann ; go raibh coillte Inse Fail lán dod tliortha gach aon-lá ! 44
bid.
215. Alt d'éan-mhuineál an dís, —
an fear claon 's an bhean mhear ; fuair seisean a shamhail féin de mhnaoi, is fuair sise diogha na bhfear.
216. An traghna ghlórach 's an chuach,
ni iarrann siad luach ar cheól ; ó's tusa is seirbhe le cluais, na hiarr duais acht oiread leó.
NÍ bhfuil san gceól uile acht gaoth,
's is duine baoth shinneas é ; annsa liom go mór an taos,
Ó 'sé choisgeas fraoch mo dhéad.
— Donnchadh Mac Labhra.
217. An cheard leis nach bhfaghthar bróg
acht mire is bród, mairg 'gá bhfuil ! tarbhach toradh ceóil na brón, 's is maith an stór thig on mbuin.
— ibid.
218. Atá Dia tiodhlaictheach tabharthach,
atá Dia fairsing i gcumhgach ; ni hionann bhur nDia Connachtach is Dia breágh fairsing na nUlltach !
219. Caoch an inghean, caoch an mháthair,
leathchaoch an chú, caoch an cat, caoch ?ji capall bhios fon tsrathair, caoch an t-athair, caoch an mac !
— Ao7ighns na nAor. 45
220. A ndaoithe [an oidhche] is beag oram féin, a Mhic Dé do dhealbh gach mionn ; gion go dtugas fuath don ló,
is saoithe [is oidhche] is mo is ionmhain Horn.
221. Is luaithe deoch ná sgéal,
is duine me ar a mbionn tart ; ni he an sgéal fada is fearr,
acht an sgéal gearr ar a mbi bias.
222. Beannacht agam, beannacht Horn,
mo sheacht mbeannacht orm féin, Ó nách fuil fear curtha m'fháilte, gurb é mo chéad sláinte féin.
223. I gcosaibh con bhios a cuid,
innsim duit, a dhuine leisg, seanfhocal, agus é fíor,
ní gnáth siubhlach síor go seisg.
224. Éist leis, ón éist leis
ag gleic fán dtír nách leis ;
an tír ba leis do leig uaidh, 's an tír nár leig uaidh, níor leis !
225. Do bhríste-se, a Sheóin,
ní hiongnadh dhó bheith fann, — bíonn san lá ar do thóin, is san oidhche ar do cheann. 46
226. Is tearc ní gan brígh beacht ná seargann le seandacht ;
téid gach ni ar gcúl acht coir, 's is úr gach saint ag seanóir.
227. Is maol guala gan bhráthair,
's is mairg bhionn gan dearbhráthair ; i n-am tagartha an ghlóir mhir is mall agartha an éinfhir.
228. Námha ceard muna cleachtar, seanfhocal da sir-leantar ;
an cheard cleachtar isi is fearr, da leantar di gan dicheall.
229. Neach sin bhios corrach do ghnáth,
is ionann gné dhó 's don dris ; an té sin nach faghthar acht cearr, foidhnne is fearr a dhéanamh leis.
230. Do-bhéarainn comhairle amhra — mine i n-aghaidh gharbha,
firinne i n-aghaidh ghó, agus to i n-aghaidh labhra.
231. Fearr mine ná buirbe mhór,
is fearr coir ná dul chum dlighe ; is fearr tigh beag is teann Ion ná tigh mór is beagán bídh.
232. Is fearr preabán ná poll,
is fearr lom ná lean ; is fearr baidhreán is bainne gabhar ná dul go tigh ar domhan da mhéad. 47
233. Each, cú, leabhar agus bean,
sin agus mo shaoghal gan bhrón, cuid na lioidhche don bhiadh, — ni iarrfainn ar Dhia ni badh mho.
234. Ceathrar da dtiig Fionn iuath, —
CÚ thruagh, agus each mah, triath tire gan bheith ghc, is bean fir na beireann clann.
235. Ceathrar sagart gan bheith santach,
ceathrar Francach gan bheith buidhe, ceathrar gréasaidhe gan bheith bréagach, — sin dáréag ná fuil san tir.
236. Is mairg agá mbí caraid gann,
is mairg agá mbí clann gan rath, is mairg agá mbí bothán bocht, 's is mairg bhios gan olc no maith.
237. Is iomdha bean deas i mBaile-áth-chath,
is iomdha shabh ar bheagán bó, is iomdha féasóg dhubh thionntuigheas hath, 's is iomdha fear fial ar bheagán stóir.
238. Easba fána do-ní loch,
easba tola do-ni tnúth, easba céille do-ni baois,
's easba gaoithe d'fhosdas long.
239. Tine chruinn don mhuicfhéoil,
is greadóg don chaoire ; tine mhór don mhairtfhéoil, is bheith da fadódh choidhche. 48
240. Uisge d'fhear an mhuilinn mhoill, agus grian d'fhear an tsaloinn, gaoth ag fear loinge gan loin, is soineann ag síoladóir.
241. NÍ bádóir go lán sgóid,
's ní tuiglieadóir go cúinne, ní hoireamh go caol-fhód, 's ní íigheadóir go súsa.
242. Bídh i ngalar neach is slán, is bídli slán neach is caslán ; bídh i n-innill neach is trú, 's bídii i n-eisinnill éadrú.
CoUirncille.
243. Bíonn duine i bpéin is é beó,
bíonn duine beó 's gan é slán, bíonn duine slán is gan é biian,
bíonn díol fuatha ar a mbíonn grádh.
244. Is tuirseach fear curaigh cois cuain, 's is tuirseach bean ar uaigh a fir, is tuirseach fear luinge gan stiuir, 's is tuirseach fear ciuin ar bith.
245. Diogha gach teine fearn glas, diogha gach sine iliuchras,
diogjia gach dighe meidhg, mas scan, is diogha gach fine droichbhean.
49
246. Tosach luinge clár,
tosach átha clocha, /v I tosach flatha fáilte,
tosach sláinte codladh.
247. Deireadh luinge a bádhadh,
deireadh átha a losgadh, /^ ( deireadh flatha a cáineadh, ^. Ip.?6
deireadh sláinte osnadh. I
248. Da dtrian donais an doghracht,
da dtrian ceannsacht an fháilte, dá dtrian damanta an fhallsacht, 's da dtrian tabharthais an tsláinte.
249. Dá dtrian galair san oidhche
da dtrian baoise ag an óige dá dtrian sainte ar hicht saidhbhris, is da dtrian cainte ag lucht póite,
250. Dá dtrian gaoitlie ag crannaibh,
da dtrian sneachta ar shléibhtibh, dá dtrian iiisge ar mhóintibh, is da dtrian córa ag fear céille.
251. A léightheóir na leirg Ian,
léigheas gach iomrádh gasta, aitchim, bi aireach do ghnáth, is guidh flaitheas na ngrás dom anam.
50
ADDENDA.
252. Do-bhéaraidh Airdrí nimhe,
do réir dhlighe na n-ughdar, neamh agus clú le chéile
d'fhear na féile do chumhdach.
253. Cumhduigh do chlú go haireach,
ná bí failleach i ndaonnacht ; ní beó tar éis a náire
neach dá shláine san tsaoghal.
254. Fear an airgid ghlégil ghloin,
mór an dúil bhíos 'na bhriathraibh ; 's ní faghthar dúil san dán ghlan, gidh nár dhúinn gan a dhéanamh.
255. Is minic
an mhaitli caithtear go dtairig ;
agus an mhaith nach caitlitear, gion go gcaithtcar í, tairig.
— " Coliimcille."
256. 'Nár sost go fóill is fearr sinn, 's an tórmach so 'nár n-intinn,
a ua na dtriath ba tréine i dtreas, ar eagla céim dár n-aimhleas.
— Mícheál CíLÍmín.
257. Ná tabhair taobh leis na mná,
's ná tabliair do dháil fá n-a neart ; ná creid uatha clog ná inioiin, 's ná creid a dteanga,-liom-leat.
258. A chailleach an cliléibhín cliáise,
isé m'anam-sa t'anam-sa ; ach an tráth theirgfeas an cliabh cáise, ná cuir do lámh ghránna tharm-sa !
259. Truagh an dáil, ón truagh an dáil bhíos ar shluagh an bheatha bháin :
nacli é is domhan do gach aon bail a mbeidís a aos gráidh ?
280. Ar ghrádh Dé gnóthuigh ón Róimh deispionsáid chóir agus clieart, bean mhaith dá bhfaghthá ag daoi, í dá fhágbháil, maitli an bheart.
Deaghail fós, a cliinn na gcliar, gach fear íial is gach bean leamh ;
pós re chéile an dá shaoi,
ní beag an dá dhaoi do mheath.
261. Neach is díomhaoine ar dhomhan, más ííor d'iúl na healadhan,
mac brugliadh ar mbreith ar rath, lér cumhan bheith 'na bhodach.
262. Reidh an talamh-so atá fúm, lá, oramsa dá hiompúdh :
mise ar an talamli-so atá, ise oramsa an t-athla.
52
263. Is beag orm ifreann fuar fliuch, baile bith-bhuan is searbh deoch, baile tá gan chill gan chrois, ni ragbad ann do chois no d'each.
264. Aoibhinn duit, a choiligh dheirg ! ni thig meirg ar do ghob, acht a' moladh Dé ar mhaide chruaidh, an tráth bhimse im shuan ar leabaidh bhoig.
2G5, An toil, darab seise an corp,
buain^uimpi ni bog an céim ; x
péist is 'do-cheannsa ná soin
nior dliealbli Dia, ni bhfoil fan ngrein.
— Bonaventiira 0 Hcos:husa.
266. longnadli nach dearnais da réir mar do-ni cuid mhaith don cliléir : nár cliongbhais breith na breitlie, go deireadh na faoisidne.
— Tadhg mac Ddire.
267. A ghiolla úd d'imthig go huallach . is tug leat ualach Mhic Leisge,
; ba chosmhail le méid do glirása go bhfuair tú an Papa ar meisge !
268. Ni raibh samhradh riamh gan ghrian,
ni ra.ibh geimhreadh riamh gan sneacht, ni raibh Nodlaig Mhór gan fheóil, ná bean óg le a deóin gan fhear.
S3
Ní glóire go gréin acht neamh, ní torainn tréan acht tóirneach,
ní hanfadh go gaoith andeas,
ní hanacra go héitheach.
Ní hole aon-bheart go madh feall,
ní bocht go dul i n-ifreann, ní haoir go moladh bréige, ní daoi go mnaoi droich-mhéinne.
Ní náire go haoighe tar lear, ní gábhadh go dul ó réiteach, ní healadha go léightear stair, ní maraidhe go fear stiúrach.
Ní haon-mhartra go beith dall,
ní haithntear neaeh go hanbhfann,
ní tréan go tuitim tuile,
ní lean go díth tighearna.
Ní rogha go Rígh na cruinne,
ní cobhair go tróeuire,
ní beatha bhiothbhuan aeht neamh, ní luaeht go haifreann d'éisteacht.
Ní séimh neaeh go beith oilte, ní baoghlach go bioth-naimhde, ní saor go beith gan chionta, ní daor go breith ainbhreithe.
Ní handúr neach go beith tur, ní breathnú go madh caidreamh,
ní brúite go dul i n-aois,
is ní múinte go coigcrích.
54
Ní teasaidheacht go náire,
ní heasbaidhe go díth cáirde, ní dána go beith treórach, 's ní fáidh go beith fíreólach.
270. Mil le mnaoi, leamhnacht le mac, biadh le fial, cárna le cat,
saor istigh agus faobhar, — aon le haon is ro-bhaoghal.
271. Gul Gaillsighe ar gcall Gaill, ag sin an caoi nach gcaoiníinn ;
fann-ghul nach fann lem chridhe gall-ghul ar gcall Gaillsighe.
272. Nil torn ná tulach
ná cnocán buidhe féarach, ná bíonn seal go subhach is seal go dubhach déarach.
Í- 273. Adeir an t-ughdar cliste
gur maith misge uair sa mi ; deirimse, cidh mór mo leisge, nach misde dhá uair no trf-
274. Atá go leór daoine ar an saoghal,
is t'fhuil do spréachadh tar a gceann, luighfid cos ort san gcae,
nuair is léir dóibh do mhaith go gann.
275. Ná cuir spéis i mac ná i mnaoi,
ná dean doilgheas^fá ní sa bhith biaidh sin mar is áil?le Dia, is ni bhia sé ach mar sin.
— " Columcille. 55
2í'6. Mairg clireideas do ghrádh mná, grádh é nách ionchuir i bhfís, grádh reatha nách luaithe an ghaoth, grádh nácli ta,bhair taobh arís.
277. Ní tliig grádh gan ghríosadh gruadh,
mór a luadli do dhuine thréith ; ionann nách-mór agus bás duine i ngrádh le bruinne bé.
278. Druid anall, a leabhair bhig,
d'aon mhuintir mise is sibh íéin, ionann galar damhsa is daoibh, tuig go bhfuilim mar taoi i bpéin.
279. Ní sia mo dhcoch ná deoch cháich, —
cadé an fáth ná beimís cothrom ? oiread liomsa ar an bhfear thall, is oiread leis an bhfear thall oram.
280. Ní feas dam cúis rem dhéanamh bocht gur fhág an drúis mé lomnocht ;
re himirt is re hól tar chách
do chain me mo chuid 's mo chonách.
281. RÍ gan tús gan deireadh Dia,
ni tús is ni deireadh dhó, isé Rí Nimhe is Ha 's is ha, isé Dia is sine 's is ó.
282. Ni leigeann Sean do Wál
ar eagla a mhná diiine isteach ; a Mhuire ! cá fearrde dhó,
's gur minic théid Mór amach ?
56
^83. A dhuine, dk mb' eól duit thú íéin,
no an slamach criadh da ndearnadh thú, go deóidh níor thirim do ghruadh Ó shilt bhuan do dhearca súl.
284. Ar n-athair ó 'sé Adhamh,
's gur bh'i ar máthair Éabha, nacli bhfuil a dtáinig uatha comh-uasal le n-a chéile ?
NÍ athair, fós ní máthair,
do-ní go hard an fine, acht beatha is beart is béasa
árduigheas céim an duine.
285. Ag admliáil t'oidis ma tarn, nior leanas do lorg im dhán : mise ag cumhdach na córa, tusa ag dion na liéagcóra.
— Lughaidh 0 CUirigh.
280. Datliadóir mise re dan, —
do-nim ban do ni bhios dubh, do-nim dubh do ni bhios ban, do-nim dan gan dath gan chruth.
287. Dan direach mas peacadh é,
feadh mo re ni dhearnas súd ; euirim fiadlmaise ar Mliac Dé nár pheacaigh me sa réim úd.
57
288. Optimus Scotoriim, — •
más Laidean choir a labhram, ni hÉireannach Cormac Cas, acht Albanach gan amhras !
289. Peacach me ag déanamh ort,
oramsa ná nocht an choir ; cé do thuilleas t'fhearg is t'fhio'ch, féach Oram, a Chriost, is fóir.
290. Sinsireacht ni ghabhann ceart i dtir do ghabhthar le neart ;
calmacht na bhfear is ceart ann, 's ni sinsireacht fhear n-anbhfann.
— Roibeard Mac Artúir,
S8
NOTES
In the present collection I have given what appear to me to be the best of the ddnfhocail I have come across in MSS. during the last three or four years. I have excluded a number of them which seemed deficient in point or force, though possibly I should revise my estimate of a few of these did we know the circumstances in which they were composed. I have also excluded a small number of quatrains — hardly a dozen in all — which, in varying degrees, may justly be accused of coarseness.
Some of these ddnfhocail are the disjecta membra of longer poems. I have endeavoured to identify where possible the poems from which they were extracted. Others, probably the greater number, were never more than single quatrains, and were doubtless often composed as impromptus. The dates of composition of the various quatrains differ very much, and, except where the author is known, can only be approximately determined. Ascriptions to Cormac mac Airt and to St. Columcille are, of course, not to be taken seriously. The great majority of these quatrains, one may safely say, belong to the period 1400-1700 ; but a few go back to the Early Middle Irish period, and, on the other hand, one or two may be as late as the 19th century.^ But whatever be their dates, they all of them have this in common
^ A certain number of these quatrains are also known in Scottish versions, as indicated in the detailed notes below. As literary inter- course with Scotland practically ceased with the Plantation of Ulster, we are justified in referring the composition of such quatrains to some time not later than the i6th century.
59
that they arc found in circulation in IModcrn Irish j\lSS.i Isolated and oft-quoted quatrains such as these are particularly liable to become corrupted in the course of their transmission from MS. to MS., or from mouth to mouth, — for it is hkely that scribes often wrote down versions that were current orally. I have endeavoured all through to avail myself of the best MSS., and to give a trustworthy and intelUgiblc text. Versions of many of these quatrains have been printed from time to time in various books and periodicals, a few here and a few there, but these versions have too often been inferior or inaccurate. In his ' Seanfhocla Uladh ' Mr. H. Morris has printed 60 or 70 quatrains of the present type, much the largest number hitherto published in any one book, but the text he gives is frequently marred by serious defects.
The commonest kinds of ddn-metxes are represented in the present collection, — Rannaigheacht (of several kinds), Deibhidhe, Ae Freshghe, Séadnadh. In some quatrains the metrical rules are carried out in all their strictness, and in cases where this is not so we may sometimes safely attribute the metrical inexactness to faulty transmission by writers of MSS. But in many cases it is obvious that the departures from the classic standard are not the result of textual corruption, but are due to the fact that the original com- posers no longer felt themselves bound by the old rules. We have in fact numerous examples here of modernised ddn, such as we find in the later Ossianic poems, in which the fixed number of syllables in each line is discarded and popular pronunciation admitted, and in which a regular stress, unknown to the classic metres, begins to assert itself. In some cases, indeed, owing to the modem arrange- ment of the rimes it is hard to distinguish these later
1 For Middle (and Old) Irish Kuuo Meyer has published a consider- able number of isolated quatrains and fragments of poems in GJ. vols. iv. V. vii. and -\iii, in ZCP. i ii. and vii, and in liis ' Bruch- stiicke der iilteren Lyrik Irlauds' (Berlin, 1919), which was unfor- tunately left incomplete owing to his death. Mention may also be made of the marginal quatrains from H.2.12 (15th cent.) edited by Miss A. B. Culverwell in ' Hermathena.' xvii. pp. 133-136.
60
quatrains from ordinary song-metre (cf. nos. 41, 149, 225, etc.).^
The bulk of the collection has been drawn from MSS. in the Royal Irish Academy, but I have also utilised MSvS. in Trinity College, in the National Library, in I\Iaynooth College, and in University College, Dublin. The most important MS. is 23G25 (pp. i if.), written by Mícheál Óg 0 Ivongáin of Co. Cork early in the last century ; this contains versions of possibly more than half of the quatrains here printed. (A similar collection by the same writer will be found in St. F. vi. I, pp. 326 ff.). Three ]MSS. that represent the Ulster- Ivcinster border district are 23A45, written by Muiris IMliac Gorman, 1745"" ; St.F. v. 3, written by Henri Mac-an-tsaoir, 1788 ; and 23X33, written by Nicholas O' Kearney {circ. 1850 ?). Other noteworthy MSS. are 23D5, written by Tadhg Ó Neachtain, and the following, which all belong to Munster : 12E22 (1754), 23B38 (1779), 23O17 (17S5), and 23B37 (1S18), in R.I.A. ; H. 6. 11 (1754) and H. 6. 21 (1774-1781) in T.C.D. ; and MS. xii. of the Nat. Lib. References to a total of more than sixty other MSS. in addition to those just enumerated will be found in the notes below. In general the references there given are confined to the MSS. on which the text has been based. Versions of not a few of the quatrains have been found in other MSS. besides those specified in the particular notes ; but when these afforded no improved readings or note- worthy variants, it has been thought unnecessary to refer to them.
It will be convenient to mention here the sources of some of the quatrains wlucli are known to have originally formed part of longer poems, (i) Nos. 7, 26, 33, 35, 40, 46 and 49 belong to an anonymous poem of 17 stt. beginning Mairg
1 Epigrammatic quatrains in song-metre are also found in modern MSS., and I may some day publish a selection of them. But in general they are, I tliink, inferior to the dánfhocail. Their strength too often gets diffused in long lines and an over-abundance of assonances.
-Eg. 161 (written 1778-178S), from which O'Grady (pp. 601 if.) quotes some quatrains, has a good deal of kinship with ihis.
61
agd lagaid na Idmha, copies of which are found in 23D38, p. 55, 23N15, p. 152, and some later MSS. Five of the seven quatrains printed here I have also found quoted separately in ]\ISS. ; the remaining two have been excerpted by myself. (2) Nos. 27, 29, 31 and 42 belong to a poem beginning Bráthair don hhds an daidhbhreas, of which O' Grady (Cat. p. 532) has printed 11 stt., and of which there are copies in 23E14, p. 20 (26 stt.), 23N14, p. 102 (23 stt.), and else- where. Ml. Óg Ó Longáin (23N14 and St. F. vi. i) ascribes this poem to Maoilin Óg Mac Biuaideadha, and internal evidence shows that it was composed by a Clare poet of about Maoilin Og's time ; but all the other MSS. I have seen give it anonymously. Two of the four passages here quoted have been excerpted by myself. (3) Nos. 2, 5, 6, 10, 252 and 253 form part of an anonymous poem of 12 or 13 stt. beginning Caith a bhfiiighir re daonnacht, found in 23I40, p. 3, and later MSS.^ ]\Iost of the selections from this poem have been made by me. (4) Nos. 8, 43, 124, 138, 171, 202, 209, 210, 211, 265 are from Bonaventura Ó Heóghusa's poem Truagh liom, a chonipdin, do chor, originally printed in lyouvain early in the 17th century, and reprinted in the 2nd edition of the author's Teagasg Criosdaidhc (Rome, 1707). There are also ]\IS. copies. The poem is addressed by the author to ' a dear friend of his who had fallen into heresy through his passions/ viz., the notorious Miler McGrath, Protestant Archbishop of Cashel (ti622). The 1707 edition is the one here utiUsed, there being no copy of the earlier edition (or editions) in Ireland. About half the quatrains quoted here I have found quoted separatel}'- in MSS. (5) Nos. 44, 45, 120, 142, 194, 242 and 255 I have excerpted from the poem M'aonardn danih isan sliabh, attributed to St. Columcille, of which versions have been published in ]\Iisc. Irish Arch. Soc. i. p. 3 (from YBIy.) and ZCP. vii. 302 (from Laud 615). There is also a version in 23M12, p. 75 (written by Fr. Maghnus Ó Domhnaill, cifc. 1700), which agrees pretty closely with Laud ; and another in 24P29, p. 350, which has affinities with YBL. 1 Also in Giessen IIS. (1684), Rev. Celt. xvi. 19. 62
(6) From another poem attributed to Columcille have been taken nos. ii and 12, as explained below.
Apart from the instances just alluded to and from half a dozen other cases (viz., nos. 16, 38, 47, 139, 146 and 266) I have resisted the temptation to incorporate in the present volume stanzas culled by myself from various poems. The work will, I beUeve, gain rather than lose in interest by my having, in the main, left the selection of the quatrains to the writers of our MSS., for in this way the collection lias, apart from any intrinsic merits, a special value in that it mirrors for us, more faithfully, perhaps, than could any other collection of verse, the views that made most appeal to our forefathers on nearly every aspect of life.
In editing the text I have normalised the spelHng, modern- ising it also in the few cases where this was necessary. I have been conservative with regard to the retention of grammatical forms, particularly, of course, where the older forms were established by the metre. ^ In general I have followed the oldest available MSS. in this regard. The language of the quatrains is not quite uniform throughout, owing to the different dates of composition and of the IMSS. — partly also (but to a lesser extent) owing to dialectic differences. Thus nach fnil, nd fiiil, and nach bJtjiiil are all used. It was impossible in many cases to find space in the notes for more than a selection of the variant-readings, but I have tried to include all the important ones. Departures from the readings of the MSS. are duly recorded in the notes, but occasionally trivial changes have been silently made with a view to improving the metre. Thus in no. 81 the MS. begins 11. 2 and 4 with is, which is here omitted, while it lacks the is which I have inserted at the beginning of 1, 3.
^ At the same time I see no reason why Irish speakers or writers in quoting these dcinfhocail to-da}^ should not be at liberty to discard most of these archaisms and to say, or write, e.g. ca bhfios dam instead of ca fios damh, lé instead of ria, fuaramair instead oi fuarsam, or even substitute dineann and a labhrann for do-ni and labhras (rel.). Such liberty as this the scribes of our MSS. always allowed them- selves ; and present-day English frequently does .something similar when quoting from older authors like Chaucer or Shakespeare.
63
Printed sources — especially those which (like O' Grady's Catalogue) give extracts from Irish MSS. outside Ireland — are occasionally drawn on ; in each case an acknowledgment is made in the notes. Three of the quatrains (viz. nos. 258, 268, 272) have been adapted from Scottish Gaelic.
A number of these ddnfhocail have been preserved by oral tradition down to our own day. In the notes I have usually given references to versions obtained orally in Ulster (mostly by MacAdam and Oaiggin). For the Southern Half it will suihce to say liere that Munster oral versions of the following, among others, have been pubhshed (mainly in the 'GaeUc Journal ') : nos. 58, 59, 89, 98, 231, 232, 238, 2.15-247.
1. G ; 24B29 (where it is wrongl}»- incorporated in no. 184). In the quatrains in the present section we see reflected one of the most marked cliaracteristics of our forefathers, — generosity towards the needy and hospitality tov/ards strangers. At the same time it is well to remember that these quatrains in part also reflect the prosaic fact that the poets, who lived on the bounty of others, fully reahsod the importance to themselves of glorif\'ing generosity and denouncing niggardliness.
2. For the proverb Is hnainc bladh nd saoghal here and in 137, see Alisc. of Irish Proverbs, 134.
3. ]\Iackinnon, 208. There is also a version in Morris's ' Seanfhocla Uladh,' p. 314.
4. G, which reads riih tar cheann anahruim in 1. I.
5. The reference in 11. 1-2 is to the miracle of the Loaves and the Fishes. For 11. 3, 4, see Misc. of Irish Proverbs, 157.
9. G.
11-12. I have taken these quatrains from a poem ascribed to St. Columcille and beginning Eineach tiaisle nd gach ddn, 24P29, p. 352. In ZCP. ix. 486 Kuno Meyer has published the text cf the same poem as foimd in Laud. 615. For iia, b Laud reads : sladbrad, gnin diiine, gair doc, gair ceall, gair, ngJoine. For nd drocJdiiighe 12b, Laud has doirr nd diultadh ; for doirr nd read dnirre ' harshness ' ? For falcann I2d, 64
Laud has falchann {= folaigheann), ' covers.' The inspiration of these quatrains may have been Ecclus. iii. 33 : " Ignem ardentem extinguit aqua, et eleemos^ma resistit peccatis." The following version of 11 occurs separately in G :
Gad, slad, brad is goimh duine gar clog is ceall a mbun glinne
feall tnúith agus éigean, báthann féile iad soin uile.
13. Found singly in 23F16, p. 148, without name of author. The full poem is given in Aonghus Ó Dálaigh's poems, p. 76, where Fr. McKenna improves the metre by reading lis (for lios), aomh (for shuidh), and ris (for lets).
14. F, which reads do chriias, 1. 3, and mo mhils tniaighe, 1. 4.
15. N ; O'Gr. Cat. 577. To Dean Swift is attributed the following translation :
' 'Tis a pity Hell's gates are not kept by O'Flynn, So surly a dog would let nobody in ! '
16. From the ' Tribes of Ireland.' O'Donovan's text reads ariamh ó iochladh in 1. i.
17. F.
18. Mackinnon 200, wliich reads dhnl for fear in 1, 3, and sas for Ids in 1. 4. Cf. Mairg chiiindgius ni for carait, minah lainn his a tahairt in a Mid. Ir. quatrain pubhshed by Meyer in GJ. no. 41, p. 134.
20. 23M17 ; 23D5 ; A. The MSS. read : 1. 2, mar nach and each uile ; 1. 4, achi (om. 23M17) riar na nainriar nach hhféadann.
21. St. E. 4. 3, etc. Alliteration is lacking in 1. i of what is otherwise a strict Deibhidhe stanza ; perhaps read Dia for Ri.
22. This forms part of ' Comhairle na Barrsgoloige,' for which see note on 175-183. A var. is do chuid for tar cheart, 1. I.
24. G ; F ; 23B37 ; H.6.21, etc. Varr. are : 1. i, ( Is) niilis cumhra glór gach fir ; 1. 2, mhiadh, mU, and mhionn (for
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F
mbia). This and the two following quatrains were probably suggested by Ecclus. xiii. 28-29 • " Dives locutus est, et omnes tacuerunt, et verbum ilUus usque ad nubes perducent. Pauper locutus est, et dicant : quis est hie ? et si offenderit, subvertent ilium."
25. Ir. Lang. Msc., p. 99. Cf. Seanfhocla Uladh, no. 590 ; Siamsa an Gbeimhridh, p. 99 (for Gal way) ; GJ. 50, p. 23 (for Kerry).
27. Var. 11. 5-6, ni chuala riainh agd rddh giir, etc., 23E14, O'Gr.
28. G, which has rómhad in 1. i. 30. St. F. vi. I.
32. 23A24.
33. For gan ni aige (1. i) the MvSS. have gan maith aige and gan aoinnidh.
34. This quatrain forms part of Comhairle na Bárrsgolóige; see note on 175-183.
35. For thahhaiy in 1. 8 23D38 (1688 ; the oldest MS.) has thoir, the Scottish contracted form, which would improve the line metrically by reducing it to seven syllables.
36. Text is nearly as in Poems of D. Ó Bruadair, i. 132, where the full poem will be found. But the construction in 1. I is strange ; one would expect (on the analogy of 1. 2) MÓ cion fir ó dheaghchnlaidh. The quatrain occurs by itself anonymously in A and F, which read in 11. 1-2 :
As mo m(h)eastar duine a ndeaghchulaidh eadruibhse no bheith tréitheach.
37. 23]\Ii7 ; H.6.11. There is a corrupt oral version in Quiggin's ' Dialect of Donegal,' p. 195 ; and a Scottish variant in Nicolson, p. 229. The following version is given in 23C19, p. 298 :
Duine coir fear da blió ;
duinc mór fear a tri ; don deamhan coir na ceart
le fagháil ó fhear a naoi.
38. The full poem will be found in GJ. no. 65, p. 74,
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39. 23M17 ; H.6.II.
40. lyl. 3-4 give a paraphrase of the proverb Is fearr an inhaiih aid nd an dd mhaith do bhi.
41. N. An oral version in GJ. no. 95 has siiarach for suaidhte.
42. Ó righ go rdmhainn, ' from king to peasant {lit. spade) ' was a proverbial phrase, as is seen by its use in P. Haicéad (p. 107), Stair É. UÍ Chléire (1. 2623), and Tadhg Gae.(l. 2136).
43. Compare the hnes attributed to Vergil by Donatus :
Sic vos non vobis fertis aratra bovcs, Sic vos non vobis vellera feitis oves, Sic vos non vobis melUficatis apes, Sic vos non vobis nidificatis aves.
44. In 1. 3 YBIv. reads in cniindi do bodéin é ; the other MSS. have as pKutcd here with dhe added at end of line, the addition having doubtless been originally made with a view to giving a rime to cile in 1. 4, as if the metre were Deibhidhe.
48. G.
50. This is the beginning of a reply by Gofraidh Mac an Bhaird to a poem by Fearfeasa Ó'n Cháinte (231,17, fo. 149a). The second quatrain is also found separately (O ; G ; A), its first line then being varied to Tógaidh md theangmhann lihh, or 7s cosmhail nach dtdrla leat.
The seanrann referred to (1. 7) is the following quatrain from the poem Crét agaibh aoidhigh a gcéin by Muireadhach Albanach 0 Dálaigh, circ. a.d. 1213 (23D14, p. 124) :
Fearr neach ele iná he fein
da mholadh, madh maith eiséin ;
neach íéin go mór dhá mholadh
céim as lór dá lochdughadh.
52. For proverbs corresponding to 11. 1-2 (and also to nos. 51 and 53) see Mscellany of Irish Proverbs, 30, 31. With 11. 3-4 cf. the Scottish proverbs A' bhó as lugha féuin, 's i as mo génm, and Chan i 'bhó 'sdirde gémn us mo bainnc.
53. Tliis is from the Contention of the Bards (cf. ed.
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McKeuna, p. 216). It occurs separately in 23I40 and else- where.
54. Found separately in G, H. 6. 21, 23B37, etc. ; but also as forming part of Comhairle na Bárrsgolóige. Varr. 1. I, lomad glóir i neach (so H.6.21, 23B37) ; 1. 2, ni fhdgann sin meas ar a chéill (G).
55. G. The seancha is Solomon, the reference being to Prov. xviii. 27 : " Qui moderatur sermones suos, doctus et pmdens est." For the proverb in 1. 4, cf. Misc. of Irish Proverbs, 29. P'or nddnfhocal in 1. 3 the original reading may have been n-anfhocal, ' evil words,' which would (in later verse) give a rime with scan[a)cha.
56. 23D4.
57. F ; GJ. 213, p. 259. lyl. 2 and 4 are based on the latter ; V reads leagfadh dair mhór do hhéiin and ar cheap ami dd thig féin respectively. A version in ' An Claidheamh Soluis,' 9 Mar., 1912, reads do ghearrfadh an dair nihór d'aon bhéint,
I. 2, and dd mheadh ar nasg 'n-a thigh féin, 1. 4.
58. G, which has aoinchiall in 1. 3. There is a corrupt version in Quiggin's ' Dialect of Donegal,' p. 195. Is dóigh le fear na buile giirab é féin fear na céille is a well-known proverb.
59. O ; G ; F ; H.6.21 ; 23L27. The last interchanges
II. I and 3. Some versions insert the article after truimide. Northern versions of this quatrain will be found in MacAdam (no. 591) and Quiggin {loc. cit.). The following EngUsh rendering is given in H.6.21 (and 23B38) :
' The bit's no burden to the prancing steed, Nor their snowy fleeces to the woolly breed, Lleander bears with ease the swimming kind, Nor does right reason aggravate the mind.'
60. A ; O'Gr. Cat. 609. For a tahhairt A has do thahhairt ; O'Gr. thahhairt.
61. 23M8 ; 23B38.
62. G (here followed) ; O. The latter has (11. 2 if.) meadhaig go gasda í siil a ndéanair \ féach go mall dlúith ad thimpcJiioll I sul a dtig, etc.
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63. Nat. Lib. xii. ; O'Gr. 592. For bi (1. 3) the former reads beith. For the sentiment cf. 175.
64. G. etc.
64 (b). 2j]\Í3<). Another version in 3B38 reads in 11. 3-4 is muy sin do locJid an chruaidh chuntais \ is doibh is deacaire an Righ do nar, and is accompanied by the following English rendenng :
' The highest mountains are the coldest,
Although they're nearest to the sky ;
Likewise some men of high attainments
Are cold in serving the Lord on high/
65. F ; G. MS. readings in 1. i are dlighe F, dlighid G (both stand for dlighidh) ; and Hugh theagaisg F, titiigh- theagaisg G.
66. This is the first stanza of a poem by Gofraidh Fionn, of which there are copies in 23D14, p. 50, and 23C33, p. 121. Two stt. are given in H.2.17, between pp. 118 and iig. For 1. 3 23D14 (the best MS.) has as in test ; 23C33, solas na ceasda ad ditineadh ; H.2.17, solus na ceasa ad chuire (with fiafraighe in next line). The quatrain is quoted in the Maguire tract in H.2.6 (cf. ed. Dinneen, pp. 37, 71). In a corrupted form it frequently occurs by itself in modem MSS., as in H.6.11 and 23M17, which read óircheasdach in 1. 2, and make 1. 3 fiiasgla{i)dh ceast (and ceasda) ceisd oile.
67. G ; F ; 3bi6 (Maynooth), etc. Qniggin has recorded an oral version, Dial, of Donegal, p. 195. Varr. : 1. i, ni ait his an aineolach dall 3bi6 ; 1. 2, maireann MSS. ; 1. 3, bheith gan eólas is feary his MSS. (except 3bi6) ; 1. 4, i n-ainbhfios (or -feis) MSS. (except 3bi6).
68. G ; N ; H.6.12. The versions differ very much. Thus, 1. I, riih daill idir cheapiiihh, G ; mar hhualadh doill fa ceapaibh, N ; amharc daill ideir craniiibh, H.6.12. For the other hues H.6.12 is followed here, save that in 1. 3 it has rith for no giiih and ire for i. A version of this quatrain is also known in Scotland (Mackintosh 192 ; Nicolson 311).
69. A ; 23D5. For 11. 3-4 cf. the corresponding lines of
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68. MS. readings : \. i, a omitted before aimhleas ; 1. 4, ni tagra and ma thagra.
^1. H ; 23C26 ; G (11. 1-4 only). L. i is thus in G : Ni hait Horn cailleadh mar mhnaoi. The ascription of these lines and of 91 to Tomás Ó Glíosáin is found only in 23C26, a MS. written by Peadar Ó Conaill. In the case, at least, of the first of the two quatrains here the accuracy of this ascription is doubtful, for a very similar quatrain is found in one of the Edinburgh MSS. (ReUq. Celt. ii. 360).
72. This and some of the other quatrains given here (viz., Nos. 74, 77, 78, 79, 84, 87, 89, 96 and 257) fomi part of a medley of satirical verses on woman found in late MSS. {e.g. 23E9, p. 196 ; 23A27, p. i ; 23A35, p. 65) and ascribed by them to Piaras F'eiriteur ; cf. ed. Dinneen, 11, 833 ff., where, however, the text is often faulty. But the whole is a jumble of several poems or parts of poems and disconnected stanzas, and it is extremely doubtful if Ferriter was the author of any part of it. All the quatrains quoted here are also found separately in MSS., v/ith the passible exception of no. 96.
73. From some verses obtained orally near Bantry and printed in ' Fáinne an lyae/ loth December, 189S, p. 170.
74. A, which has gcaora con in 1. 3.
75. G.
76. N. Cf. the proverb Imthigheann an spré lets an ngaoith, agus fanann an bhreill ar an mnaoi.
77. Cf. dd n-ahruinn gurah duhh an fiach, adéardis Laighnigh gur geal, in a poetn ascribed to Gormlaith, Meyer Misc., 354.
78. G.
79. G.
80. G, which has bfhras for hras.
81. G. Elsewhere this quatrain forms the 2nd st. of tlie anonymous poem Mairg do-ni cimiann le mnáibh.
82. 23D16. MS. spellings are nathraidh and féach, 1. i ; ngoiriodh, 1. 3 ; mnaibh, 1. 4.
83. O ; G. The former reads deasadh in 1. 4.
84. 23D4 ;>3B37.
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85. H.6.2I, which reads bhfearaihh for my hhfear féin in 1.4.
86. G ; O'Gr. Cat. For bhia, 1. 3, G has bheadh, O'Gr. bhiadh. For L 4 G reads do g'/a'oWiadh si an fear do bhiadh bed.
87. O ; G. In 1. 4 O reads sas mairg aga mbi droichb[h]eaii ; G, sis marg agd mbi acht bean ; a variant (in the MSS. that ascrilDe the quatrain to Ferriter ; see note on 72) is 's is dd nihairg ag nach mbionn acht bean.
88. 23O1S, which among other bad spelhngs has agagamh (for i gcogadh) in 1. 4. There is a Donegal version in Seanfhocla Uladh, no. 1564.
89. H ; A ; O ; 23B37, etc. For 1. 2 O has no cosg do chur ris an mhnir mhóir ; G, no dréim do chur leis an muir mhiiair ; A, no clagadwxth cloch air cnan (v,^ith fadó tineadh faoi loch in 1. I).
90. O'Gr. Cat. 30.
91. ' Gael/ Sept. 1899, p. 154 ; 23C26 ; 23D19. The author's name is given only in 23C26. Varr. : in title, órdil for socril and sdmh for dil ; 1. 6, Hugh for go rabhaid ; 1. 7, is tri trinir (with corresponding omission in next hne) for arts. 23B38 gives only the first st., which it heads Aisling na caillidhe mar bndh sdinih le féin, as follows :
lamim a bheith óg arís,
agus iaruim air Chriost a bheith deas, iaruim mo chéile a bheith brioghmhar,
greannmhar, biodhgamhuil, mear.
92. 23F16, p. 14. Ar Shliabh Shióin (1. 3), i.e. on the Day of Judgment.
93. A ; F, etc. Coll, Aihn, etc., are names of letters of the Irish alphabet ; read consecutively thev give cailin dg.
94. F.
95. H.6.12, which reads tigion for tig an in 1. 3. LI. 3-4 occur also in a poem by Domhnall i\iac Bruaideadha, Dánta Grádha, p. 36.
97. G ; 23X51. In 1. 2 for gibe G has acht fé, 23K51 gibe noclh] ; otherAvise the text of G is followed here.
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98. O ; G. In 1. 3 G reads éag for éad.
99. A.
100. N. This quatrain is ascribed to Filip Llinistir (Filip Mac Brádaigh) in Seanfhocla Uladh, p. 292.
101. G ; 12E22. A somewhat different version, together with an EngUsh translation, is found in Eg. 175, and is thus given by O' Grady (p. 654) :
Caora thagann ar an gcaorthann,
is Í an dime toradh an droighin ; cad é an dígbháil ingen bhodacháin
tabhairt do mhac fhlescacháin chum siolraig. ' A ruby berry on the quickbeam grows, Blackthorn trees produce no fruit but sloes ; What hurt a rustic's daughter be decreed To a clown's son to propagate their breed.'
102. A ; O'Gr. 608. In 1. 3 I have substituted briseann for sgiort{f)aidh {sgiortaim = Southern sgiiirdaim). Both sources subjoin Horace's Hue " Naturam expellas furca, tamen usque recurret," and the following English verses :
' Tho' Nature be expelled by force. Yet still it turns to have its course. If an ass to Rome sojourn. An ass from thence he shall return.' A Southern version of the quatrain is given in O, G, and 23G24 as follows :
Tar éis gach eólais, radhairc is rachmais
do-gheibh an bodach mac an {or na) daoi, briseann an dúthchas tri n-a shúilibh tar éis gach cúrsa chuir i gcrlch. A version of this in 23M8 has maise (for eólais), 1. i ; porcach, 1. 2 ; and triod an mhriidach, 1. 3. In 23G24 an EngUsh rendering is given :
' If wealth and honour and renown Were all conferred upon a clown. In spite of art and all instructive pains His savage nature still the brute retains.'
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103. 23X^27. There is an inferior version in Univ. Coll. MS. I.
104. A ; O'Gr. 607. The former reads as for ni, 1. i.
105. O ; G ; 23H25, etc. In 1. 4 O reads ihéid ris an ngéig ; 23H25, íéid ar an ttréad ; others, ag did Ids an ngéig. A variant of tnigthear (1. i) is aithnighthear . Compare Matt. xii. 33 : " Bx fnictu arbor agnoscitiir."
106. G ; 23H25 ; H.6.11. MSS. have wz fuil (for ni hi a fhiiil) in 1. I, and nan (or no) folt sgdthach in 1. 2. The metre could be further improved by reading sgdinneach 1. 2, ^nini 1. 3, and fhuile 1. 4. The sentiment is that of Juvenal's " Nobilitas sola est atque unica virtus." Cf. also 284.
107. A ; 23lv34 ; 24P29. In 1. 3 for ddh clú the respective MS. readings are din, agh chl, and agh no clis.
108. Text is from Muireadliach Albanach's poem in 23D14, p. 125, with modernisation of hhi to hhionn. The quatrain frequently occurs separately, without author's name.
109. 12E22 ; 23B38 ; G. For annamh (1. i) variants are ■is annamh and ni hhionn. Another version occurs in 23D5 and 23G12 :
Ni gnáth gort gan déasach fiaigh {sic),
tuig im dhiaidh fáth mo ra[i]nn, gach fine da shona tháinig riamh is gnáth 'na ndiaidh meath ar a gclainn. O'Gr. 119 gives the following version from a i6th century MS., Eg. 88 (spelUng modernised) :
Ni bhionn gort gan diasach fiadh,
ag sin agaibh ciall mo rainn, is tearc duine dhá mbíonn maith
ná bhionn meath ar chuid da chlainn.
110. G; quoted by Keating, TBg. 149. Also in 1,1,. p. 122 marg. as follows (Meyer in GJ. 41, p. 134) :
Ni bia a chland la nech in-nirt
cipé bas gand (sic leg.) breth ar bocht ;
na ndénat na aithre d'ulc don lucht assa n-aithle is olc.
LI. 3-4 are evidently suggested bv the Bible (cf. Exod. xx. 5. etc.).
111. O ; G. The former reads suidhe go dilbhach sa dhd, etc., in 1. 4. MacAdani (no. 363) gives the following version :
Suidhe mhic a dtigh an athara,
siiidhe leathan socair ; acht suidhe an athar' a dtigh a mhic,
suidhe cruinn corrach.
112. G. MacAdam (no. 364) gives a different version : A dhaoine grinne, \ an dtitigeann sihh cilrsa na cloinne, etc,
113. A ; F.
114. N. Lib. xii. ; St. G. vi. i ; A. The last MS. reads na meastar me as móige, 1. i. In 1. 3 the two former MSS. have ar for gan ; A reads croidhe gan hhaos an nio chinni. In the Stowe MS. the order of Hues is c d a b.
115. 23A29.
116. O ; G. For deireadh, 1. 3, we should perhaps read tús.
117. G ; 24B29. For 1. i G has do chim an chroitm cJiroui. The following translation is given in 24B29 :
' Aged feebleness I detest to see, And how the evening star approaches me ; I have in my hand tlie latchet of [my shoe]. When 3-outh and wit bid me both [adieu].'
119. G ; quoted by Keating, TBg. 106. An t-éan is é i sds (corniptly an fear is é ag fas in G), ' a bird in a trap,' is a common comparison ; cf. ni fhoil acht mar éan i sds, Aonghus 0 Dálaigh, p. 37 ; me mar éan agits é i ndid, Gof. INIac an Bhaird (Timth. viii. 48). Uainne, ' from us,' i.e. ' from me ' (the corpse), would suggest that the quatrain was intended as a tombstone inscription ; unless indeed the original reading was uaine, gen. of iiain.
121. 23N27.
122. G ; quoted by Keating, TBg. 55.
125. 23I13 ; also Keating, TBg. 180.
126. ZCP. i. 456 (from Bmssels MS.)'
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127. Keating, TBg. qi ; G ; also quoted in ' Agallamh an Chuirp agus an Anma/ RC. xxiii. 26. For 1. 3 the last- named source has uir gan toradh criadh na colna ; G, úir gun iora ere mo cholna. The gen. colna in this hue would give easier sense, but bad metre.
128. Keating, TBg. 216 ; St. E. iv. 3 (which reads i for é in 1. 2) ; also in ' Agallanih an Chuirp agus an Anma,' RC. xxiii. 26. Cf also Reliquiae Celticae, ii. 400.
129. 23C19. p. 325 ; O'Gr. Cat. 28. Both also give the Latin original :
' Do bona pauperibus, Satan peccata resumat, terram terra tegat, spiritiis alta petat.'
[For O'Grady's alta 23C19 has asta ; leg. astra ?]. I have emended some readings in the Irish text, viz., 1. 2, mo loclit do mhacaibh viallachtain O'Gr.. in'olciiibh do mhaciiibh mallachtuibh 23C19 ; 1. 3, nio chlise don chré O'Gr., mo cholann don talamh 23C19 ; 1. 4, don ti both. Alternative emendations would have been m'olc do mJiacaibh mallachtain, 1. I ; mo Mi don tahnhain ó dtig, 1. 3, with anuiain and ti in line following.
What is evidently a translation in song-metre of the same Latin distich is found in many late ]\ISS. A comparison of it with the deibhidhe-vevsion. in the text well illustrates how the excessive assonances of the modem metres were paid for in diffuseness. In 23K14, p. 8, this later version is ascribed to Conchubhar Ó Ríordáin {flor. 1750). The following text of it is based on 23K51, p. 20 :
Bronnaim mo mhathas don aicme noch tá 'na dhith, Bronnaim mo mhallacht do[n] deamhan atá ar mo thi, Bronnaim-se m'anam don dalta san Mháire, Críost, Is bronnaim mo chalann don talamh ó dtáinig si.
130. Ver^' frequent in I\ISS., with unimportant variations of text ; cf. printed versions in O'Gr. 592 and ]\rackinnon 209. Nat. I/ib. xii. gives the following Knglish rendering :
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' How sad is it, fair little book, The day shall sure arrive When o'er [ever MS.] thy page it shall bo said : " Thy author's not alive." '
Another translation is given in 23C19, p. 342 :
' O little book, the time will come
When he that reads will say : " The hand that wrote these lines, by death
Is turned into clay." '
131. O, which reads [^acJi ar (for ar) in 1. 2. A somewhat older version, from H.3.1S, is printed by Meyer in ZCP. ii. 225.
132. A ; O'Gr.
133. G.
134. 23K24. Cf. no. 264, and the following marginal quatrain in lyB. pubUshed by Meyer in GJ. no. 40, p. 115 (I modernise the spelling) :
Baoth do gach duine ar domhan anadh agá [=stad da] adhmholadh,
agus nach anann an t-éan
's gan anam ann ach aiéar.
135. G.
136. G ; also in Keating, TBg. 51. For the full poem (which is also ascribed to Aonghus Ó Dálaigh Fionn) see Timthiridh Chroidhe Neamhtha íosa, viii. 37.
137. Quoted in Keating, TBg. 114 ; also in G, which reads tahhair dam for go dli dhiot in 1. i. The full poem (of which this is St. 16) will be found in the Timthiridh, vii. 45.
139. These are the opening quatrains of a short anon^^mous poem. Text from 23G23, p. 306, with alteration of dil to dl (1, 3). The poem has been printed in Irish Ecclesiastical Record, October, 1908, p. 393 ; and later in ZCP. x. 267.
141. G, which has aseadh bias for bJieidh in 1. 4. There are poorer versions in O'Daly's Ir. Lang. Miscellany, p. 100, and MacAdam, no. 500.
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142. Text is based on YBL. (with which 24P29 agrees), lyaud and 23M12 give the following version :
Ná hadhair do ghothaibh greagh [gerg Laud],
ná sreódh ná séan ar bith cé ; uá creid mana bhios ag mnaoi ;
isé is rí-fháidh [fáidh 23M12] Críost Mac Dé.
143. F.
144. A ; F. Both MvSS. read cóir in 1. i. This and the five following quatrains deal with the clergy ; and their tone, it will be observed, is not complimentary. Lest any reader should misinterpret this fact, it may not be amiss to point out here that these quatrains are not to be accepted as evidence of hostility to the clergy as a body, whether on the part of the people in general or of the learned classes. The inference to be drawn from them (for it is one which can be supported by other evidence) is rather that the relations between the Irish people and their clergy had little of serviUty on the one side or autocracy on the other as long as Ireland continued to be in the main an Irish-speaking country.
145. A ; F.
146. First st. of a poem ascribed to ' Scon Martin ' (perhaps a fictitious name) in H.5.2., p. 47. For the senti- ment compare Tomás Ó Gliosáin's poem in ' FiHdhe na Máighe,' pp. 53 ff., e.g. each nior iarr Próinsias dár ghealladar réir, etc.
147. F, which has ramha (for reimhe) in 1. 3. A somewhat different version is given anonymously in 3ai8, Maynooth :
Goirimse an sagart méith is maith a ghné 's a shursaing teann ;
ma 'si sin an tsHghe go neamh, is fear leamh an sagart seang.
The author of this quatrain, IMaghnus Ó Domhnaill, was prince of Tir-chonaill and grandfather of the famous Aodh Ruadh. He was a very prominent figure in the history of bis day, and also possessed remarkable literary talents.
77
í'ive love-poems of his have survived, and are printed in ' Dáuta Grádha.' He also compiled an Irish Hfe of St. Columcille, which has been edited by Fr. A. O'Kelleher. He appears to have been much given to composing satirical quatrains of which at least eight have been preserved. Of these the present quatrain is one ; I subjoin three of the others. The first (from F, p. 201) has reference to the fact that JMaghnus was deposed by liis rebelhous son Calbhach in 1555, and kept a prisoner until his death in 1563 :
Is cuid do na saobhaibh saobha [saóbhadh saóbhadh MS.],
is iad araon 'na mbeathaidh, Ó Domhnaill ar an gCalbhach
's gan acht Maghnus ar a athair!
The second (from 23L34, p. 193) satirises a bad harper :
Do shinn GioUabrighde O Gealbháin
trí teann-mháim don tsearbhas, agus maol ar na mámaibh,
námhaid ar fhear na seanma.
Though doubtless on good terms with the friars of his native Donegal, Maghrus liked to exercise his wit at their expense. The following will serve as a sample (H.6.15, p. 14) :
Bráthair bocht brúite ó fhíon,
ná dúisgthear é, gion gur cóir ; gabli go ciúin ceannsa re a thaobh,
leigthear d'Aodh an tsrann-sa go fóiU.
The following quatrain also is probably to be ascribed to Maghnus, though the MS. (F, p. 201, where it follows Mas hrdthair bocht . . .) does not make this clear :
Na bráithre sin Dhún-na-ngall,
a chuircas a gcrainn go tiugh, ni thig tortha ar a mbarr
go gcuirthear saill re n-a mbun.
Of this quatrain Mr. H. JMorris (lyouth Arch. Journal, iv. p. 264, no. 7^ has recorded two versions obtained
78
orally in Co. Donegal, and he gives tiie iollowiug ' local explanation ' : " Some man asked the friars of Donegal — who had a thickly-planted orchard — for some apples. They repUed that they had none. Shortly afterwards he sent them a rich present, and they immediately sent him apples. Then he composed the above satirical lines."
148. A. The foUovv^ing quotation from Darcy Magee's ' Irish Writers of the Seventeenth Century ' {1848, p. 130) evidently refers to the present quatrain : " ' When we had wooden chalices,' said OUver Plunkett, ' we had golden priests, but when we got golden chalices, we found wooden priests.' " Doubtless Plunkett rather quoted the quatrain than composed it. But ]\ISS. attribute to him the author- ship of another Irish quatrain, composed " on seeing a countryman cutting grass to feed his cattle on the Hill of Tara " (23E12). In the oldest version I have seen, St. G. vi. I, p. 112 (transcribed 1787), it is headed Radha an Priomhfaidh Pluinncét do cuire chum bdis a Luinduin, and is as follows :
A Theamhair na riogh, dob annamh leat,
re linn Chormuic mhic Airt mhic Cuinn, alt riabhach [do] bhodach bhocht /-
bheith [ag] gearra guirt ar do dhruim. ^
149. MS. of 1837 i^ private hands, together with printed versions, of which three are known to me, viz.. New York ' Gael,' 1900, p. 206 ; Dinneen's Beatha Eoghain Ruaidh, p. 33 ; Beirt Fhear ó'n dTuaith, p. 74. The differences between the versions are small.
150. F.
151. 23F16 ; 23M17 ; A ; H.6.11, etc. In 1. 3 23M17 and A read mhcith, which gives a rime with bheith, 1. 4. 1,. 2 has a syllable too many, and lacks alliteration.
152. F; 23 D16.
153. 23M17 ; 23D5 ; Univ. Coll. MS. 14. facing p. i (hand of O'Curry) ; A. (These I refer to briefly as M, D, O'C and A, respectively). O'Flanagan has printed a version (agreeing with M and D) in Trans. Gaelic Soc. (1808), p. 228.
79
^ a). íík^^ jCcííts Jí^jX^ %^'^'^\ ^o^
lu A the quatrain is given anonymously ; the earlier MSS., M and D, state that it was the first rami composed by Tadhg Dall. O'C gives the following note : " From a satirical poem of many stanzas on the bards of Erinn, about the year 1560 (?), by (I believe) Teige O'Higgin. See The O'Conor Bonn's MS., p. 22." This statement of O'Curry's I am unable to substantiate ; the MS. he refers to must be some other MS. than that catalogued in Ériu viii. Variants are : 1. i (for giolla) gillc MD, mncam (=macaomh) O'C, fear A; i. 2 aderar iasc re hiasc beag O'C, goirihear iasg don mhreac mheag MD, goirihear iasg don iasg bheag A ; 1. 4 (for fhinnin) finninn M, fhinninn D, fhinnin (with óir for fheoir) O'C, fheannain A. O'Flanagan thus translates the quatrain :
' This Uttle man's for learning famed ; The speckled trout is called a fish ; Each bird's nest a nest is named ;
And so's the grass-moth's, if you wish. '
This quatrain was also known in Scotland, as is shown by a modified version of it having appeared on the title- page of a pamphlet, entitled ' An Eeabhar lyiath,' pubhshed in Paisley in 1801. This version runs (Maclean's Typographia Scoto-Gadelica, 247) :
'S lycobhar an ' lycobhar Liath ' ;
Theirear iasg ris a' bhr-;ac bheag ; Canar nead ri nead gach eoin,
'S nead an dreadhainn duinn gur nead.
154. A ; 23C24, etc. The latter substitutes the verb gahh for dean in 11. i and 3 ; and has daoireach for dd riribh in 1. 4, Both read go direach in 1. 3. The point of the quatrain hes in the two meanings of ddna : (i) gen, of ddn, ' a poem ' ; (2) adj. ' bold, courageous.'
155. G ; O. The latter reads hairillidhe in 1. 3. U. 3-4 are proverbial ; see Misc. of Irish Proverbs.
156. This is quoted in a 17th century letter in Walsh's ' Gleanings from Irish ]\ISS.', p. 64. There is an inferior version (without name of author) in F. l^. 3-4 were probably
80
suggested by the beginning of ' Riaghail na Sacart ' ; see Irisl. Muighe Nuadhad, 1919, p. Ti'
157. 23B38. In 1. 3 the MS. reads lear cheart.
158. Stowe E.iv.3, p. 264, which is here followed, with emendation of eolaigh to eólcha in 1. 2. Anonymous versions occur in Eg. 161 (= O'Gr. Cat. 617) and St. F.v.3.
In this quatrain Florence Conry, O.S.F. (afterwards Archbishop), pronounces a shrewd verdict on the ' Conten- tion of the Bards,' the famous but futile controversy which agitated the poets of Ireland early in the 17th century. The dispute had its origin in an attack made by Tadhg mac Dáire on a poem which he and his contemporaries assumed to have been written by Toma Éigeas of the fourth century. I/Ughaidh Ó Cléirigh was one of those who defended Toma and claimed that the Northern Half of Ireland was entitled historically to a pre-eminence over the South.
159. G ; 23M8 ; 23B38. Varr. : beag an t-iongnadh Horn, 1. 2 ; mo chuid airgid, 1. 3.
160. O ; G ; 23O18 ; 23B37. Varr. : ni hheith ar meisge and ni meisge, 1. i ; misde (for measa), ib.
161. G ; O ; 23D16 ; N. Varr. : 1. i, an irdth t{h)eidhim go Ugh an oil, 23D16 (and N) ; 1. 4, biiailtear preab ami mo thóin amach 23D16, feilgear me gan go amach N. The copy in 23D16 is a printed one, taken apparently from ' The Irish Magazine ' {circ. 1808) ; it is accompanied by the following EngUsh rendering :
' When to the ale-house I repair, A kind reception meets me there.
If well my purse be hn'd ; But when exliausted all my store, I'm rudely jostled out of door,
And get a kick behind.'
162. G.
163. H.6.11.
164. F. The author, Aodh Ó Domlmaill, may possibly have been the poet of that name who took part in the ' Contention of the Bards.'
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Q
165. A ; G ; H.6.21, etc. Varr. : gUas (for sds) and leanna (for dighe), 1. i. A version of this quatrain (in which the first Hne reads Dhd ni do ni leann húan) is ascribed to ' Mac an Bhaird ' in 23O35, p. 70, in the following introductory- note : Mac an Bhaird do rinne an rannso, do lanamhain saidhbhir chriiaidh coingblialach, bid a ndit eigin. Do ordaigh fear an tighe deoch do tJiabairt cuca. Thug an bhcan capan no mionchurn anuas gan a bhcith Idn, agtis do congbhi a bfad Ó laimh go laimh ar an gclar e,- — agns diibhairt Mac an Bhaird : Dhd ni, etc.
168. G. For subhach (1. 4) the MS. reads súgach ; and for bheannacht a marginal note suggests mhallacht.
167. G ; O ; 12E22 ; H.6.21.
168. O'Gr. Cat., p. 617.
169. G. ; O ; 23D16. The last is a printed cutting (from ' The Irish Magazine ' ?). O reads fearra, 1. 2 ; sin é (for sin) and dhuit, 1. 4. This quatrain is quoted by John Lynch in his ' Cambrensis Eversus/ first printed in 1C62 : " Quorum (sc. Anglorum) mores cum Hibemi assidua consuetudine accuratius observarent, hoc quod subjicio carmine tanquam vulgari gentis proverbio expresserunt :
Na déin coramaoin re faar Galda, ma nir, ni feirde dhuit, Beidh choidhe ar tidh do mhealta commaoin an fhir Ghalda riot.
Id est :
FcEdere amicitise tibi ne conjunxeris Anglum, Angli te semper fallet amicitia."
(Text from Celtic Society edition, iii. 230). Lynch also quotes in this connection the following Latin couplet attri- buted to one of the Kings of France :
' Anglicus angelus est, cui nunquam credere fas est. Cum tibi dicit ave, si cut ab hoste cave.'
which resembles somewhat the Irish proverb Dranna madra
no gáire Shasanaig, ' A dog's snarl or an Englishman's
smile,' i.e. the latter should be guarded against no less than
82
the former. The following Euglish rendering accompanies the version in 23D16 :
" With Englishman no social compact make ; Shouldst thou, sure ruin will thee overtake ; He'll always watch to cheat thee when he can, — Such is the ' Union ' with an Englishman."
170. G ; quoted in Keating, TBg. 148.
172. 23lv34 ; 23M17. It is possible that Miler Magrath (who was once a Franciscan) may be the brdithrin whose death is referred to.
173. 23D38. For chrimeam in 1. 4 (: grinneall) the MS. has chrimim ; perhaps chrinneam (from M.I. crinnim, ' I gnaw ') was the original reading. There is a corrupt Scottish version in Mackintosh (p. 186) and Nicolson (p. 85).
174. A ; O'Gr. Cat. 613. In 1. 2 A reads go ^«osgach. 175-183. These nine quatrains form part of ' Comhairle
na Bárrsgolóige [or Bárdsgolóige) dá Mhac,' which is the name given to a string of quatrains, mostly in the nature of cautious or counsels, found very frequently grouped together in Southern MSS. from the end of the iSth century. It would seem that the compiler of Comhairle na Barrsgo- lóige — some i8th century Munsterman in all probability — did little more than string together under this title a number of quatrains which were already in circulation. Most, if not all, of the quatrains in ddn included in it are also found separately in MSS. It will be noticed the metre of these is not uniform, Deibhidhe and Rannaigheacht being inter- mixed. Three of these quatrains have been given earlier in the text, as nos. 22, 34 and 54. Nearly half of the quatrains in the ' Comhairle ' are in song-metre ; these have been excluded here. J, O'Daly in his ' Irish I^anguage Miscellany ' (pp. So if.) printed a version of 21 stt., nine of them being in song-metre. Previously he had pubHshed a very similar version in the 1846 e(ition of his ' Self- instmction in Irish,' pp. 36-39. The MS. versions often differ a good deal from one another. ' Comhairle na Bárr- sgolóige ' is still known to many old Irish speakers in West
83
Munster. A version of it obtained orally in Ballingeary will be found in ' Fáinne an Lae ' of 17th March, 1900, p. 83.
The word hdrrsgológ in the title calls for some words of explanation. Hitherto it has always been printed as hdrdsgológ, which has been interpreted as " poet-farmer " (O'Grady), " rustic poet " (Dinneen), and " bard-attendant " (J. H. Lloyd). But the weight of MS. evidence is in favour of hárrsgológ, and I have little doubt that this is the correct form ; the meaning would be ' surpassing scholar, man of pre-eminent wisdom.' The word sgológ origiiaally meant ' a scholar ' (cf. K. Meyer, Zur keltischen Wortkunde, no. 118), hence ' a deeply-read or wise man.' The transition from ' wise man ' to ' old man ' (one of the present-day meanings of the word) is easy ; cf. cvionna which means both ' old ' and ' wise.' The meaning ' farmer ' found in Northern Irish has developed from a Jlid. Ir. use of the word in the sense of ' servant ' (cf. I\Ieyer, loc. cit.), hence in a specialised sense (cf. sgldbhaidhc) ' a farm-servant, farm- worker.' The ' Bárrsgológ ' also figures in a well- known Irish folk-tale which relates the adventures of his three very wise sons. See for this Pádraig Ó Laoghaire's ' Sgeuluidheacht Chúige ]\Iumhan ' (1895), p. 62 ; Hyde's ' An Sgeuluidhe Gaodhalach,' p. 244 (no. xxxiii.) ; Ml. Mhag Ruaidhri's ' Triúr Clainne na Bárd-sgolóige.'^ In the first of these the learned wisdom of the Bárrsgológ is emphasised by making him brother of Aristotle ; in the second tale Aristotle also plays a part. In all probability it was from this folk-tale that the i8th century redactor conceived the idea of entitling the series of poetic precepts he had strung together ' The Advice the Bárrsgológ gave his Son ' {Comhairle na Bdrrsgolóige ddMhac). As vv-e shall see below, the nucleus of the series ccnsists of verses originally attributed to Cormac mac Airt, but the later designation has obscured Cormac's reputed authorship.
A somewhat similar collection of poetic counsels is found in Northern ?,ISS. [e.g. A, p. 59) with the title An Teagasg
^ A Donegal version of th.- same folk-tak' is prinlcd in Iiisl. Mhuiglie Nuadhad, 191^, p. 30, 1)Ut Iuti- the ' Bairsgológ ' is iiot mentioned.
84
Ríogh ; cf. the version printed in ' Seanfhocla Uladh/ p. 270. This consists of 8 sLt., three of wh.ich occur with shght variation in ' Comhairle na Bárrsgolóige ' (viz., nos. 176, 179 and 177, supra) ; another is borrowed from Tadhg mac Dáire's poem (no. 184, last quatrain), and another is a variant of no. 74. The remaining three quatrains of the ' Teagasg ' are here given as nos. 185-187. I may add that three of the Bárrsgológ quatrains (nos. 176, 178 and 177) occur together in F without any title.
Another collection of didactic quatrains is that entitled Comhairle Choliiim Cille in 23B38, p. 14 (1778), and printed in O'Daly's Irish I^ang. Ivlisc, p. 77.
Scottish Gaelic possesses a similar series of quatrains beginning Comhairle thug ormsa Brian, first published by GilUes (Perth, 1786) and thence in Nicolson, p. 394 ; another version (from Turner MS.) has been printed in Reliquise Celticae, ii. 358. Two of the eleven quatrains which compose it are variants of nos. 176 and 178 ; a third has some kinship with 177. Another Scottish scries of didactic verses is entitled ' Comhairlean Chormaic do 'mhac ' (first in Gillies, 1786 ; whence Nicolson, p. 396). iilention may also be made of Donncha Loudin's versified proverbs (57 quatrains), first published in Edinburgh, 1797.
There also exists a burlesque series of counsels, of which O'Grady quotes one qaatrain (Silva Gad., ii. 552) :
Smachtaig t'athair i n-am,
na tuig gur fearr é ná thu féin ; aon fhocal ar a mbiadh bias na greann
na tigeadh amach as do bhéal !
Tliis parody is also found in Scottish ; see Nicolson, pp. 395-6 (from Gillies), and Rehq. Celt., ii. 359 (last five qua- trains on page).
175. A mhic, a leóg{h)ain do shiol Airt gives the clue as to what this series of verses originally purported to be, namely, a versified form of some of the counsels in ' Teagasga Chormaic,' supposed to have been composed by Cormac mac Airt for his son Cairbre I^ifeachair. These ' Instructions
85
of Connac ' [Tecosca Corninic) have been edited from the oldest MSS. by Meyer in Todd Lecture Series xv. Another name for them was ' An Teagasg Riogh ' (cf . Keating, Foriis Feasa, ii. p. 304), which, as we have seen above, is the name appHed to a similar series of verses in Northern MSS. The Scottish ' Comhairlean Chormaic,' alluded to above, is also significant in this connection. 176. For the first two 11. G has :
Ná bí mór is ná bí beag is ná déin iomarsgáil le cnoc.
Scottish versions are also known, the oldest being that in the Fernaig MS. {circ. 1688), where it forms part of ' Comhairle Mhic Eachainn IMhic Fhearchair do ]\Ihac-an- tíMsigh, a dhalta ' (Rehq. Celt., ii. 30, 11. 9-12).
111. This quatrain oiiginally belonged to Fionn's poetical advice to Mac I^ughach in ' Acallam na Senórach,' in which it occurs as follows (ed. Stokes, 11. 599-600) :
Nirsat sibleach thighi n-óil, nársat ingnech ar shenóir ;
in dáil adcluine as í in coir,
na ben re duine nderóil.
Varr. of the version in the text are : 1. 2, nd tahhair aithis do slieanóir ; 1. 4, nd hob is nd hiarr onóir.
178. For 1. I F has na bi foinoidach (= fonomhaideach) air srdid. Varr. of 1. 4 are mi go bhfeicir saoi gan locht and no go bhfagha M saoi gan locht. •
179. The text here given follows the version in 23^17 (see note on 184), with substitution of dtiiigfear for ttuigfig- hear. Varr. : 1. i, nd habair a bhfeicthear dhiiit, nd luaidh gach ni do-chitear diiit (so 12E22), and nd faic gach ni chitear diiit ; 11. 3-4,''gacA nijid baineann {oibainfidh) hat \ éistleis agus sgaoil ■ thori. " MacAdam (no. 138) has a version beginning Nd luadh gach nidh do chifear duit.
184. This poem was published by O'Flanagan in Trans. Gaelic Society (1808), p. 229 ; another version is printed in Reliquiae Celticae, ii. 144. There are numerous MS. 86
copies ; but neither printed nor MS. versions give a satis- factory text. In most cases poetic precepts from other sources have become incorporated in the text. Thus in 23L17 (with which O'Flanagan's text agrees pretty closely), 23M16, 23K25, 24B31 and 24]\Í4, the quatrain beginning Nd habair a dtiiigfear diiit {= no. 179 supra) is interpolated between stt. 3 and 4 of the present text. To these 5 stt. 23lvi adds as a sixth a version of no. 167. 24B29 gives a version of 11 stt., viz., the 4 stt. printed above followed by 6 stt. that have no real connection with the poem (including nos. 175, 177, 178, I and 179 supra), and ending with :
Da ndéingir fé mar deirid each
air an da rainn so fa dhó badh leat rioghacht agus róbhadh [leg. rogha]
an chuid do Ivcath Mógha is mo.
This last St. appears to have been added with a view to rounding off the poem by making the final word {mo) recall the mo with which the poem opens. There is another version of it in 23M16, where Peter O'Connell has added it to the 5 stt. of the original scribe, 23G23, p. 202, gives a 6-st. version of the poem, viz., the 4 stt. printed above but in the order a d c b, together with a fifth beginning Nd hi camin nd liiig air éigse, and a sixth ending as mo, a variant of the quatrain just quoted. The version in Rel. Celt, gives only the 4 stt., but the order \s ah d c.
In 1. 3 I have followed 24B31, which reads gan diú rain orthahh tlaimsi. Other versions are : deith rainn ni faghthar uainn, 23G23 ; diúgha rainne ni hfdghair liairn, 24B29 ; diogha rainn ni hhfuighir uaimsi, Rel. Celt. ; diú rainn ni faghthair orthuidh (or orthaibh), 231,17 and'^others. A possible alternative emendation would be diogha' rainn ni aghthair tiaimse, with dtarthaihh in next fine. In 1. 5 hraith ar h'eagnamh is doubtful ; 23G23 has hreath air haigne ; Rel. Celt., brath haigneadh ; 24B31, cuardaidh heagnamh ; the others, in general, braith heagna{mh). Possibly vv^e should read breathnuigh h'aigneadh. The text of 11. 11-12 is corrupt ; each line has a syllable too many, and an internal rime is
87
wanting. In 1. ii 23L17 and others read déin go hncdh ; 24B31, dcin go réigh ; 23G23, bi réigh ; 24B29, bi go math ; Rel. Celt., bi go cáoin. In 1. 12 shiol is the universal reading, save in 24B31, which has fhréimh. Variants of gconchair (which has the best authority) are cConcJwbhair, 24B29, 24M4 ; cconachail, 23G23 ; Chormaic, Rel. Celt. In 1. 16 23G23 and 24B31 read dion ; the others cum. For nd geallaidh, 24B31 has na geall ad ; Rel. Celt., no gealladh ; the others, is nd geall.
With 11. 7-8 cf. Tadhg mac Dáire in the ' Contention of the Bards ' (p. 132, st. 57) : gan breith do bhreith le leathtaoibh I go breith don sgéal oik ort. Cf. also no. 175.
With the last two quatrains may be compared the following from Muireadhach Albanach Ó Dálaigh's poem (23D14, p. 126 ; cf. note on no. 50) :
Na bi red hhiodhbha ibh go min, na bi go huis re hairdrigh,
na bi ar ti chagaidh ar chlag,
na bi ar abaidh na ar easbag.
Na bi re miUdh go meata,
Na bi re mnaoi go mileata, na bi ar fhilidh go fortail, a ri an chinidh Chonnachtaigh.
185-187 are from ' An Teagasg Riogh,' as mentioned in the note on ' Comhairle na Bárrsgolóige.'
188. G.
189. G. The poem to which this belongs has been printed in GJ. 112, p. 53. There is a copy of it in (among other MSS) 23I13, p. 102, transcribed in 1729.
190. Univ. Coll. I. The full poem (anonymous), of which this is the first quatrain, has been published from H.4.22 by Bergin in ' An Reult,' i. ig. The second hue there is gé beith a nair froech ar a sin. With 1. i compare " Non semper iidem flant venti " (Krasmus), and the English proverb, ' The wind keeps not always in one quarter.'
88
191. 23l^i6 ; 23X^34. The latter has the modem, but umuetrical, forms fuaramar, do locatnor.
192. Nat. Ivib. xii. Seemingly a paraphrase of " Biá dat qui cito dat."
193. O'Molloy's Grammar (1677) ; G. The poem in which -jL this quatrain occurs is printed in Mackinnon's Catalogue, pp. 223-22^. Compare in a collection of wise sayings in 11.5.9, p. 179 : As cloidheamh limid'ie a ttrúaill airgid lahhairt mhighlic a bpearsainn dheaghfhaicsiona.
194. The YBIv version is (with spelHng modernised) :
A Dhé bhí,
is mairg do-ni olc fa ni ;
tig chugad an ni nach faic, téid as do ghlaic an ni ad-chi.
195. From an autograph in the Editor's possession. 198. A (with second version of answer) ; 23C20 (with
first version of answer) An Aran version in GJ. 57, p, 133, has amitid for óinseach in 1. 3, and the following reply :
Roinneann Dia na subháilcí
mar roinneann sé na gniomhartha ; bheir sé cion duine don amadán,
is cead soláthair d'fhear na crionnacht.
197. G ; Maynooth 3bi6. For athoighidh (1. 2) the MSS. read ditiiighadh.
198. A. The full poem (13 qq.) is in 23M23, p. 43, where it is ascribed to Toirdhealbhach Óg Mac Donnchadha. This Terence MacDonagh was a well-known lawyer of Co. Sligo, who died in 1713. An elegy on him by Sean Ó Gadhra will be found in GJ. 180, p. 10. In 3bi6, Maynooth, the poem (of which only three quatrains are given) is headed Eoin Mac Donchadha chum nihic a dhearb{h)rathar air iommpódh dho an eiriceadh tar a thoil ; ' Eoin ' here is probably a mistake.
In slightly different forms this quatrain has been attributed FiUp Ministir (Parson Brady, of Cavan), who is said to have thus addressed his father when the latter, " to try 89
St>1
\
the Parson's faith in Protestantism, pretended to be getting in readiness to go to church with his son " : Mas go hifreann atá do thriall,
is me le bUadhain 'gad chongbháil as, beir leat mo ghearrán is mo shrian,
's ná téigh chum an diabhail ar do chois.
(cf. 23N33, pp. 468, 390). A very similar version is given in Sgéalaidhe Óirghiall, p. 115, and is likewise ascribed to Filip Ó [recte Mac] Brádaigh.
199. G ; 12E22.
200. G. Compare Is hréagach iad Peadar is Pol . . . mas ag Bland is ag Stokes aid an ceart, Tomás Ruadh O'Sulhvan, p. 105 ; and Md gheibh Anioine Dia cJia rabh ciall aige Peadar no ag Pol, Morris's Seanfhocla Uladh, p. 308.
201. G. For so. 1. 3, MS. has so ann. Mac Arpliiinn, 1. 4 = son of Calpumius, i.e. Patrick.
203. 23D25 ; G. Cf. also version in Amhráin Phiarais Mhic Gearailt, p. 78.
204. A. ly. I = ' Birds do not associate with birds of another kind.'
205. 231,13 ; Univ. Coll. xiv. 175. The latter has a hhiiidhe (for buidheachas) in 1. 3.
206. F. In 1. 2 I have substituted ni ihiubhra for the MS. ni bhéara (an E. Uls. form, = ' will not give '). The point consists in the play on dol amach, ' evacuation.'
207. G ; N ; 23C26 ; 23C24 ; H.6.12. The versions differ a good deal, particularly in 11. 3-4, of which the following variants occur. :
(a) ionann is greann do labhairt
i measg daoine tuaithe.
(b) dan da chur i gcoidreamh
do bhodruisg gan suairceas.
(c) is cosmhail sin is canadh duain
do neach idir dhaoine duairce.
(d) sgéal dá innsint do mhná,
no dan do ghabháil do dhaoine duairce. 90
208. A ; Buile Shuibline, p. 54 (where the full poem will be fomid). Compare 227.
209-211. A few emendations have been made in the text of the 1707 edition, viz., an iol {an ihoil, 1707), 209, 1. i ; hhcanaim-sc (bheanamsa, 1707), 210, 1. 2 ; ni ghéabh rem ais {ni geibh re hais, 1707), 210, 1. 3. JIackinnon, p. 206, has a version of 209.
212. From Aodh Slac Aingll (Cavelhis), ' Vita Scoti,' cap. i. ; it is also found in 17th and iSth centurj^ MSS. (23F16 ; 231,34). MacAingil quotes it in support of his contention that Duns Scotus was an Irishman and was probably (as he himself was) a native of Down.
213. 23G23, p. 294 MS. has ann for on, 1. i, and d'ádhras, 1. 2. This is a translation of the Latin distich :
Hi tres in Duno tumulo tumulantur in uno : Brigida, Patricius, atque Columba pius.
214. The text here given (lyatiu and Irish) is from A and F, with coillte substituted for coill in 1. 3. Edward O'Reilly (in his Irish Writers and in Egerton 146) attributes a similar Irish quatrain to Tadhg Ó Neachtain, " on seeing an Englishman hanging on a tree." Another Irish version is ascribed by ]\I1. Óg Ó Longáin to Aogán ó Raithile (23G21, p. 362, ; etc.), ' on seeing an Enghshman hanging from a tree in Killamey wood.'
Very similar in sentiment is the following quatrain stiU known in Kerry. It is said to have been composed by a hean chaointe when she had got only the niggardly sum of twopence from a parson who wished her to " keen " his son who had just died :
Mo ghrádh mo mhinistir thug a dhá phingin dom
i gcóir a linbh a chaoineadh ; ide an linbh sin ar an gcuid eile acu siar go heireabal timpcal !
■ In 12E24 (written by John O'Daly) and in 23E12 (written by N. O'Keamey) both these quatrains are said to have been composed by Aogán Ó Raithile when he saw a parson's
91
son get caught between the branches of a tree. The 23E12 version will be found in Father Dinneen's edition of Aogán Ó Raithile's poems (second edition, p. 262). But that Aogán was the composer of either of these quatrains is more than doubtful.
215. N.
216-217. A ; F ; H.6.11. From the ' Conspóid ' between Donnchadh Mac I^abhra and the harper Giollamhuire Caoch Mac Cartáin, of which a poor and ill-edited copy is printed in Morris's ' i\.bhráin Airt Mhic Chubhthaigh.' A modified form of the second quatrain of 216 occurs in N.
218. A.
219. This quatrain is found in Aonghus Ó Dálaigh's satire on the ' Tribes of Ireland/ ed. O'Donovan, p. 52, where however it seems at least misplaced. It frequently occurs by itself in MSS., e.g. 23K24, 231,27, etc. In 23K24 it is followed by the words " Mr. Blind," as if the writer irter- preted the quatrain as a skit upon a man of that name.
220. H.5.3 ; 24P33 ; F. In 1. 3 I follow 24P33 ; H.5.3 reads sni do fhuath at an ló, and F gidh nach mór mfúath ay a 16. F is followed only in ionmhain, 1. 4, where the other MSS. read annsa.
221. 23C8. A version in N has for 1. i is giorra deoch nd sgéal (see j\Iisc. of Irish Proverbs for this proverb), and for 11. 3-4 gibe neach do dhéanamh (= -adh) piéid \ biidh bhea^ an dith a chur amach. Cf. the following quatrain in 23D25:
Is luatlia deoch ná sgéal,
gibe béal air a mbeith tart ; ná raibh orm don mo sgéal,
is feárr do shnámhaidhe an géidh ná an chearc.
222. 24A22 ; 12E22 (inferior).
223. 23F16, p. 14 (here followed) ; A ; G. In 1. 4 A and
G read ni gndthach siubhal siorniidhe seisg (or seasg).
224. H.6.11 ; G.
225. 3B39 ; 23B37 The latter emplo^^s tlie 3rd person : An briste sin Sheóin, etc. Both MSS. give also an English version (the original ?) :
92
' No wonder, John, thy breeches should be bare, And past the tailor's power to repair ; By day you wear them, and when lying in bed They serve for nightcap round thy hoary head.'
S. H. O'Grady thus translates the Irish, with apologies to Goldsmith (Silva Gad. ii. 559) :
' Friend, never let it puzzle you, nor me, John's smallclothes in such feeble phght to see ; For they're compelled a double debt to pay, A quilt by night, a pair of breeks by day.'
226. 23M17 ; 23D5 ; H.6.11. The two former read snach hhjcó{i)dhionn in 1. 2 ; the last, is (for gan brigh) in 1. I, and seanmóir in 1. 4. The metre is defective.
227. 23C24. These are also versions in G and in O'Daly's Self-inst ruction (1846) and Irish Lang. ]\Iisc. A variant is bhuirh (for mhir) in 1. 3 with hiiille an aondnirn in next line. O'Daly (Self -instruction) and N give the following translation :
' Bare is the shoulder without a cousin near, And woe to him that wants a brother dear ; In time of boastful words the hand is slow That strikes in battle with a single blow,'
For the proverb in I. i see ]Misc. of Irish Proverbs, 61.
228. ]\Iackinnon S5, with correction of nana to ndmJia (1. i) and hi to di (1. ^). For the proverb see ]\Iisc. of Irish Proverbs.
229. Mackinnon 206, with nach hjúiíhar for nach faghthar (1. 3). With 11. 3-4 cf. the Scottish proverb : A' bheairt sin nach jhaighear ach cearr, 's e foighidinn as fhearr a dheanamh rithe, ' The loom that's awry is best handled patiently.'
230. A.
231. G. Also in 3B3S, which reads caoineas for mine (1. 1) and air bhengdn for is beagdn (1. 4).
232. G; O. The latter has hairin for haidhredn (1. 3). The first line is a well-known proverb, found also in Scottish
93
( Is fhearr bréid na toll), in English (' Better a clout than a hole out '), and other languages. MacAdam (No. 112) gives the following Ulster version :
Is fearr paiste na poll,
is fearr lorn na léun ; is fearr maol na bheith gan cheann,
a's diabhal ann acht sin féin.
233. 23C26 ; A ; F. The first MS. is that followed here, save for the concluding words of 1. 4, where 23C26 reads go dioigh and A and F ni mho (an East Ulster form). In 1. I A reads neamh cil leabhar agiis each ; F similarly, save that a later hand has corrected ncaiiih to bean. The whole reminds one of Omar Khayyam :
' A book of verses underneath the bough, A jug of wine, a loaf of bread — and Thou
Beside me singing in the wilderness — Oh, wilderness were Paradise enow ! '
234. G ; A ; N ; 23M8. Varr. : tighearna (for iriath). 1. 3 ; nach mbéaradh, 1. 4. Also in MacAdam (no. 507).
235. N ; MacAdam (no. 410). Canon OXeary (Mion- chaint, i. 50) gives the first line as ceathrar cailleach gan bheith manntach ; but the usual form is that given here. Cf. similar verses in »Scottish, Nicolson 328 (= Mackintosh 192).
236. O ; G ; Bourke's Irish Grammar (1879), P- 288. The Scottish version (Nicolson, ]\Iackintosh) is very similar, save that the first line runs 7s mairg aig am bi 'n tighearna /ann, which is just like the Welsh proverb Arglwydd givan gwae ci was, ' Woe to the servant of a feeble lord.'
237. N. MacAdam (no. 513) gives the following version :
Is iomadh sgéul a thig ann a mbhadhan, 's is iomadh sliabh air bheagan bo ;
is iomadh fear nar chior cionn liath, 's is iomadh fial air bheagan stóir.
238. G.
94
239. Nat. Lib. xii. A Waterford version will be found in Sheehan's Cnuasacht Trágha, p. 45. I have heard the following version in W. Kerry :
Meath-thine fen muicfheóil,
greadóg fén gcaora, is a bheith ag gabháilt don mairtfheóil
nú go dtógfair aníos í.
240. St. E.4.3. ; F ; G. For lóin (1. 3) the MSS. have lón.
241. H.6.21 ; 23B37. The metre (which can hardly be looked upon as even modernised ddn) would suggest lionsgóid (M. Ir. línscóit, ' lineir sheet ') for I an sgóid in 1. i. With 1. 3 cf. the Cork proverb Gach saor go hinn, is gach treahhaidhe go caolfhód cam (GJ. 191, p. 188).
243. G ; 23I23 ; H.5.13. The MSS. in general have the older form hi (= hidh) for hionn. Sometimes two additional quatrains are found, as in 23D13 (where the three quatrains are wrongly mixed up with the poem Malairt ó bhfnilim déarach) and 3B39. These additional verses are :
BÍ diol grádha ar a mbionn fuath,
is crádh buan linne gleó, óm intinn ní fhuiHm réidh, —
bí duine i bpéin is é beó.
Tá cúis ar nár chuireas críoch,
's nach gcuirfead, fo-rior, go fóill,
's is dóigh nach gcuirfead lem ré, — bí duine i bpéin is é beó.
The first of these additional quatrains is also given in Reliquiae Celticae, ii. 404. The second line there reads o's fada 's is cian a bhron. The reading given above is that in 23D13 ; 3B39 has is trilagh Horn 's is mor mo bhron.
244. N.
245. This quatrain differs very much in different MSS., and the text here given is a conjectural one. The order of the Hnes is that of the version in Mackinnon, p. 213 ;
95
cf. also Mackintosh i88 (= Nicolson 227). In 23B38, 23M8, and N, the order is b d a c, viz. (with spelHug revised) : Diogha (dith MSS.) gacha sine sioc, diogha gacha buidhne droichbhean, diogha gacha tine feamóg úr (f. ghlas, N, 23M8) is diogha gacha dighe meidhg má(s) sean. In 23A28 the order is b c a d, the third hne running dig gacha tinne cdrthan tlr. 248. N, etc.
247. G ; N, etc. N also gives another version, as follows Deireadh gach cuirme [cuirim MS.] a caitheanih,
deireadh gach áithe a losgadh, deireadh gach luinge a bádhadh [bhághthadh], is deireadh gach gáire osnadh. This latter version is given by MacAdam (no. 390) with 11. I and 3 interchanged. It originated evidently in flailh, ' prince,' being mistaken for jleadh, ' feast,' of which citirm is a synonym. The quatrain is also known in Scotland (Nicolson 164). 3B39 gives the following Knglish rendering : ' Each ship will sink in fathomless deep seas, Each kiln v/ill end in a consuming blaze, Each hberal hand at last will find dispraise, So a sigh attends a laugh {or health) and brings disease.'
248. G. In a second version in the same JMS. the order of lines isb a d c.
249-250. G(twice) ; 23B37. For san (249, 1. i) G has an, 23B37 ag an ; cf. le linn na haotghthe in a version of this quatrain in 23Q18. B has ag for ar passim. Quiggin has recorded a four-line Donegal version as follows (Dial. of Donegal, p. 195) :
Dhá dtrian galair le hoidliche,
dhá dtrian gaoithe le crannaibh, dhá dtrian sneachta le sléibhte, agus dhá dtrian gréine le beanna. 96
251. N.
253. For the proverb Ni beó duine tar éis a ndire see Misc. of Irish Proverbs.
254. 23D14.
255. Cf. the Scottish quatrain (Nicolson 393 ; also Mackintosh 194) :
Teirgidh gach ni ri 'chaitheamh 's a bhi 'g a chaitheamh gu minig ;
's an ni sin nach caithear ged nach caithear gu'n teirig.
256. 23M16, p. 128 ; 23B37, p. 14. Some time in the first half of the eighteenth century Toréalach Mac Mathghamhna, of Co. Clare, wrote a poem in which he deplored the tyranny from which Ireland vras suffering and invited Mícheál Cuimín to reply with a poem on the same theme. But the only reply the latter made was the present quatrain, which he did not send to Toréalach direct, but left in a shop in Ennis for him. It would seem that, just then at least, Mícheál Cuimín was inchned to be very circumspect, if not timid, in his relations towards the English authorities, and did not reUsh a " seditious docu- ment," like the poem in question^ being addressed to him.
257. 23A24.
258. Rehquiae Celticae, ii. 360. This is an ampHfication of the proverb Mo ghrddh thu, a rud agat !
259. Transcript by Stem (in possession of Prof. Bergin) of metrical tract in Gottingen MS. (1659) ) O'Molloy's Grammar (1677).
260. St.E.4.3 (first quatrain only) ; O'Gr. Cat. 593. The former has dealaigh t (for í dd fh.), 1. 3.
281. 23M31. Cf. 103 above, and Claudian's " Asperius nihil est humiU cum surgit in altum."
282. 23O35 ; H.5.3. The MSS. treat talamh here as masculine, but the metre demands ise (which I read) in 1. 4. In 1. 3 the metre similarly suggests tolamh, a by-form of talamh.
283. Mackinnon 105 ; Reliq. Celt., ii. 401. I have
97
Hibemicised cha dteid mi to ni raghad in 1. 4. A version of this quatrain recorded in Aran is given in GJ. 54, p. 85 264. 23035.
266. ' Contention of the Bards ' (cf. ed. McKenna, p. 130).
267. 23B37.
268. Adapted from Nicolson's Gaehc Proverbs, p. 126.
269. There are about a dozen copies of this poem (if so it may be called) in R.I. A., but nearly all of them belong to the nineteenth century. The earKest I have seen is that in 23lv35, p. Ill (transcribed by Peter O'Connell in 1782) where the authorship is ascribed to Mac Amhlaoibh. In St.E.v.5 ikil. Óg Ó Ivongáin ascribes these verses to Cormac mac Cuileannáin (!), while in 23K6 the same scribe gives Keating as the author ; neither of these ascriptions can be seriously regarded. In the other copies I have seen the verses as given anonymously. The metre — a mere echo of Deibhidhe — points unmistakeably to a late date of composition. The MS. versions for the most part show but trifling variations of text. A few may be quoted : 1. I, ar or air (for acht). 231^35, 23B35 ; 1. 14, haithnear, 23L35, 23B35 : haitheantar, 23M14 : hamhghar (and lamhthar), 23N14. O'Daly has printed a version of the poem in his Irish I,ang. Misc., p. 88.
270. H.5.28, fo. 165b. MS. reads la passim (which I have modernised to le), cam, and faohhair. See the story in Keating's Forus Feasa, i. 160, where this quatrain is quoted. Keating borrowed from the Leabhar Gabhála (= ed. MacaUster and MacNeill, i. 46).
271. H.5.28, fo. 165b. MS. reads gaillsigh, \l 1, 4; te mo chraoidh, 1. 3.
272. Hibemicised from Nicolson 116 (Mackintosh 186).
273. H.3.20, p. 140. Written on the margin of a page on which intoxication is discussed in a medical treatise.
274. G.
275. O'Gr. Cat. 280.
276. St.E.iv.3, p. 5. MS, reads grddh ndch ionchur a bhfis in 1. 2.
277. St.E.iv.3.
278. 23M16, p. 38.
98
279. 3bi6 (Maynooth), etc.
280. G ; 23G25. A translation of the Latin verses which Keating quotes, TBg. 254 :
Dives eram dudum, fecerunt me tria nudum, alea vina, venus, — tribus his sum factus egenus.
281. 23D14, p. 53.
282. H.5.9, p. 107.
283. 23D9, p. I ; St. G.vi.i, p. iii. For a dhuine (1. i) the MvS. readings are dhuine and ihusa, respectively. Both MSS. also give the Latin original :
O homo, si scires quid sis aut unde venires, nunquam gauderes, sed toto tempore fleres.
284. St. G.vi.i, p. 69. The Latin original is also given : Cum sit pater Adam cunctorum mater et Eva,
cur non sunt homines nobiUtate pares ? Non pater aut mater dant nobis nobilitatem,
moribus et vita nobilitatur homo. (A version of these Latin Hues also occurs in the Giessen MS. (1684), RC. xvi. 14.)
285. From the ' Contention of the Bards ' (ed. McKenna p. 90). It occurs separately, without author's name, in the Giessen MS., RC. x\d. 25. The poet addressed is Tadhg mac Dai re.
286-289. These quatrains are from the Giessen MS., RC. xvi. pp. 25, 26, 14. In 288 (some Irishman's protest against Scotus being interpreted as ' Scotchman ') I have edited lahhraim to lahhram. Of 289 there is an inferior version in 23O35, p. 268.
290. Quoted in O'Flaherty's ' Ogygia ' (1685), p. 406, from the ' Contention of the Bards.' O'Flaherty's text is here followed, though it is very probable that he was quoting from memory. Thus he uses do as relative in 1. 2, which no writer would have done at the time of the Contention ; and he also makes the mistake (not reproduced here) of attributing the quatrain to Lughaidh Ó Cléirigh (' Clerius '). Cf. ed. McKenna, p. 122, st. 19, where the MS. version will be found.
99
PRINCIPAL ABBREVIATIONS
A. F. G. GJ. ...
MacAdam
Mackinnon
Mackintosh
N. Nicolson
O.
O'Gr. )
O'Gr. Cat.^ O' Grady ) RC. ... ZCP. ...
23A45. R.I.A. St.F.v.3, R.I.A. 23G25, R.I.A.
Gaelic Journal (Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge).
Six hundred Gaelic Proverbs collected
in Ulster, by Robert MacAdam,
Ulster Journal of Archaeology, vols.
vi., vii. and ix. (1858-1862). Catalogue of GaeUc Manuscripts in
Scotland, by Donald Mackinnon
(1912). Collection of Gaelic Proverbs and
Familiar Phrases, second edition
(1819).
23N33, R.I.A. A Collection of GaeUc Proverbs and
Familiar Phrases, by Alexander
Nicolson (1881).
23O17, R.I.A.
Catalogue of Irish MSS. in the British
Museum, by Standish Hayes
O'Grady.
Revue Celtique.
Zeitschrift fiir Celtische Philologie.
GLOSSARY
The main object of the following Glossary is to help the reader who, while familiar with current Irish, has little or no acquaintance with the hterature of former centuries. Hence I have included in it most of those words and forms occurring in the text which are no longer in use in the Irish of to-day, With the same object I append some brief notes on certain obsolete verbal forms which occur in the text.
The 2nd sing. pres. (indie, and subj.) and future formerly ended in -e (or -i) instead of -ir. Exx. are dd gcongbhae 8, = ma chuinnighir, ma chuinnion tú ; a bhfoighe 2, = a bhfaghair (fut.).
The 3rd sing. pres. indie, had formerly distinct Absolute and Dependent flexions, thus Abs. cuiridh, Dep. cuir and ciiircann, where the present-day language uses cuireann in all cases. Exx. of the old Abs. flexion are bdidhidh, 11 ; canaidh 134, lnighidh 205. Of the earlier Dep. form : nach dean, 69, 154 ; dd gcuir 125 ; ni roich 173 ; nach faic 194 (= ná ficeann). Similarly in the 3rd sing. pres. habit, of id we have Abs. hidh, 27, 190, 242 ; Dep. hi, 26, 53, 109, etc., in addition to the present-day form hionn (Abs. and Dep.)
Obsolete past tense endings are illustrated in do locsam 191, = do locamair ; fuarsam 191, = fuaramair ; do íhréigsead 29, = do thréigeadar.
Bia and bhias, representing old pres. subj. forms, are occasionally used in relative statements of a general nature, thus agd mbia, 24 ; gibe bhias, 33. More usually this old subj. is assimilated in form to the pres. habit. ; thus agd mhi
and gibe bhios occur as variants of the examples just quoted. Similarly bi and bid in 26, 39, 63, 87.
Other forms of the suh:itantive vb. are 3rd sing. fut. biaidh, bia, (rel.) bhias ; coiidl. bJieith 17 ; pres. subj. raibh 193 ; past subj. beath 21. In the copula is to be noted fut. budh, (rel.) bhus, 66, no, 112, 130, 136.
vSome obsolete forms of other irregular verbs are noted in the Glossary infra.
ábhacht (often wrongly ddhbhaclii), ' joking, mockery,' 177.
ad-chluinim, cloisim, airighim, 27, 66.
adhnaim, ' I kindle, I begin,' 176.
adúdii, 70, = adódh 89 = fadódh 239, ' kindling.'
adhraim do, ' I trust in, am attached to,' 142.
aimhnirt, ' weak,' 31.
ainriar : riar a. nach éadann, ' that he cannot minister to
difficult wants' (?), 20. aire, teannta, púnc, 60. airgim, ' I plunder,' 184. aitchim, iarraim, guidhim, 251. ál = ail, 47, 139. amhra, maith, 230. anacai, ' to protect, save,' 120. anadh = fanúint, fanacht, 47, 137. anbharr, ' great supremacy ' ; a. éigse, ' poetry of surpassing
merit,' 156. anduine, ' a wicked or base-born person,' 103. andúr, ' very hard, very sullen,' 269. aoighe, ' a guest,' 269. áth, (áith), ' a kiln,' 246, 247. athoighidli ^ M. I. athigid, ' to visit ' hence in 197 ' to
familiarise oneself with, to cultivate ' (cf. taithighe).
Aiih{e)ighidh, vAth einigh in preceding Une, would
perhaps have been a preferable spelling,
baidhreán (or boighredn), ' flummery,' 232.
bail a = mar a, 259.
bathlach, ' an ignorant fellow, a boor,' 102.
beanaim = bainim, buinim, 92, 121, 210.
beann, ' importauce ' (?), 38.
beann-chruit, ' a barp/ lit. ' peaked harp/ so called from its
shape ; g. pi. beann-chrot, 26. beirte = birte, g. of heart, ' an action, a move (iu a game),'
62. beite (or h^ithte) : is b., is ceart bheith, 62. bioth, ' world ' ; tré bkiotha (ace. pi.) sior, ' for all eternity/
124 ; gen. sg. beatha, 259. biothchonnlacht, ' constant hoarding, miserliness,' 23. bladh, ' fame,' clú, i, 133. bleaghan, ' milking, yield of milk,' 52. boidrisg (var. bodraisg), ' a set of ignorant but pretentious
people.' From bodaire or boidire, ^itb the ending of
grdisg, gram{h)aisg. bólacht, ' cattle,' 38.
borrach, ' a proud, pretentious person,' 37. brad, ' plundering,' 11. Now bruid, ' bondage ; urgency,
hurry.' branán, ' a chess-king,' 108. Cf. Meyer, Contrr. p. xxi.
But a gloss on the text in 23ly34, p. 250, interprets it
otherwise : " branan A. fear bhreagas cuideachta ar clár,
i.e. the man that diverts the company at table, i.e. the
best com[panion]." bras, ' quick, rash,' 80. breath = breith ; an U bhus gann breath ar bhocht, ' he who
will judge a poor man severely,' no. brón, 217, g. of bró, ' quern, grind-stone.' brughadh, 261, g. of brughaidh, ' agriculturist, peasant.' bruinn, ' breast,' 114. bú, obs. ace. pi. of bn, 129.
buain uimpi, ' to run counter to it, to hinder it,' 265. buinne, ' a border (in wickerwork), a hoop ' ; fdl buinne, ' an
enclosing wall,' 89.
cairt, ' writing,' sgribhinn, 170. calann = colann, 127, 129. call, ' losing, loss,' 271.
103
caoi (masc. in MS.), ' a weeping, wailing,' 271.
caoire (dat. sg.) = caora, 239.
caolfhód, ' the last sod turned up by the plough at the erjd of a furrow,' 242.
caor con, ' dogberry,' 74.
caraid = cáirde, 32, 236.
caraim, ' I love,' 27, 35.
cáma, ' flesh, meat,' feóil, 270.
cárthann, ' rowan-tree,' 75, loi.
cé, ' tliis,' in phr. ar hith ché, ' in this world,' 142.
ceann : riot tar ch. a n-abraim-se, ' notwithstanding what I say to you,' 4.
ceap, ' a block, log, stumbling-block,' 68.
cearr, ' crooked, wrong,' 229.
ceas, ' darkness, obscurity ; a problem,' 66.
céin, ace. of cian, ' a while ' ; an gcéin, an fhaid, 184.
ceisim (ar), ' I grumble (about), complain (of),' 45.
cidh, 10, 81, 86, 273, = ciodh 64b, = cé 75, = gidh 254, = gé gurh 64a, ' although (it) is ' {cé or gé + is).
clár, 'chessboard' (= clár fithchille), 108.
clé, ' left ' ; did ar an dtaoibh gcU, i.e. ' to be condemned on the Day of Judgment,' 48.
cleasradh, ' trickery, wile,' 83.
cléircheas, ' scribal work, scholarship,' 157.
cluain, ' deceit,' 168.
cnáid, ' scoffing, flouting,' 88, 178.
cnú = cnó, 107 ; d. pi. cnoibh, 208.
Coimdhe, Tigheama, 138, 172.
coimseach = cumasach, 50.
c6ir : dod choir, ' near you,' 15 ; dd choir, ' accompanying it,' 193.
col, ' sin,' 137.
conách, ' wealth,' 103, 280.
concbair, 184, is an adjective of doubtful meaning ; we may tentatively translate it ' strong, vigorous.' It is again used by Tadhg mac Dáire in his poem Mór atd ar theasgasg Hatha, viz., no an glún dathghlan conchoir corr | no an chorrthroigh aihlamlh] eattroni, 23T40, p. 188 (cf. 104
O'Flanagau's edn., p. 32). Another form of the word is conchar ; cf, in Tec. Cormaic (p. 22, 1. 28) conchar (v.l. conchair) cech sdiihech. Meyer in his Contrr., p. 462, at first explained conchar as " fond of hounds " {cti+ car-), but afterwards withdrew this, ib. p. xxix., though he again fell back on it in Tec. Cormaic.
cor = cur, 209.
chdlie = croidhe, 114, 271. So deighchridke, 21, = deagh- chroidhe.
crimim = creimim ; criniim cúl, ' I backbite,' 173.
crine, ' old age,' 117.
crioimacht, ' cleverness, cunning,' 168 ; ' wisdom,' 196.
crithir, ' a spark,' 125.
crobhaing, ' cluster of nuts,' 107.
crodh, ' cattle, wealth (in herds),' 49, 103.
cruinn, ' economical,' 22 ; ' tidy, compact, small-sized,' 239.
cminne, (i) ' gathering, amassing (wealth) ', 44 ; (2) ' universe,' 49.
cuaine, ' a Utter of pups, a pack of hounds,' 99.
cual, ' a bundle, heap,' 131.
cúil, ' a comer-heap,' hence ' store, means ' (?), 34.
cúis {<cubhais), 'conscience,' 192.
cumhain = cuimhin, 261.
da, c. pres. subj., ' if,' 28, 30, 201, 228 ; now replaced by md
with pres. indie. dáil, ' state, condition,' 259 ; nd tahhair do dhdil fd n-a neart,
' do not put yourself in their power ' (?), 257 ; i nddil,
' associating with, in company with,' 80, 88. damhna, ' material,' adhbhar, 42. dánfhocal, ' an epigram in verse,' 55. dearnam, i pi. pres. subj. Dep. of do-nim (= dinim), 138.
So auton. dearntar, 46. déasach (coll. from déas or dias), ' eais of com,' 109. deasgadh, ' consequences,' 27. déinimh = déanamh, 139. deirbhéile, ' grief, dejection,' 194. deispionsáid, ' dispensation,' 260.
105
díbhfearg, ' wrath, vengeance/ 123.
dícheall, ' negligence/ 228. In Mod. Ir. this or a similar
word has quite the opposite meaning, viz. ' earnest
endeavour.' diol, ' state, condition,' 17.
dlighim, ' I have a right to,' 27 ; ' I require,' 65. doghracht = dogbra, ' sorrow, grief,' 248. doghraing, ' difficulty,' 114. dóigh (as), ' trust (in),' 8t, 162. dorsóir = dóirseóir, 15.
droch-luighe, ' false oath ' (?), 12. Cf. note. dun = dúinn, 92.
éadaim = féadaim, 20.
éadrú, ' one who is not doomed ' (opp. of tnl), 242.
eagna(mh), ' wisdom,' 114, 139, 184. Cf. Gadelica, i. 297, note.
easair, ' litter ' ; easair fhalamh, ' empty litter ' (?), 158. O'Grady explains it as ' an empty kennel,' i.e. after the pups had been stolen. Cf. the Ulster proverb (MacAdam, no .447) aiairt fa bhúalaidh (=bhuaile) fhalamh, " visiting an empty paddock," on which MacAdam has the note : " Said of anyone who is disappointed in finding what he expected."
easmailt, ' reproof, reproach,' 4.
éigneach, ' violent, passionately desirous,' 49.
eisinneall, ' bad trim, ill-condition ' (opp. of inneall), 242.
eiteach, ' feathers,' cleiti, cleiteach, 84.
fabhairt, ' tempering,' 60.
faiteach, ' loth/ 6.
falamh = folamh, 47, 158.
falcaim = folcaim, ' I wash (away),' 12. See note.
£álta, ' weak, without effort,' 187. ■ fámach, ' a big, lazy person,' 76. Cf . fdmaire.
faobhar, ' an edged tool,' 270.
iaoilidh, ' jo5^ul, glad,' 193. faoilte = fáilte, 27.
féach : ná féach do, ' do not be deterred by,' 140. -^] 'lov.AÍtCA- : Si^^SjXik 106
fear : fear mar chdch, ' like everyone else,' 92.
feam, ' alder-wood,' 245.
feithim, c. ace, ' I watch, observe ' ; c. re, ' 1 wait for,' 63.
Eéighe, ' sharpness ' ; fionghal go bhf., ' cruel murder,' 11.
feis, codladh, 185.
fiadh, fiadhain, 109.
fidir = feadair, ' knows,' 44.
fine, ' family, group of relatives,' 245, 284.
finnin feóir, ' a titmouse, tomtit/ 153. Begly (p. 481a) has " muskin \i.e. titmouse], finnin, sort éin," whence probably O'Reilly's " finnin, a small bird." A. M'Donald (Galick and English Vocabulary, 1741, p. 70) has fionnan feóir, " a grasshopper or locust," and is followed by Shaw, P. O'C, and others ; O'Reilly has further " finnin feóir, a grasshopper." P. O'C. has also " finin feóir, a titmouse, a muskin ; also a grasshopper." In his version of 153 O'Flanagan explains finghin feóir as " tom- tit," and says that its literal translation is " grass-moth." Cf. fineóg and finin, ' a mite ' (P. O'C.) ; Scottish fionag, fineag.
fiodhbhadh, ' wood,' adhmad, 127.
fionghal, ' murder,' 11, 12.
fionnaim, ' I discover, learn,' 74, 75.
fis : grddh ndch ionchnir i bhfis, ' a love that is not worthy of notice,' 276. Cf . chuir sé i bhfis orjn é, ' he called my attention to it/ W. Kerr>\
fodhomhain, ' depth,' 53.
foighdhe, ' begging,' 27. Sc. faoighe.
foilmhe, ' poverty,' dealbhas, 27.
foirfe [<.foirbhthe), 'finished, well-trained,' 31,
fosaidh, ' steady,' 31.
fosdaim, ' I stop, catch,' 68 ; ' I detain, delay,' 238.
fraoch, ' fierceness, wildness,' 190 ; fraoch mo dhéad, ' the fury of my teeth, my fierce appetite,' 216.
frith = fuarthas, fuaradh, 43.
fuaisgeóla = fuasgló(chaidh), 196.
Gaillseach, ' an I^nglishwoman,' 271. 107
gáir cheall is chlog, ' excommunication/ ii. Cf. cascaine
ceall is cliiig, Eoghan R., 1939. garbha = gairbhe, gairbheacht, 230. gaxgad, ' cruelty/ 11. For gargacht, with the abstract suffix
-ad common in Scottish. géabh = geóbhad, 210. gion go, ' although not/ cé ná, 220, 255. gleacaidhe, ' a trickster/ 181. go n-, ' with/ II, 158, 168. go, ' falsehood/ bréag, éitheach, 38, 230. greadóg, ' a fair-sized fire/ 239. greadhan, ' shouting, bellowing,' 52. grinneall, ' bottom, depth,' 174.
iath, ' land, country ' ; iath na naomh, ' heaven,' 135. ilcheasach, ' of many problems, much-questioning,' 66. inneall, ' good trim, good order/ 242. ioirann = ifreann, 15, 122. iomaire, ' ridge, furrow,' 91. iúl = eól, eólas, 212, 261.
lais = leis, 67.
learg, leirg, ' a slope, expanse ' ; hence figuratively ' fields
of learning ' (?), 157, 250. léice, ' a clown, boor,' 41.
leógan 175 = leómhan 184, ' a hero, a brave or worthy man.' locaim, ' I cause to stop, I reject ' ; do locsam, ' we have
renounced,' 191. loin, ' a puff of wind,' 240. lor = leór, 50. luacht {<luaighidheacht), 'merit,' 269.
mac, ' a youth, a child,' 208, 270.
madh = ma's, 23, 63 ; madh olc maith, pé olc maith, 113. madh = mbadh, 32, ■^'^, 195. maith, ' wealth, goods,' i, 255. ■^V mana, ' an omen,' 142 ; another meaning was ' cause.' So ' tuar, ' omen,' sometimes means ' cause ' ; and the vb.
io8
Áít
Q, M>dí^ÍAí^,^^^Ai^iA.^
iuaraim often = ' I cause, bring about, earn ' (syn. \ tuillim). Ace. to Amhlaoibk Ó SúiUeabbáin (23H26, y fo. 72) mana — he spells it meanadh — was the intimation" of a future event conveyed by itchiness in some part of the body ; the event differed according to the location of the itching. In Sc. nianadh means ' a mysterious premonition.'
maxann = maireann, 67.
meamram, ' parchment,' 84, 131.
mion-aithris, ' tattle ' (?), 188.
mionn, ' a saint's relic,' hence ' a holy thing ' (?), 220.
misge = meisge, 160, 273.
mogh, ' a plebeian, boor,' 103.
neamhstór, easba stóir, 29.
neich, obs. gen. sg. of ni, ' a thing,' 18.
niort, obs. dat. sg. of neart, no.
nocha(n), ' not,' 12, 44, 108.
6 = óige, ' youngest,' 281. oireamh, ' ploughman,' 241. ollmhachadUh = ollmhughadh, ollú, 139. orthaibh = ortha, 184.
rachmas, ' wealth,' 102.
rádha = rádh, 27, 35.
raighlic = ró-ghlic, ' very clever,' 31.
rann {<reann), 'a star'; Triath na Rami, 'the Lord of
Heaven,' 200. Cf. Ktg.'s Ceárd na tiÁirdreann. re = le ; ceaihrar re ceól, ' four musicians,' 163. So riot and
nit (= leat), 4, 50 ; ris {= leis), 171 ; ria (= le), 139. re n- = roimh, ruim, 10, 16. reimhe = reimhre, ' fatness,' 147. ro-dhomhain - ró-dhoimhin, ' very deep,' 51. rot = rómhat, 28. rotha = roth, 172.
saoglial, ' worldly goods,' I.
saoitheamhail, ' cheery, entertaining, hospitable/ 144. 109
sás, ' a trap/ 119 ; ' a device, contrivance, means,' 165. seadán, 'a buzzing noise ' ; s. glóif, 'excessive talk, jabbering,'
54- séaghonn (also spelt saoghain in mod. MSS.), ' accomplished,
beautiful/ 193. séan, ' a charm/ 142 searbhán, ' endive ' (or 'dandelion'), 25. searrach, ' a foal ' ; appl. to a child, 71. Cf. Merriman's
Cúirt, 1. 103. Serrach. i. each n-ócc, Lecan Glossary
(ACL. i. 60). seilgeach = sealgach, ' fond of hunting, fond of gadding
about ' (?), 187. But the word is probably a corruption
of sihhleaeh ( = sileach, infra) . seise, ' companion,' 265.
Sgathach, ' flocculent, tufted, in tresses,' 106 ; from sgoth. Sgód, ' sail-sheet, halyard,' 242. See note. sileach, ' fond of running (to),' 177. See Erin, ix. 22. siorghar, ' always near,' 53. slad, ' robbery,' 11. slamaeh, ' a handful, small heap ' (?), 283. Cf. sldni (Sc.
slam) and slamairce. sneacht (Sc) = sneachta, 268, solus, ' bright, clear,' 66. somachán, ' a lubber, lout,' loi. spadán, ' something spoiled or useless, a mess,' 54 (MSS.
also spell it speaddn here). spréachaim, ' I scatter, sprinkle, shed,' 274. sreódh = sraodh, ' a sneeze,' 142. srúill, ' a stream/ 70. suaidhte, ' wretched, worthless ' (?), 41. substaint, ' substance, soHd sense,' 53. sursaing, ' girdle, surcingle/ 147.
tabhair : ni th. = ni thugann, 35.
tagra (le), ' arguing (with),' 68, 69 ; gen. tagartha, 228. Dd
dtagrair ceart, ' if you make a just plea,' 30. tairigim, ' I come to an end, pass away, perish,' 255. In
Sc. teirig, whence theirgfeas (rel. fut.), 258.
tám = táimíd, 285 ; gd dtdm dhó, ' in a word,' 124.
taradh = toradh, 127.
tarfelia = tairbhe, tairife, S, 43, 56. So adj. tarhhach, 217.
tathlaighim, ' I soothe, caress, cherish,' 182.
téad, ' string ' ; lucht téad, ' harpers,' 163.
teann (as), ' over-confident (in),' 38.
tí, old snbj. pres. 3. sg. of iigini, 137 ; dd dti = ma Ihagann,
28 ; sul dti = sar a dtagaidh, sar a dtiocfaidli, 62. tigim, ' I come to an end ' (cf. tairigim), 120. tiugh, ' a good deal (of),' 65. to, ' silence,' 230.
tocht, ' silence,' 134, 179 (var. tost), 204. tochtaim, ' I refrain from uttering,' 55. tochlaim, ' I dig, build,' 16. toighe = tighe, 122.
tol, 209, = toil, 210.
toll, ' perforated, broken, weak,' 208.
torn, ' a knoll, hillock,' 272.
torainn (var. torann), ' a loud noise,' 269.
tórmach, ' brooding, inward resolve,' 255.
triath, ' lord,' tigheama, 200, 234, 256.
tm, ' a doomed person, one fated to have his Hfe cut short,'
242. tmmaide = tmime-de, ' the heavier for it,' 59, tualaing, ' able,' 120. tuitmeach, ' falling, stumbling, stammering,' 31.
uacUi = uaidh, 63. uirrim = urraim, 40.
INDEX OF AUTHORS
Ainglis, Séamas (17th or early i8th century), 189.
Mac Amhlaoibh (17th centur>^ ?), 269 note.
Mac Aodhagáin, Baothghalach Ruadh {ll. 1610), 53.
Mac Artúir Roibeard (//. 1606-1626), 290.
Mac an Bhaird, 165 note.
Gofraidh (//. circ. 1610), 50, 156,
Do Barra, Dáibhí (1759-1851), 195.
Mac Brádaigh, Filip [fl. 1710) 100 note, 198 note.
Ó Bruadair, Dáibhí (fiógS), 36.
Mac Bruaideadha, Maoilin óg (ti6o2), 27, 29, 31, 42.
Tadhg mac Dáire [fl. 1580-1624), 184,
266.
Ó Cearbhalláin, Toirdhealbhach {\173S), 15.
Ó Cléirigh, Lughaidh (ti630), 158 note, 285.
Columcille (t597), ii> 12, 44, 45, 120, 142, 194, 242, 255, 275.
Comiac mac Airt (3rd century), 175 note.
Caimin, Mícheál (1676-1760), 256.
Ó Dálaigh, Aonghus Fionn (//. 1600), 13, 136 note.
— Aonghus na nAor (11617), ^6, 219.
Gofraidh Fionn (11387), 66, 137.
Muireadhach Albanach (//. 1213), 108, 50 note,
184 note. Ó Domhnaill, Aodh, 164 and note.
Maghnus (11563), 147 and note.
Mac Donnchadha, Toirdhealbhach Óg ( 11713), 198 and
note. FeiriteuT, Piaras {\circ. 1652), 72 note. Ó Glíosáin, Tomás (i8th century), 71, 91.
IJ2
ó Heóghusa, Giollabrighde, alias Bouaventura (11614), 8,
43, 124, 138, 171, 202, 209, 210, 211, 265. Ó Huiginn, Tadhg Óg (ti448), 136.
Tadhg Dall (//. 1580), 153.
Mac Lablira, Donnchadh (17th or i8th century), 216, 21
Ó Maoilchonaire, Flaithrí (ti629), 158.
Pluinceud, Oilibheur (fióSi), 148 note.
O Raithile, Aogán (//. 1706 1724), 214 note.
ó Súileabháin, Eoghan Ruadh (//. 1769-1783), 149.
"3
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