AN OLD HYMN, FROM THE ARRAN ISLANDS.
AN EISÉIRĠE.
[’San uiṁir 46 do’n Irisleaḃar clóḃuaileaḋ cuid do na sean-duanaiḃ cráiḃṫeaċa atá ag muintir na hÁrann ṡiar. Fuair mé a n-urṁór, mar aduḃairt mé ċeana, ó Ṁáirtín ’ac Ḟualáin (Mac Fualáin—Folan ’san mBeurla) i nInismeaḋóin ’san saṁraḋ do’n ḃliaḋain 1892. Sul do cuireaḋ i gcló iad, fuair Máirtín bás. Fear maiṫ, meaṁraċ, macánta, gaeḋilgeóir cliste, seanċaiḋe cumasaċ, b’eaḋ é. Níor ḋuine é nár ċuir suim i n-a ṫeangaiḋ ḋúṫċasaiġ. Is iomḋa sean-ġaeḋilgeoir foġlamṫa, fear ceudta aḃrán nó sgeulaiḋe gan sgíṫ, ar a ndeuntar an ḟeart-laoiḋ ḃrónaċ so, tar éis báis d’faġḃáil dó, “’Tá sé imṫiġṫe ⁊ a ċuid Ġaeḋilge i n-éinḟeaċt leis;” cáil naċ raċa ċoiḋċe ar “Ṁáirtín ṁaitiú,” mar do ḃí sé rímeudaċ riaṁ as a ċuid Gaeḋilge, ⁊ do ṁúin sé dá ċloinn í do leuġaḋ ⁊ do sgríoḃaḋ, réir mar d’ḟoġlaim sé féin ó n-a ṡinsearaiḃ Í. Ba ṁór an sgeul liom bás an ḟir se, ⁊ baḋ ṁian liom an meud so ṡuas do sgríoḃaḋ i n-onóir dá ainm ⁊ i gcuiṁne gaċ seanċuis ⁊ gaċ coṁráiḋ do rinneamar, mé féin ⁊ é féin, le ċéile go siamsaṁail, ⁊ fós le sompla do ṫaḃairt do ṁuintir na gaeḋilge ar an nós ar féidir leó gaċ níḋ do ḋeunaṁ dá ndliġtear uaṫa do ṫeangaiḋ a sinsear.
Is ó ’n ḃfear ceudna ⁊ fa’n am ceudna fuair mé an duan so leanas.]
[ 85 ](a) Abair do Ṗaidir, má’s maiṫ leat é;
is léiġeann í naċ dtéiḋeann ar gcúl;
Is Paidir í naċ ngaḃann smál,
Caiseal árd ḃí ag Riġ na ndúl.
Dréimire Ṗarrṫais í an Ṗaidir,
“Paidir anam” ḟóireanns í,
Urnuiġṫe ċráiḃṫeaċ ḟialṁar ġlan,
Droiċead ṡíl Euḃa í.
(b) Trosgaḋ, urnuiġṫe, agus déirc,
Aiṫriġe ḋaor ⁊ dóċas maiṫ,—
Sin é an teagasg ṫug Mac Dé
Dá Eaglais féin ar a ḃóṫar tais.
(c) Téiriġ ’un Aifrinn gan do ḃróga,
Agus ná deun mórtaċas as do ḃrat,
Agus beannuiġ faoi ḋó do’n ḃoċt . . . . .
(d) Ar a ḃfeicfiḋ tú d’airgead ⁊ d’ór,
’S ar a ḃfeicfiḋ tú do ċeolta crois
(crot?),
Ní ḟeicfiḋ tú flaiṫis Ṁic Dé go deoiḋ
Gan leabaiḋ ⁊ gan déirc na mboċt.
(e) Deun go mín leis an mboċt,
Agus cuir cneiṫ ar a ċorp;
Agus gur mór an díol déirce an boċt
Agus go ndeacaiḋ Mac De ’n-a
rioċt . . . .
(f) Go dtigiḋ lá Ṡliaḃ Slíon (Síon?) na
sluaġ . . .
Cé gur duiḃe ár ngné ’ná an gual,
Cé gurab áluinn anois do ċruṫ, . . . . . . .
Mara (muna) gcuiṁniġir ar dtús ṫú
féin . . . . .
Caoin Páis na sleaġ, má ḟeudann tú,
Cuir na gárṫa deor fó na mílte
cuṁa . . . .
Croiḋe glan cráiḃṫeaċ náireaċ déir-
ceaċ uṁal,
Naċ míle fearr lé ráḋ ’ná beul ar
siuḃal (?)
(g) Naċ iomḋa marcaċ maiṫ leagaḋ
Agus raċaḋ arís ar ḃun (ṁuin?) a eaċa.
Má ċuaiḋ mise i leiṫ na sliġeaḋ,
Tear (= tar) a Ċríosd, ⁊ taḃair do
ḃreiṫ,
(h) Ifrionn fuar fliuċ,
Baile is (ḃ)uaine ⁊ is seirḃe deoċ,
Baile gan ċill gan ċrois,
Ní raċa mé féin i n-a heaċ ’ná ’n-a
ċos.
(i) Aċt mar is maiṫ le Críosd mé ḃeiṫ
Buḋ ṁian liom gul anonn,
Maraċ (muna mbeiḋeaḋ) a laiġead a
ḃfuil ḋe lón roṁam,
Is beag mo ḃárr i ḃfus,
Agus mo ċuṁa naċ ṫall do ṫreaḃas.
(j) An laoċ do ceusaḋ Dia hAoine
’S cuireaḋ i rópaiḋe roiġne . . . .
Síneaḋ é ins an uaiṁ mo sínte (?) . . . . .
Cloċa móra clonta (?) cloiḋte,
Faire leabṫa ar feaḋ na hoiḋċe . . . .
(k) ’Sé aduḃairt seisean lé Nicodémus . . . .
Contamatar (?) as a ċionn sin . . . . .
Go dtugadar é ó luċt na seaċt líne
Ḃí ḋá mbreunaḋ lé haoileaċ,
Ḋá ndeargaḋ lé címleaċ,
Ag na deaṁanta fó ṗianta;
Ṫugadar é go Parrṫas na gcraoḃ
ngeal . . . . .
(l) Mara (muna) ḃfaġmuid-ne óigeaċt ó
ċríonna
Nó uṁlaiġeaċt na hOiġe míne . . . .
(m) Naċ maiṫ ċaoinfeaḋ bean a leanḃ
Is ní fearr ’ná a dalta;
Ní ċaoineaḋ sí Árd-rí na caṫraċ,
Laoċ doḃeir an t-eun i ndiaiḋ na
huiḃe,
Agus ṡlánuiġeas gaċ bean i ndiaiḋ a
leinḃ,
Naċ ait naċ ndeunamuid-ne Dia do
ġuiḃe (ġuiḋe),
’S gurab é ’ġníos ar gcré do ċumaḋ,
M’ Aṫair síorruiḋe doġníos bun dam
Ar mo ċoisiḋeaċt lé mo ġnoṫaiġ amuiġ
ḋam . . . .
(n) Laoċ do ṫúirling a Mac agad
Ċaiṫ trí ráiṫe in do lár i dtaisge;
Rug ṫu é i mainseur asail;
D’oil tú é ar do ġlúna geala;
Níor lig tú deor ḋá ḟuil faoi ṫalaṁ,
Nó go ndeaċaiḋ dé ḋá ṫeasgairt
Ar leacraċa dearga . . .
(o) Mar ḃárr pianta na táirngí
ḃarraḋ . . . .
Longínus aríst (do ṡrois?) an
tsleaġ ort . . . . .
(p) A Ḋia ḋílis, gurab é do ṁíle beaṫaḋ!
Níor ḋíob-se (ḋíoḃ-so) dliġtear tada
(dadaṁ),
Aċt ḋínn uile go léir na peacṫaiġ.
(q) Ní ba ná caoiriġ ṫug tú asam
Aċt do ḃóṫar goile (= d’ḟuil a) ḋóir-
teaḋ faoi ṫalaṁ;
Ṫréig na naoiṁ ṫú a’s na heaspail,
Ṫréig Miċeál ṫú, an t-aingeal . . . .
(r) Ṫáinig na trí Ṁuire ḋá Ḟaire,
Muire Óġ brónaċ deacraċ
Folt-sgaoilte a’s í gan tapa,
Deoir ’n-a ṡroṫaiḃ léi ’n-a leaca;
’N uair ċonnaic sí an ḟeoil, an ċuma
ḃí ar a leanḃ,
Ag an dream deaṁan ḃí gan ḃaisde,
Ċuimil sí suip as bos,
D’iallaċaiḋe reaṁra teannta lea-
{ṫair . . . .
(s) A Ċríosd, ó ṫarla Dia go maiṫ leat,
A Ṁic na haiġe míne geala
Fuair an crann ceusda ḋá sgaraḋ . . . . .
(t) ’Sé ḃeir foġṁar moḋaṁail maiseaċ,
’Sé ḃeir geiṁreaḋ líonṁar leata,
’Sé ḃeir saṁraḋ drúċdaṁail teasṁar
’Sé ḃeir aimsir ċinnte ġaoṫṁar ear-
raiġ ann.
(u) A Ṁuire ṁóir-ḃríoġṁar ṁaiseaċ
Is uait-se ṡíolruiġ toraḋ na mbean-
naċt . . .
(v) Ṫugadar cuairt anuas ó ’n aingeal
is ionnus (?) anuas ġluais an
tAṫair . . . .
(w) Naċ í an Eiséirġe is fearr dá gcualas
riaṁ
Ag cléireaċ Ċleaḃair na ngeall (?),
Íosa críosd ḃeiṫ ’g’ul ins an ċrois
’Éis a ċroċaḋ lé crann . . .
Rí geal agus a ċaoin (?) lé crann,
Rí nár ċuingil riaṁ . . .
(x) Ṫeilgeadar ’n-a ṡúil (?) anall
Agus ġoireadar féin Mac Dé go
teann,
Ċaiṫeadar an tsleaġ fó n-a ḃroinn,
Agus ċroiṫ an tsleaġ duine dall,
Duine dall a’s é ’teaċt ’n-a ḋall,
’S an tsleaġ niṁe ’n-a ḋeas-láiṁ,
’N uair triomaḋ cneiṫ an daill
Fó ḋalta ar dTiġearna (?) . . . . .
(y) Braitlín geal ’g’ul fó Íosa
’Measg na ríġṫe ’gus na sluaġ . . .
Annsin a ġoireadar féin Mac Dé
beannuiġte
’S cá raiḃ (?) a leabaiḋ anois ’san
úir . . . . . .
(z) Ṫáinig na trí Ṁuire, na trí ríġ,
Na trí saoi fó n-eunlaiḃ (?),
Fó n-a mbosa corra is fó n-a mbeagán
mánla,
Agus iad á caoineaḋ ar dTiġearna.
(aa) ’N uair ċuala Muire an ḟuil tinn
A Mac mín geal ḋá ḃfaġáil (?),
Ṫóig sí na trí bosa corra
Fó n-a riosta deirin (?) geal (doirn-
ġeal?) . . . . .
(bb) Siúd í an ḟoiġid fuair guṫ
Siúd iad na bosa do bualaḋ
Siúd í an ḟoiġid do fuair
Do ḟoiġid a truaġ-ḃualaḋ.
(cc) Ní’l marcaċ fó t’ aois ann, a Ṁic,
Nár baineaḋ na cinn díoḃ i n-éinḟeaċt;
Ní’l aṁ ná cuiḃe (?) cruaiḋ
Naċ ḃfuil lán dá ṁór-ṡluaġ.
(dd) Ní hé sin is misde liom féin,
Aċt t’ḟeiceáil fó ċrann na Páise,
A riosta is gile ’ná an ġrian,
’S a ġnúis naċ ndearna droiċḃeart!
Is tú Bainríoġain Ḟlaiṫis Dé,
Is tú breiṫ(eaṁ) gaċ dainséir,
Is tú mo Ṁáṫair gan loċt
A’s níḋ ar biṫ is áil leat, ġeiḃir é.
(ee) Ní’l aon ċuiṁneoċaḋ orra (= uirre) lé
mo ḃuaiḋ,
Is deuraḋ í lé n-eug.
Ġeaḃaḋ sé Neaṁ ó Ríġ na gcreuċt.
NOTES.
This piece seems to be made up of fragments of several recitals. Only a small portion of it has any relation to the Resurrection, from which the poem is named, Eiséirġe (as pronounced, ais-eiḋrí). Other parts of it treat of the birth, youth and passion of Christ, and of the duties of the Christian. The poem addresses sometimes the hearer directly, at other times the Virgin, at other times the Saviour, at other times it is simply narrative. The parallel passage that I have been enabled to cite at (h) proves two things: first, that the poem is made up, as I have said, of remnants of other compositions; and secondly, that part at least of it is of considerable age, dating back to the time when there was a community of literature between the Gaedhil of Ireland and of Scotland. The parallel also serves to illustrate the corruption of language that the poem has suffered. Much of it was unintelligible to the reciter. It seems as if some passages have been transposed, and others perhaps omitted. It is not unlikely that other versions of this poem, or of parts of it, are to be found elsewhere in Ireland or Scotland. If they are to be found, they should be taken down and sent to the Editor of the Gaelic Journal.
(a) I am inclined to think that the Paidir mentioned in the first two ceaṫraṁna is not the following poem, but the Pater Noster, formerly called in Irish, “an Paidir,” and that the two stanzas belong to a poem in praise of the Pater Noster.
“Paidir anam” ḟóireanns í, Pater of souls (is the name) that befits it. For fóirim, the word now used in Aran is foileann.
(f) lá here seemed to be pronounced laṫa, as written in Scotland (Old Irish laiṫe).
(h) The following lines occur in a poem in the Turner MS. printed in Cameron’s Reliquiæ Celticæ (Inverness, 1894). edited by Alex. McBain, M.A., and John Kennedy, a volume of rare interest to Gaelic students:—
“Is beag orm Ifrionn fuar fliuċ
Baile biṫ-ḃuan is searḃ deoċ
Baile tá gun ċill gan ċrois—
Ċo dtéid mé ann a ċois nó ḋ’eaċ.”
The last verse should evidently read ní raċa mé ann (or nár ṫéiḋead ann) d’eaċ ná do ċois. It may be added that the MS. containing this quotation is supposed to be a century and a half old.
(k) Contamatar: the reciter did not understand this. It may be a corruption of consummatum (est), the last words of Christ on the Cross.
(o) Longínus (pronounced Longaonus, Long-íonus) was unintelligible to the reciter. It is the name of the centurion who was present at the Crucifixion.
(cc) Aṁ=áiṫ, a kiln.
Mac Léiġinn.