Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge/Imleabhar 5/Uimhir 3/Anecdota from Irish MSS. XI

by Kuno Meyer

[ 40 ]

ANECDOTA FROM IRISH MSS.

XI.

Leaḃar Breac, p. 108b.

[ 40 ] Dondċaḋ Mór cecinit.	[ 41 ] Dondchad Mór sang—
[ 40 ] 1. Dreén enaig inṁain cáċ, ’c ar n-acallaim caċ éntráṫ, én ocus toll tréna ṫeċ, mo ġéd, mo ċorr, mo ċoileċ.	[ 41 ] 1. Wren of the marsh, dear to all, Conversing with us every hour, A bird, and a hole through its house, My goose, my crane, my cock.
[ 41 ] 2. Ar fissid, ar fer dána Téit lá d’iarraid éddála, Trí cuile fúair in t-ollaṁ, Ní ḋuaid uile hi comlongad.	[ 41 ] 2. Our wise man, our poet, Went one day to seek spoil; Three gnats the ollave found, He did not eat them all in one feast.
[ 41 ] 3. Tinóilis lán a brasċúig mér da ingnib donna in dreén, Na trí ceṫri ’mon cuitig, Da trí ferṫain fliuċbuidir.	[ 41 ] 3. He gathered the full of his five fingers With his dun claws, the wren; The thrice four around the repast, Whence a wet, deafening shower will come.
[ 41 ] 4. Aċan! is trúag lem’ċride bás clainde na cuirrcige, cuirrceċ ar n-éc a dá hén- dá buirrceċ déc ’con dreén.	[ 41 ] 4. Ochone! sad to my heart is The death of the plover’s offspring; The plover after the death of her two birds, Twelve denizens has the wren.

[ 41 ]

dreén, dissyllabic.

eanaċ, a moor, marsh, O’R. and O’Don. Suppl.

inṁain cáċ. Cf. L. Br. 275a, 17: inmain cáċ isa corp so, which O’Grady, Silv. Gad. II., p. 61, translates: “Dear was he whose body this is.”

na trí ceṫri, the young ones of the wren.

ferṫain, humorously, a shower of blood. The acc (buidir, fem.) is put for the nom., as often in Middle-Irish.

cuirrceċ, cf. curcag, F. a lapwing (tringa vanellus, L.), Highl. From cuirreċ, a marsh.

buirrceċ, a burgher, denizen, inmate, from burc or borc, castle, borrowed from Low Latin, burgus.

Kuno Meyer.