The Voyage of Bran

[Britney Shubert]

VIII
Irische Texte iii. p. 87.

[5] 'I m-Bendchur
atá Mongán mac Fíachna:
is le[is] atá Conchobur
ar grafaind scáilte scíathcba.'

'In Bangor
[10] Is Mongán son of Fiachna:
With him is Conchobur
At the contest of shield-splitting.'


Quoted as an example of the metre called ae freslíge becc. Is leis is Stokes' conjecture for isle of the isle of the MS.



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[Britney Shubert]

IX
From Gilla Modutu's poem Senchas Ban, written A.D. 1141, Book of Leinster, p. 140 a, 29.

'Ingen do Chammáin Dub-Lacha,
  lennán Mongáin, maith a ciand,
[20] Colgo, Conall, ba lucht láthair,
  Cáintigern a máthair mall:
ingen maic Demmáin Dub-Lacha
  na n-gellám cen tacha thall.'

Cammán's daughter was Dub-Lacha,
[25]  The beloved of Mongán, their offspring was good,
Colgo, Conall, that were folk of strength,
  Cáintigern was his gentle mother.
Daughter of Demmán's son was Dub-Lacha
  Of the white arms, without fault, of yore.'


[30] Cammán Dub, the daughter of Furudrán mac Bécce, of the royal race of the Ui Turtri, was the wife of Fiachna Dub mac Demmáin (LL: 140 a, 27).

Unless máthair mall may mean 'grandmother,' we must translate as I have done, and refer the a 'his' to Mongán.

[35] As to Dub-Lacha being called 'of the white arms,' cf. her by-name Láimhghel, p. 61, 10 above.



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[Britney Shubert]

. 87

X
From Ms. Laud 613, p. 21.
Mura cecinit.


'Coinne Mongain is Coluim caim
maic Feidlimthe an ardnaoim [5]
a Carraic Eolairg co m-bloidh
canuid eoiaigh a leabruib.
    .     .     .     .     .

De dardain tainic gan mairg
Mongan co Carruic Eolairg
d’ acallaim Coluim Cille [10]
a Tir tredaig Tairngaire.

Ni ḟuair Mongan do tognam
ag techt do d’ ḟechain nime
acht a cenn--mor in soc[h]ar--
fa cochall Coluim Cille.' [15]


Muru (of Fothain 1) cecinit


The meeting of Mongan and beloved Colum
The son of Fedlimid, the noble saint,
At Carraic Eolairg 2 with fame
Wise men sing in books. [20]

On a Thursday without woe
Mongan came to Carrait Eolairg
To converse with Comm Cille,
From the flock-abounding Land of Promise.

Mongan found not any help [25]
When he went to see Heaven,
But his head--great the profit!
Under Cohan Cille's cowl.'





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Footnotes
87:1 Now Fahan, co. Donegal. Muru died about 650.

87:2 On Lough Foyle.



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[Britney Shubert]

p. 88

From MS. Laud 615, p. 18.
Mongan cecinitdo Colum Cille.
Caomh-Colum cáidh ciuin cubaid cobsaid comdalach com ramach cumachtach Cille mirbuilech,


[5] ag nach fail gradh ilṡelba,
cabras da mainib gan dimda
gach dam imda ilarda,
nach fail tarut na 1 fich na ferg,
gnais derg lethan lainnerdha,
[10] corp gel ar n-derbad a rúin,
ocus clú gan imharbus,
rosg glas gan locht is gan lasg
ocus folt cas coinnelda. 2

Foghar gotha Coluim Cille,
[15] lor a binne os gach cleir,
co tend cuig fichet déc ceimenn,
aidble remenn, sedh ba reil.

Mac Eit[h]ni is Fei[d]limid finn
cuigi romcinn Dia do cein
a Tir Tarrngaire na finn,
[20] mar a cantar fír gan bréig.

Tri caoguit inis rea rim
ma docuired on rig réd, 3
in gach innsi dar mo leighend
tri coibheis Eirenn fodein.






[25] Mar domsdíur mac De gu haghmar,
om tir fein tang ane
gu Carraig Eolairg gan mebail,
cu bord Locha Febail fein. p. 89
Loch Febail fial nocho míbladh
ag dílad aidhed 1 o Néill.

Colum Cille cáin gan gó,
briathra an laoich gersat ra ló,
anté nach cabair na fainn [5]
noca carann 2 caom-Choluim.
           Caomh-Cholum caidh.


Beloved, chaste, gentle, just, firm, disputant, combative, powerful, miraculous Colum Cille,


'Who loveth not many possessions, [10]
Who with his gifts without displeasure
Helpeth every numerous multitudinous band.
Over thee there is neither wrath nor anger.
Red broad radiant face,
White body that hath proved mysteries, [15]
And fame without sin,
Grey eye without fault and without . . .,
And curly luminous hair.

The sound of Colum Cilia's voice--
Abundant its sweetness above every train, [20]
To the end of fifteen score paces,
Vastness of courses! it was clear. 3

The son of Ethne and of Fedlimid the Fair,
To him God sent me from afar,
From the Land of Promise of the blessed, [25]
Where truth is sung without falsehood.

Thrice fifty isles are counted,
As they were set by the bright King;
In every isle, by my lore!
There is three times the size of Erin herself. [30]





p. 90


As the Son of God directed me prosperously,
From my own land I have come yesterday
To Carraic Eolairg without disgrace,
To the edge of Lough Foyle itself.
[5] Loch Foyle, hospitable without ill-fame,
Contenting the guests of the Ui Néill.

Colum Cille, fair without falsehood,
Though the words of the warrior were . . .
He that doth not help the weak,
[10] He is no friend of beloved Colum.'


 


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Footnotes
88:1 This na is superfluous; it spoils the metre.

88:2 [30] In the notes on Féline Oengusso, p. ci., these lines are as follows:


"Colam cáincruth cumachtach,
drech derg lethan lainderda,
corp geal, clú cen imarba,
folt cass, suil glas chaindelta.


88:3 Read réil.

89:1 Read áighadh.

89:2 Read cara.

89:3 This quatrain is also found in Three Middle-Irish Homilies, p. 102, in Félire Oengusso, p. ci, and in Goidelica, p. 163. Instead of cóic fichet déc read cóic cét déac. Déac having become a monosyllable, cét was changed into fichet to make up the seven syllables.