Bhunléitheoireacht Ghalach a Dó Dheug le Mícheál Rhodes
For this reading, I have given an Old Irish poem, "I and White Pangur",
(often called "The Scholar and his Cat") with a Modern Irish translation.
This poem was written in the early ninth century and is found in a manuscript
belonging to the St. Paul monastery in Unterdrausberg, Carinthia, southern
Austria. The meter of the poem is called "deibidhe" in which there are seven
syllables in each line with the stressed final syllable in b rhyming with the
stressed final syllable of a, and the unstressed final syllable in d rhyming
with the stressed final syllable in c. There is frequent use of alliteration.
The modern Irish translation does not preserve the meter.
I have included a modern Irish vocabulary, but no Old Irish vocabulary. The
similarities between Old and Modern Irish will be evident, although this is
obscured somewhat by the spelling conventions of Old Irish--for example
aspiration is indicated only for c -> ch, s -> s (with dot over it, which
I have rendered sh in the text), and t ->. Other aspirated consonants are
not indicated--for example in line 4 mu menma is Modern Irish mo mhenma.
In the Modern Irish translation I have tried to retain the same words used
in the Old Irish version when that word was still in use. The meant using
words that are designated Lit. (for literary) for those words that are no
longer used in the spoken language, but can still be found in literature.
I hope this gives you a taste of some of the riches in literature that can
be found in Old Irish.
Mícheál
Messe ocus Pangur Bán
Messe ocus Pangur bán,
cechtar nathar fria shaindán:
bíth a menmasam fri seilgg,
mu menma céin im shaincheirdd.
Caraimse fos, ferr cach clú
oc mu lebrán, léir ingnu;
ní foirmtech frimm Pangur bán:
caraid cesin a maccdán.
Ó ru biam, scél cen scís,
innar tegdais, ar n-óendís,
táithiunn, díchríchide clius,
ní fris tarddam ar n-áthius.
Gnáth, húaraib, ar gressaib gal
glenaid luch inna línsam;
os mé, du-fuit im lín chéin
dliged ndoraid cu ndronchéill.
Fúachaidsem fri frega fál
a rosc, a nglése comlán;
fúachimm chéin fri fégi fis
mu rosc réil, cesu imdis.
Fáelidsem cu ndéne dul
hi nglen luch inna gérchrub;
hi tucu cheist ndoraid ndil
os mé chene am fáelid.
Cia beimmi a-min nach ré
ní derban cách a chéle:
maith la cechtar nár a dán;
subaigthius a óenurán.
Hé fesin as choimsid dáu
in muid du-ngní cach óenláu;
du thabairt doraid du glé
for mu mud céin am messe.
Mise agus Pangur Bán
Mise agus Pangur bán,
ceachtar againn lena shan-dhán:
bíonn a mheanma-san le seilg,
mo mheanma féin i mo shain-cheird.
Caraimse fos, fearr gach clú
ag mo leabhrán, ag tuiscint go dícheallach;
níl sé formadach liom, Pangur bán:
carann sé féin a mhac-dhán.
Nuair a bhímid, scéal gan scís,
inár teach, sinn araon go haonarach,
tá cluiche éigríochta againn,
rud a dtugaimid ár mbeartaíocht dó.
De ghnáth, ar uairantaibh, tar éis greasaibh galacha
gleanann luch ina líon-san;
agus mé, titeann i mo líon féin
dlí doraidh is deacair a thuiscint.
Greamaíonn sé i bhfraigh fáil
a rosc geal comhlán;
greamaím féin i bhféighe an fheasa
mo rosc réil, cé go bhfuil sé an-lag.
Tá áthas air a dhul go tapa
nuair a ghleanann luch ina chrúb ghéar;
nuair a thugaim ceist dhoraidh dhil
tá áthas ormsa féin.
Cé go mbeimis go deimhin ar uaireantaibh
ní bhodhraímid a chéile:
is maith le ceachtar a dhán;
subhaigh gach aon fúthu.
Is é féin máistir dó
na hoibre a dheineann sé gach aon lá;
a thabhairt doraidh do shoiléireacht
is í m obair féin.
Vocabulary
a (asp.) - his
a (ecl.) - their
a (h- before vowels) her
a (asp.) who, which (direct relative)
a (ecl.) who, which (indirect relative)
a (vocative particle) O
a (asp. before vn) to
ag - at; tá sé ag an fear - the man has it.
againn = ag + sinn - at us
agus - and
air = ar + sé - on him
an (definite article) - the
an-lag (a) very weak
aon - one, any; a, an
aonarach (a) single, solitary, lone
ar - on
ár (ecl.) our
araon (adv) both
áthas (m) joy, gladness
bán (a) white
beartaíocht (f) ingenuity
beimis (conditional) we were
bímid (pres. habitual) we are
bíonn (pres. habitual) is
bodhraigh - to bother, annoy
car - to love
cé go - although
ceachtar - either, one of two, each
céile - a chéile - each other
ceist (f) question; problem
clú (m) reputation, honor, renown
cluiche (m) game
comhlán (a) complete, perfect
crúb (f) claw
dán (m) poem; (Lit.) craft, calling
de - of, from
deacair (a) hard, difficult
deimhin - go deimhin - indeed, certainly
dein - to make
dícheallach (a) diligent
dil (a) dear, beloved
dlí (m) law
do - to
dó = do + sé - to him
doraidh (a) (Lit.) difficult
doraidh (f) (Lit.) difficulty
dul (vn) to go
é - him
éigríochta (a) endless, infinite
fál (m) hedge, fence (also wall)
fearr (comparative of maith) better; best
feasa (gen. of fios)
féighe (f) (Lit.) keeness, sharpness
féin - self
fios (m) knowledge
formadach (a) envious
fos (m) (Lit.) state of rest, resting
fraigh (f) wall
fuil (dependent pres. of tá)
fúthu = faoi + siad
gach (a) every
galach (a) valorous
gan - without
geal (a) bright
géar (a) sharp
glean - to stick, adhere
gnáth (m) custom; de ghnáth - as a rule, usually
go - that
go - to
greamaigh - to attach, fix, fasten
greas (f) (Lit.) attack
i - in
í - her
ina - in his (asp.), in her (h- before vowels), in their (ecl.)
inár - in our
is (copula) is
is = agus
lá (m) day
le - with
leabhrán (m) (Lit.) (copy of) book
lena - with his, her, their
liom = le + mé - with me
líon (m) net
luch (f) mouse
mac-dhán - (Lit.) childish craft
máistir (m) master
maith (a) good
mé - me
meanma (f) mind, thought
mise - me (emphatic)
mo (asp.) my
m = mo
na (pl. def. article) the
ní (not)
níl - is not
nuair - when (with relative particle - a)
obair (f., gs. oibre) work
orm = ar mé
Pangur - cat's name
réil (a) (Lit.) clear, bright
rosc (m) eye
rud (m) thing
-sa (emphatic pronominal suffix)
sain- (san-) special, particular, specific
sain-cheird (f) special trade, occupation
-san (emphatic pronominal suffix)
san-dhán (m) special craft
scéal (m) story
scís (f) tiredness, fatigue, weariness
-se (emphatic pronominal suffix)
sé - he
seilg (f) hunt
sinn - we
soiléireacht (f) clarity
subhaigh - (Lit.) to rejoice
tá - is
tabhairt (vn) to give
tapa (a) quick, ready, active
tar éis
teach (m) house
tit - to fall
tug - to give
tuiscint (vn) to understand
uair (f) hour; time, occasion; ar uairantaibh - at times
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