ANECDOTA FROM IRISH MSS.
XIV.
MS. R.I.A., 23P.3 fo. 14a.
Cf. Leaḃar Breac, p. 261a.
1. Taibret duit[1] a coibsena
co diúít is co léir,
ní gaba a n-almsana,
mina bet dit’ réir.
3. Dosmbéra do áigedaib,
cid trén nó cid trúag,
dosmbéra do boċtaib,
ó ná fríṫ[4] a lúag.
4. Dosmbéra do ṡenóraib,
do ḟedbaib—ni brec—[5]
nís-taibre do ṗecṫaċaib
lasm-bé imut sét.
5. Cin ḟáilti, cin ḟolabra,
co cennsai, co cói,[6]
co n-dílgud[7] caċ ancride,
fil, bias, ro bói.[8]
6. Co síṫ fri caċ coibnesam;
co n-imecla máir,
co fáisitin dúalaċ,
tráṫ[9] tiagar do láim.
7. Dá ċét sleċtain fri biait
caċa dia do grés,
na trí cóicait do gabáil,
ni foráil[10] in bés.
8. Mad áil duit co mét in gráid
fo mám Spirda glain,
ní cotla[ocus] ní luingi
la túaṫaib i taig.
9. Ní raib serc mór[11] at’ ċridi
aċt serc Dé namá,
uair is glan in corp dia téiġ,
bat glan[12] no téis da.
10. Neċ ná comallad in so
’san scriptúir fofúar,[13]
ní sacart, is eċtaire,
is tairmṫeċta[id] trúag.[14]
TRANSLATION.
1. Let them make their confessions to thee
Sincerely and earnestly.
Do not take their alms
Unless they do thy will.
2. Though thou take their offerings,
Let not their love be great with thee;
As it were fire that were on thee,
Scatter them (to those) under thy power.
3. Thou shalt give them to guests,
Be they powerful or be they wretched;
Thou shalt give them to the poor,
From whom no reward for it is found.
4. Thou shalt give them to old men,
To widows no falsehood.
Do not give them to sinners
That have store of wealth.
5. Without loud joy, without murmuring,
With meekness, with lamenting,
With forgiveness of every wrong,
That is, that will be, that was.
6. With peace towards every neighbour,
With great fear,
With proper confession
When one goes to absolution.
7. Two hundred genuflexions at the Beati,
Every day continually
The three fifties thou must sing—
The custom is not too heavy.
8. If thou wishest with great love
To be under the yoke of the pure Spirit,
Do not sleep and do not eat
With lay-people in a house.
9. Let there be no great love in thy heart,
Save love of God only;
Since pure is the body to which it goes,
Purely shalt thou go to Him.
10. Whoso fulfilleth not this,
Which in the Scripture I found,
He is not a priest, he is an outlaw,
He is a wretched transgressor.
Kuno Meyer.
