XXV. [Lá dha robhmar] fā dheireadh

MS p. 289

[1.]    <          mir> fa ȝearow begga<n> <beg          >

[2.]   <               > feyne in telg / chur ay deis <er gi Enel   g>
        <hw  > feyne & garri / teive er heive in nane<arre>

[3.]   Gin dayrrit finn di ȝarri er sw ȝoit na arr<   >
        Or is tusi di wee ann kinnis di warv<e> sw kowl<  >

[4.]   Di weyr si ȝvt mi wrairri / er bee ȝut orm ȝa <erre>
        Gir hei
t mi laiwe laytich lomm / chur i’ kead ȝat i’ gow<   >

[5.]   For in caddrew ȝois sin a clanni morn mar ȝill
        I<  > wulling is reawor <ȝ>oif / ȝes dew machir a warw<e>

[6.]   Mas for in catdrew lat sin / Inn vccowill a halwin
        leg i’ carredir bwnskinni / is tog i’ nallydis chatchinn

[7.]   A d<o>g m<is> ȝew lawe / a clann morn̄ is mor grane
        fa toylling missi wlli / for g<ar> gow dei
t Eine dwn̄< >

[8.]   Mas di ȝlassi tuissi sin / y’michtin er slycht haichir
        b<e>th leineno
r sinn er linni / mir weit (ei)⎡ein⎤llyttin chowil<l>

[9.]   Cowyl chor sinn in woyew / cowle huc orn̄ mor roitwy<t>
        Cowyl di ȝei
tch<i>r a mach / sinn a greitow ni goeich

[10.]    Ch<o>r dram̄ ȝeine i’ nalbin Inn / Is dram̄ ⎡ell⎤ i’ dowloch<l>inn
           In tres dram̄ si ȝrey<g> ȝilli / b<e>ddic woo cheyl ir <      ir>

[11.]    Wemir seableyn̄ de<y>g (h) a hagws er(rin) is neir wra<ik>
           Neir weg i’ smach downi
t sinni gi’ i<r> dowe ȝagkin

[12.]    In k<e>adlay choymir i’ teir ȝinse Errin o<rweine>
           Warwe<  > dein is neir wraik ra ray xvi c⎡er⎤ (d) anelai.

MS p. 290

[13.]    <Di watewth> clynni morn̄ dan̄ leichow is <d     k     >
           cha roif Ein dwnni ȝew sen / na
t cow cayd <     vaik     >

[14.]    <ron̄ich> caslane da galnow / clanni morn̄ mor va’<mnw   >
           in ginni feyn bi lintich ann a weanis far neir’ <rin>

[15.]    Er a lawse alach ni wane / cha natkis (<f>orri) ⎡horri⎤ no hayr
           Eine nei
t hug pask er mi hwle / ach fagsin a chask<ri>

[16.]    hugsay (hug) teim fame chree re fagsin ni’ slintee
           huggymir nein teyg a creow mowin mor ȝerg

[17.]    A reych gasge i’ ir (gi bas) ⎡bassid ȝown⎤ <d>owin a warwi
           gin deyve er i’ tulli hawle y’bi <w>oa dwnni ċlann ⎡gi’⎤ ch<   >

[18.]    Ron̄<mir> reich nach royve maale / gws i’ ty i’ roif cowl<e>
           huggimar gwn̄ ȝoy
tin gir fir in gorp cho⎡w⎤ill ȝar sley<e>w

[19.]    Gir gar ruggi misi ann i’ norra warve <sch>o c<o>will
           Ne gneive royin scho ma haa delimsi orrew <as nei’ la>

                                        Lay ȝa roymir


Restored text:

1.    [Lá dha robhmar] fā dheireadh
       beagan <beag                           >
       <
                                              >    (4)

2.    <         > féin an t-sealg
       chuir é dias <air ga[ch] aoinleirg>;
       <shuidh é> féin & Garadh
       taobh air thaobh a n-aonfharradh.    (8)

3.    Gun d’fhia[f]ruigh Fionn do Gharadh
       air suidh[e] dhó ’na fharr<adh>:
       “Oir is tusa do bhí ann,
       cionnas do mharbh sibh Cumhall?”    (12)

4.    “Do-bhéar-sa dhuit mo bhriathar
       air beith dhuit orm dhā <iarraidh>,
       gur h-í mo lámh léidmheach lom
       [a] chuir an céadgha an gCumh<all>.    (16)

5.    “Fuar an caidreabh dhomhs[a] sin
       a C[h]lanna Morn[a] <            >
       <ur> bhfulang is <                   > dhomh
       dh’éis duibh m’athair a mharbhadh.”    (20)

6.    “Mās fuar an caidreabh leat sin,
       Fhinn mhic Cumhaill a hAlmhain,
       lēig an caradradh bun ’s cionn
       is tōg an fhaladas choitcheann.”    (24)

7.    “<[D]ā dtōg[adh]> mise dhuibh lámh,
       a C[h]lann Morn[a] as mór gráin,
       fā tualaing mise uile
       bhur <gearr[adh]> go dtí aonduine.”    (28)

8.    “<Math ’s do dhleasadh> tusa sin,
       imtheachtain air <sliocht> th’athar;
       budh líonmhoir[e] sinn, ar linn,
       mur[a] bheith innleachdan Chumhaill.    (32)

9.    “Cumhall chuir sinn a n-uaighibh,
       Cumhall thug oirnn mór<thruaighe>,
       Cumhall do dhíochuir amach
       sinn a gcríochaibh na gcoimhtheach.    (36)

10.   “Chuir dream dhinn a nAlbainn fhinn,
        is dream eil[e] an dubhLochlainn;
        an treas dream ’sa Ghréig ghil;
        b’fhada bho chéil[e] ar <gconar>.    (40)

11.   “Bhíomar sia bliadhn[a] déag
        a h-éagmhais Éireann ’s níor bhréag;
        níor bheag an smacht dúinne sin
        gan <ar> dúthaich dh’fhaicinn.    (44)

12.   “An céadlá chuadhmar an tír
        dh’inse Éireann <fheóirmhín>,
        mharbhadh dínn, ’s níor bhréag a rádh
        xvi c[éad] d’aonlá.    (48)

13.   “<Do mhaithibh> Clanna Morn[a],
        dān laochaibh is <          >,
        cha roibh aonduine dhíobh sin
        nach <cumh[a]> céad <          >.    (52)

14.   “<Rinneadh> caisléan dā gcalnaibh,
        Clanna Morn[a] móir<mheanmnaigh>;
        an gcinn féin bu shlinnteach ann
        a bhfiadhnais[e] fear nEireann.    (56)

15.   “Air do láimh-se, a fhlaith na bhFian,
        chan fhacas thoir no thiar
        aoinní thug <pasg[adh]> air mo shúil
        ach faicsin a’ chasg[raidh>.    (60)

16.   “Thug sé tim[a] fám chridhe
        rē faicsin na slinntighe;
        thugamar nighean Taidhg
        a críochaibh Mumhan mórghairg.    (64)

17.   “<          > gaisge an fhir,
        <go b’fhas[a] dúinn> a mharbhadh,
        gan díobh air an tulaigh thall
        <umpa bho d[h]ún Chlann Cumhaill>.    (68)

18.   “Rinneamar rioth nach roibh mall
        gus an tigh an roibh Cumhall;
        thugamar guin dhomhain <gach> fir
        an gcorp Chumhaill dhār sleighibh.”    (72)

19.   “<Gion> go rugadh mise ann
        an uair a mharbh sibh Cumhall,
        na gníomha rinn sibh, ma thá,
        díoghlaim-se oirbh <a n-aon lá>.”    (76)

                       Lá dha robhmar

 

Translation:

1.      <   >One day when we were last                                                                >

2.      <[When Fionn] himself [arranged]> the hunt, he placed two men on each slope; he himself and Garadh sat side by side in the same spot.

3.      After he had sat beside him, Fionn asked Garadh, “Since you are the one who was present, [tell me] how you killed Cumhall.”

4.      “I shall give you my word, since you ask me for it, that it was my own bare bold hand that thrust the first shaft into Cumhall.”

5.      “That was cold friendship towards me, you Families of <bright spirited> Morna; it is <painful> for me to tolerate you after your killing of my father.”

6.      “If you consider that to be cold friendship, Fionn son of Cumhall from Almhain, turn friendship upside down and adopt universal enmity.”

7.      “If I were to raise a hand against you, you Clann Morna of great loathsomeness, I would be capable of <cutting down> all of you to the last man.”

8.      “<You would well deserve> to go in the <way> of your father; we would have been more numerous, we believe, if it had not been for Cumhall’s stratagems.

9.      “It was Cumhall who put us in graves, it was Cumhall who brought great distress upon us, it was Cumhall who banished us abroad into the lands of strangers.

10.    “He drove some of us to fair Scotland, and others of us to dark Lochlann; he sent a third group to shining Greece; our <paths> took us far from one another.

11.    “We were sixteen years in absence from Ireland – it is not lie; it was no small penalty for us not to be able to see our native land.

12.    “On the first day that we landed on the smooth-grassed island of Ireland, sixteen hundred of us were killed in one day – and that is a true statement.

13.    “Of the nobles of Clann Morna, of their heroes and <     >, there was not a single man among them who did not <lament> a hundred <                                                    >.

14.    “ A castle was made of their bodies, the brave-spirited Families of Morna; their own heads served as slates in the presence of the men of Ireland

15.    “By your hand, prince of the Fiana, I have never seen in east or west a single thing that caused me to close my eye [with weeping], except for the sight of that slaughter.

16.    “It daunted my heart to see those slates; we brought Tadhg’s daughter from the lands of fierce and might Munster.

17.    “<          > the heroism of the man, it was easier for us to kill him, without one of them on yonder hill <          from the fort of the Families of Cumhall>.

18.    “We ran in no tardy manner to the house where Cumhall was; each one of us planted a deep wound in Cumhall’s body with our spears.”

19.    “Although I was not yet born when you killed Cumhall, nevertheless I will avenge those deeds of yours upon you <in a single day>.”