AN GAODHAL.
89
But the author of the poem was Dubhthach Mac
ua Lugair, royal poet of the men of Erinn. The
cause of the Senchus having been composed was
this :— Patrick came to Ireland to baptize and to
disseminate religion among the Gaeidhil, i.e., in
the ninth year of the reign of Theodosuis, and in
the fourth year of the reign of Laeghaire, son of
Niall, king of Erin.
(To be continued.)
Modern Irish as I understand it.
Rath-gutha-áird a , [dún], Is airthi bheir¬
thear Ráth-ghutha-áird, .i. ráth ann a n-
airgithídh b neach air a ghuth árd, .i. air a
bheith geoineach, no air a ghuth nó a labh¬
airt] neimhdhlisdineach nó indlightheach c ;
nó ó ghuthaibh [nó labhradh] na n-árd, .i. na
n-eolach, nó na n-árd, .i. na n-uasal.
Air bhruach Nithe, .i. Nith ainm na h-
amhan, nó Nith, air an g-ceannairc do
las na Págánaigh a n aghaidh Phádraic; nó
[neamhaince) neamh-shomhaoineach, .i. um
éisg agus toradh ; nó Nith neamhonnach .i.
cnaip neamhonn d do gabhthaoi ann a
tráigh; nó air ghumha e ghoinneach, ronta f
do righneadh a bh-farradh g le Neamhanach;
mo Nith nimneach, .i. ó dheoch nimhe do ra¬
dadh h innte do Phádraic.
Cuach lán de nimh do rad, nó do thug,
draoi de na draoithibh do, & do foillsígh¬
eadh do Phádraic é, agus anns an, do
labhair Pádraic na briathra so ós lionn:
"Iubu fis fri ibu, fis ibu anfis, *
Fris bru uatha, ibu lithu Xristi Iesu."
Agus, gidh bé air bith déarfas sin for i
nimh no lionn ní bheidh iorchóid air d'a
thaoibh. No cumadh é "In nomine Dei
Pátris, &c." Do neith j ann, agus do
chúm agus do chan ós k an lionn. End
of the Notes.
The following is the poem promised.
"Do bhaist Pádraic le glóir,
Ann aimsir Théódósuis,
Sheanmhóireadh sé go maith,
Do thuaith ionmholta mhic Mhilidh."
Agus do b' iad ughdair an t-Seancuis
an uibhir do phearsanaibh do bhuain leis
An Seancus, .i. :—
"Laoghaire, Corc a's Daire dúr,
Padraic, Beannan, a's Ceárnach cóir,
Rosa Dubhthach a's Feargus budh shéimh,
Budh naoi d-taca do'n t-Seancus Mór"
Achd iomorro, do b' é Dubhthach mac ui
Lugair, rígh fhile bh-fear n-Éireann, úgh¬
dair an laoidh. Do b' é tuccaid l an
t-Seanchuis do chuma so :— Téacht Phád¬
raic go h-Éirinn chum baiste & creidimh
do sgaipeadh a measg na n-Gaodhal, .i.
anns an naomhadh bliadhain de fhlaitheas
Téódósuis, agus anns an ceathramhadh
bliadhain de fhlaitheas Laoghaire mac
Néill, righ Éireann.
Le bheith leanta.
N. B — I thought it better to retain some of the
words of the original in my version in as much as
they are found in modern print.
Notes.
a guth árd, may signify, loud speaking,
high voice, or voice of the high or
noble.
b airgidhídh, v. was punished, fixed, fas¬
tened, tied, bound.
c neimhdhlisdineach nó indlightheach, adj.
unlawful
d neamhonn, n. m. is a diamond, not o¬
nyx as in translation.
e gumha, n. m. a battle
f ront or ronta, adj. fierce, cruel.
g farradh, n. m. company, a bh-farradh,
in company with.
h rad, v. to give or bestow.
i for, prep, over, on or upon.
j neith, n. m. battle, fight, engagement.
The God of battle with the pagan I¬
rish.
k ós, prep. over, above.
l tuccaid, n. f. cause, reason, occasion.
* It is seen that this prayer or invocation, as it
were, is given in the English translation as in the
original Irish, except the change of type, and an
explanatory note from the author says, “ibu, etc.
These words, like some of the charms of the middle
ages, appear to have no meaning.” Well, I disagree
with the author or translator, and without a proper
resource at my command, I will try to give them,
at least, a partial signification. I will separate the
words, and as an elucidation, write as below, as
near a meaning as possible beneath each. Thus. —
Iubu or iobadh
fis
fri ibu or ibhim
Death
knowledge with I drink,
fis
ibu or ibhe anfis or ainbhis,
knowledge
drinking
ignorance,
Fris
bru or brudh uatha, ibu or ibhim
With-him confusion
singly, I drink
lith lithu Xristi Iesu or Iosa.
prosperity Christ Jesus.
Then is not this like what it means, —
Ibhim le fios bás, fios ag ibhe ainbhfhios,
