[David Stifter's edition] [Kuno Meyer's edition] [Liz Gabay's translation]
1. Líadain ben do Chorco Duibne .i. banéces. Luid-si for
cúairt hi crích Connacht. Cuirithir mac Doborchon, éces-side dano. Do
Chonnachtaib dó. Do·gníther ón cuirm dí-si la Cuirithir.
'Cid ná·dénam-ni
óentaid, a Líadain?' ol Cuirithir. 'Ropud án ar mac ar ndís.'
'Ní·dénam-ni ón,' ol sise,
'arná·loiti mo chúairt immum. Día·tís armo chend dorísi dom thig, doreg-sæ lat.'
2. Ba fír són. Luid fodess + óengilla 'na diaid + a étach-som hi téig fora muin-side + drochétach imme + cennæ na ngái isin téig. Luid íarum co·mbaí ocon topur i tóib ind lis. Gaibid íarum a étach corcordæ imme + do·ratæ na gái fora cronna, co·mboí oca crothud. Co·n-accæ Mac Dá Cherdæ cucai. Óinmit-side, mac Maíle Ochtraig maic Dínertaig dona Déssib Muman. Cumma im·téged muir + tír inna chossaib tírmaib. Ardfhili na hÉrenn + óinmit na hÉrenn é- siden. Do·tét-side co Cuirithir.
3. 'Maith sin,' or Mac mo Cherda.
'Amin,' or
Cuirithir. 'In tú fer ind lis?'
'Ní mé,' or Mac Dá Cherda.
'Can
deit-siu?' or Cuirithir.
'In óinmit tróg dina Déssib .i. Mac Dá Cherda.'
'Ro·cúalamar,' or Cuirithir.
'In·rega isin lis?'
'Raga,' ol sé.
'Déna mo lessa,' ol Cuirithir. 'Ben mór file thall, apair frie triat chéill
féin tudecht cosin topur- so.'
'Cía a h-ainm?'
'Líadain.'
'Cía
th'ainm-siu?'
'Cuirithir mac Doborchon.'
'Maith,' or sé.
4. Téit isa tech. Boí-si ina h-imda cetheora mnáib. Dessid-som + níro·laad óid aire.
5. Is ann as·bert-som:
'A tech mór fo·longat na
tuireda,
día mbeith nech no·dálad dáil,
timnæ dáib co fuineda.
6. Ba mithig
a topor fil fiada tig.
Ferait a
llúadain imbi
uissi áilli imrinni.
7. Ro·lá temel dom roscaib,
am dillig ar inchoscaib,
conid Líadain con·gairiu
cach banscál nád·athgniniu.
8. A ben cosind remorchois,
ní·fúar do shét di
márchlois.
Nícon·fhestor fo chailliu
banscál
badid cíallaidiu.
9. Mac in míl
anas adaig fo linnib,
fo·longat cot
idnaidiu
cossa glassa fo rinnib.'
10. Is íar-sin do·chúaid-si trá leis-som, coro·gabsat
anmchairde Cummaine Fhota maic Fhiachna.
'Maith,' or Cummaine. 'Mór dom
mírennaib ad·opar. Nert na h-anmchairde foirb. In ba déicsiu dúib ná
h-immacallam?'
'Immacallam dúin,' or Cuirithir. 'Is ferr a·mbía de.
Imma·n-accæ dún ríam.'
In tan íarum
no·téged-som timchell martra, no·íata a tech fuirri-si. No·íata dano fair-som,
in tan no·téged-si.
11. Is and as·bert-si:
'Cuirithir int athéces
carsam, ním·ráinic a less.
Inmain fíada dá coss nglas,
ba dirsan a bithingnas.
12. Ind lecc fri derthach andess
forsa·mbí int
athéces,
minic tíagar dí im cach ndé
fescor íar mbúaid ernaigthe.
13. Nicon·bïa aice bó
ná dairti ná dartadó.
Nocha·bïa cnáim do liss
for láim deis ind athécis.'
14. [Cuirithir dixit:]
'Inmain guthán ro·cluiniur,
fáilte fris nocho·lamur.
Acht is ed at·biur nammá:
is
inmain in guthán-sa.'
15. Dixit in ben:
'Guth dom·adbat tri chlethæ
is
maith dó dom·inchrechæ.
Is ed do·gní frim in guth,
nachom·léci do chotlud.
16. [17.] 'Foid far ndís innocht,' ar Cummaine, '+ tét léignid becc etraib, coná·dernaid anespa.'
17. [18.] Is and as·bert-som:
'Másu óenadaig at·bir
fesi dam-sæ la Líadain,
méte la láech nod·fhïad
ind adaig ní·archrïad.'
18. [19.] Is and as·bert Líadain:
'Másu óenadaig
at·bir
feis dam-sæ la Cuirithir,
cid blíadain do·bérmais fris,
baithum imma·rordamais.'
19. [20.] Foit in n-aidchi-sin. Do·beror in mac
arnabáruch dia chuibsigud do Chummaine.
'Is taccar duit ní·celae,' ar
Cummaine. 'Not·shelos-sæ día·celae.'
'Is cumma dó cía·eiplea. Na·selas-sæ
día·n-atma,' ol Cuirithir.
Rucad-som íarum do chill aili.
20. [21.] Is and as·bert-som:
'Di chíanaib
ó
ro·scarus fri Líadain,
sithir cech laa fri mí,
sithir cech mí fri blíadain.'
21. [22.] [Liadain dixit:]
'Másu Chuirithir indíu
do·chuäid co rétairiu,
dirsan in chíall fris·ngéna
fri nech nacha·aithgéna.'
22. [23.] Cuimmine dixit:
'Ní maith lim a n-í at·bir,
a Líadain ben Chuirithir.
Ro·boí sunnæ, nirbo mer,
cid síu
tísed Cuirither.'
23. [16.] [Líadain dixit:]
A fhir, ní maith a
ndo·bir,
mo líud-sa for Cuirithir.
hÉ-sium do brú Locha Sing,
messe
féin ó Chill Chonchinn.'
24. 'Dïa h-Aíne didine
níbu scor for milide
for
löæ mo gaimnén gil
itir dí láim Chuirithir.'
25. Luid-sium didiu co·mboí hi Cill Letrech i tír na nDésse inna ailithri. Do·luid-si fora íarair- som + dixit:
26. 'Cen áinius
in gním-hí do·rigénus:
an ro·charus ro·cráidius.
27. Ba mire
ná·dernad a airer-som,
manbad omun ríg nime.
28. Níbu amlos
do-sum in dul dúthracair:
ascnam sech phéin hi Pardos.
29. Becc mbríge
ro·cráidi frim Cuirithir.
Fris-seom ba mór mo míne.
30. Mé Líadan,
ro·carus-sa Cuirithir.
Is fírithir ad·fhíadar.
31. Gair bá-sa
hi coimthecht Chuirithir.
Fris-som ba maith mo gnás-sa.
32. Céol caille
fom·chanad la Cuirithir,
la fogur fairce flainne.
33. Do·ménainn
ní·cráidfed frim Cuirithir
do dálaib cacha·ndénainn.
34. Ní·chela:
ba hé-som mo chridesherc,
cía no·carainn cách chenæ.
35. Deilm ndegæ
ro·tetaind mo chride-sæ.
Ro·fess nícon·bía cenæ.'
36. Is é didiu crád do·rat-si fair-som a lúas ro·gab
caille. Amail ron·cuala-som a tuidecht-si aníar, luid-som hi curuch forsan
fairci, co·ndechaid inna ailithriu, coná·acca-si hinnunn.
'Do·coid-som a
fecht-so,' ol sí.
Ind lecc fora·mbíd-som oc ernaigthe, ro·boí-si forinn
leicc-sin co·n-erbailt-si, co·ndechaid a h- anim dochum nime. Conid ind lecc-sin
do·chóïd dara h-agaid-si. Comracc Líadaine + Cuirithir in-sin anúas.
Liadain ben do Chorco Duibne .i. banéces. Luid sí for
cúairt hi crích Connacht. Cuirithir mac Doborchon, éces side dno. Do
Chonnachtaib dó. Dogníther ón cuirm dí-si le Cuirithir.
'Cid ná dénaim-ni
óentaid, a Líadain?' ol Cuirithir. 'Ropud án ar mac ar ndís.'
'Ní dénaim-ni ón', ol sise, 'ar ná
loiti mo chúairt immum. Día tís ar mo chend dorísi dom thig, doreg-sæ lat.'
Ba fír són. Luid fodess + óengilla 'na diaid + a étach-som hi téig for a muin-side + drochétach imme + cennæ na ngái isin téig. Luid íarum co mbái icon topur i tóib ind lis. Gaibid íarum a étach corcordæ imme + doratæ na gái for a cronna, co mbói ic a crothud.
Co n-accæ Mac Dá Cherdæ cucai. Óinmit side, mac
Máileochtraig maic Dínertaig dona Déssib Muman. Cumma imtéged muir + tír inna
chossaib tírmaib. Ardfili na Hérenn + óinmit na Hérenn é-siden.
Dotéit side
co Cuirithir.
'Maith sin', or Mac mo Cherda.
'Amin', or Cuirithir.
'In tú fer ind lis?'
'Ní mé', or Cuirithir. 'Can deit-siu?' or
Cuirithir.
'In óinmit
tróg dina Déssib .i. Mac Dá Cherda.'
'Rocúalamar', or Cuirithir. 'In rega isin lis?'
'Ragat', ol sé.
'Déna mo lessa', ol Cuirithir. 'Ben
mór file thall, apair frie triat chéill féin tudecht cosin topur so.'
'Cía a
hainm?'
'Líadain.'
'Cía th'ainm-si?'
'Cuirithir mac Doborchon.'
'Maith', or sé.
Téit isa tech. Bói
sí ina himda cetheora mná. Dessid som + ní rolaad óid aire. Is ann asbert som:
'A tech mór
folongat na tuireda,
día mbeith nech
nodálad dáil,
timnæ dáib co fuineda.
Nech donísed ba mithig,
a thopuir file fiad tig,
ferait a lúadain imbi
uissi áilli imrinni.
Rolá temel dom roscaib,
am dillig ar inchoscaib,
conid Líadain congairiu
cach banscál nád athgniniu.
A ben cosind remorchois,
ní fúar do shét di
márchlois,
nícon festor fo chailliu
banscál badid cíallaidiu.
Mac in míl
anas adaig fo linnib,
folongat cot
idnaidiu
cossa glassa fo rinnib.'
Is íarsin dochúaid sí tra leis-som, co rogabsat anmchairde Cummaine Fota maic Fiachna.
'Maith', or Cummaine. 'Mór dom mírennaib adobar[r]. Nert
na hanmchairde foirb. In ba déicsiu dúib ná himmacallam?'
'Immacallam dúin',
or Cuirithir. 'Is ferr a mbía de. Immanaccæ dún ríam.'
Intan íarum notéged som timchell
martra, no-íata a tech fuirri-si. No-íata dno fair-som, intan notéged sí.
Is and asbert si:
'Cuirithir in t-athéces
carsam,
nímráinic a less:
inmain fiada dá coss nglas,
bid
dirsan a bithingnas.
In lecc fri derthach andess
forsa mbíd in t-athéces,
minic tíagar dí im cach ndé
fescor íar mbúaid ernaigthe.
Nicon biaid aice bó
ná dairti ná dartadó,
nocha
bia cnáim do liss
for láim deis ind athécis.'
[Cuirithir dixit:]
'Inmain guthán rocluiniur,
fáilte fris nocho lamur,
acht is ed atbiur nammá:
is inmain
in guthán sa.'
Dixit in ben:
'Guth domadbat trie clethæ
is maith
dó domincrechæ:
is ed dogní frim in guth,
nachomléci do chotlud.
A fir, ní maith a ndobir,
mo líud-sa for Cuirithir:
hé-sium do brú Locha Sing,
messe féin ó Chill Conchinn.'
'Foid far ndís innocht', ar Cummaine, '+ téit léignid
becc etraib, co ná dernaid anespa.'
Is and asbert som:
'Másu óenadaig
atbir
fesi dam-sæ la Líadain,
méti la láech nodfiad
ind adaig ní archriad.'
Is and asbert Líadain:
'Másu óenadaig atbir
feis
dam-sæ la Cuirithir,
cid blíadain dobérmais fris,
baithum immarordamais.'
Foit in oidchi sin. Doberor in mac arnabáruch dia chuibsigud do Chummaine.
'Is taccar duit ní cela', ar Cummaine. 'Not selo[s]-sæ
día cela.'
Is cumma dó cía eipli. 'No[t]sela[s]-sæ día
n-atma.'
Rucad som íarum do chill aili. Is and asbert som:
'Di chíanaib
ó roscarus fri Líadain,
sithithir
cech lá fri mí,
sithithir mí fri blíadain.'
[Liadain dixit:]
'Másu Chuirithir indíu
dochúaid
co rétairiu,
dirsan in chíall dusngéna
fri nech
nachid aithgéna.'
Cuimmine dixit:
'Ní maith lim aní atbir,
a
Líadain ben Chuirithir,
robói sunnæ, nirbó mer,
cid síu
tísed Cuirither.'
[Líadain dixit:]
'Día háine didine
ní bu scor for
milide
for lóæ mo gaimnén gil
itir dí
láim Cuirithir.'
Luid sium didu co mbói hi Cill Letrech i tír na nDésse inna ailithri. Doluid sí for a íarair-som + dixit:
'Cen áinius
in chaingen dorigenus:
an rocharus rocráidius.
Ba mire
ná dernad a airer-som,
manbad oman ríg nime.
Ní bú amlos
dó-sum in dul dúthracair:
ascnam sech péin hi pardos.
Becc mbríge
rocráide frim Cuirithir:
fris-seom ba mór mo míne.
Mé Líadain,
rocarus-sa Cuirithir:
is fírithir adfiadar.
Gair bá-sa
hi coimthecht Cuirithir:
fris-som ba maith mo gnás-sa.
Céol caille
fomchanad la Cuirithir
la fogur fairce flainne.
Doménainn
ní cráidfed frim Cuirithir
do dálaib cacha ndénainn.
Ní chela!
ba hé-som mo chridesherc,
cía no·carainn cách chenæ.
Deilm ndegæ
rotetaind mo chride-sæ,
rofess nícon bíad cenæ.'
Is é didu crád dorat sí fair-som a lúas rogab caille.
Amail roncuala som a tuidecht-si aníar, luid som hi curuch forsan fairci, co ndechaid inna ailithriu, co ná acca sí hinnunn. 'Docóid som a fecht so', ol sí.
Ind lecc for a mbíd som ac ernaigthe, robói sí for inn
leicc sin co n-erbailt sí, co ndechaid a hanim dochum nime. Conid ind lecc sin
dochóid dar a hagaid-si.
Comracc Líadaine + Cuirithir
inn sin anúas.
1. Líadain was a woman from Corco Duibne, a female scholar. She went on a
tour into the land of the Connachta. Cuirithir son of Doborchú (Otter) was also
a scholar. He was from the Connachta. A beer-feast is made by Cuirithir for her.
'Why don't we make a union, Líadain?' said Cuirithir. 'A son of the two of
us would be splendid.'
'We won't do that,' she said, 'lest my round of visiting be
ruined for me. If you come for me back to my house, I will go with you.'
2. This was true. He went southward with a single servant behind him and his clothes in a satchel on his back, clad in poor clothing, with the spearheads in the satchel. Then he went until he was at the well in the side of the les. He then puts on his purple clothing and he places the spears on their shafts, and he was shaking them. He saw Mac Dá Cherdae (Son of Two Arts) coming towards him. He was a fool, son of Máel Ochtraig (Servant of the Dunghill) son of Dínertach (Strengthless) of the Munster Déisi. Both on sea and on land he used to travel with dry feet. High poet of Ireland and fool of Ireland he. He comes up to Cuirithir.
3. 'Well,' said Mac Dá Cherda.
'So,' said Cuirithir, 'Are you the man of
the les?'
'It's not me,' said Mac Dá Cherda.
'Who are you,' said
Cuirithir.
'The miserable fool of the Déisi, Mac Dá Cherda.'
'We heard of
you,' said Cuirithir. 'Will you go into the les?'
'I'll go,' he says.
'Do me a favor,' said Cuirithir. 'It is a great woman who is over there.
Making use of your own wit, tell her to come to this well.'
'What's her
name?'
'Líadain.'
'What's your name?'
'Cuirithir son of Doborchú.'
'Okay,' he said.
4. He goes into the house. She was in her chamber of four women. He sat down and no heed was cast upon him.
5. Then he said:
'The great house which pillars support,
If there is
a person here
that has arranged a meeting,
here are commands for you until sunset.
6. It would be high time to go to their well,
which is in front of their
house.
Beautiful, pointed larks
flutter
around it.
7. Darkness has fallen on my eyes,
I can't make out signs,
so that I
name Líadain (Grey One)
every woman that I don't
recognize.
8. O big-footed woman
I have never found anyone as famous as you.
There will not be found under a veil
a woman who would be more
intelligent.
9. 'The son of the animal
that stays at night under water,
dark-grey,
pointy feet
support him while waiting for you.'
10. It's after that she then went with him, and they accepted the
soulfriendship of Cummaine Fota son of Fiachna.
'Good,' said Cummaine. 'Many
portions of my wisdom are offered to you. May the power of soulfriendship be
upon you! Will you be looking at each other or talking to each other?
'Talking to each other,' said Cuirithir. 'Something better will come to us
from that. We saw each other previously.'
Afterwards whenever he used to
go around the saint's burial ground, her house used to be closed upon her. His
used to be closed upon him, whenever she went.
11. Then she said:
'Cuirithir, the ex-layman
loved me, I didn't need
his love.
Beloved to me is the lord of two gray feet,
his eternal absence would be sorrowful.
12. The stone to the south beside the oratory
upon which is the
ex-layman,
It's often that one goes to it
every day in the evening
after Mass.
13. He will not have a cow,
nor heifers nor young bulls.
No woman's
thigh will be
at the right hand of the ex-layman.'
14. (Cuirithir said:)
'Beloved is the little voice which I hear,
I do
not dare to be happy about it.
But what I say is merely:
This little voice is beloved.'
15. The woman said:
'The voice which is revealed to me through the posts
it is right that it reproaches me.
What the voice does to me,
is that it doesn't let me go to sleep.'
16. (17.) 'Let the two of you sleep tonight together,' said Cummaine. 'and let a little scholar go between you, so that you may not commit a folly.'
17. (18.) Then he said:
'If you say it is one night
of sleeping with
Líadain for me,
a layman who would spend such a night would deem it
much,
the night would not be uselessly wasted.'
18. (19.) Then Líadain said:
'If you say it is one night
of sleeping
with Cuirithir for me,
even if we spent a year on it
I would have something upon which we could
meditate.'
19. (20.) They spend that night together. The next day the boy is brought for
his confession to Cummaine.
'It is best for you not to conceal anything,'
said Cummaine. 'I will kill you if you conceal.'
'It doesn't matter to him
how he dies. I will kill him if he reveals anything,' said Cuirithir.
He
was brought to another church after this.
20. (21.) The he said:
'For a long time now,
since I parted from
Líadain,
every day has been as long as a month,
every month has been as long as a year.'
21. (22.) Líadain said:
'If it's Cuirithir today
who went to the
scholars,
he will make a woeful impression
on anyone who doesn't know his story.'
22. (23.) Cummaine said:
'I don't like what you say
O Líadain, wife
of Cuirithir.
Cuirithir was here, he wasn't crazy,
even before he came.
23. [16.] [Líadain said:]
'Man, that which you put forward is not good,
accusing me of having sex with Cuirithir.
He from the bank of Loch Sing,
Me myself from Cill Conchinn.'
24. 'On Friday
it wasn't camping on honey-pastures
upon the fleece of
my white hide-cloth
between the two arms of Cuirithir.'
25. He went then until he was in Cill Letrech in the land of the Déisi on pilgrimage. She came searching for him and said:
26. 'Without enjoyment
was that act which I performed:
that which I loved I tormented.
27. It would be craziness
that someone wouldn't do his pleasure,
if it were not for
fear of the king of heaven.
28. 'It was a good choice for him
the course he
desired
striving
past pain into Paradise.
29. It was a thing of little import
that has
offended Cuirithir against me.
Towards him my gentleness was great.
30. I am Líadain,
I loved Cuirithir.
It is as true as they tell it.
31. It was a short time that I was
in the company of
Cuirithir.
Towards him, my companionship was good.
32. The music of the wood
used to sing around me
when I was with Cuirithir
with the
sound of the blood-red ocean.
33. I would have thought
that nothing of whatever
things I might do
would bring
Cuirithir against me.
34. One shouldn't hide it:
he was my heart's desire,
even if I loved everyone besides
him.
35. A roar of fire
has broke my heart.
It is known that it will not live without him.'
36. Now this is the torment that she had given to him,
namely her swiftness by which she had put on the veil. When he heard of her
arrival from the west, he went in a coracle over the sea, and he became a
pilgrim, so that she didn't see him henceforth.
'He has gone this time,' she
said.
The stone upon which he used to be praying, she was upon that stone
until she died, until her soul went to heaven. It is that stone that went across
her face.
This above is the Encounter of Líadain and Cuirithir.
Author: David Stifter
Last change: Martin Braun, 20.10.2012