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Qbmtll Hmvmitg fitag 



leltic Collection 



THE GIFT OF 

3 nines Morgan Hart 



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D ALLAN forgaill: 

NOW FEINTED FOE, THE FIRST TIME FROM THE ORIGINAL IEISH 

IN • 

LebOR NCC hUlDRG, 

MS. IN THE LIBRARY OF THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY; 



A LITERAL TRANSLATION AND NOTES, 

A GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS OF THE TEXT, 

AND COPIOUS INDEXES. 



BY 

J. O'BEIRNE CROWE, A. B. ; 

GOLD MEDALLIST IN ANCIENT CLASSICS AND ANCIENT LITERATURE ; 
GOLD MEDALLIST IN THE CELTIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE ; 

LATE PROFESSOR OP CELTIC, QUEEN'S COLLEGE, GAL WAY ; 

AND EXAMINER IN CELTIC EOR THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY 

IN IRELAND. 



DUBLIN: 
JLASHAN AND GILL, 50, UPPER SACKVILLE-STEEET. 



BY THE EDITOR. 



SCeLQ rid eSeT?56 (Tidings op the Resurrection), from Lebor na 
hUidre, with a Literal Translation. — For the Editor. Dublin, 1865. 

DCUTI LiaC (Duleek), Its Origin and Meaning For the Editor. 

Dublin, 1866. 

The poeCh piGOQ (Guardsman's Cry) of St. Patric, and its 
ancient Preface ; from the Liber Hymnorum, T.C.D., with a Trans- 
lation and Notes. — The Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaolo- 
gieal Association of Ireland, for April, 1869. 

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF THE PAGAN IRISH, Essay on, lb. 

aibet) ecac maic mameoa (The destruction op eooho 

Mac Maireda) ; from Leb. na hUidre, with a Translation and Notes. — 
The Journal of the Royal Historical and Archceological Association of 
Ireland, for January, 1870. 

COIN bO pnaiC (The Spoil op the Cows op Froich) ; from the 

Book of Leinster, H. z. 18. T. CD., with a Translation and Notes 

Proceedings of the S. I. Academy (Irish MSS. Series), 187 1. 

Sldbarc-CarcpaC CON CUIoHNO (The Demoniac Chariot of 
Cu Chulaind) ; from Leb. na hUidre, with a Translation and Notes : 
and an appended Essay on the " Ancient Irish Chariot." — The Journal 
of the Royal Historical and Archteological Association of Ireland, for 
January, 1871. 



THE EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION. 



rpHE occasion of the composition of the Amra, or Elegy 
J- of Columb Cille, is fully stated in the ancient preface ; 
it is therefore unnecessary to repeat what is there already 
given. In order, however, that the reader may be able 
to carry with him from the outset a fair idea of both 
Author and Poem, I shall here quote a few passages from 
Colgan's Life of St. Dalian (Acta Sanctorum, p. 203, et 
seqq.). 

u In the times of Aed, 1 son of Ainmere, monarch of 
Ireland, about the year of Christ 580, 2 there flourished in 
the same kingdom a man of illustrious ancestry, by name 
Eochaid, and by cognomen Dalian, who splendidly adorned 
nobility of race by great comeliness of virtues. He 
was born in a district of Connacht bordering on Ulster r 



The following notes are Colgan's own : 2 About the Tear of Christ, 580. King 

anything I add will be enclosed in Aed, according to the common catalogue 

brackets, and marked "Ed." Colgan in- of tie kings of Ireland, and the Annals of 

troduces his notes with the remark, " Be- Donnegall [Four Masters], began to reign 

cause the acts of this saint have not come in the year 571, or, according to others, 

to my hands, these things which have 576, and he reigned 27 years. With his 

presented themselves about him as worthy time then, and so in the year 580, St. 

of remark, I have taken chiefly from the Dalian flourished, especially since he lived 

history of the Acts of the Synod of Druimm after the death of St. Columb, who died, 

Ceta, and from the Life of St. Columb." according to Ussher, in the year 597, or 

1 In the times of Aed, Monarch of Ire- at least after the year 590. [The year 

land. So is expressly held in the Preface 597 is the true date. See Dr. Reeves's 

to the Acts of the aforesaid synod of Introduction to his Adamnan's St. Co- 

Druimm Ceta, and in the Life of St. lumba, p. lxxviii], — Ed. 
Columb, cap. 218. 



IV INTBODTJCTION. 

which the ancients called Masrige, and Cathrige Sleacht? 
but which the moderns name Teallach Eaihach. 

His mother's name was Forchella, 4 from whom himself, 
too, it is thought, is called Dalian Forgaill, 5 or Forcellius ; 
and his father was Colla, 6 son of Ere, of the race of Colla 
surnamed Uais, 7 King of Ireland ; his cousin-german was 
Maidoc of Ferns, 8 the very renowned archbishop of 
Leinster, grandson of the same Ere from his son Sedna, 
or Sedonius. 9 

Colgan, after speaking of the great learning of Eochaid, 
and explaining the word Dalian (the blind), an epithet 
which he received from his having, through the severity 
of his studies, lost the use of his eyes, thus proceeds : — 

" He wrote in the native speech and in ancient style 
several little works, which cannot in later ages be easily 
penetrated by many otherwise well-versed in the old native 
idiom and antiquity; and hence they are illustrated by our 
more learned antiquaries with scattered commentaries, 
and as rare monuments of our ancient language and anti- 
quity, it is customary to lecture on them, and expound 
them in the schools of antiquaries of our nation. 

" Among these is one panegyric or poem, now and 



nge, fyc. Thus it is held in the Genealogical Menologium says that this 

aforesaid Preface. Ere was, from his son Feredach, grandson 

^ His mother's name" was Forchella. Thus of King Colla. But the Life of St. 

is it held in the same place, and is it Maedoc, aDd others, say that the same 

gathered from Blessed Marianus Gor- Ero was the grandfather of both St. 

manus, and from the author of the Dalian and St. Maedoc; but the grand- 

Martyrology of Tamlacht, who calls him father of St. Maedoc was not the grand- 

the son of Forgatt. But his father was son of King Colla, but many degrees 

not called Forgall or Forchella, hut Colla, removed from him. . . . And this 

. . whence that was his mother's opinion pleases me the more, because it is 

name. more likely that those who lived at the 

6 From whom himself, it is thought, is same time were the same distance of 

called Forgaill, or Forchellius. So the same degrees from the common trunk, than that 

Preface testifies. one of them should he many more. 

6 But his father was Colla, son of Ere. 9 [Here Colgan refers to his Life of 

So the flame Preface, and the Life of St. Maedoc, whoso day is the 31st January], 

Columb, cap. 2, 18, and the Genealogical — Ed. 

Menologium, cap. 12. 9 Grandson of the same Fro from his son 

i Son of Ere, of the race of Colla Uais. Sedna. So the Irish Life of St. Maedoc, 

Thus it is held in the same place, but the chapter 72, &c. 



INTRODUCTION. V 

always held in great esteem, on the praises of St. Columb, 
and entitled Amra Choluim Chitte,™ that is, " The Praises of 
Columb of the Churches. ,r The occasion of the composition 
of this little work is recorded to be as follows : After St. 
Columb had come from Britain to Ireland to settle certain 
disputes which had arisen between the monarch of Ireland, 
Aed, his relative, and the chiefs of Dal Riata and Leinster, 
and other subjects ; and after he had attended before the 
same king, and the nobles of the kingdom, in a certain 
synod of Druimm Ceta, assembled for this purpose in the 
region of Cianachta, 11 while the assembly was being broken 
up, and all things were succeeding according to the wishes 
of St. Columba, with the hope of general peace and concord, 
St. Dalian comes to St. Columb, and offers him a certain 
poem, which he had composed in his praise. But while that 
poem was being partly read, and the holy man was strongly 
feeling certain sudden emotions of vain complacency, 
he was admonished by St. Baithene, his disciple, then 
standing near, that a great troop of evil demons appeared 
scoffing above his head, and when the holy man with 
astonishment saw the troop, he was struck with com- 
punction of heart, and immediately he forbids the praises 
written by St. Dalian to be further produced or published : 
adding that no one [should be praised] in life, which he 
micht badly end ; that he alone who had run well in the 
stadium, and had ended his race successfully, should be 
praised after his death. And when Dalian could by no 

10 Amra Choluim Chille, that is, the n In the region of Cianachta. Druimm 

Praises of Columb of the Churches. I have Ceta is a place in the Diocese and County 

in my possession one copy of this work, of Derry, at the River Roe, to-day and 

beautifully written, but, putting aside a always venerable especially on account 

few scattered commentaries which it con- of the many pilgrimages, and the public 

tains, it is penetrable to a few only to-day, Theophory which, on the festival of All 

and these most learned. [I shall try to Saints, in memory of the aforesaid synod 

make the present translation rank me as there celebrated, is there annually made, 

one of the successors, though longo inter- with an immense concourse from all the 

mllo, of Colgan's " perititsimi."]— Ed. neighbouring districts. 



vi INTEODUCTION. 

contrivance obtain the publication of the praises he had 
written, he insisted that he might be allowed to follow out 
his [St. Columb's] life, in case that it should be happily 
ended, with praises after his death : and this he accordingly 
obtained. 

" The Saint accordingly, having returned to Britain, 
died after some years, and immediately as soon as he died, 
St. Dalian received by angelic ministry the announcement 
of his death, and composed that very learned little work 
which we have mentioned : and when he had finished this, 
he was regifted with the 13 immediately-lost light of his eyes, 
and further received a promise that the person, who would 
recite these praises from memory and from mind, would 
close his life with a happy end." Of the other works of 
Dalian, Colgan says : — 

" He composed, also, another poem 13 for the death and 
funeral praise of Senan, Bishop of Inis Cathaig (Scattery 
Island), which, on account of antiqueness of style and 
antique gracefulness, is among those fond of antiquity 
always in great esteem : and on account of the grace of 
preservation from blindness and other special indulgences, 
which are believed to be granted by God to him who 
recites it from memory, it is among devout persons, held 
in great veneration. 

He composed also a third little work in praise of St. 
Conall, 14 surnamed Coel, Abbat of Inis Coel, 15 in Tir 
Connail (now Iniskeel in Donegall). Of him also he 



*2 [The meaning is that Dalian, to whom Amva in H. 2. 16 : T. C. D. : and another 

Columba allowed the use of hia eyes while in H. 3. 17: T. C. D., and fragments in 

making the poem, lost that use imrae- various manuscripts]. — Ed. 
diately on finishing it, hut was imme- 1 ' In praise of Si. Conall. This is re- 

diately regifted with it]. — Ed. corded in the aforesaid Preface, hut 

" Also another poem. I have in my pos- whether it is still extant or not is un- 

session this little work, which can hardly known to me. 

he taken in to-day without illustrations of '•* Conall, Abbatt of Inis Coel. This 

antiquaries. [There is a copy of this church is in an island, surrounded by the 



INTKODTJCTION. VU 

begged strenuously that, by the intervention of his prayers 
and merits, he might deserve to enjoy the honour of a 
tomb the same with himself (that is, to be buried with him), 
and this, granted by the Divine goodness, he obtained." 

The above extracts, regarding Dalian and his poetry, 
will be quite sufficient. I shall now proceed to give my 
reader the plan of publication I intend to adopt. 

The work will be finished in two Parts. Part I. (the 
present) contains the Ancient Preface ; the Exordium, or 
Prelude to the Amra and the Amra proper with their 
ancient commentaries, and a literal translation of the whole. 
Part II. will contain topographical, biographical, and his- 
torical notes ; a critical and grammatical analysis of every 
word in the text, and copious Indexes. And as the 
Lebor Brec's 16 Preface to the Amra supplies several im- 
portant records omitted in that of Lebor na hUidre, this 
preface also will be given, together with the marginal notes 
and secondary glosses of the present copy, and with literal 
translations. The poetic characteristics of our poem will 
be examined in an Appendix, which will also say a word 
or two on Irish poetry in general. The text, to distinguish 
it from the commentaries, is given in large letters, and 
exactly as it stands in the original, and on the whole I 
have strong hopes that my Amra, when completed, will 
receive the approbation of my spiritual friends, St. Columb 
and St. Dalian above, as well as that of my literary friends 
here below. 

Dublin, August, 1871. J. O'B. C. 

ocean, in the district of Tirconnaill, which ^ A defect of one page in Lebor na 
is called Bugellaigh, and in the diocese of hUidre is supplied from the Lebor Brec, 
Kaphoe, and in this church St. Conall is which, though only a fragment, fortunate- 
venerated on the ] 2th May. [St. Dalian's ly preserves the last leaf of the Amra, and 
day is the 29th January].— Ed. the greater portion of the preface.]— Ed. 



reempocuL 



LOC Do'nD pem[p]ocul-pa cecup Dpuimm Ceca, ap ip 
ann OoponaD in mop-odil Dpomma Ceca : in alio loco 
immopo, Doponao copp ino immuin o pein immach, uu pope 
appapec. In ampfp Qebae meic Gnmepech Dopi^neo : 
peppo — Dalian pop^aill Do mappaigib TTlaijje Slecc : 
cucaic — an poccain pfchio Do pein, ~| alfip pep pe. Upf 
cucaice uepo ap a came Colum Cille a hGlbain in 
hG'pino in can pin .1. Do puaplucuo Scannldin lDoip, meic 
Cino pdelao, pi'5 Oppaipe, ppnp in oeocaio lp pdcaigep, 
-] Do apcuD inna pileo in hGpino (ap pobap mD innapba 
ap a cpomoacc, ap nobiD -yyy. 1 cleip cac olloman, ~\ 
apcu. 1 cleip cac anpaio) : 1 Do piouguD ecep pipu 
liG'penn, ~\ Ctlban im Dal Riaca. -| ip eD acbepac no con 
acca Colum Cille G'pinn in can pin, an nobiD bpeic Dap 
a puilib : -| ip eo pocepa pein, ap pogell pemi pein ic 
Dul capip na pegbaD GpinD o pein immac, Dicenp : 



Pil puiln glaip, 
Pegbap Gpinn Dap a haip : 
No con dcebd fapmochd 
Pipu G'penD ndc a mmna. 

CocuDcaiD lapam Colum Cille ip inn aipecc ocup 
coneppacc pocaiDe perni Do pdelci ppip. ITlaD lap 
pencap ele, immopo, ni eppacc nee pemi ace Dommnall 
mac in pi'5, ap acpubdipc in pi co nd heippeD nee pemi : 
ap popicip ani imm o cdn:c, 1 nf p'ba maic leip a 
ciccain, ap ni n'bo ail leip apcuo na pileo, no cuaplucuD 



FORESPEECH 



THE place for this forespeech, firstly, is Druimm Ceta, 
for it is in it was made the great meeting of Druimm 
Ceta : in a different place, however, was made the body of 
the hymn from that forth, as appears after. In the time of 
Aed, son of Anmere, it was made : author — Dalian Forgaill 
of the Masraige of Mag Slecht : cause — for reaching of 
heaven for himself and for others through it. Now there 
are three causes for which Colum Cille came from Alba 
to Eriu that time — namely, for the releasing of Scanlann 
M6r, son of Cend Faelad, king of the Osrarians, with whom 
he went in pledgeship : and for the staying of the 
poets in Eriu (for they were in banishment on account of 
their burdensomeness, for there used to be thirty in tiie 
company of each Ollom, and fifteen in the company of each 
Anrad) : and for pacification between the men of Eriu and 
of Alba about Dal Riata. And it is it they say, that Colum 
Cille by no means saw Eriu that time, for there used to 
be a bandage over his eyes ; and it is it that caused that, 
because he promised before that at going past it, that he 
would not view Eriu from that forth, saying : — 

There is a grey eye 
That will view Eriu backwards : 
By no means will it see afterwards 
The men of Eriu or its women. 

Colum Cille then came to the assembly, and several 
rose up before him for welcome to him. If it is according 
to another tradition, however, there rose not up one before 
him but Domnall, the king's son, for the king said that 
there should not rise up one before him ; for he knew that 
about which he had come, and his coming was not thought 

B 



10 Rempocul. 

Scannlafn. Comt) anD pein pobennac Colum Cille mm 
Oomnall, a]i pobo aipmeca conmci pem. ^° l 1 ' 3 " °^ c 
lap in rfjain a bennachaO, ap pobo lep-mac Di e : 50 
popepsaig in clepec ppia, con epbaipc-pi ppip m clepec : 
" TComop m coppaijjecc pop a cdi." " lp cec Duicpiu," 
ap in clepec, " bic pop coppaigecc pop a cdi : lp cec 
Duicpiu," ap in clepec, " bfe pop coppaigecc." Conio anD 
pem popoao-pi 1 cuipp, co pagaib a hinailc pop acipiuguo 
in clepij, co popaio piDe hi cuipp ele : co pilec na Da 
cuipp pin o pem llle in Opuim Checa, uc aln Oicunc. 



Udncacap fap pem na piliD lp inn aipecc -j Duan molca 
leo Do 1 aiDbpi ainm in chiuil pin ; ocup ba ceol oepp- 
caigcec he, uc Colmdn mac Lenene Dipcic: 

Luin oc heolaib, uingi o[c] Dipnaib, 
Cpoca barm decec oc cpochaib pi'5na, 
R15 1c Oomnall, Dopo ic aiobpi, 
Cfoano oc cainnill, cole oc mo choilc-pe. 

1 in 6en[p]ecc Do^nfcfp in ceol pin. Cocdmc mfaD men- 
man Do'n clepeoch, co p'bo Ian inc dep huap a chinD 6 
oemnaib, co popailpigeD do bdicm pein, -| co pochaipig 
piDe in clepec, 1 co cue in clepec fap pein a cheno po 
choim, -| con Depna acpige, -| co cuapjaib lap pein a chenD 
ap a choim, -\ co poemiD ceo mop Di a chinD, 1 co popcdilic 
ap na Demna piap in ceo pin. Oa cec Dec Dan li'n na 
pileD, uc Di;cic quiDam : — 



Pecc Do TTlael Choba na clfap 
1c hlbnp chinD Updcca cfap, 
Da cec Dec pileD poppuaip 
l?ep inn lbap anfap-chuaio. 
Coinnmeo ceopam blfaDanm binD 
Oopac Doib TTlael Coba m cing : 
THepaiD co Id bpdcha bain 
Oo cheneol oelboa Demdm. 



FORESPEECH. 11 

well of by him, for the staying of the poets, or the 
releasing of Scannlan was not pleasing to him. So that 
it is then Columb Cille blessed this Domnall, because 
he was reverent to that extent. So that his blessing was 
thought ill of by the queen, for he was a stepson to her : so 
that the cleric grew angry towards her, so that she said to 
the cleric : " Very great is the craneing on which thou art." 
" Thou hast leave," says the cleric, " to be on a craneing 
on which thou art : thou hast leave," says the cleric, " to 
be on a craneing." So that it is then she was turned 
into a crane, so that her handmaid took to reproaching 
the cleric, so that she turned into another crane : so that 
those two cranes are from that hither in Druim Ceta, as 
some say. 

The poets after that came into the assembly, and a 
poem of praising with them for him, and aidbsi (chorus) 
is the name of that music ; and a surpassing music was it, 
as Colman Mac Lenene said : — 

Blackbirds beside swans, ounces beside masses, 
Forms of peasant women beside forms of queens, 
Kings beside Domnall, a murmur beside a chorus, 
A taper beside a candle [is] a sword beside my sword. 

And together they used to make that music. Dignity of 
mind came for the cleric, so that the sky above his head 
was full from demons, so that this was manifested to 
Baithene ; and that he rebuked the cleric, and that the 
cleric after that brought his head under cover, and that 
he did penance, and that he raised after that his head 
from its cover, and that a great fog sprang from his 
head, and that the demons scattered from it before that 
fog. And twelve hundred was the number of the poets- 
as a certain one said : — 

As Mael Choba of the companies was once 
At Ibar Chind Trachta in the west : 
Twelve hundred poets — he them found 
By the Yew in the north-west, 
Refection of three melodious years 
Mael Coba the chief gave to them : 
It shall live to the day of pale judgment 
For the well-formed race of Deman. 



12 Rempocul. 

Co popopc Colum Cille iap pein na pileou -| con epbaipc 
ppi hQeo : 

Copmac cam buic neoic, 

Nua molca, cpina peoic: 

Ip eD polegup poc-cpaeo — 

Ceinmaip molciap, maipg depciap, Q'et)! 

Cam in pug ap a paep-[p]ai5cib pugchiap ; 

TTlaip5 m fac ecnaipc aipcfap! 

Qpao cloc : cam in peim piaoaic bf : 

Oopuapcec maim molcaiDi. 



OoponaO coinOmeD na pileD lap pein po G'pmD -| 
pooigbaic lap pern a clfapa .1. ppui. 1 cleip mo Olloman 
-] pen. 1 cleip inodnpaio. 

Ip mp pin bdi Colum Cille 1 cuinciD Scant>ldin pop 
Qeo, 1 ni capoao 06; con epbaipc pium Dan ppi Q'eo, ip 
e nongebao a appa imme imm lapmepji ce be bale nober, 
1 pocomallaO amlaiO. Colmdn mace Com^eUdm, immopo, 
ip e puc mm bpeic erep pipu G'peno 1 Qlban, -| 00 Odl 
T?faca do piDe ; -\ ip pfp oopijni Colum Cille mm bdiDe 
in can popo lenam bee in Colmdn, uc oi;oc : 



Q chubup con : a anim glan ; 
Qpo poic ouic : Dale poic Dam. 

1 apbepc Culum Cille ip e Dogenao pfcuguD eeep 
pipu G'peno -| Qlban : -| ip 1 bpec puc, " a pecc 
-] a plogeo la pipu G'peno Dogpep," aj\ ip [pjlogeo la 
ponnaib Dojpep : "a cam -| a cobac la pipu Qlban ;" no, 
"am muip-coblac nammd la pipu Qlban: 6 pein immac, 
immopo, la pipu hGpenn." 

Cdnic lapam Dalian, apo-ollom hG'penn in ran pin 
Do acallaim Cholu[i]m Chilli, como ano pogab in pem- 
pocul 06 : -) ni peleic Colum Cille Do a Denam pec a- 
pein, con Depnao in ampip a eipcecca, ap apbepc ppi 



FORESPEECH. 13 

So that Columb Cille after that stayed the poets, and that 
he said to Aed : — 

Cormac well broke battle, 

New [his] praisings, withered [his] jewels : 

It is it I have read wheel-poetry — 

A blessing that one is praised, woe that one is satirized, 

Aed ! 
Fair the juice which from its free lawns is sucked : 
Woe the absent land that is satirized ! 
Renowned ladder : fair the course they living drive ; 
The treasures of praisers remain. 

The refection of the poets was after that made over Eriu, 
and their companies were diminished after that — namely 
[only] twenty-four in the company of the Ollom, and 
twelve in the company of the Anrad. 

It is after that Columb Cille was making the demand 
of Scandlan upon Aed, and he was not given to him ; so 
that he said accordingly to Aed, that it is he [Scandlan] who 
would get his shoes about him [Columb] about midnight, 
whatever place he should be, and it was so fulfilled. Now, 
Colman, son of Comgellan, it is he who gave the judgment 
between the men of Eriu and of Alba, and he was of Dal 
Riata ; and it is with him Columb Cille made the embrace 
the time the Colman was a little infant, as he said : — 

tree of hounds : pure soul ! 

This is a kiss to thee ; deal thou a kiss to me. 

And Columb Cille said, it is he who would make pacification 
between the men of Eriu and of Alba : and it is the judg- 
ment he gave, " Their expedition and their hosting with 
the men of Eriu always," for there is hosting with territo- 
ries always : " their tribute and their exaction with the 
men of Alba ;" or, " their sea-gathering only with the men 
of Alba, but from that forth with the men of Eriu." 

Then Dalian, chief Ollom of Eriu that time, came to 
converse with Columb Cille, so that it is then he recited 
the forespeech for him : and Columb Cille did not allow 
him the making of it beyond that, that he should make it 



14 Rempocul. 

mapb bap chubaiD : "| if Do cenDnaib pocpfall Oalldn 

a Duain do Denam. Oopaipnjepc cpd Colum Cille Do 

Dalian mmappa "] copce in caiman an in molao-pa, 

-] nf nagaib, ace nem Do pein -\ Do cec oen non- 

^ebaD cac Dia, -\ DopucebaD ecep cheill 1 pogup, 
uc quiDam Di;cic : — 



Gmpa Coluim — cac Dia 

Cep 6 noogeba co pollan, 
Ropfa in pinD-[p]laic pi a, 

Rofp Oia Do Oalldn. 

Cpi comapca, immopo, Dopac Colum Cille Do in can 
Dogenao .1. mapcac eic alaiD noinnippeD Do ecpecc 
Coluim Chilli, 1 in cecna poccul nopdiDpeD in mapcac 
commao he copac in molca, . -\ a puile do lecuo Do cem 
nobec ic a Denam. lc Qc pene Dan im TTliDe ooponao 
in molaD-pa, uc TTlael Suchain Di;ric : aDpec, immopo, 
pepDomnach, comapba Colu[i]m Chilli, lp mp Slije 
Qppail pocanao, 6 cd Dun nan QipbeD cop m cpoip ic 
U15 Lomma[i]n. Qnamain ecep Da mn mpo .1. mn 1 
coppuc in molcai -\ nin-in a DepiuD .1. " Ni Dip [p]ceoil" 
1 " Nimuain." No ip ^obnl 01 .1. pecne De-chubaiD .1. 
Da pon no a cpf do cinnpeecul o aen piD beop .1. DiaiD 
inDiaiD, ~\ pon o piD ip ecpamail m a Diao piDe. 



Dia, Dia, -)c. lp aipi emnap m cec pocal ap abela, 
no ap lainm in molca, uc epc, Deup, Deup meup, -)c. 
lp e, immopo, a ainm pein lap in ^oeoel " aceppuc 
in gucn jndr," ap bici epi quale copmaile labapcha ic 
pileDaib na ^oeDeiljje .1. aaceppuc in gucn jldc, -) 
ainpi-moD, -] aofabul, -| ip 1 po aicne cecai Dfb. lp e 
inc aiceppuc quiDem emnao oen-pocuil in oen-iniuD ip inD 
purin 1 cen lenamain De 6 pein immac. lp e, immopo, 
ainpe-moD ainnipem muD inunD .1. inc oen-pocul Do pdo 



FORESPEECH. 15 

in the time of his death ; for he said, to one dead it was 
fitting : and it is of headlets [capitula] Dalian proceeded 
to make his poem. Now Columb Cille promised to Dalian 
the gifts and products of the earth for this praising, and 
he did not take them, but heaven for himself and for every 
one who would recite it each day, and would understand it 
between sense and sOund, as a certain one said: 

Columb's Amra — every day 
Whoever will recite it completely, 

Will reach the good bright kingdom 
Which God granted to Dalian. 

Now three signs Columb Cille gave him the time he 
should make it — namely, a rider of a speckled steed would 
announce to him the death of Columb Cille, and the first 
word the rider would utter, that it was to be the beginning 
of the praising, and that his eyes would be allowed to him, 
while he should be at the making of it. At Feni's Ford 
again in Mide [Meath] this praising was made, as Mael 
Suthain said : Ferdomnach, however, successor of Columb 
Cille, declares it is behind Assal's Way it was chanted, from 
where the Fort of the Balustrades is to the Cross at Lom- 
man's House. Anamain between two Ashes this ; that is, 
Ash in the beginning of the praising, and Ash in its 
ending ; namely, Ni dis [s]ceoil and Nimuain. Or it is fork 
of two, that is, bi-rhyming narration ; that is, to begin 
two sounds or three from one tree still ; that is, one after 
another; and a sound from a tree which is different after that. 

" God, God,"&c. It is why he doubles the first word — 
on account of the rapidity and avidity of the praising, as 
is, Deus, Deus mens, &c. But the name of that with the 
Goedel is '' return to a usual sound ;" for there be three 
similar standards of expression with the poets of the Goedel; 
that is, re-return to a usual sound, and renarration mode, 
and reduplication, and this is the mark of each' of them. 
The "return," indeed, is a doubling of one word in one 
place in the round, without adhering to it from that forth. 
The "renarration mode," again, is renarrating from a like 
mode ; that is, the one word — to say it frequently in the 



1 6 rcempocul. 

commenic ip mo puno con ecapcaioecc pocul ele 
ecappu, uc epc hoc .1. 

Ric in picbe piclap maj, 

Ric in Dam cpf coecaic jjlono : 

Pic in jilla gupmap, gano, 
popacaib Cu Ofnipc oonn. 

Ip 6, lmmopo, aofabul .1. apilliuD .1. 00-emnaD, uc 
epc hoc, .1. 

Qgup, agup, lap cein cein, 

61c 1 pein pein, nf pic pic : 
Qmal cdc cdc, co bpdc bpac, 

In cec cpdc cpdc, ciD pcic pcic. 

Oa epnail ofb po ip mo pempocul-po — aceppuc in 
jjucn ^ndc, ocup ainnpi-moo : ainpe-moo, immopo, nammd 
pogabap 1 cupp ino immuw. 

Dia, oia— 00RR05US Ria cias inn a 

^NU'IS .1. acagup Dia, no guoim Oia, pfapiu chfap in 
a gnuip, no in can, no ino wobaiD cfap. 

CUCU URl'Q NG1U. — popcceo, no popmolao pil 
hfc : "] con na bicfp jnee popcceoa, poip in Oicneo i< 
Docneo 1 cennacpop, uc quioam Oicunc. 610 Dan neic .1. 
gum, uc Dicicup : — 

Rob e Do lecc 1 papce 

lap Do neic peol pipaicce : 

Ruccap 1 capp inoiaiD pill 

Do [pjpacc, a pcdil, Di d coem-chill. 

.i. Qmal ceic cappac pepoa cpe car, co pop amlaio 
Dec m' anim-pea cpfa cacn [o]emna oocum mine. 

CUCU .1. popcceo puno inconDiliD, ap ip "cul" in pocul 
gndcac, ace pocuill in pill .u. punD Do Ifnao na 
piliDecca ; no, Do ouaicnijuO na pocul cpfa ofgbail ocup 
epia copmach ocup cpfa incumpjuguD Do Denam incib. 
-] aede cpf gnee paip .i. ofeneo -| Docneo ocup cennacpop. 



FOKESPEECH. 17 

round, with an intervention of other words between them, 
as is this : 

Came the foam [which] the plain niters, 
Came the ox through fifty warriors ; 

[So] came the keen, active lad, 
[Whom] brown Cu Dinisc left. 

But " reduplication" is, namely, " refolding ;" that is, " bi- 
geminating," as is this : 

I ask, I ask, after long, long, 

To be in pain, pain, not peace, peace : 

Like each, each, till judgment, judgment, 
In each time, time, though fatigue, fatigue. 

Two divisions of these in this forespeech : " return to a 
usual sound," and " renarration-mode ;" but '' renarration- 
mode" only in the body of the hymn. 

God, God — I have asked him ere I come to his face. 
.1. 1 implore of God, or I ask of God ere I come to his face, 
or the time, or the period I come. 

Foe chariots through battle. — " Obscuration," or 
" superabundance,'' here ; and that appearances of "obscura- 
tion " might not exist, the " be-heading," and " bi-heading," 
and '' head-changing " have been established, as some per- 
sons say. " Neit" also means, that is, wound, as is said : 

May thy monument at dawn-breeze be 
After thy death-wound a sail ever to be driven ; 
Borne may [she] be in a chariot after a horse 
Thy wife, hero, to her beautiful church. 

That is : as a serrated chariot goes through battle, may it be 
so my soul shall go through the battle of demons to heaven. 

"Obscuration" here in a special way, for cut is the 
usual word ; but the poet added .u. here for filling of the 
poetry ; or for making the words hard to be known through 
diminution and through increase and through immutation .. 
being made in them. And there are three forms on it, [on 
"obscuration,"] that is, "be-heading," and "bi-heading," and 
"head-changing." The "be-heading" is — to cut its own head 

c 



18 rcempocul. 

lp 6 in Dicneo a chenD do gaic oo'nt) [p]ocul ~| cen ni 
ele in a inaD, uc Dipcic poena : — 

Dal poodlup — mop in baep — 
lp inD apup huap Opuimm : 
d mmo ChomDiu, a pi pu pa, 
bui biu ba bep ni ciap. 

" T?u pa" — ipe in Depmepecc ant) pein : ap lp "pun pan" 
poolecc. lp e, uepo, m DocneD Da ceno paip .1. a cenn 
pem "] cenD ele ; -| commao 6 a Dflep in liccip De- 
Denac int> [pjocuil do emnao, amal Dognecea "benn" 
Do'nDi ap " ben," uc Dicicup : — 

Lainn pip neic paob copcpa ; 
Ueic D615 De Demm ni cepcoa ; 
poppuim cenD Do cpunD occja ; 
^nac cenn 1 cpub Chon eccja. 

CommaD hi pec nobec in Depmepecc hfc .1. a chenD pein 
pop inD [p]ip uc "j cenn neic ele in a laim ; ace cena lp 
in eplabpa pegcaip inna haipci -| ni hi pec. CommaD he 
in Depmeipecc hie "ni cepcDa," ap pocuilleD "Da" popp 
in pocul cepc : ace cena incpeccap pein, ap ni " DeicneD" 
mpn Dflpi copmac pillaibi, ace ip " popmolaD pileD ;" "| 
ip e po a Deipmepecc piDe : — 

Ceim local b Do Ifnn 6l 
Co glocaib clu naD $ano on : 
^ecc pec eocu 1 cinD epice — 
TTIaic bechu 1m bice annon. 

CaDe Din in DecneD ip inD punD acpubpummap. " Lainn 
pip -|c. Nin. " Uenn" Do Denam Do'nD ni ap"cen" .1. cene, 
ap Daig 50 po[p]pecpaD Do "chenn" : ocup DecneD mpn 
Dilpi pein. lp amlaiD po, immopo, Depmepeccaijcip na 
hepnaili-pea in alup libpip .1. DicneD amal acd " oochupm" 
.1. cellao a chenD De .1. 'n " et," ap ip '' Docuip[i]nec" pobui 
oe ppiup. lp e, immopo, in DeicneD, uc epc "maelan" .1. 
" an" in cenD ele : ip e in cenDnacpop, uc epc " penchap," 
ap ip "penchap" pobui De ppiup. lp e po mcpechaD nan 
Oepmepecc-pea .1. ni DicneD lapn bflpi Dijbdil pillaibi -] ni 
Dicneo lapno inD an[p]aDe cipeo apile. Qpaill anD Dan, ip 



FOKESPEECH. 19 

off the word and without anything else in its place, as some 
one said : 

A meeting I appointed — great the folly — 

In the stand above Druimm : 
my Lord, O king of noble mysteries! 

. &c. 

" Ru ra" — it is the example there ; for it is " run ran" that 
was lawful. But the " bi-heading" is — two heads on it, that 
is, its own head and another head ; and that its propriety 
may be the doubling of the last letter of the word, as if 
benn were made of what is ben, as is said : 

The desire of a man of battle [is] purple spoil ; 
God's fire comes gloomy, not rare ; 
A strong stroke [is] from a shaft of eight hands ; 
Usual a head in the fist of Cu of deadliness. 

So that it be in matter the example may be here, that is, 
his own head on that man, and the head of another one in 
his hand ; but yet it is in speech these proprieties are 
viewed, and not in matter. So that it be the example here, 
" ni tercda," for " da" was added to the proper word ; but 
yet that is criticized, for the increase of a syllable is not 
" bi-heading" according to propriety, but it is a " super- 
abundance of poets ;" and this is the example of that : 

Advance from lakes for a net of twists, 
With celebrities — a fame not narrow thi»: 

Coming past horses in the end of a territory — 
Good the life in which there is plentiness. 

What, then, is the " bi-heading" in the round we have 
spoken. " Lainn fir, &c." Not difficult. To make tenn of 
that which is ten, that is, fire, with a view that it may 
answer to cenn, and that is "bi-heading" according to 
propriety. The following, however, is the way these 
divisions are exemplified in other books, that is, "be- 
heading" as is dochusin, that is, cutting its head off it ; 
that is, the " et," for it is docuis[i]net it was formerly. 
But the " bi-heading" is as is maelan, that is, an is the 
other head : the " headlet-changing" is as is senchas, for it 
is fenchas it was formerly. The following is the criticism 
of these examples, that is, diminution of a syllable is not 



20 rcempocul. 

fac na pocail gndca inDiu " Docupin," -| " maeldn," ~\ 
" penchap." lapn appacaib Dm aca Deipmepecca punc : 
ap popcap lac na pocail gndcca acu piDe " Docuipinec" -\ 
" mael" -\ "pencap.'' lp 6, immopo, in cennacpop inDiu 
"penchap" Do Denam Do'no [p]ocul ap "penchap :" ap lp 
6 in gndcac moiu ''penchap," uc Dicicup : — 



pejpaic piliD pdil lpop 
pencap co peij la pepgop : 
TTIao lap mal cac maije immac, 
Ooppoipce Dome Oubcac. 

"penacap :" lp e in Depmepecc ann pein .p. ap .p. ant>. 
lp cumma Dognfcep i copuc ~\ m DepiuD pocuil in DicneD 
1 in cennacpop : in DepiuD, immopo, pocuil namma ap 
gndc DocneD t>o Denam. Ni aiccem Dan ic pileoaib na 
^aeDeilge ainm pain pop Dfgbail liccpi i pillabi 
amal acchiam pop copmac liccpi -\ pillabi .i. "Docneo" 
copmac liccpi -] " popmolaD" copmac pillabi. 

oia Nime Nimrceilse il lur?5 in eig- 
criiar? arc muich di a meiu .1. ap peiao 

pipinm acbep " Oia mme," no Di d pip con nac Dia ap 
foal. " Nimpeilge il lupj nan Demna oc an oencap ejem 
ap mec am muice." 



01a mar? mo aNaccol oe mu n teiNO- 

ClDG D1U-D6RCN Oe'R.i.m6p-Ofa do mm 'anaccul 
ap immeD in ceneo, bale 1 ceilgicip oepa co cfan ic o 
Deicpin .1. ap pic mup immeD, uc Dicicup : 

TTlup immeD call ip ino pecc, 
Cop buaiD ip bpfachap Idn-chepc : 
Du bale, du Duchaig lac, 
Cul comer, ip cul cappac. 

Om-Dcpc Dan nomen compoppicum 6 Lacin ocup Scocic. 



FOKESPEECH. 21 

" beheading" according to propriety, and anything else is 
not " be-heading" according to the antiquity. Another 
thing in the case too — the usual words at present are — 
dochusin and maelan, and senchas. According to the 
ancients then examples are here ; for the usual words with 
them were docuisinet, and mael, and fencas. • But the 
" head-changing'' at present is to make fencas of the word 
which is senchas ; for the usual at present is senchas, as 
is said : 

The poets of Fal have viewed here 

The Fenchas with illumination by Fergus : 

If it is in reference to the poet of every plain forth — 

Dubthach has surpassed men. 

'' Fenachas :" the example there is /. for .s. It is alike in 
the beginning or in the end of a word the " be-heading" and 
the "head-changing" are made ; but in the end only of a 
word it is usual to make the " bi-heading." We do not see 
again with the poets of the Goedelic a different name for 
diminution of a letter and of a syllable, as we see for in- 
crease of a letter and of a syllable, that is, " bi-heading" in- 
crease of a letter, and " superabundance" increase of a 
syllable. 

The God of Heaven — may He not allow me into 
the host in which theee is crying on account of smoke 
from its greatness .i. For the manifestation of truth 
he says, "God of heaven," or from his knowledge that he 
is not a God who is an idol. " May he not allow me into 
the host of the demons, with whom crying is made on 
account of the greatness of their smoke." 

Great God my protection from the fiery ram- 
part of long eyes of tears ! .i. — Great God for my 
protection against the fence of the fire, a place in which 
are shed tears for a long time a-looking on it. That is, for 
mur means fence (immed), as is said : 

l 'Mur" [means] fence beyond in the law. 

" Coph," victory, and a full-right vwrd. 

" Du" [means] place, "du" inheritance with thee. 

" Cul," protection, and "cul," chariot. 

" Diuderc" accordingly is a noun compounded from 



22 RertipocuL. 

Diu .1. incian : Depc .1. puil, ur Dipcic ^pdnni ingen Cop- 
maic pjn pinD : 

pil oune, 
TCipm [b]aD buoe lem Diu-Depc, 
Gp a cpibpmo in bin ule, 

Q nieicc TTlaipe, cio Diubepc! 

01a pirceN, piRocus, cluiNes mo oo. 

NU'aiLL OO NlTTl-iat neh .1. Oia pfpoen, no 
Ofa na pfpen. "Pip-ocup" .1. quia epc Oeup ub f que ec 
ppope ommbup inuocancibup eum. TTlo Do-nuaill .1. mo 
Do nuaill .1. nuall mo cuipp 1 m'anma mp nelaib co farh 
nime : no, nuall peraplaice "| nu-pinaD. No, " mo 00- 
nuaill" .1. mo Do nuall .1. mo nuall Do .1. Do Dia. 61D Dan 
" fach" mino "| " lac" pepanD, uc Dicicup : 



p6 ainm Do maic lp Do mfao, 
Pi ainm D'ulc ip o'anpfao : 
Q'n pfp ip ni popup pano, 
Varh minD "| fach pepanD. 



FOKESPEECH. 23 

Latin and Scotic. " Diu," that is, long; " derc," that 
is, eye : as Granne, daughter of Cormac, said to Find : 

There is a person, 
For a long look at whom I should feel grateful, 
For whom I should give the whole world, 
O Son of Mary, what a privation ! 

God righteous, truly near, who hears my sad 

WAIL TO THE HEAVEN-LAND OF CLOUDS .1. — Righteous God, 

or God of the righteous. " Truly near," that is, because 
God is everywhere, and near to all who invoke him. 
" Mo do nuaill," that is, my two wails ; that is, the wail of 
my body and of my soul behind clouds to the land of 
heaven : or, the wail of the Old Law and of the New 
Testament. Or, " mo do nuaill," that is, " my to him wail," 
that is, my wail to him, that is, to God. " lath," again, 
means a diadem, and " iath," a territory, as is said : 

" Fo" [is] a name for good and for honor, 
" Fi" [is] a name for bad and for disobedience : 
" An" [means] true, and it is no weak knowledge, 
" lath" [is] a diadem, and " iath" is a territory. 



amr?a choluim chilli. 



[CAPITULUM I] 

DE MCESTITIA OMNIUM KEKUM IS MORTE COLUMBAE, VEL DE 
EXITU COLUMBAE. 

1. Kll 01 [S] SCe Oil O'Uae NGlll, .,. Ni cen 
■ " peel, no ni Dip in peel, no nf Dip in peel d' Ufb 
Neill Colum Cille do ec : no, "o'Uae Neill" .1. do innui 
Neill. No, ni oi[p] pceoil .1. nf ouce pceoil .1. ni ba peel 
do Duid .1. clocaigpicep. 



2. ni uchuac oeN-mai^e moR-maircs, 

TnOR-0eiLTTlN0l[p]OLaiN5, .1, NiDooen mai 5 ap 
uch, no ap iaccao, ace cocfp campip. lp maijij mop 
epcecc Column Cille. " Oeilm" .1. lp mop in epich ~| in 
cump[c]u5uD came lp inn GpinD la hepcecc Coluim C1II1 
.1. ap pic'oeilm .1. copano, no cpopc, uc oicicup : 

Qcd ben lp cfp, 

Ni apap a bai[n]m, 
TTlaiDiD epi a Deilm, 

Gmal cloic a cailm. 

3. rcis r?c asNeio colum ccn beiu, ceN 
chill. 

l?ip ndo pip, 
O' picpa co cec a pfj : 
Coic bap lugu inn [o]fa pin 
lnnd pinnfa pinD pencaio ? 

.1. lp Di[p]olain5 Dfin in peel ip inD pe in aipnecep Diin 
Colum Cille Do epcecc. " Cen bic" .1. ceno a beic 1m 



TEE AMRA OF COLUM CILLE. 



[CHAPTER L] 

OF THE SOEEOW OF ALL THINGS IN THE DEATH OF 
COLUMBA, OE OF HIS DEPAETUEE. 

1. IVTOT A TEIFLE OF A STOEY ABOUT THE DESCENDANT 

1 1 of Niall. .1. Not without a story, or not trifling the 
story, or a poor thing is the story for the descendants of 
Niall— Colum Cille to die : or, " d'Uae Neill," that is, 
for the posterity of Niall. Or " ni di[s] sceoil," that is, not a 
folly of a story, that is, it is not a story about a fool, that 
is, it shall be celebrated. 

2. Single plains sigh not geeat woe, geeat 
binging unbeaeable. .1. It is not for one plain that sighing 
is, or that shouting is, but for all plains. A great woe is 
the death of Colum Cille. " Deilm," that is, great is the 
trembling and the commotion that have come into Eriu 
with the death of Colum Cille : for "■ deilm" means that 
is, sound, or noise, as is said : 

There is a woman in the land, 

I do not tell her name : 
Her ringing bursts out of her 

Like a stone from a sling. 

3. When the tale eelates Colum without being, 
without chuech. 

A tale which is not true : 
When he will have come to the house of his king, 
Of what will he be less that day, 
Than Finnia fair, the sage ? 

That is, the tale is unbearable to us in the time in which 
it is related to us that Colum Cille is dead. " Cen bith," 

D 



26 amRa choLuim chilli. 

bic, no lm becaiD : "cen chill" .1. cen a beic 1 cill. T?fp .1. 
feel, uc epc in Immacallaim in Da ChuapaD .1. ail pi'5 
pip peDi : no, im bpecaib NemeD, uc Dicicup — nf Oil 
Ddimi pipi .i. nf pil aippiciuD Ddimi Do pcelaib oca. No, 
combao eD bat> choip ano — cen t>fl odmi pfpi .1. cen t»fl 
oegioecca in pcelaigi : aj\ bio pipi .1. pcelaigi, uc Di^ic 
Copppe mac Gcaw ip inD dip oopijni Do bpep mac 
GlaDan : 



Cen cole ap cpdib cepnfne, 
Cen gepc pepbba pop an appa acipni ; 
Cen aDba pip poDpuba Dipopci, 
Cen oil Dami pepi : pob pen bpippe. 

1 ip 1 pein cec dep ooponao m G'pmn. 

4. COl 1N01CI DU'1 DO? .1. C01 .1. quomoOo: 
" inDia" [.1.] innippep .1. cia cpuc innippep Dui De ? No, 
"coi' ? .1. conap .1. cia conaip innippep Dui De ? No, pobo 
Dui cec Dune in a conOelg-pom qo Inofa. 



5. 8CGO NGPQ. .1. Sceo 1 ceo -\ neo cpf comae 
comail 5o et,e ^5 e - 1 - c1t * Nepa mac TTlopainD, no Nepa 
mac pmo-chuill a Sfoib — nf coempao a apneip : no pobo 
Dui piDe in acpegaD Choluim Chilli. 

6. IN paiUh DG' DG'DG 8TON SUDlOCh, 
IS NU NQD TTiaiR. .1. Ip nu acbach in pqich De 
popuioepcap pop Deip in Siom nemoai : no, Dan m paic 
De noaipneDeD in puDiguobiap in lac Sion : no, in paic 
popuDepcap pop Deip De in Sion. 

7. Nl mar?Uhar? LGND. .1. Nimapchap ocunD; 
no, ni pil mopac ocunD hi pecc-pa j no, ni pil nech Di ap 
mopaD ocunD. 

8. ni ces aNina are sui, arc doncon- 

Dl'QUh. .1. Ni pil ocunD nech leppaigep, no poillpigep 
apn anmain 1 pecc-pa, ap acpulldi uam in mch cam ap 



THE AMRA OF COLUM CILLE. 27 

that is, without his being in the world, or iS life ; " cen 
chill," that is, without his being "in a church. " Eis," that 
is, a story, as is in the Dialogue of the Two Sages : " A 
king's delight is smooth stories ;" or, in the Bretha Nemed, 
as is said, " Not a sufficiency of a company's stories," that 
is, he has not a company's delighting of stories. Or that 
it may be it that' Were right in it—" Cen dil dami risi" 
(without a sufficiency for a company's story-teller), that is, 
without a sufficiency for the entertainment of the story- 
teller : for " risi" means, that is, a story-teller, as Corpre 
mac JEtain said iii the satire he made for Bress, son of 
Elada : 

Without fruit on branch of cernine, 
"Without a cow's milk on which a calf may grow, 
Without a man's residence may he wander lightless; 
Without a sufficiency for a company's story-teller : 
Be it the prosperity of Bress ! 
And this was the first satire that was made in Eriu. 

4. HOW WILL A SIMPLE ONE TELL OP HIM ? .1. " Coi," 

that' is, how: " india," [that is], will tell: that is, what 
manner will a simple one tell of him ? Or, " coi," that is, 
way : that is, what way will a simple one tell of him ? 
Or, every person was a simpleton in comparison with him 
to India. 

5. Even nera. .i. Sceo and ceo, and neo, (are) three con- 
junctions of Goedelic. That is, even Nera, son of Morand, 
or Nera, son of Find-choll, from the Side — he would not 
master the relation of it ; or, he was a simpleton in com- 
parison of Colum Cille. 

6. The prophet oe God, who b-y sion took his 
seat, it is late he lived not. .i. It is lately died the 
prophet of God, who took his seat on the right of the 
heavenly Sion : or again, the prophet of God who used to 
relate the sitting which will be in the land of Sion : or 
the prophet who took his seat on the right of God in Sion. 

7: There is no magnifying with us. .i. He is not 
magnified with us, or there is not a magnifying with us 
this time, or there is not any for our magnifying with us. 

8. Soul's light, our learned one is not, for he 
has been hidden on us. .1. There is not with us any who 
benefits or illuminates our soul in this time, for our learned 



28 amrca choluim chilli. 

pui. No, " conOio" .1. pallim .i. incf nopailleD o popcecul 
bpencaio ap cinaD -j ap capgabal. No, ni lepai^enO 
apn anmain ap pui, ap popoilgeo epono .1. conbi[cup]. 

9. CONRO'eCUR blU ba^ll. .1. lncf nochoi- 
neceo, no nocomecao apm biu aecbac: no mci nochoin- 
eceo apm biu co cam, acbac. 

io. arc ooNbcrch bo aun amceNO a 

OlL^[G] .i. acbac aipuno mci o'm ba ipeenD apn 
diljiup olfgchec, ap bobepeo bun cec ni ba ail Dun co 
gligcech. No, mci ba aipceno ppi aipcepecc apn aolcnge, 
acbach. 

ii. ar? DoNbauh ba pvaoac poioiam. 

.i. acbach epuno incf noOpaiOmip co ap piaoac .1. co 
apn Oia maich .1. ap cegeo a ppipuc pop nem cec 
oapOain. 

i2. area ni 'n pissio prcisbepeo omNu 

hUaiN. .i. Op nf bepeo mcf Oobepeo pip-pfc Oun : no, 
pip die co na bio lmecla ocuno. No, in pipit) cegeD uain 
in l'a. 

13. ar? ni 'N cac;hRiu oo siuiNeo pocut. 

pi'R .1. Nf aicpecenO cocuno incf nopeeeo uam "| noplumeo 
pfp pocuil ; no, ni eic oi dp cacpeop .1. Di dp pepuguo. 

14. ar? ni 'N poRceccaio poRcaNao 

CU'aUria 'CO'l. .1. ap nf maip m popceclaio nonpop- 
canao na cuaca com bfop mn a cope: no, nopopcanao 
cuacha im oenam coi : no, in popceclaio nopopcanao na 

cuaca bacap im Uai .i. amm ppocha in aibain. 

is. huice bicri ba hae he'. .1. Robo leppeom 

mc ule bic. No oan lp mefpece pegemp anO .1. " he" .1. 
cpuag. .1. ip cpuag acac acpebcaioe in beeha pobo lep- 
peom : ip cpoc cen cefp mcpiOe "] ip cell cen abaio. 

16. 18 CRU1U CGN CG1S, IS CGll CGN 
abaiD. .i. Ceip ainm Do cpuic bic bfp i comdieecc 
cpuice mope hi compinm : no, ainm oo'n oeljjain bic 



THE AMRA OF COLTTM CILLE. 29 

one has gone from us to a fair land. Or, " condio," that is, 
" / salt" : that is, he who used to salt from instruction the 
stench of our crimes and of our transgressions. Or, our 
learned one does not enlighten our soul, for he has been 
covered on us .1. " conditus," (he has been buried). 

9. Who used to preserve alive, has died. .1. He 
who used to indulge, or who used to guard our living, has 
died ; or, who used to kindly indulge our living, has died. 

10. For he has died on us, who was our chief 
from right. .1. He has died on us, from whom was certain 
our lawful importunity, for he used to give us everything 
that was pleasing to us lawfully. Or, he who was sure for 
the commiseration of our vilenesses, has died. 

11. For he has died on us who was God's messenger. 
.1. He has died on us, whom we used to send to our Fiada, 
that is, to our good God : that is, for his spirit used to go 
to heaven every Thursday. 

12. For the seer is not, who used to attack 
fears from us. .1. For he brings not who used to bring 
knowledge of peace to us : or, quick knowledge, so that 
there be not terror with us. Or, the seer who used to go 
from us to Hi. 

13. For the reprehender is not, who used to explain 
truth of words, .i. He re-runs not to us, who used to run 
from us, and used to explain truth of word : or, he comes 
not for our reprehension, that is, for making us wise. 

14. For the teacher is not, who used to teach the 
tribes of Toi. .i. For the teacher lives not, who used to 
teach the tribes until they used to be silent : or, who used 
to teach tribes about the making of silence : or, the teacher 
who used to teach the tribes who were around Tai : that 
is, the name of a river in Alba. 

15. Whole world — it was his. .1. The whole world 
was his. Or again, it is an interjection that is viewed in it ; 
that is, " he," that is, " wretched," that is : A wretched thing 
are the inhabitants of the world which was his ; a harp 
without a base-chord are these, and a church without an 
abbat. 

16. It is a harp without a base-chord, it is a 
church without an abbat. .1. Ceis is a name for a 
small harp which does be in accompaniment of a large 



30 arrma choluim chilli. 

popcap in ceic him mime na cpoce, no Do na coblaigib : 
no, ainm Do'n cpom-cec. No, ip f in ceip ip in cpuic am 
conjjbap, in lecpinD con a cecaib inn, uc oipic poeca — 
T?op mac pinD cecinic, no pepcepcne pile : 

Ni celc ceip ceol be cpuic Cpabcene 

Co pelapcap pop pluagu puan-bap : 
Conpepc coibmup erep pceo TTlain 
TTlopiaec macDacc TYlopca : 
t)a mo 16 cech I65 Labpeio. 
Oa binniu cec ceol in cpoc, 
Qppece Laibpaio Coingpec Lope : 
Cia p'ba Docc pop pune in pi, 
Ni pocelc ceip Cpaipnm. 

Ppimum capiculum huic upque canicup. 



[capiuuium ii]. 

DE ASCENSIONB EIUS IN CCELUM. 

1. auuRuic r?oar?o cpa'ch oe' coluiti 

CU1CGCCG. .1. Ctcpapacc co poapt> Culum in can 
cdnio cuicecca Oe ap a cenD .1. angil Oe. 

2. piMN-[p]eC'aC prceSUat. .1. lp pinn, noip 
caicnemac m pecal Di a cdncacap ppepcal : no, ip pinn 
in pfo-[p]laic cdnic i ppepcal Choluim Cilli .1. Gjcal 
aingel cum cecepip angelip. 

3. pi^LlS pUU ba'l. .1. Oopigm pijill in poc 
pobdi 1m uica .1. Da cec Dec pleccan leip cac lai, ace 1 
pollomnaib cancum, comcap lepi a apnai cpfan a bla-lm, 
uc Dipc poeca: — 

^le, nolai^eD ip inn geim, 
In a ligu bd mop-pdec : 
Slier a apna epian a ecac 
Od leip DanapeceD gdec. 



THE AMRA OF CQLTTM CILLE. 31 

harp in co-playing : or, a name for the small pin which 
holds the cord in the wood of the harp, or for the tacklings, 
or for the heavy chord. Or the ceis in the harp is, what 
holds the side-part with its chords in it, as the poet said — 
Ros Mac Find sang, or Fercertne the poet : — 

The base-chord concealed not music from the harp of 

Crabtene, 
Until it dropped sleep-death upon hosts : 
It strew affinity between Main 
And full-grown Moriaet Morca : 
, Greater with her than every price Labreid. 
Sweeter than any music the harp, 
Which delighted Labraid Loingsech Lore : 
Though sullen upon secrets was the king, 
The base-chord of Craiptine concealed not. 

The first capitulum is sung as far as this. 



[CHAPTER II]. 

of his ascent to heaven. 

1. Very high eose God's time colum of company. 
'.i. Colum rose very high the time God's companies came 
to meet him .1. God's angels. 

2. Bjbight-sheine attendance, .i. Bright is, or shining 
is the shrine to which they came an attendance : or, bright 
is the peace-prince who came, to tbe attendance of Colum 
Cille ; that is, Angel Axal with the rest of the angels. 

3. He figulated long as he was. .i. He made jigulum 
the length (of time) he was in life ; that is, twelve hundred 
prostrations by him each day, except in great festivals 
only, so that his ribs were manifest through his sheet, as 
the poet said : 

Clear, he used to be in- the sand, 

In his bed was much distress ; 
The form of his ribs through his dress 

Was manifest when the wind would blow it. 



32 anma choluim chilli. 

4. bCTl SCt'eSUL-SNGlD. .1. Robo gapic a paegul 
.t. peccm bliatma peccmojac, uc oijcic in pile : 

Ceopa bliatma boi cen lep 
Colum in a Dub-peclep : 
Luio co hainglib ay 1 a cacc 
lap pe bliatma peccmogac. 

5. ba'l Se'im-Sa'Ch. .1. ba becc a paic .1. ba bee 
t>omeleo, no ba bee a hapat). 

6. ban sab Quite cec oino. .1. Robapab 

Damgen nopoao cechn [ojiummup, no pobo pin-abb : no 
pabb cec oenna .1. ceca aipecca cop a picceo Colum 
Cille. Mo, ba po-abb 1 pucemlacc cec beplai co clechi : 
no, pobo nepemap lp inc [p]uice co piacc co cleci. 

7. bai oino oc libUR-lei^oocc. .1. Robo 

t>mt> popceclaoa leigip Colum Cille. 

8. caissais "cvu ciraiufi. .1. Ropoiiipg, no 

polepaig cipi "| cuacha. No, polap De in cfp cuaib : no, 
polapapcap ip in cip cuaio : no, polepaig in cip cuaio : 
no, popo laip e. 

9. CGlS CUaUh OCClOGNS. .1. Leppaigep, no 
poillpigip : no, pobo leip cuac occiOencip .1. Gpiu -j Imp 
66 pinne popp int> [p]apje .1. cucpuma poholpig, no 
polep-ail aquilonem -| occmencem. 

10. COCRO[lTl] Las ORIGNS. .1. Cucpumma 
poba leip opienp "| occibenp. 

11. oc cceRib CRi-Oocuaib. .1. oc deipchib 

'n a epitnb popechi : no, o na cleipchib cop na cpiDib 
popctnb popojlaim. No Dan popo oocc a cpioe 1m 
clepcecc ppi cac. 

12. PO' Ol'bQO. .i. 171aic a epilcm, ap pic oibao 
■1 bach 1 ba 1 ceme ic plui[n]o epilcen. 

13. oe' aiN^iL irg assi[N]OROcriaib. .1. 

Ctmgil 06 nime booeochacap ap a cent) in can conuap- 
5aib. 

Secunoum capiculum hue upque. 



THE AMRA OF COLUM CILLE. 33 

4. He was life-small. .1. His life was short, that is, 
seventy-seven years, as the poet has said : 

Three years was without light 
Colum in his black church : 
He went with angels from his prison 
After six years [and] seventy. 

5. He was oe slender food. .1. Little was his suffi- 
ciency, that is, little was what he used to consume, or little 
was the satisfying of him. 

6. He was chief of science in every hill. .1. He 
was a firm chief, who used to repel every haughtiness ; or, 
he was a learned abbat ; or, chief of every hill, that is, 
of every assembly to which he used to go, was Colum 
Cille. Or, he was a good abbat in the knowledge of every 
language to perfection ; that is, he was mighty in the 
knowledge until he came to perfection. 

7. He was a fort at the book of the law learned. 
.7. A fort of teachers of the law was Colum Cille. 

8. He inflamed country, territory, .i. He illumi- 
nated or he benefited countries and territories. Or, the 
north country blazed from him ; or, he blazed in the 
north country, or he benefited the north country ; or, it 
■was his. 

9. The west territory was his. .1. He benefited, or 
he illuminated ; or, the territory of the West was his, that 
is, Eriu and Inis Bo Finne on the ocean : that is, alike he 
illuminated, or he benefited North and West. 

10. East was equally his. .1. Alike were his East 
and West. 

11. With companies heart-reserved, .1. With clerics 
in their hearts gloomy : or, from the clerics with the learned 
hearts he learned. Or, again, his heart was reserved about 
clericising with every one. 

12. Good extinction. .1. Good his death ; for '' dibad" 
" bath," and " ba," and " teme," are said in signification of 

death. 

13. With God's angels on high he departed. .1. The 
angels of the God of heaven who came to meet him when 
he ascended. 

The second chapter as far as this. 

E 



34 cimrca choluim chilli. 



[capicucum in]. 

INCIPIT TERTIUM [CAPITDLUM.J TITULUS : DE REGIONE AD 
QUAM PERVENIT COLUM CILLE, ") DE PLURIBUS GRADIBDS 
EIUS. 

i. rca'Nic cgcalu la arcbrciu arechaN- 

^LlU. i. T?anic-pom co ou led CC^al amgel : no, "ajralu," 
.i. au;nlium. No, "a^alu," .1. na[n] imacalam .1. panic 
peom cfp in Oencap immaccallaini .1. molao na Upfnoce, 
quia oicunc hlpapliim -) Sapaphim : " Sanccup, panccup, 
panceup Oommup Oeup Sabaoch." Mo "a^alu" .1. uca 
-] polu .1. connpuioigut) 6 Laum "| o ^oeoilg .i. panic-peoni 
a oen-co^a .1. nem. No, G;tal nomen ino aingil noaccallaD 
Colum Cille, -\ quot> epc uepiup, uc ueniebac Uiccop at> 
Pacpicium. " La aipbpiu" .1. la immeD, no la pluag. 



2. paNic vath Nao at) 015 accescaR 

.1. T?amc in pepant) ndo aicicep aOaig ecep, ace lu;r. 

3. T?aNic or? 00 moise munemai?, .1. 

T?amc in cip 1 coimnem-ni Uloipi oo bic, ap 'p ecnaio cac 
ant), lp coip TTloipe Do bich ano ap a [p]ebap. 

4. reaNic mai^e mo's Nao ^eNeuar? 

ClUlL, .1. In it> bep nem-genemain ceol, pet) punc pempep 
in pe. 

5. Nao escec ecNaioe. .1. Nao e P iec 

ecnaiDe, quia mail pepibunc in pucupo -j non bom. No, 
nao eTpzez ecnaioe p]ii apaile, quia omnep pepici punc in 
coelo : no, ni ecac ecnaibe a aipneip, No, m ecyenb nee 
ppi ecnac. No, ni clumec ecnaioe nfat>, ap ciuep celep- 
cep oppicioaupiumcoppopalium noninoigenr, pet) cogica- 
cionep ruap inepoppiciunc alrepurjium. 



THE AMRA OF COLTIM CILLE. 35 



[CHAPTER III]. 

THE THIRD [CHAPTER] BEGINS. THE TITLE : OF THE REGION 
TO WHICH COLUM CILLE CAME : AND OF ITS SEVERAL 
ORDERS. 

1. He HAS REACHED CONVERSATIONS WITH THRONGS — 

archangels. .1. He came to the place where Angel Axal 
is, or, " axalu," that is, auxilium (help). Or, " axalu," that is : 
" of the conversations ;" that is, he reached a land in which 
conversation is made ; that is, the praising of the Trinity, 
because the Cherubim and Seraphim say, •' Holy, holy, holy, 
"Lord God of Sabaoth." Or, " axalu," that is, uca (choice), 
and solu (only) : that is, a composition from Latin and 
from Goedelic : that is, he reached his only choice, that is, 
heaven. Or, Axal is the name of the angel who used to 
address Colum Cille, and what is truer, as Victor used to 
come to Patric. " La airbriu," that is, " with a multitude," 
or " with a host." 

2. He has reached a territory where night he 
saw not. .1. He has reached the territory where night is 
not seen at all, but light. 

3. He has reached a land for moses we deem. .i. 
He has reached the land in which we deem Moses to be, 
for every one in it is a sage. It is right that Moses be in 
it for his excellence. 

4. He has reached plains where it is a custom 
that melodies are not born. .i. In which non-birth of 
melodies is the custom, but they are always in it. 

5. That sages die not. .i. That sages do not perish, 
because the bad shall perish in the future, and not the 
good. Or, that sages listen not to each other, because 
all are learned in heaven ; or, sages are not capable of telling 
of it. Or, no one listens to oppression. Or, sages hear 
not a spirit, for the celestial citizens need not the office 
of bodily ears, but they look into their thoughts the one 
the other's. 



36 cmma cTioluim chilli. 

6. asr?ala r?i sacarcu saechu. .1. r?oia 

ap pi na pacapc a pdechu : .1. in ampip a ecpecca, uc 
Dicicup : cpipcip epc amma -]c. 

hue upque cepcium [capiculum]. 



[capicutum iu.] 

ET IN HOC QUARTO CAPITULO DE MARTIR10 EIUS 
COMMEMORATUR. 

1. rcocehaes ^aire combine. .1. rcocepap- 

cap ip in gapic-pe pobui lpop, co pobpipepcap cac pop 
Demon -\ Domon. 

2. ben hiroxh pr?i oemal. .1. r?oboi peom 

co p'bo huac he ppi Demon. No, "ppi Demal" [.1.] ppi 
Dee mali : no " ppi oe-mal" .1. ppi pi nan Demna .1. "De" 
o'nof ap Demon," mdl," .1. p(. No "Demal" nomen ppo- 
ppium Demonip nobic ic aimpiguo Coluim Cille Dogpep. 



3. Di am bo 5oisce celebreao. .1. Di am 

bo coi apcuoa celebpao Coluim Chilli. No, goipce aipi 
pein .1. aipec nochluneo in Demon such Coluim Chilli 
i[c] celebpaD, m lamaD cop De co caipceo in celebpao : 
1 con lappaijcip pcela Do lap pein o Cholum Chilliu. No, 
pobo goipce gabala Do'n Demon pobui ip in mac legmo in 
Cfpo TTlacha .1. mace leginD nochegeo co mmnai clepij 
anD .1. In can Dognfcea celebpao -| opppeno lpp ano 
nochegeo cuci, co poapig Colum Cille pechc ano in Demon 
ic pmeciuo pop in mac legin, co pochaipmipc Colum 
Cille imm on mac legino Dul immach. l?obo goipce 
gobdla Din De Demon celebpaD Coluim Chilli anD pein. 



THE AMEA OF COLUM CILLE. 37 

6. The king of priests dismissed distresses. .1. The 
king of the priests sent off his distresses : that is, in the 
time of his death, as is said, " my soul is sorrowful, and so 
forth." 

Hither so far the third [chapter]. 



[CHAPTER IV]. 

AND IN THIS FOURTH CHAPTER COMMEMORATION IS MADE 
OF HIS MARTYRDOM. 

1. He suffered short until he won. .1. He suffered 
in the short time he was here, until he broke battle on. 
Devil and world. 

2. He was a horror to the devil, .i. He lived until 
he was a horror to the Devil. Or, to u De mal," [that is], 
to the God of evil : or, " fri de-mal," that is, to the king 
of the demons, that is, " de," from the word demon ; 
" mal," that is, king. Or, " Denial" is the proper name of 
the demon that used to be tempting Colum Cille con- 
tinually. 

3. To whom celebration was suspension, .1. To 
whom the celebration of Colum Cille was a way of ar- 
resting. Or, a suspension on himself : that is, while the 
Devil used to hear the voice of Colum Cille at celebration, 
he would not dare a stir from him until he would finish 
the celebration : and until news used to be asked of him 
after that by Colum Cille. Or, it was a suspension of 
possession for the demon who was in the student in Ard 
Macha : that is, a student who used to go to a cleric's 
woman there. That is, the time celebration and offering used 
to be made, it is then he used to go to her, until Colum 
Cille on one occasion perceived the demon at beckoning 
on the student, so that Colum Cille made a prohibition 
about the student going out. The celebration of Colum 
Cille then at that time was a suspension of possession 
from the demon. For the space of a mile and half of a 



38 cutirci choluim chilli. 

Ppi pe mile col leich mfle ba pollup jurh Col. C. i[c] 
celebpao, uc Dipc poeca : 

Son a jocha — Column Cille, 

IT) op a binne uap each cleip : 
Co ceno cuic cec Dec ceimmeno, 

Oioble pemmenD, eo ba peil. 

4. as a cheirco cumachcai^. .1. a cu- 

macca a chleipcecca Dojmo pom pein. 

5. CONROIUCr? r?CCU TCObUSU. .i. Cain 
po[p]icip, no pochomec in peer ponaipc. No, pochomec 
pechc .1. peccicubinem : pobupc .i. pobupcup .1. ponaipc 
he 1 comec Dip^ecaD. 

6. rcopes rciraim, "Rope's sens. .1. i?o F ep 

poim a haDnaicce, no popep ic T?6im a ecna pom 
"] a cpabuD. Sepp .1. po-pip .1. pip ecnai "] paicpme. hm 
[OJun Dan acbepac apaile eippeipje Choluim Chille dq 
bich, uc Di;ric poeca : 

111' con llup a mmapcpa 

Oi am ba Colum coem-oalca : 
OolluiD eppi po DepeD, 
ConiD Oun a pen-nemeO. 

7. rcosuiche oo' oa'ma oeacca. .1. t?o- 

puiDijeD Do aipce na oeachca ap re^eD cac DapDain ao 
Dominum. .1. T?ooamaD do puiche na Deachca : 6 mace 
Oe poecappcap pern. Mo pobo in Deacc Damcha 
meic Oe. 

8. 06Rb 0O5 1TTI ba. .1. lp Demm ip maic inc 
ec DocuaiD : no, 1m ba 1 .1. maic 1m ba fpiu. 

9. ba eola cpralN aiN^el. .1. ba eoiac m 

lmmaccalmaib aingel ; no, ba eolac in immaccallaim 
d' anjpl DaniD amm 0;ral. 

10. arcber?c bassil bftacliu. .1. in bpac 

Diummupa DochuaiD ino im mop-Dail Opomma Cecca, 



THE AMRA OF COLUM CILLE. 39 

mile' the voice of Colum Cille at celebration was manifest, 
as the poet said : 

The sound of his voice, Colum Cille's, 

Great its sweetness above every company : 

To the end of fifteen hundred paces — 
Vast courses — it was clear. 

4. From his fowerful profession. .1. From the power 
of his clericship he used to do that. 

5. Firm he preserved law. .1. Well he knew, or he 
guarded the firm law. Or, he guarded law, that is, recti- 
tude : " robust," that is, firm : that is, firm he in guard- 
ing rectitude. 

6. Sepulchre was known, wisdom was known .1. The 
sepulchre of his burial was known : or, his wisdom and 
devotion were known at Home. " Sess," that is, " so-fis," 
(good knowledge), that is, knowledge of Avisdom and of 
prophecy. In Dun (Downpatric), again, some say the 
resurrection of Colum Cille will be, as the poet has said : 

Hi with the multitude of its relics, 

Of which was Colum, beauteous disciple : 

He went out of it at last, 

So that Dun is his blessed church. 

7. The science of Deity used to be laid down for 
him .1. The speciality of the Deity used to be laid down 
by him, for he used to go every Thursday to the Lord. 
That is, the knowledge of the Deity was granted to him : 
from the Son of God he received that. Or, he was in 
deity the taught of the Son of God. 

8. Truly, good is the death. .1. It is certain that good 
is the death he departed : or, " im ba i," that is, good is this 
death. 

9. He was skilful of conversations of angels. .1. 
He was skilful in conversations of angels : or, he was 
familiar in conversation to an angel whose name is 

Axal. 

10. He expounded Basil's judgments, .1. The design 
of pride that entered him in the great convention of Druim 



40 amRa ctioluim chilli. 

coniO aipi pern cue baicbm cepcemam a bapil Do 
cpoecao in Diumaip. No, noaipbipeo bpecba bpacha 

ff. 1 arcsairc sni'ttiu oe aobsib— aircbrcib 

QlDbLlb QlObSTO. .i. TCoepjaip mime a menmain 
Oo bicb inn a Oia m molaD Dopacpac na ploig pain. 
No, poep^apc gninnu Oe t)e chaibpin nan immetm Dub, 
Duabpech ; ~| ip eo ap^ap^ De peom pein in cepcemain a 
bapil, no na bpecba. " Qiobpi" ainm in cbiuil, no in 
cponain Dojjnfcip epmop pepn G'peno in can pin, cit> eo 
DopcanaD immalle : "| ip cpiap in ceol pin ooponpac pip 
GpenD Do Cholum Chilliu im mopDail Opomma Ceca 
podp mfaD menman inD. 

liuc upque quapcum [capiculum]. 



[capiuutum u.j 

DE SCIENTIA. EIUS IN OMNI PARTE [HOC QUINTUM CAKTULUM]. 

1. ftCtlUl RICh PSUheS. .i. TCopaicbepcap, no 
cappaio no in picb popecepcap. 

2. oar? cais ca'iN-oeNam. .i. Do[ 5 ]nfD cam- 

gnim Dap cenD a mipcpen .1. ap pic caip .i. mipcaip. 

3. pai^ pe\ib piChlR .i. Nopua 5 eO,no nopfgeo 
bpecbip inD popcecail m pech-acaip. No,'' picbip".i. pip, 
no amnap. 6iD Dan " pepb" ic plainD cpf pec .i. " pepb" 
bpiacbap, uc Dicicup : "mat) lap pepbaib pfp-ampaib 
beplai biap bain :" no, " ip pap penecbap ic pepbaib Oe." 
biD Dan "pepb" bole, uc Dicicup : " Uupcbaic pepba pop 
a jpuaoaib lap cil-bpecbaib" .1. lap cloen-bpecaib. 6id 
Dan "pepb," uc Dicicup : "cheopa pepba pipa Dopnacbc," 
.i. popimmaij Qppal ap TTI05 NuaDac. 



THE AMR A OF COLTJM CILLE. 41 

Cetta, so that it is on account of that Baithine quoted a 
text from Basil for the subduing of the pride. Or, he used 
to expound the judgments of judgment from Basil. 

11. He forbade works from choruses — vast throngs, 
choruses, i. He forbade, for his mind to be in God, 
the praising the hosts gave on him : or, he took charge 
of the works of God from the appearance of the black, 
hideous multitudes : and it is what excited that from him 
— the text from Basil, or the judgments. Aidbsi is the 
name of the music, or of the cronan most of the men of 
Eriu used to perform that time, whatever they would sing 
together : and it is through that music, which the men of 
Eriu made for Colum Cille in the great convention of 
Druirn Cetta, pride of mind grew in him. 

Hither so far the fourth [chapter]. 



[CHAPTER V.] 

OF HIS LEARNING IN EVERY PART. 

1. He perceived the course he ran .i. He perceived, 
or the course he ran occurred to him. 

2. For hatred benefaction, .i. He used to do benefit 
[in return] for hatred of him : that is, for " cais" means, 
namely, hatred. 

3. The teacher sewed word. .i. The perception- 
father used to sow, or used to weave, the word of the 
doctrine. Or, " fithir," that is, continual, or difficult. "Ferb," 
again, is used to mean three things : that is, ferb, a word, 
as is said : " If according to the truly wonderful words 
of the white language it shall be:" or, "Fenechus is 
void beside the words of God." " Ferb" is also bole (a bag, 
a blotch), as is said : " Blotches rise on his cheeks after 
crooked judgments," that is, after unjust judgments. 
" Ferb" also is, as is said : " Three white cows, he drove 
them off:" that is, Assal drove them on Mog Nuadat. 



42 amrca choluim chilli. 

4. 5CHS ^LUaSa 5IC .1. ba say he ic epplocuD 
na[n] gluap : no pobo gaec pum ic gleoo glepeppa. No 
gonaip na jluapa co 5I6 .1. eochaip 5I6 Colum Cille Do 
peDiguo gluap no cepc. 

5. 511NS1US SalTTIU. .1. T?o 5 linni5 na palmu po 
obil 1 apcpipc ; no, popoglaino na palmu. 

6. sIuinsius le'15 LibRU, Ubum uucar? 

CQS6ON. .1. T?opluinnepcap na palmu ic a ciccain 
mpn a poglaim, -\ lp uap in pluinn, piup po 1pm. No, 
pic : popluinepcap libpu lei^ .1. inD pecca, arnail poca- 
papcap libpu 6oin Capeoin. No, ni p'bo mo leipp libuip 
inD pechca Do ciaccain quam libuip Gow Cappeoin : no, 
poles Gom Cappioin libpu legip. 

7. cauha ^ulae ^aeLais. .1. i?o 5 aiiapcap 

cacha in cpoip. No Culai ap maic anD .1. pobpip each 
na cpf Cul .1. cac Culi Opemm pop Connaccu, -| 
each Culi peDa pop Colman TTlop, mac Diapmaca, 
"] each Culi T?achin pop Ulcu ic copnam T?oip 
Copochaip ecep Colum Cille ocup Comgall. No, jdlaip, 
pobpipepcap, uc Di^ic poeca : 

TTlop Do chacaib gaelapcap, 
Pop [a] achaip palapcap : 
TTlacc in mail a mam-mapcen, 
T?f pep pail aDagapcap. 

8. Ubuu solmaN se^us. [.i.j No, popmch 

libpu Solman. No, pe^up .1. pegiup, uc Dicicup penchap 
ppo penchap. 

9. siNa sceo imr?ima recnuh.— impima .1. 

Donenna -| onDf ap imbep acd impima : "paich," .1. po- 
paiDepcap pein .l.DoucaD in can cicpaD ponenD^ Doneno. 

10. RaNNais reaiND co pigmi? euer? 

GlOPU L6'15- .i- Ropannapcap painD co piguipDachc 
ecep lebpaib inD leginD, no ino pechca .1. noDeligeo a 
pcaip -] a pianp -\ a mopoil 1 an anojaig. 



THE AMRA OF COLUM CILLE. 43 

4. He probed glosses clear. .1. He was active at the 
resolving of the glosses : or, he was keen at deciding of con- 
flicts. Or, he probed the glosses clearly : that is, a clear key 
was Colum Cille for unravelling of glosses, or of questions. 

5. He illustrated psalms. .1. He illustrated the 
psalms under obelisk and asterisk : or, he learned the 
psalms. 

6. He explained the law's books — books which 
Caseon loved. .1. He explained the psalms at his under- 
standing of them after the learning of them : and above the 
explanation : . poetry under that. Or thus : He explained 
the Books oiLeg, that is, of the Law, as Eoin Caseon 
loved books : or, of no greater importance was it with 
him to understand the books of the Law, than the books 
of Eoin Caseon: or, Eoin Caseon read the books of the 
Law. 

7. He fought the battles of the stomach. .1. He 
fought the battles of the gluttony. Or, " Culai" is what 
is good in it : that is, he broke the battle of the three 
Cuts, that is, the battle of Cul Dreimne on the Connachta, 
and the battle of Cul Feda on Colman Mor, son of Diar- 
mait, and the battle of Cul Rathin on the Ulaid, at the 
contesting .of Ros Torathair between Colum Cille and 
Comgall. Or, " galais,'' he broke, as the poet has said : 

Much of battles he broke, 

On [his] father he poured : 

The son of the chief from Main-Maistiu, 

The king of the men of Fal much dreaded. 

8. The books of Solomon he pursued. [.1.] Or he pur- 
sued the books of Solomon. Or, " sexus," that is, "fegius," 
(he examined), as senchas (law) is said for fenchas. 

9. Seasons and storms he perceived. — "Imrima,'' 
that is, " storms," and from " imber" (shower) imrima is. 
" Eaith," that is, he perceived that. That is, he used to 
understand when calm and storm would come. 

10. He divided division with figure among the 
books of the law. .1. He divided division with figuration 
between the books of the reading, or of the Law. That is r 
he used to separate their history, and their sense, and their 
moral, and their anagogue. 



44 cmma choLuinri chiLLi. 

11. le'&ais rung Rochu'aio gcgr sco- 

LQlb SCRGpURCt. J. Role^ punein popucheco picip 
na pune in can pobui ecep pcolaib ic pojlaim na pcpep- 
cpa. No, "popualc" .i. ainm Do beipc bfp if mD [p]aipci, 
"] ip lac po a aipoe pt>e .i. In can pceap ~\ a ageD 
ppi cip, Domma -| cepca ip in cip pm co cenD peccm 
bliaona, no ip in bliaDain pm namma : maD puap, Domma 
"| mopclaiD ip inD aeop pn : maD pfp, Domma -] 
mopclaiD pop mfla in majia. NoinrnpeD lapum puna int>. 
anmannai pin Do Doinib, com becipinn a poimcin. Ropualc 
Dan ann maile [ainmn aile ?] Do'n beipc pin. 



12. scgo Gllachc lmmuaimN eisci 

ITTlTiri RlUn. [.i.] Sceo .i. ocup. RoelljeD acce peom 
cohuaim pecha epci lm pic gpene .1. epci pia gpein o ppfm 
co cuiciD Dec, -] fap gpein o chuiciD Dec co ppfm. 

13. Raich Rich La ^rginn ^Gscai^. .i. 

Ropo peiD Do eolap pecha epcai la pich na gpene caic- 
nemche. Ip aipi apbepap "5epcac"ppi gpem, ap lpuachi 
acd pollpi Do na pennaib ailib. 

14. SCGO RG'IN-RlUh. .i. Robo eolac ip pic penip 
.1. mapip. No, commaD " pfan" baD choip.anD, uc Di;ric 
PmD hu baipcne : 

Seel lem Duib : DopDaiD Dam, 
SnigiD gaim, popaich pam: 
^aec apD, huap, fpel gpian, 
5«ip appich, puchach pfan. 

RopuaD pac poclech cpuch, 
Rogab gnach giu^panD sue : 
Rogab uachc ece en, 
Ctijpe pe, e, mopcle. 

Seel lem Duib. 

15. RimpGICh RIND N1TT1G NGCh 1NC01 



THE AMRA OF COLUM CILLE. 45 

11. He read the mysteries of the great revelation 
among schools OF scriptures, .i. He read the mysteries of 
the great wisdom, until he knew the mysteries, the time he 
was among schools at the learning of the Scriptures. Or, 
" Eosualt," that is, a name for a monster which is in the 
ocean, and these are its signs. The time it belches and 
its face towards land, poverty and scarcity in that land till 
the end of seven years, or in that year only : if it is up- 
wards, poverty and mortality in the air that : if it is down- 
wards, poverty and mortality on the animals of the sea. 
He used to relate afterwards the mysteries of that animal 
to people, that they might be in suspicion of him (on their 
guard against him). Rosualt accordingly is another name 
for that monster. 

12. And he harmonized moon's co-circle in regard 
to course. [.i.] " Sceo," that is, and. The co-circle of 
Moon's course about Sun's course was harmonized with 
him : that is, Moon before Sun from prime to fifteenth, 
and after Sun from fifteenth to prime. 

13. He perceived (its) race with branching sun. .i. 
Easy for him was the knowledge of Moon's race with the 
race of the radiant Sun . It is why branching is said to 
Sun, because it is from it illumination is for the other 
constellations. 

14. And sea-course, .i. He was skilful in the course 
of "renis," that is, " of the sea." Or, that it may be 
"rian" that was right in it, as Find hU Baiscne has 
said i 

A tale I have for you. Ox murmurs, 
Winter pours, summer is gone : 
Wind high, cold : sun low ; 
Cry is attacking, sea resounding. 

Very red raying has concealed form, 
Voice of geese [barnacles] has become usual : 
Cold has caught wings of birds ; 
Ice-frost time : wretched, very wretched. 

A tale I have for you. 

15. He would count the stars of heaven, the 



46 arriRa choluim chilli. 

cechN oircuais o chollum chilliu 

CUGLGTT1GR .1. No aipmebaD peclanna nime inci 
noinnippeD cac nf poucop pochualamniap o Cholum 
Chille : no, noinnippeD Colum Cille Di a cpiallao 
pohuaip Do pennaib. 

hue upque quincum [capiculum]. 



capiuulum ui. 

DE ADMIRATIONE ET CAEITATE EIUS HOC SEXTDM 
CAPITULUM. 

i. coich boi, coich bra beo baoib 
amr?aoaiR are lauhaib ireoochu ire. 

'CnUQlCn. .1. Coich pobof, no cinch bictp beo bao 
chomuapal ppip, nd baD pfp-popcchiu pop pepannaib in 
cfpi cuaich ? " Qp lachaib lpDochc " .1. bd epoocc ppia 
chuaichib no chfp aneccaip, in can conucaib a chill hi 
copuc .i. Cu : "lpcuaic" .i. ppim anchuaich. No "lpDocc" 
.i. ba epoocc hi cuaic .1. ba docc a cobaip peom ppi nech : 
no, ba Dochc lm.chobaip neich. 



2. aopeu co nit Nech ngd ^or ^eoiN. 

.i. NoaipneoeD copici nu inui na aichgeoin 501 ano pem. 
No, ao " pec" pit ant>, iDem ec uecup cepcamencum, 1 
an '' nu" ip Nouum Uepcamencum .1. noaipneneo Dun 
Pecaplaic co Nu-pfaonaipe, uc oijric angelup, uel mona- 
cbup : 

TTlaccdn umal, acbep cec, 

Oeup ei inDulgec : 
Popcjella Nu ocup pec, 

lm bechaiD puchain pupgec. 



THE AMRA OP COLUM CILLE. 47 

PERSON WHO "WOULD EXPOUND . EVERY EXCEEDINGLY NOBLE 
THING WE HAVE HEARD FROM COLUM ClLLE. .1. He Would 

count the stars of heaven the person who would relate 
every very choice thing we have heard from Colum 
Cille : or, what Colum Cille would tell about his very 
high travelling to the stars. 

Hither so far the fifth [chapter]. 



CHAPTER VI. 



about the admiration oe him and about his charity 
this sixth chapter. 

1. Who was, who shall be alive, who was more 
wondereul over territories than the very 

LEARNED ONE OF THE NORTH-EAST ? .1. Who Was, or who 

shall be alive, who was co-noble with him, or who was 
more truly-learned over the territories of the north 
country? " Ar iathaib irdocht," that is, he was very 
reserved towards territories, or external country, the time 
he raised his church at first, that is, Eu (Hi) : " irthuaith," 
that is, facing me on the north. Or, " irdocht," that is, 
he was reserved in a territory ; that is, reserved was his 
association with any one, or he was reserved about the 
association of any one. 

2. He used to declare till lately one who knew 
not guile. .i. He used to relate until lately he who knew 
not guile in himself. Or, it is " Fet," that is in it, the same 
as Old Testament, and the " Nu" is New Testament : that 
is, he used to relate to us Veter Lex (Old Law) with New 
Witness, as an angel has said, or a monk : 

An humble lad, prophecy says, 

God to him will be kind : 
He will testify Nu and Fet, 

In life eternal he will rise. 



48 arrma choluim chilli. 

3. ^rcess rcoperc pechUNacu. .1. rco 5 pep- 

paio", no pochemnig immalle ppip na pipu .i. aingil. No, 
pic .1. ba pechcnacu cac gpepp in gpepp popepapcap 
Colum Cille. 

4. prci a'rcuhu arc chacrcu co oomuN 

OTJIM^'CIGT?. .1. Ppi apaDu na cacpach uaipli 
poDpinjjepcap: "coDomun" .1. cop'ba D 6 apomam : no, "co 
Do mun" .1. co Da pomain .1. cuipp ocup anma : no, "co 
Domun" .1. ao coelum. No, "ppi apchu ap cacpu" 
.1. ap chacip nime, co puDpebpaing m Domun ppi pioipi 
piagla 1 Dipmipecca noeb ; ap ic dpiD Dogaipcep, uc 
oicicup : " pcale uel coeli punc pancci." 

5. arc oeo ooeNachuha .1. ap D[o]enachc 

meic Oe pochepapcap .1. co pagbaD ^peim Do cepaD 
meic 06. No, ap Oia DogniD Doenacc .1. cionacul neich 
ap Oia. 

6. arc [sjassaib rci^xierc .1. i r aipi Do 5 mD 

pom ap papaD Do lp mD pichiuo huapal. 

7. rcircirc accoburc a sula .1. rcopec ap Oia 

cac ni pob' accobop pi ae puil : na mnd "]c. 

8. SU1 SlON CrceaS CRIST: .1. In lan-pui pen 
pocpecepcap Cpipc : no plan cen pheccaD : no, " cpeip" 
.1. a nepbo " cpepco" .1. popopbpepcap lapum 1 Cpfpc: 
no, Dopac Cpipc popbaipc paip. 

9. ceo ni coircm, ceo ni sercc oll-sait: 

SeCNaiS OeOlL .1. Ocup ni ebeD coipm, no ni capaD 
coipm, 1 ni p'bo pepcao leip co oll-paich : Dopechnao 
Dan in beoil. 

10. bai each, bai case .1. rcobai each, no 

poboi cac .1. Cacholicup, 

11. bai CarcChaiC. .1. Uoic : Ian do Deipc 
epeom uli. No, picche Colum Cille 6 Depeipc. 

12. ClOUhONO OC bUaiO. .1. Roboailicac 
he oc bpeic buaDa Do cac. No, " cloch-onD," .1. cloc 



THE AMRA OE COLUM CILLE. 49 

3. A COURSE HE MADE MOST FORTUNATE. .1. He Walked, 

or he stepped together with the white, that is, angels. Or 
thus: More fortunate than every course was the course 
Colum Cille made. 

4. With the charioteers or Great-city to profun- 
dity he was brought, i. With the charioteers of the noble 
city he ascended : '< co domun," that is, until its good gift 
was for him. Or, " co do mun," that is, to two good gifts, 
that is, of body and of soul : or, " co domun," that is, to 
heaven. Or, " fri arthu ar chatru," that is, to the city of 
heaven, that he might bring the world to the ways of rules 
and examples of saints, for it is ladders they are called, as 
is said : "the saints are ladders even of heaven." 

5. Before God made man. .i. For the humanity of the 
Son of God he suffered : that is, so that a persecution to 
him used to be the suffering of the Son of God. Or, for 
God he used to practise humanity, that is, the bestowal 
of a thing for God. 

6. On high he was kinged, .i. It is why he used to 
do that, with a view to satisfaction for him in the noble 
heaven. 

7. He yielded the desire of his eyes. .i. He ex- 
changed for God every thing which was a desire to his 
eye : the women, and so forth. 

8. A perfect sage, who believed Christ, .i. The 
blessed full-sage who believed Christ ; or, perfect without 
sin. Or, " creis," that is, from the verb cresco (I increase) : 
that is, he increased afterwards in Christ, or Christ gave 
an increase on him. 

9. And he desired not ale, and not a great suffi- 
ciency: he avoided flesh, .i. And he used not drink ale, 
or he used not love ale, and it was not with him a desire 
as far as a great sufficiency ; he also used to avoid the 

flesh. 

10. He was learned, he was chaste, .i. He was 
learned, or, " roboi cath," that is, a Catholic, 

11. He was charitable, .i. Whole : full of charity 
he all : or, Colum Cille used to be boiled from charity. 

12. A'ROCK at victory, .i. He was a rock in battle at 
bearing away of victory from every one. Or, " cloth-ond," 
that is, a stone of subduing, for "ond" is a stone. A 

G 



50 arrma choLuim chilli. 

cloichi, ap pic ont) cloch : pobo doc lapum cloichi cac 
uilc Colum Cille. 

13. bOl L68 l/Q'N. .1. t)o epeom co cabpao a Ian- 

ICV* OO CC(C. 

14. boi leor?-les 01560. .i. r?obo leop noie 

paigeD aegeou. 

15. bOl ObeiD. .i. auiDup .i. laino. 

16. bai huasal, boi huas a bcrs. .i. 6a 

popcail pop bap .1. pop Diabul, no peccaD : no, pob' uaip 
a bap : no, popicip bap uapa. 

17. bOl Ll6M. .1. Lemp .1. ailgen. 

18. boi La crcioe cech ecNaoa. .1. r?obo 

liaij lepaigche cpioe each ecnaoa : no, pobo chaimpijche 
do peip cpiDe cec ecnaoa : o'noi ap I150 .1. cumpijim. 

19. ai? miNDN aptral Nacallao. .1. a r n 

uapal no aicelleo inn ainjel 01 a p'bo ainm O^ral : no, 
"lap minon a^aln accallaim" .1. mpn acallaim 06 
Do-pom : ap ip eD minDn amsel Cpipc mace Oe. No, an 
ap Dech De amjlib — ba menic oopim an accallaim pioe: 
ba canaipi Dan Do accallaim aingel a acallaim peom. 



20. ba aiNrriNe ar? am beba. .1. Oofcam 

acbac .1. Do lugu Dige acbach : ap ni caiDeo lino na 
biao ip m bliaDain acbach, ace 1 SacupnD, no in Dom- 
mnuch. 

21. ba' blNO. .1. 6d binD a such i[c] celebpaD. 

22. ba oeN a ctierco cle'ircchechua. .1. 

Robo en Di a elaonaib cleipchechc : ap ba puf, ba 
pdich, ba pile. No, pobo leop Do cac inD oen-cepc 
cleipcechca bai oca, uc pacpiciup Oi;cic : 

^enpiD maccan Di a pine, 
biD pui, biD paich, bio pile : 
lnmam lepbaipe glan, 5I6, 
NaD ebepa immapbe. 

23. ba DO OOlNlb OlSCTCUUaiN. .1. ba anpa 
Do Doinib pcpiican a 5mm pon. No, commao "Oipcpeic" 



THE AMR A OF COLUM CILLE. 51 

stone then of the subduing of every evil was Colum 
Cille. 3 

13. He was a full benefit, .i. He was, so that he 
used to give his full benefit to every one. 

14. He was an abounding benefit of guests. .1. 
It was much he used to benefit guests. 

15. He was avid. .i. " Avidus," that is, eager. 

16. He was noble, high was his death, .i. He was 
superior over death, that is, over the Devil, or sin ; or, his 
death was high ; or, he knew death over him. 

17. He was gentle, .i. "Lenis," that is, gentle. 

18. He was a physician of the heakt of every 
sage. .1. He was a physician of the benefiting of the heart 
of every sage : or, he was bound according to the heart of 
every sage ; from that which is " ligo," that is, / bind. 

19. Our diadem who used to converse with Axal. .i. 
Our noble who used to converse with the angel, whose 
name was Axal. Or, " iar mindn axaln acallaim" (after 
the diadem of angels' conversation), that is, after conver- 
sation with God by him : for Christ, Son of God, is the 
diadem of angels. Or, what is best of angels — frequent 
of number was the conversation of these: second, accord- 
ingly, to the conversation of angels was his conversation. 

20. It was abstemiousness on account of which he 
died. .i. Of thirst he died, that is, from littleness of drink 
he died : for, he used not to take ale or food in the year 
he died, but in Saturday, or in Sunday. 

21. He was melodious, .i. Melodious was his voice at 
celebration. 

22. His profession of clericship was one. .i. Cleric- 
ship was one of his sciences, for he was a sage, a prophet, 
and a poet. Or, abundant for every one was the one pro- 
fession of clericship which he had, as Patric said : 

A child will be born of his tribe, 

He will be a sage, will be a prophet, will be a poet : 

Beloved the pure, clear lamp, 

Who will not speak deceit. 

23. He was to persons inscrutable, .i. Difficult for 
persons was the conception of his deeds. Or, it may be 



52 arnica choluim chilli. 

bat) choip ano .1. Ni cluineo pcpeic Dune m bale m 
oenaD a cpabuO .1. ip in Dicpub, no ip in Dub-peclep. 

24. ba DIN DO NOChUait). .1. 1mm erac. 

25. 5a DID DO bOChUaib. .1. Immi biaD. 

26. ba Nua Noctiesao each URomm. 

Dl O podllJC]~l. .1. Cac cnom-pocac no chepao — ba 
amal nua leip-peom rein. No, "ba cpuimmiu cac 
[pjochaig Dun in cepaD nua-pa," ap in Dall. 

27. O ChOlUTTI COSC CUauh. .1. O Cholum 

nochoipccfp na cuacha. 

28. miao mai? muNemarc maNN. .1. 

Uia^maic in a munigm in mop-aipmicmj pin lm nem 
Dumn. No, Dommunem Dobepchap aipmiciu mop do do 
chinD na[n] 5mm po. " TDiaD maip " .1. lmbeD manna .i. 
in mainD. Ip eD acbepcfp meicc lppael ppi a manchu 
.1. C[uiD eye hoc mpi cibup celepcip? Dommuinimap fapum 
oobepcap apmmu mop in bfo neniDa Do-pom. 

29. NOD5eiLsi5pe crcisc ezeu 0I15- 

"CGCU. .1. Nonseba pom Cpfpc in a geilpine .1. in a 
munuepap ecep na oligchechu [.1.] ecep ainsliu ocup 

apch-ain^liu. 

30. uRias Na eraNa couaisLia. .1. Cpip 

in pe cian pobui ic caipleD ipop .1. oc cpabuD. 



. [capiuulum un.j 

DE PRUDENTIA EIUS ET LECTIONE ET SAPIENTIA. 

1. ep^NaiD sui siac'u slichc ceurcaiR. 

.1. lp epjna in pui popiacc plicc na cerpi puiacc. 



THE AMRA OP COLUM CILLE. 53 

" discreit" (cryless) is what is right in it : that is, the 
place in which he used to make his devotion used not to 
hear the cry of a person : that is, in the desert, or in the 
Black Church. 

24. He was a shelter to naked, .1. In regard to 
clothing. 

25. He was a consolation to poor. .i. In regard to 
food. 

26. It was [as] new he used to sueeer every 
heaviness from attack, .i. Every heavy attack he used 
to suffer — that was like a new one with him : or, " heavier 
to us than every attack is this new suffering," says the 
Blind (that is, Dalian). 

27. From Colum discipline op territories, .i. From 
Colum the territories used to be disciplined. 

28. Let us hope great dignity, manna, .i. Let us go 
to his trust, the great reverent one about heaven for us. 
Or, we hope great honour will be given to him on the 
head of these deeds.. " Miad rnair," that is, an abundance 
of " mann," that is, the manna. It is what the children of 
Israel used to say to their monks : " "What is this but 
celestial food ?" We hope therefore the great honour of 
the celestial food will be given to him. 

29. Christ has associated him among the righteous. 
.i. Christ will receive him into his association that is, into 
his familyship among the righteous, [that is] among angels 
and archangels. 

30. Through the long periods he was humbling 
himsele. .1. Through the long time he was at humbling 
here, that is, at devotion. 



[CHAPTER VII.] 

OE HIS PRUDENCE, AND READING, AND WISDOM. 
1. A SAGE THE DOCTOR, WHO REACHED THE PATH OE POUK. 

.1, Sage is the doctor who reached the path of the four 
wisdoms. 



54 amrca choluim chilli. 

2. coiuLuio La ooceuuL do Nim-ioxh 

1CIRN a CROlCh. .1. lp amlaio oolluiD peom co fach 
nime lapn a chepao l pop co cecul muincipe nime -| 
caiman ; no i ci[n]-claip ainsel nime. 

3. ceu cell cusuoio cono po 051 

OippRlNO. .1. Rochoemepcap cec cell po chomlain- 
ciup cuinni cailig opppinO. No cec cell cop a caec conD 
mapa : "| cincech ap ecmeec anD. 

4. OIL NT Nl IOOX. .1. lp oil in cpen-pep he, -] 
no con lolacc Oognic. No, oil am Dognic Do maich, 
-] nf lDlacc. 

5. ni eLLasuarc cLoeN-chLeir?. .1. Ni aiieo 

na cliapa inoliftceca. 

6. DO[S]eLlarc PO INmUlLC. .1. Nope 5 aDeae po 
mnib an uilc : no, nocaiDleD eac co cappau a phennaic 
coip pop each. No, ba gabail ella Do'nD uapul na 
cloen-cliapa, com bo maich noimmuilgeD cpecim poppu. 
No, nopblijjeD Do pallunD .1. Do oenam pallainD. 

7. ni poe"c, ni puac'uNao hercis. .1. Nf 

popoiD nech uaD Do Denam uilc, -) m popuac[c]nai5 pem 
na hepip .1. ni pabi pip compaip[c]nec aicce .1. hepep : no 
ni poaplaig hepip pop nee. 

8. ni aeNeo nt no' bui m r?ecu rci'5. 

.1. Nf DenaO nf Do aim ace lapn [oJipgecaiD Oe .1. naineD 
in Domnaigib. No, ni aipDepcaigeD nf ace do peip pfajla 
Oe. 

9. NONO 6^80 baS blCh .,. Op naD ecaD,no na 
bao ipeaD Do bap epia bichu, no lp in bich. 

10. beo a aiNm .1. i F op. 

11. beo a CtNliaim .1. a amm call. 

12. ao imbiio poomjan? po rcectic 

NOeb .1. Ropupepcap com beich Do po DipgecaiD na 
noeb. No, ap a poc poDpubapcaip po pechc noeb — ip 
aipi ap beo a ainm ipop: -] a amm call ap lmmeo 



THE AMRA OP COLTJM CILLE. 55 

2. He went with music to heaven-land after his 
cross. .1. It is how he went to the land of heaven after 
his suffering here, with the music of the family of heaven 
and of earth : or, in the chief-choir of the angels of 
heaven. 

3. Guardian oe a hundred-churches under full- 
ness oe waves of offering. .i. He guarded a hundred 
churches under the completeness of the wave of the chalice 
of offering. Or, a hundred churches to which goes sea's 
wave ; and finite for indefinite in it. 

4. A mighty champion not by an idol. .i. He is a 
mighty champion, and not with idolism he works : or, 
mighty what he works of good, and not idolism. 

5. He brought not up an iniquitous company, .i. 
He used not nourish the unrighteous companies. 

6. He brought them up under milk. .i. He used to 
view them under the meanings of their evil : or, he used 
to try them that he might give his fit penance on 
each. Or, a catching of a flock for the noble one was 
the unjust companies, so that it might be well he would 
milk belief upon them. Or, he used to milk them for salt, 
that is, for the making of salt. 

7. He supported not, he attacked not heresy, .i. 
He sent not any from him for the doing of evil, and he 
attacked not himself any heresy ; that is, he had not an 
erroneous knowledge, that is, heresy. Or, he persuaded 
not heresy upon any one. 

8. He took no amusement which was not in 'the 
King's Law. .i. He used to make nothing of amusement 
but according to God's law: that is, he used to take amuse- 
ment on Sundays. Or, he used to make nothing distin- 
guished but according to God's rule. 

9. That he might not get eternal DEATH. .1. That 
he might not get, or that there might not be destined for 
him death for ever, or in the world. 

10. Living his name. .i. Here. 

11. Living his soul. .i. His soul beyond. 

12. It is a great number that he prepared under 
Saints' Law. .i. He procured that it (the number) might 
be for him under the law of the saints. Or, on account of 
the length of time he stayed under the law of the saints — 



56 cmma dioluim chilli. 

poDpuaip .1. aji a poc : ap pic immeD [imDa ?] .1. poca, 
uc Di;cic poeca : 



Ip lmcepc 
Cop inn abcan oc imcnecc : 
lnc aboc o I?up caem Chap, 
No con 6 a caeb ap imoa .1. poca. 

13. pr?isber?c cinu a toeb .i. Ropichbpui 

co net p' bo chiuc a coeb. " Ppipbepc cinu a choeb" .1. 
" pomaipnepcap," uc Di;ric poeca : 

Nee ppfpbepc a cigepna, 
Ni p'ba lie a libepna, 
Cop pucaic namaic a chenD, 
Q gabaip ip a Dub-ceno 

.1. a ech ocup a claiOeb: ap "col^" ocup" Dub-cenD" Duo 
nomina glaDn puncip inc [pjen-^oeoilj, uc Di^ic poeca : 



Ni p' [b] pop bpaigcib Dam na bo 
Ppomcaip colg mo puanaDo: 
Pop bpaijcib pig poceipD peic 
lnoi Oub-cenD oc Oiapmaic. 

14. CUlL a CUIRp CUlllSlUS .1. Rocoillepcap 
coill a cuipp .1. ip e a milliuD a nemDenam. 

15. CUlLL Q NGOTC .1. Rochuillepcap in gainni, uc 
poeca Di^ic : 

In maich lib 
In can apbepap pfp ppib ? 
Ctppaigep pepc paijic peoic: 
Ni jjeib neoic ppi nee ap Dil 

16. Nao in mace mace hui chuiND .1. 

Cuicinmac? Nin. em: mac Inn ChumD.i.ColumCille. No 



THE AMR A. OF COLUM CILLE. 57 

it is on that account that his name is living here : and his 
soul beyond on account of the number that he prepared 
.1. on account of its length : for " immed" means, namely, 
" long," as the poet has said : 

Very thin is 
The dwarflet's leg a-walking — 
The dwarf from beautiful Ross Cas, 
By no means is it his side that is long. .1. " fota." 

13. Decay attacked his side. .1. Great running 
of bowels until his side was not thick. " Frisbert tinu a 
thoeb," that is, " romairnestar" (betrayed), as the poet has 
said : 

One who betrayed his lord, 
His offspring were not numerous, 
Until enemies carried off his head, 
His " grey" and his " black-head." 

That is, his horse and his sword : for " colg" and " dub- 
cend" are two names for a sword in the old Goedilic, as the 
poet has said : 

Not on throats of oxen or cows 
The sword of my hero is proven : 
On throats of kings it darts power — 
This same black-head with Diarmait. 

14. The desire of his body he destroyed. .1. He de- 
stroyed the desire of his body, that is, its destruction is its 
non-performance. 

15. He destroyed his fight. .1. He destroyed the 
power, as the poet said : 

Are ye pleased, 
When the truth is spoken to you ? 
Who follows love treasures follow ; 
He takes not fight against one who is dear. 

15. Is not the son the son of the descendant of 
Cond ? .1. Whose is the son ? Not difficult indeed: the 

H 



58 aniRa choluim chilli. 

ni bu in meic hui ChuinDjainni, no neon. No, nao maicc 
aonacc maicc hui ceo chuino .1. ni bui in maicc ace bap 
popbee .1. maicc hui cheo chuino cic .i. ni bui lapmua ace 
ba hua CumD : quapi oijcippec, " bd poep-clanD cia popo- 
Domaip mop o Ofa." 



17. CUlL OGim 06 eOU. .1. Ni Depna De eoc nf 
noDigbao cuil .1. o'nDi ap Demo .1. D^baim. No '' oe poc" 
ap cboip ano .1. oe puachcain. 



18. CUll OeiTTl 06 pORmUC. .1. Ni Depna De 
popmuc ni Digbap cuil. 

19. po Lib li^e, a ai, are cech saeu 

SI2GCQ SIN a .1. lp mafch lib, a eolchu, a lije 
Coluim Cille, ap nofcao a Dpucc no a up ap cachn 
galop, no[p]paecnai5eo paip na pina .1. cac pfn a 
[p]pache. 

20. CRia chuaiuti 101015 ooRumeoiN 

RGCU. .1. lc oul Do cpfa rhuair nan foal popmnao am 
biboanap ppi Oia, co cabpao poppu cpecim Do Dia: 
") o'nDi ap "peacup" acct pecu. 

21. or CReoia caircpnu. .1. lpaipeoopac 

\r\ mep-pa poppu ap in cappac cpeoal a cuipp ; no, ap a 
cleipchechc popec a caippnu. 

22. each svr soich piR : picheo prei 

COLUaiTTl. .1. Ropo purhain a chach ppi Demon "| 
Oomun, "poich pfp" .1. popecepcap pipinne : l< picheo ppi 
culuain ;" .1. nopuaccnaigeD ppi a cholainD ipop. 

23. co no Re$a in rei'5-macc por 

06'Oe 06'. .1. No co pa£a mac in pfg .1. Colum Cille, 
pop inD apa epnail pil ic Oia. 



THE AMKA OF COLTTM CILLE. 59 

son of the grandson of Cond, that is, Colum Cille. Or 
power or fighting was not the part of the son of the grand- 
son of Cond : or, was not the characteristic of the son who 
was buried that of the son of the grandson of Cond : that 
is, there belonged not to the son but a perfect death, that 
is, to the son of the grandson even of Cond indeed : that 
is, he was not a great grandson but he was a grandson 
of Cond. As if he had said, " he was a noble offspring, 
though he suffered much from God." 

17. He profaned nought about jealousy. .1. He did 
nothing about jealousy which would take away pro- 
fanity : from that which is "demo," that is, " I take away." 
Or, " de fot" is that which is right in it, that is, " about 
aggression." 

18. He profaned nought about envy. .1. He did no- 
thing about envy which takes away profanity. 

19. Good in your estimation (his J grave, o sages, 

AGAINST EVERY SICKNESS OF COURSE OF SEASONS. .1. " Good 

in your estimation, learned, is the grave of Colum 
Cille," for its dew or its clay used to heal against every 
disease which the course of the seasons would extend, that 
is, every season its courses. 

20. Through an idolatrous territory he meditated 
criminality. .1. When going through the territory of 
the idols he would know their criminality towards God, 
so that he used to give on them belief in God: and from 
what is " reatus," retu is. 

21. For the sake of religious chariots. .1. It is 
why he gave this judgment on them for the religious 
chariot of their body : or, for his clericship he exchanged 
his chariots. 

22. With continuous battle he sought truth: he 
used to fight against flesh, .i. His battle was con- 
tinual against Devil and World : " soich fir," that is, he 
sought truth : " fiched fri culuain :" he used to commit 
aggression against his flesh here. 

23. That the king-son might not come on the se- 
condary of God. .1. By no means will the son of the king, 
that is, Colum Cille, come on the second division which is 
with God. 



60 amRa choltnm chilli. 

24. in ach^uch, in auhperes. .1. ip m 

guchn aigchioe .1. "Ice, maleoicci:" no, "in acjuc" .1. ip 
in gun pil aichle gocha aile perm. " In achpepp" .1. m ba 
ip in pepp cdnaipe pagap, ace ip in cec pepp .1. " Uenice, 
beneDicci, -)c." 

25. aorcaONachc tcicin cres, reiaN a 

imNlURU. .1. TCoaDnacc piapiu cfpao dep Do .1. 
piapiu pobo penoip -] pob' amnepcac : ap ic pe bliaona 
.l;r;c. pobo Ian oe. 

26. ar? ippui?ND in albu o'ttiun .1. a P 

omun lppipno DochuaiD in Ctlbain. 
hue upque pe^cum [capiculum.J 



[capiuulum un.j 

IDEM DE COMMEND ATIONE LAUDIS EI0S EEGE NEPOTUM NEIL. 



1. aeo acNoi ule oLL-doing oreom- 

CnGUQL. .1. Qeo, mac Cbnmepech, Dopac .un. cumala 
Do'n Oull aip ainm do chabaipe ip in molao-pa Choluim 
Chilli : 1 poiaicnepcap Cleo Do'n Oull commaD Dpumiu 
cec cecal in cecal-pa. 

2. pechU apOR Nia Nem. .1. In can nope 5 ao 
in cpen-pep .1. Colum Cille ; ap pic ma .1. cpen-pep, uc 
Dicicup : 

piDcell CpemchainD NiaiD Ndip 
Nipbeip mac bee do leicdm: 
Lech a poipne o' op buiDe, 
Ql leic aile d' [p]wopmne. 
Oen-pep Di a paipino namma 
Nocpenao pe cldnamna. 



THE AMR A OF COLTJM CILLE. 61 

24. In second voice, in second verse. .1. In 
the fearful voice, namely, " Go ye cursed :" or, " in 
athguth," that is, in the voice which is after another voice 
before it. " In athfers," that is, it will not be in the second 
verse he will come, but in the first verse, that is, " Come, 
ye blessed, and so forth." 

25. He was buried before age, before his weak- 
ness. .1. He was buried before his age came to him ; that 
is, before he was a senior, and was strengthless ; for it 
is six years [and] seventy that was full from it [the 
age]. 

26. On hell in Alba a terror. .1. For terror of 
hell he went to Alba. 

Hither so far the sixth [chapter.] 



[CHAPTER VII.] 

OF THE COMMENDATION OF HIS PRAISE BY THE KING OF THE 

UI NEIL. 

1. AED LAID DOWN OF ALL MIGHTY-POEMS A POET-SONG. 

.1. Aed, son of Ainmere, who gave seven cumals for his 
name to be given in this praising of Colum Cille : and 
Aed laid down to the blind [Dalian] that more poetic 
than any song this song should be. 

2. The time when the champion would reach 
heaven. .1. The time when the champion would come, 
that is, Colum Cille; for " nia" means, namely, a champion, 
as is said: 

The chess-board of Cremthand Brave Champion — 
A small child carries it not by little elbow: 
Half of its party of yellow gold, 
The other half offindruine: 
One man of its party alone 
Would purchase six couples. 



62 ' airma choluim chiLLi. 

3. NI QN DlL. .1. Ni |i'bo nemDil la Dia he, ace pobo 

Dll. 

4. NI SUQll. .i. Nf p[b'] bee he. No, "ni hanDil" .i. 
ni poinoil -J ni po[p]uais ni ban puail. 

5. NT SUai5. .i. Ni popupuai^. 

6. ni Nia Nao Nua prci couach 

CONUQlLL. .1. Ni cpen-pep nan nua inpo ppi cocac 
.1. pni ^linniguD chocaig Conaill .i. ecep cuacha Conaill 
apmeoon : no, ic Denam a cocaij pni cuachaib ailib 
Dianechcaip. No, " m nua" .1. no con[p]uil ocuno in cpen- 
pep [p]uagep ni nua pni cocac Conaill : "] "ni puaig" 
copach na ceille pfc. No, Dan .1. ni pil ocunD in cpen- 
pep achnuigep cocac Conaill : '' ni ma" in copach pic. 
" Ppi cocac Conuail" .1. ic pfc ecep copp "] anmain. 



7. cluiosius bc-Rb beolu beNNachu 

baUOR IC UO'l UOlL R15. .1. Rocloi beolu innam 
bopb bdeap ic apo-pfg "C6\, cio eD bao ail leo ole Do 
pdo, coniD bennachao oognfcip, uc puic balam. 

8. O' ooNib oeimuecca, oc oeo oes- 

SGSCQR. .1. O' Doimb pooigbaD, ic Oia cappapap. 

9. an aobuo, ar? cmi acRONNai cxr- 
^aRU 51cm hu'a i<i cauhaiR coNuail. .1. 

Ctp a ammm "] ap a dim poepnai gapen glan hU'a 
Conuaill inn a chacip. No, hua pom Coofaip moip Do 
Laignib ll lech o machaip. No, ap aobchlop ocup ap 
dim poepnai in gape glan "|c : ap nf DenaD pom pein, uc 
paciunc hipocpicae. 

10. hie uobuo caiNSRUiuh sceo ma 

51SC1R lTlUlNCGRe. "hicuDbuo" .1. "nomenDolo- 
pip" .1. ingiu pechi. Robo chain fapum in ppuich co na 
coimleD majpe, co na pajbaD in galap pein he : ocup 
Dan pobo maigipcip muincepe imm on cecna. No, "ingu 
pechi" .1. lp ipeccain pochojmaing a pechi he ap lrnrneD 



THE AMRA OF COLUM CILLE. 63 

3. Not undear. .1. He was not unclear with God, but 
he was dear. 

4. Not trifling. .1. He was not small. Or, " ni handil," 
that is, he prepared not, and he knitted not anything which 
was trifling. 

5. Not prosperous. .1. He did not plan well. 

6. The champion is not who bound new things for 
the alliance of con all. .1. The champion of the new 
things is not here for alliance, that is, for confirming the 
alliance of Conall, that is, between the territories of 
Conall within ; or, at making their alliance with other 
territories externally. Or, " ni nua" (a new thing), that 
is, there is not with us the champion, who will knit a new 
thing for the alliance of Conall ; and " ni suaig,'' is the be- 
ginning of the sense thus. Or again, that is, there is not 
with us the champion who will renew the alliance of 
Conall : " ni nia" is the beginning thus. " Fri cotach 
Conuail," that is, at peace between body and soul. 

7. He subdued with a blessing the mouths of the 
fierce who were at toy with king's will. .1. He 
subdued the mouths of the fierce, who were with the high 
king of Toi, though it was what they wished — to say evil, 
so that it is a blessing they used to make, as Balam was. 

8. From men withdrawn with god he has taken his 
seat, .l From men he was taken away ; with God he 
has rested. 

9. For abstemiousness, for fasting, the descendant 

BESTOWED PURE GREAT HOSPITALITY IN [the] CITY OF 

conall. .1. On account of his abstemiousness, and on ac- 
count of his fasting, the descendant of Conall distributed 
pure hospitality in his city. Or, a descendant of Cathair 
Mor was he in the side from mother. Or, for pleasure and 
for amusement he distributed the pure hospitality, and so 
forth : for he used not to do that, as the hypocrites do. 

10. AT DECIDING A FAIR SENIOR AND A MASTER OF 

family, .i. " Hie udbud," that is, a name of a disease, that 
is, " tightness of skin." The senior was accordingly fair, 
so tha° he used not to eat fish lest that disease should 
seize him : and likewise he was master of a family about 
the same matter. Or, "tightness of skin," that is, it is 
hardly his skin surrounded him on account of the abund- 



64 amRa choLuim chilli. 

a Dan; no "ic uobim" .1. ic pechujjuo aobb ic eipnuiD 
chepc na canom : No "ic uobuo" .1. ic OibouD [na]n 50a: 
no, "ic uobuo" .1. ic poibaout) .1. ic baOuD cuipp Cpipc 
po a [p]wl ic opppiunD : no, ainm Do boich legfno, no 
ppoppn loci 1 Ceneol Chonaill. 

11. prci aN^el Nacallascai? : au^aill 

5RammaUai5 5T?eiC. .1. Oo 5 nio am 5 el D' accal- 
laim, ocup nopoglaino gpammacaij amal ^pecu. No, 
noaicilleo jpammacacDu ocup 3r^ cu -* 

12. soer? sech cuaich sin hiNeoim. .1. 

Saep nopecbcep pechc cuacha, "| cinncech an ecinncec 
ano, no coic cuaca GpenD "| Di chuaich in Qlbain. No, 
nopechcea peccap-cuaich : no, ba paen popechcaip 
pipinDe ip in cip cliuaiD. "Sin inecum" .1. ip amlaio pin 
DogniD a paipneip, ap pic pin .1. amlaio, uc Di;nc poena : 



lpfn ceic in mal 'm a cech pig, 
In Dejiulc cen cappaip epic, 
Con Duib-ciuno in a oag-pcip. 



.1. cip (.1. lam) onof ap "capio." 

13. mac peolimiO[e] pich uuaich pinn 

OUC. .1. TTlac peDlimiD[e] Dia pichcip, no Dia pognacip 
in pice cuach : "] cinDcech ap ecinncech ann beop : no, 
di a pich m cip cuaig. " Pmn ouic" .1. pinem munDi ; no, 
popicip epich 1 comlainep in popcecail, no a bap pen. 
No, pin mebim mac peDlimio[e]. pino .1. ip 6 inoipim 
amlaiD pin mac piDilmio[e] ap in picb acuaig. 



14. ni uoiches oo'N bich ba sir? oo 

ChROlChC CU1T1N1. .1. Ni ma cuocaiD pop bich che 
ap gaipoe a ampipe : pobo cpucham do cuimniuguD 
cpoiche pop a copp. No, nf can ceppaD Docuaio Do'n 
bich Do luchc C01 : no, ni pobo coi do luchc in becha in 

* With this word ends imperfectly the copy in Lehor na hUidre : the remainder 
is from Lehor Brecc — [Ed.] 



THE AMKA OF COLUM CILLE. 65 

ance of his qualifications : or, " ic udbud/' that is, at the 
perceiving of difficulties in explaining the questions of the 
Canon. Or, "ic udbud," that is, at destroying the false- 
hoods : or, " ic udbud," that is, at submerging, that is, at 
dipping the body of Christ under his blood at Mass : or, it 
is a name for a reading hut, or of a special place in Cenel 
Chonaill. 

11. To AN ANGEL HE USED TO SPEAK: HE SPOKE 

Greek grammar. .1. He used to address an angel, and 
he learned grammar like Greeks. Or, he used to address 
grammarians and Greeks. 

12. A NOBLE ONE WHO SOUGHT NORTH : THIS ONE I RE- 
LATE. .1. A noble one who sought seven territories, and de- 
finite for indefinite in it, or, the five territories of Eriu, 
and two territories in Alba. Or, he used to seek extern 
territory: or, it was noble he followed truth ill the north 
territory. " Sin inetum," .1. it is thus he makes its narra- 
tion, for " sin" means, namely, thus, as the poet said : 

In this manner the chief goes round his house of a 

king, 
In good raiment without a storm-shower through it, 
With his black head (sword) in his good grip (in 

his right hand). 

That is, " cip," (hand) from the word capio (I hold). 

1 3. Fedilmid's son in the north territory knew end. 
.1. The son of Fedilmid for whom used to fight, or whom 
used to serve the twenty territories : and definite for inde- 
finite in it still : or from whom the north country boiled. 
" Finn ouit," that is, the end of the world : or he knew the 
end and completeness of the doctrine, or his own death. 
Or, thus I relate the son of Fedilmid. " Find": that is, it is 
he I relate thus — the son of Fedilmid from the territory 
in the north. 

14. There went not from the world [one] who 
was more continual for cross's remembrance. .1. not 
well he came on this world on account of the shortness of his 
time : he was everlasting for the remembering of a cross 
onhis body. Or, not without suffering he went from the 
world for the people of Tay: or, there was not silence for 
the people of the world, when he suffered. Or, there came 

1 



66 aniRa choluim chilli. 

can pochepaip pium. No, ni came oo'n bich hille biD 
ruchame Do cuimniusuo cpochi Cpipc. 

is. coNpis pi^lescar? o ^Nim 5I1N- 

OGSUCXR. .1. lnni nopigeO, no nopuaiDeo, no nopegao 
o pigill lmnaice do oenam, no noglinDeaD o 5mm: no, 
noglinDig o 5mm quoo ppeoicapec uepbo, uc Dicicup : 
"lmpleuic paccip quoo ppeDicauic uepbip:" ") Dan 
copegaD pigill do Denam .1. oa cec Deac pleclicain. 

16. coN5eiN oe seiNN on hua air?u, 

N1S NCll6 CO Ner?C. .1. Co po 5 ein De pin co p'ba 
jein opDnije he. No, pogenaip geinn an De .1. hua 
Qipc True CuinD epioe, no hua Neill. No, gem pip 
pojemp De : jein eipDaipc, pacmap, " Concepc" [recte 
co nepc] .1. pobo nepemap. No, "nipneill co nipc" .1. 
ni ppi nepcaib clainni Neill Dobepeao coeb, ace ppia 
nepcu in Spipuca noeib. No pic : "hua Qipc nip Neill 
co nipc" .1. ni a nipc Qipc no Neill nobagao, cia p'ba 
paep-chlano. 

17. Nac puich pectiu 01 am bacharc. 

.1. Ni Depna puachcain in buD choip a bap di am 
baD he pein nobeci Do chena : no, ni Depna puachcain 
pechc acbach .1. ni oc mapbao neich ele acbach. 

is. buich breoN cerco cuind duL do 
orcuib meui maiuh. .1. r?obpi r bpon-cach pop 

ChonD .1. Lech CuinD con a elaDain ap Dul Do Col. 
C1II1 Do chaipippin uamib : no, pobui uch -] bpon hi 
ceipD ChuinD .1. in elaoain, no in eepi Chuino : no 
pobui bpippeo 1 bpon hi cacaip ChumD Do'n Dpuib 
pobi pop Colum C1II1 Dian DecliaiD anunD : no, Do'n 
bpon -| coippe came hil Leich CuinD lapn ec Coluim 
Cilli. " TDeci maich" .1. lp mop meic in machiupa 
bui Do a cpuib bui paip. 

19. rnac-aiNm crcuiche. .1. Oopac amm do 

chpoich : no mac pip buD chumain ainmm chpoiche 
Cpipc : no, ip aip-ainim chpom DuinD in mac pochep ano. 



THE AMRA. OP COLUM CILLE. 67 

not to the world hither [one] who was more everlasting for 
the remembering of the cross of Christ. 

15. The conweb he figulated from deed he fol- 
lowed .1. The thing he used to weave, or he used to sow, or 
he used to view from figulation, he used to meditate to do, 
or he used to follow from deed: or, he illustrated from deed 
what he would preach in word ; as is said : "he fulfilled in 
deeds what he preached in words," and also he used to view 
to make figulation, that is, twelve thousand prostrations. 

16. So THAT THERE SPRUNG FROM IT A NOBLE OFFSPRING, 
A DESCENDANT OF ART, NOT OF NlALL WITH STRENGTH. .1. 

So that there sprung from that that he was an illustrious 
offspring. Or, an illustrious offspring was born from it, that 
is, a descendant of Art, son of Cond, was he ; or a descendant 
of Niall. Or, a true offspring was born from it ; an off- 
spring celebrated, full of grace. "Concert [recte, co nert], 
that is, he was strong. Or, " nis Neill co nirt," that is, 
not with the powers of the Clanna Neill he used to side, 
but with the powers of the Holy Spirit. Or, thus: " Hua 
Airt nis Neill co neirt" .1. not from the power of Art or of 
Niall he used to boast, though he was a noble offspring. 

17. "Who committed not an injury for which one 
dies. .i. He committed not an injury for which his death 
would be just, if it were itself that were for him already : 
or, he committed not an injury when he was dying, that is, 
it is not at killing another one he died. 

18. The profession of Cond broke grief through his 
going for a stay of greatness of good. .i. There broke a 
grief-battle on Cond, that is, Cond's Half, with its science 
on Colum Cille's going for a stay from them: or, there 
were wail and grief in the profession of Cond, that is, in the 
science, or in the poetry of Cond: or, there were misery 
and grief in the city of Cond from the stay which was on 
Colum Cille when he went over ; or, from the grief and 
sadness which came into Cond's Half after the death of 
Colum Cille. " Meti maith," that is, large is the greatness 
of the goodness which was to him from the stay which 
was on him. 

19. A son-name of cross, .i. He gave name to a cross : 
or a son to whom was mindful the name of Christ's cross : 
or', a heavy back-blemish to us is the son who suffered in it. 



68 amrca cVioluirn chilli. 

2o.cuiceaias: ece aei? : cereuo iNOias 

.1. Comce po a aep con epbailc. "Gee" .1. "if pollup 
Dam inc aep hi cein acu oc Denam huiup lauoip :" ap 
Dolecchea do a puile cein bui oc Denam in molca. 
" Cepco moiap" .1. if mop a chepci mDipimm, no 
cepcaioe inDipim. 

21. allioxh Leo biND hi [sjnccco nu- 

OQL. .1. Qlliach .1. al-lich mem ocup Ifch a aille : amail 
gldeio leomam binD hi pnechca in tail nui aille ino leich 
.1. Colum Cille : an in can DopbepeaD in leo a glaeiD 
app, cecaic na hull anmunna puchi co cabaip eff Di 
a epbul immpo, con eplec lp in luc pin peD luch -\ 
pinDach. Uic in pelche chuice-pium lap pin co cabaip 
penice lmme-pium pope con epil. 81c Colum Cille. 
lncif 1m a cabpaD eff a popcecail, m cheigeo uao : 
caippe peD anopeceaiD cfi popcecail fflic Oe in a 
chimcell pom. No, " all-iach" .1. hm lach hi nalla, ap 
ceic in leo in mch in alia cein bip in coipne, co cabaip a 
glaeiD app lapn oul hi mach lp in bail nui. TlinD aille 
t>on DojjniD Col. Cille co t>upcab na manach him 
lapmepji popaichmencap hie. No " allhiach" .1. apoile 
anmunna ~\ epi pacpne occa .1. ppepenp -| ppecepieum 
~\ pucupum, con inbcpamlaichep Colum Cille t>o pin, 
ap pobacap na cpeDe pm occa. No, "binD Do neoch 
Do nu-Dal" .1. lp binD 1 pecc-pa hi nu-oal .1. in Dal nua 
.l.ainjil pucpac leo in leo lp in all-iach mncpamlaigcech 
.1. in coelum. 



22. co ec co ecuais iNcech hi co- 
LuaiN co hecherc : a ro^u r?operc suba 

SQTTl-SlUn. .1. Co m' ec no con mDipiub pcela Coluim 
C1II1 : no quanDo, uc bicieup "co amm" .1. c' inOup inDippee 
co nV ec pcela Coluim C1II1, ap ni calla popm-pa an 
inoup [p]in .1. incech Docuaio hi colainD co hechep, amail 
Dochuaio Pol : ocup ba he a poga pin, ap ceigeo cec 
Dapoam cein bui hi colaino ao coelum, uc pepune pepici. 
" Ropep" .1. popepupcap a poja cup in pich hi pil pich -\ 
puba : no, popepupcap co capDao a pogu Do co pam- 



THE AMBA OP COLUM CILLE. 69 

20. Hitherto age : manifest sky : professions I have 
related. .1. Up to this his age until he died. "Ece," that 
is, '' manifest to me the sky while I am at making of this 
praise:" for his eyes were allowed to him while he was at 
making of the praise. " Certo indias," that is, " great his 
professions I relate," or, " truthful I relate." 

21. He cried a melodious lion in a snow's new 
meeting^ .1. "Alliath," that is, "al-lith," the same as 
" lith a aille" (the vigour of his praise) : like the roar of a 
melodious lion in snow in a new meeting is the praise of the 
strong one, that is, Colum Cille: for when the lion gives 
his roar out of him all the animals come at it, until he 
gives a coil of his tail around them, so that there die in 
that place a flock of rats and of foxes. The hunter comes 
to him then until he gives nets about him afterwards, 
so that he dies. Thus Uolum Cille. The person around 
whom he would give the coil of his teaching would not 
go from him : the strong power of the coil of the instruc- 
tion of the Son of God remains around him. Or, " all- 
iath," that is, " hin iath in alia'' (in the land of the cave), 
for the lion .goes to the land of the cave, while the frost 
remains, so that he gives his roar out of him after going 
out into the new meeting. The praise, then, which Colum 
Cille makes for the awakening of the monks about midnight, 
is commemorated here. Or, " Allhiath," that is, a certain 
animal and three prophecies with it, namely, the present 
and past and the future : so that Colum Cille is likened to 
this one, for he had these three. Or, " bind do neuch do 
nu-dal,''" that is, he is melodious this time " hi nu-dal," that 
is, in a new meeting, that is* angels that carried with 
them the lion into the comparative cave-land, that is, into 
heaven. 

22. Until death how shall I relate a route in 
flesh to heaven ? his choice made a joy calm- 
peace, .i. Until my death I shall not by any means re- 
late the tidings of Col. Cille, or when, as is said, "co 
amm" (what time?) that is, in what manner shall I 
relate until my death the tidings of Colum Cille, for that 
manner fits not on me : that is, a route he went in flesh to 
heaven, as Paul went : and that was his choice, for he 
used to go every Thursday while he was in flesh to heaven, 
as the learned say. "Rofer," that is, he effected his 



70 cmiRd choluim chilli. 

pich .1. co pich inc pampaio, ap ip ano acbach. No, 
po]iui|i pich 01 a cpamao in cechc oochoio hin echep. 



23. rcosolui sochla suioe oooei?b. .1. 

Ropuaplaic puiche '' Oepb" .1. ip oemin 

oopigne pin. 

24. ni 0N5 oeN-cige, NI 0N5 oeN-ceci. 

.1. Ong .1. uch .1. ni huch oen-cige .i. m an oen-cig oxa 
a chainiuD, pet) in mulcip oomibup. Sic in pequence. 
No '' ong" .1. caoall: no ceo .i. cimmpain, no ceo .1. plige : 
ni caoall oen-cige lapom, no ni caoall oen ceci, no 
caoall oen-pligeo Ounn coineo Coluim Cilli. Ubi epc 
onj .i. caoall .nin. hi pocha 6pech, uc Oicicup : 
" Ongaib, copcaib capuc" .1. ap oman a caoaill oi a 
cope Oia caipoib. " Ong" .1. onjjain : Ni p'bo hongain 
oen-cige, peo, pob ongain lll-cige : no, ni p'bo hongam 
oen-pligeo, peO mulcapum. 



25. crcom-cuach pocul pochuiND. .i. 

lp cpomm cuach, noip cpom a chaineO oc na cuachaib, 
1 pocul gonap nech pocuino. No, " pocul pochuino" .1. 
pocheino each uch : no poceno ,i. pocul porenoap each 
in peel-pa. 

26. areoiechu oe lochctRN in reifi 
oorjaobuo r?oaxhlas. .i. i r apo-poiiup como 

lochapn. No "in lochapn in pig," Oe poolechcc Oino in 
molaO-pa pop Colum Cille in pegno coelopum. Uel pic : 
cm poofbao hibupp poaclapp call. " Roolechc oo lochapn 
in pig" .i. Colum "cia pobaioeo hie co poachlap call,"-] 
pic concigic ei. 



27. amr?ao inso in R15 rooottiris— 

pORDONSNaiOpe S10N6. .1. lp ampa in pao po, 
no ampa in pach : no ampeio (.1. Oooaing). No ampa in 



THE AMEA OF COLUM CILLE. 71 

choice to the palace in which are peace and joy : or, he 
effected that his choice was given to him until summer- 
peace, that is, to the peace of the summer, for it is in it he 
died. ^ Or, the surety who went to heaven prepared peace 
for his congregation. 

23. The good man resolved uncertain wisdom, .1. 

He resolved wisdom to them. " Derb," that is, it 

is certain he did that. 

24. Not the wail of one house, not the wail or 
one string. .1. " Ong," that is, "uch," that is, not the 
wail of one house, that is, not in one house is the wailing 
of him, but in many houses : so in the following. Or 
"ong," that is, tribulation; or, " ted," that is a tympanum, 
or " ted," that is, way : not the tribulation of one house 
then, nor the tribulation of one tympanum, nor the tri- 
bulation of one road for us, is crying Col. Cille. Where is 
"ong," that is, tribulation? Not difficult: in Fotha Breth, 
as is said : " Ongaib, coscaib carut" (with tribulations, cor- 
rections of friends), that is, for fear of their tribulation 
from the correcting of them by their friends. " Ong," that 
is, " ongain," (....): it was not an " ongain" of one 
house, but of many houses : or, it was not an " ongain" of 
one way, but of many. 

25. Of heavy territories is a word of noise, .i. 
The territory is heavy, or heavy is the crying for him 
with the territories, and a word which wounds one is 
" fothuind." Or, " focul fothuind," that is, soreish is every 
wail, or '' fothend," that is, a word which presses every 
one is this news. 

26. It was due to the lamp of the king which 
was extinguished, that it relighted, .i. He is high- 
bright, so that he is a lamp. Or, " the lamp of the king," 
from it was due to us this praising on -Col. Cille in the 
kingdom of heaven. Or thus : though it was extinguished 
here, it relighted beyond. "It was due to the lamp of 
the king," that is, Colum, " though it was extinguished 
here, that it relighted beyond" ; and thus it happened to 
him. 

27. This is the elegy of the king, who has kinged 
ME — may it conduct us to sion. .i. Wonderful is this 
saying, or wonderful the grace : or, " amreid," that is, 



72 amna choluim chilli. 

pir nan ala pil poi in uappana. No ip inano inn "am" 
pil ano i "mopp" ap pope mopeem ppecium lauoip 
Oacum epc coeco : ap ip inano inc "am" ~\ "nem" .1. 
nem-pach Din, ap ip neam chucaD Do hil I05 a molca in 
pig. " Rouampig-pa" .1. oopac pfge oam-pa, ap ip ee Col- 
um Cille Dopac ollamnap oam. " popDonpnaiDe Sione" 
.1. ppnaioe co Sliab 8ion .1. cup in cachpaig nemoai. 



28. reouomsib-sa sech pia^u. .1. "i?opia 

pinoe chuca pech in luchc bice oc piagao caich." .1. 
Demna : "no pomuca pech Demna in aeoip ao peepjiem 
panccopum." No "pechpiagu" .1. pech mgene Oipcc : 
cpep piliae hopcci quae Diueppip nominibup nominancup 
in coelo 1 in ceppa -| inpepno. In coelo quioem Sehenio 
-| Gupiale [")] TTleoupa : in ceppa Clocho, Cachepip, 
Qcpopop : in inpepno Glecco, megaepa, Uepiphone. 

29. por?eio meNma ouba Dim. .1. "Robo 

popaio Dam Dul pech na Demna ouba" .1. ubi punc 
oemonep : -| mencicum .1. 50, mencica .1. 50a .1. Robo 
peiD oampa Dul pech ha 50a Duba : no, poeppeoi Dimm 
Demna ouba : no, pob' apDpaio Do na lochcai, no na 50a 
ouba hi menmain Do chop Dimm. No, peoigpio ~\ lapio 
Dimm na bpeca ouba lipepp Oemun popm." 

30.oomcipe cgn aiNme huacuireprrci] 
cachrca con uccisIg .1. "Copab capa 

Dam cen ainim hoa Do Choipppi Nia-pep do Laignib :" 
ap ip hif Gchni, mgen Oimma meic Noe, a machaip, do 
Choipppige Laigen, uc Dicicup : 



Gchni aipechoa 'n a biu, 
In pijan do Chopppigiu, 
TTIachaip Choluim, comalln gle, 
lngen Dimmai, meic Noe. 

Ocup baba hua hinn Noe pin Do Chachaip TTlop, mac 



THE AMEA OF COLUM CILLE. 73 

difficult. Or, wonderful the course of the Alas (Alleluias) 
that follow the Hosanna. Or, the " am" that is in it is 
the same as " death," for after death the reward of the 
praise was given to the Blind (Dalian) : for the " am" is 
the same as " nem" (heaven), that is, heaven-reward, for 
it is heaven that was given to him in price of the prais- 
ing of the king. " Rotamrigsa," that is, " who gave sove- 
reignty to me, for it is Colum Cille who gave Ollamnas ( office 
of chief poet) to me." '' Fordonsnaide Sione,"that is, may- 
he conduct us to Mount Sion, that is, to the heavenly city. 

28. .1. May he bring me past torments, .i. ''May he 
bring us to him past the crew, who are tormenting every 
one," that is, demons : or, "may he waft me past the demons 
of the air to the peace of the saints." Or, " sech riagu," 
that is, past the daughters of Phorcus : these are three 
daughters who are named with different names in heaven, 
in earth, and in hell. In heaven, indeed, Sthenyo, and 
Euryale [and] Medusa : in earth Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos : 
in hell, Alecto, Megaera, Tesiphone. 

29. May he drive mind-gloom from me. .i. "May it be 
easy for me to go past the black d emons," that is, where demons 
are : and " mentitum," that is, a lie, and " mentita," that is, 
lies. That is, " May it be easy for me to go past the black 
lies ; or, may he expel off me black demons : or, may it be 
easy' for him to put off me the faults, or the black lies in 
my mind. He will loose and put off me the black lies 
which the demon will pour on me." 

30. May the descendant of Corpre of the city 
with nobility see me without stains, .i. "May the de- 
scendant of Coirpre Niafer of the Laigne be a friend to me 
without stain" : for Ethne, daughter of Dimma, son of 
Noe, is his mother, of the Coirprige of the Laigne, as is 
said : 

Ethne principal when alive, 

The queen of the Corprigi; 

Mother of Colum— a clear fulfilment — 

Daughter of Dimma, son of Noe. 

And that Noe was a descendant of Cathair Mor, son of 

K 



74 amna choLuim chilli. 

peDlmuo pip-upglapi, ''Con uap[li]" .1. hua Chachaip 
uarail 111 Coipppe pin. 

31. oll-rccrcha reooiaU,, oLL-Mauha 
Nime Nem^rciaN ni nam uaiN. ni oi[s] 

SC601L OO hUa NGlll .1. Ip mop in pooiall 
.1. in pogneiujuo -| in cpuchujuD -| in Diol Dopacup popp 
na poclu-pa anuapp. '' Oll-nacha" .1. molao : no, ip 
uille na inoap cac nach oopigneo 00 mm 1 Do gpem hin 
nime m nach-po. Mo, ip oil in nach oognicip na pilio 
pop cup 00 spem -| Do epca, -j nf moo in Deimniugao 
Dobepnp poppai olcap Oopacup-[p]a punD: no, ciD oil 
linD epoapcup nacha gpeine 1 epca, ni moo lino, ol in 
pile, olcap eppoapcup ecpechca Choluim C1II1. " Ni Dam 
uain" .1. ap coecacup epc icepum .1. ni huain Dam .1. " ni 
[p] ecaim in molao Do Denam pech apo, ap puccha mo 
puile uaimm." No sic: " ni Dam uain ppi a oenam hin 
nacba cu holl, ap nipaicim nem na gpein. " Ni Oi[p] 
pceoil" .1. ni can peel Do limb Neill pin anuapp. 

piN. iu. amew. 



BEMAEKS ON TEXT, &c. 

There are a few complete copies of the " Amra," besides 
that of Lebor na hUidre, which is the oldest and the best : 
in Part II. I shall occasionally refer to those copies. 

Except in the Introduction I had intended to write the 
English form " Colum" invariably, as it is the most usual 
in the Amra, but I find that in some places Columb has 
found its way into the translation : the oldest Irish form is 
Colomb. 

In representing the original I have made no distinc- 
tion between uncontracted and contracted syllables, as 
I could not do so without disfiguring the page with 
the introduction of either Roman characters, or brackets, 



THE AMEA OF COLUM CILLE. 75 

Fedelmid Fir-urglas. "Con uais[le]," .1. a descendant 
of noble Cathair is that Coirpre. 

31. Great circles of great turnings, great poems 

OF HEAVEN TO ME SUNLESS IS NOT A SUITABLENESS. Not 
A TRIFLE OF A STORY ABOUT Ua NeILL. .1. Great is the 

great declension, that is, the great formation and the 
shaping, and the finish I have given on these words 
above. " Oll-natha," that is, praising: or, greater than 
every poem which has been made for heaven and for the 
sun of the heaven is this poem. Or, great is the poem the 
poets used to make at the beginning for the sun and moon, 
and not greater the confirmation they used to give on it 
than I have given here: or, though great in our estimation 
is the celebrity of the poems of the sun and moon, not 
greater in our estimation, says the poet, than the celebrity 
of the death of Col. Cille. " Nidamuain," that is, for I am 
blinded again, that is, " ni huain dam" (there is no op- 
portunity for me), that is, I cannot make the praise be- 
yond this, for my eyes have been taken from me. Or, 
thus: I have no opportunity of making the poem mightily, 
for I see neither heaven nor sun. " Ni dis [s]ceoil," that is, 
not without a story for the descendants of Niall that 
down. 

It endeth. Amen. 



or something in that way, to indicate the resolution 
of the contraction. Meantime, while I have thus pre- 
served a uniformity pleasing to the eye, I have done no 
injustice to the student, for in the accurate lithograph 
copy of Leb. na hUidre, published some time ago by the 
Royal Irish Academy, he can see the contraction at a glance, 
while from the present edition he can test my mode of re- 
solving it. 

As I had no opportunity of representing in print the 
dotted n and m, I shall here point out the words in which 
they occur : 

The n of puiln, p. 8, line 17 : the m of reopam, and of 
bliaocmm, p. 10, fourth line from foot : the n of C1115, next 
line : the second n of cenoncnb, p. 14, line 1 : the n of 
oopainngepr, same page, line 2 : the second n of nongebao, 



76 EEMAEKS ON THE TEXT, &c. 

ib., line 4 : the n of in in lap in goeoel, ib., seventh line 
from foot : the n of in and gucn, ib., sixth and fifth line 
from foot, and p. 16, line 13 : the n of beilmn and 
t>i[p]olcnn5, p. 24, Article 1, and again, Article 3: the m 
of ajim bm, p. 28, Article 9 : the n of cmjjil Oe, p. 30, Ar- 
ticle 1 : the n of anjil, p. 32, Article 13 : the n of o'angil, 
p. 38, Article 9 : the n of lmmeon, p. 40, Article 11 : the 
n of angel, p. 64, Article 11. 

Corrections of text. — wd innanba, p. 8, line 10 [ms. in 
cinnapba]: nuc, p. 12, line 9 from foot [ms. jiuc]: pcfc, p. 
16, line 12 \ms. pcfb] : l cpub, p. 18, line 15 [ms. fqiub] : 
oepmejieccaigciji, p. 18, line 8 from foot [ms. ben — ] 
bocuipmec p. 20, line 3 [ms. bocuipmec] : pencaib, p. 
24, Article 3 [ms. pepcaib] : pluneo, p. 28, Article 13 
[ms. fluneno, with the second n dotted to indicate dele- 
tion]: oino, p. 32, Article 7 [ms. binb]: 'n a cpibib, p. 
32, Article 11 [ms. nacjnbib] : aingil Oe, p. 32, Article 13 
[ms. amjel Oe] : nochluneb p. 36, Article 3 [ms. poch- 
luneb] : inc ec, p. 38, Article 8 [ms. mcec]: bopcanaD, 
3. 40, Article 11 [ms. oopcapao]: m ma, p. 62, line 6 
ms. nima]. 

Translation: For comma after "north-west," p. 11, fifth 
line from foot, read "period:" for " treasures," p. 13, line 11, 
read " gifts:" for twenty-fifthline, p. 13, read " conscience 
with its soul pure :" to " Obscuration," p. 17, seventh line 
from foot, prefix " Culu," that is : " for " wander" p. 27, 
line 15, read "dwell:" p. 43, Article 7, dele comma after 
"Maistin:" for "finite, p. 55, Article 3, read "definite." 
In the translation there are, no doubt, some contestable 
and absolutely erroneous renderings: these, however, I 
must leave in the care of my readers until I examine them 
in the Second Part. 

I find one error in the printed Irish — inobait) [recte 
mbaio] p. 16, line 18. For libun-leigoocc, p. 32, Article 
7, read libun leig bocc : dele hyphen in ]iolep-ail, same 
page, Article 9. 

N.B. — The " Amra," which in the original is written in double column 
each page, begins at top of p. 5, and breaks up at foot of p. 12. The 
supplement from the Leb. Brecc is from the back of fol. 110. 




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