Notes to Poem XI
i. MS Text: The text of this poem begins at the top
of MS p. 215, directly after the conclusion of the previous ballad, BDL X.
Because of the misplacing of MS pp. 212-215, the text continues on p. 141, and
proceeds to the top of p. 143. It is clearly legible throughout, and there is
no evidence that another version was available to the compilers of the MS.
ii. General background: Because of its close thematic
relationship to the preceding poem, the background to the present item is
discussed in the corresponding part of the introduction to BDL X.
iii. Later versions: This poem survives in both Irish and
Scottish collections later than BDL. On the Irish side, it occurs as a section
of the medley called “Tuarasgabhail Chatha Gabhra”. The reason for its
association with the Gabhair sequence doubtless lies in its references to the
Battle of Gabhair; in exchange for information about the heavenly city, Oisean
promises to tell Patrick stories relating to the battle (q. 7), and he alludes
to his own prowess on that day (q. 27). It is of some considerable interest
that BDL contains two poems describing the battle.
The nature of the Irish versions is well represented by TOS. The TOS text
preserves BDL qq. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 (vaguely), 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17,
and 19. TOS also maintains the basic order of the BDL quatrains.
In Scottish tradition, surviving quatrains from this poem are found at the
beginning of a conflation known as “Urnaigh Oisein”, the bulk of which is a
version of the ballad known in Irish tradition as “Agallamh Oisín agus Phádraig”,
another animated debate between Oisean and Patrick.
Only a few quatrains of the present poem are found in Scottish sources. These
are usually BDL qq. 1, 2, 3, 12, 13, 15 and 16, the last four of which are in
the reverse order to BDL.
A comparison of the BDL text with the surviving quatrains in Irish and Scottish
tradition suggests that the Irish versions are closer to BDL, although on
occasion (e.g. q. 12) the Scottish versions better preserve the BDL readings.
iv. Metre: With the exception of qq. 2, 12, 32, 33,
the metre of the poem is basically Rionnaird (62 62 62
62). The metres of qq. 2, 12, 32, 33 are discussed in the notes to
these quatrains. The existence of such quatrains could indicate that this poem
has gathered extraneous verses from other poems on similar themes, but it must
be noted that qq. 2 and 12 are integral to the argument and therefore likely to
belong to the original.
v. Line annotation:
3 neamh: The MS form noewa reflects dialectal pronunciation,
with the growth of an unhistorical final syllable; thus 7, 12. Cf. neo’ (K).
5 The syllabification of this
quatrain appears to be 62 51 62 51,
which is the pattern of Cró cummaisg idir
rionnaird agus leathrannaicheacht [móir] (EIM, p. 65, no. 62).
7 [th’ ]athair: All other versions
favour the insertion of some form of the 2 sg. poss. pron. This also improves
the sense of the quatrain. Its omission in BDL may be accidental.
16 far riut: This is evidently a
dialectal variant of mar ri < mar aon ri < immaroen fri, “along with, together with” (RIA Dict. s.v. immaroen). Cf. far rium (20).
17 The line lacks a syllable, and HP
supplies Budh.
27 bhēar-sa: V<e>rsi MS. The second letter of the MS form is unclear, and
could be either e or a. There seems to be no indication of
vowel length, but cf. MS Veyrs (5).
30 dh’<fhiafras>: ȝeawris MS. The verb form would appear
to be the syncopated pres. rel. of fiafraighim;
the metre demands the disyllabic form. fhiafraigheas
tusa a sheanóir (TOS).
32 <anshódh>: The third letter
of the MS form na<n’>hoy<we>
could be either n or y.
33 C[ia] iad: The MS form Keid runs both the interrogative and the
3 pl. pers. pron. together, thereby losing a syllable in the line.
34 The relationship of this line to
the preceding is not immediately clear. HP restores MS oyssil as uasal, and
translates the line as if it were a parenthesis, with is as copula: “(noble are the Fian of Ireland)”. The present
restoration of MS oyssil supposes
that the last two letters have been transposed, and that MS fayne represents the gen. pl. of fian, thus giving “the nobles of the
Fiana of Ireland”. Taking is as the
conj., the two lines would then mean: “Who are the people of heaven and the
nobles of the Fian of Ireland?”, i.e. “How do the people of heaven compare with
the latter?” Cf. this couplet in TOS:
An feárr muintir neimhe
na uaisle na Féinne;
36 [an] díoladh: The MS omits the
interrogative (cf. 35). Note that a condit. is required by sense, but that the
verb form is indistinguishahle from the 3 sg. impf. Cf. do dhíolainn (107); ní
éisdinn (114).
37 ’s: MS is requires to be read as ‘s
for line length.
38 The line is hypermetric with no
obvious solution. As with BDL X (cf. 62 n), such lines are a feature of this
poem, and occur at 49, 68, 71, 72, 73, 77, 83, 88, 92, 97, l0l, 103, 104, 113,
119, 121, 125.
39 The restoration of this line
gives some difficulty. The main problem is how MS ȝlas is to be understood. The present suggestion, which is advanced
very tentatively, proposes that it should be regarded as the 3 sg. pret. of dleas, “merit, deserve” (Dw. s.v.),
although the sense of “to have as one’s duty” might suit the context better.
The use of dleas (< dlestin, Mid. Ir. vb. n. of dligid, “is entitled to; deserves,
merits” (RIA Dict. s.v.)) would appear to be a Sc. G. feature, and the loss of
a syllable in the line (even with the insertion of the 3 pl. poss. pron.) makes
it likely that the original line has been modified. It is evident from 40 that
the point of the couplet is to contrast the extortionate demands of the secular
cliar with the restrained behaviour
of the heavenly cliar (presumably the
clerics and their followers). We might therefore translate the couplet: “It was
not the duty of their companies to make demands for stock (or wealth).”
45 The basic pattern of this
quatrain would seem to be 73 72 73 72,
which is Ae fhreislighe (EIM, p. 62,
no. 54).
46 an dadam ghath <ghréine>:
HP supplies san, thereby giving the
line the meaning “or the mote in the sunbeam”, an emendation which follows T,
but all other versions, both Irish and Scottish, support the BDL reading in
referring to an element of sunshine. Thus: ná
fós an gaith gréine (TOS); Agus
monaran na greine (MacN); Is monaran
na Greine (H, F, Ir.); No monaran
fann na grein (K).
48 ní ria: HP is followed in
restoring MS rey as ria, the 3 sg. fut. of ro-saig (E. Mod. Ir. roichim) which has survived in use in E.
Mod. Ir. verse (RIA Dict. s.v. ro-saig
(c)). Transl. “it will not reach as far as the rim of his shield”.
50 <‘sna>: sin ni MS. Presumably the scribe wrote sin in error, but forgot to cancel -in after he had written ni.
53 liom: The scribe first wrote how, i.e. thú, evidently in anticipation of its use in the following line; it
was then cancelled and lwm written in
superscript.
55 cha chothromach: HP follows TOS ní comhthrom, which gives correct line
length.
56 bheir thú: HP follows TOS do bheir tu.
57 The line lacks a syllable and HP
emends to Dob fhearr. Dob’ fheárr aon chomhrac calma (TOS); B’fheárr leamsa aon chath láidir (Sc. G.
versions).
59 thighearna: This is to be
regarded as a disyllable (as commonly pronounced) to provide correct line
length.
61 The line lacks a syllable, and HP
supplies Is.
69 ní <thoirim>: Ne hurr<im> MS. The verb form is
taken to be 1 sg. pres. indic. conjunct of do-bheirim.
aithis: The MS form aychis does not support HP’s restoration aithris. The main thrust of the quatrain
is: “I do not give you any reproach…but [simply state] that your nobility and
my Lord’s sovereignty cannot be compared.”
70 <ríghfhéinnidh>: The MS
form reayne can scarcely represnt HP’s
restoration ríoghna; cf. XVII, 6
where ríghfhíinnidh is represented by
MS reane. To preserve the correct
line length, the word would need to be regarded as disyllabic in this instance
(cf. thighearna, 59 n, and 72), but
this quatrain seems to be difficult metrically in any case, since 71 and 72 are
hypermetric as they stand.
72 To restore line length, is must replace agus; see also 59 n.
77 To restore line length, the vocative
particle must be omitted.
79 foisdineach: fostynich MS. HP reads foisdneach
to restore line length, but the adj. is normally trisyllabic (see RIA Dict.
s.v. foistinech).
81 Dā <bhfaicthea>: Da wacca MS. See III, 9 n.
83 ní bhíodh: Ne wee MS. See X, 11 n.
<réad>: The MS form reid suggests this restoration, rather
than rud.
88 Even allowing for the possibility
that a form such as Mod. Ir. níl
preceded chan (fh)eil (the Sc. G.
equivalent), the line remains hypermetric.
<ach>: Has MS ag come about by scribal error, or does
it represent a dialectal variant of the restored form?
93 The line lacks a syllable, and HP
inserts Is.
97 To restore line length, the
vocative particle must be omitted.
105 The scribe accidentally repeated
the preceding line, and then cancelled his error.
108 bheir tú: HP restores to do-bheir tú; cf. 56 n.
109 <Díomdhach>: It is
difficult to feel confident that MS Dimmyt supports HP’s restoration Diombuadhach, “unvictorious”, although this satisfies line length.
The present restoration offers díomdhach,
“ungrateful, unsatisfied, displeased” (RIA Dict. s.v. dimdach); this may be taken with mórdháil in its later sense of “pomp, grandeur, pride” (RIA Dict.
s.v. mórdál II), giving: “Ungrateful
is your pride”. Is may be inserted to
satisfy line length.
111 <chomhlámhaich>: HP
restores to chomhlaoich, but this
does not match MS choyt lawyt which
appears to have a disyllable in the second element. The present suggestion is
made very tentatively; lámhach would
normally apply to the handling or hurling of weapons, rather than to the
persons thus employed, who would be known as lucht lámhaigh (RIA Dict. s v. 2 lámach); but note the possibility of lámhaigh, “thrower” (RIA Dict. s.v. 2 lámaid). Here the context would suggest something like “fellow-throwers”.
This restoration would make the line hypermetric, but such lines are common in
the poem; cf. 38 n.
115 <thime> : hemoo MS. The suggested restoration is
based on tim(m)e, “act of curtailing”
(RIA Dict. s.v. 3 tim(m)e), giving
the line the sense: “your life would be cut short”. HP restores to thaoma, and translates: “and thou
shouldst suffer anguish”.
121 It is possible that the
repetition of uiread in this line has
come about by dittography. Was the original something like a sheacht bhfichid uiread?
124 ‘na aonar: Initial h of the MS form henyr can scarcely be other than graphic in this instance, since Osgar is m.
125 With the exception of this line,
which is hypermetric, the rest of the quatrain follows the same metrical
pattern as q. 2 (5 n).
127 bhaosradh: The first r of the MS form wreissrow may be accidental.
129 It is difficult to fit this
quatrain into a recognised metrical pattern. It may be an irregular form of Ae fhreislighe; see 45 n.
135 The MS has lost the preceding
couplet, evidently because the scribe began a fresh page and overlooked a line
in his exemplar.