Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus/Sanctán's hymn

by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, eds.

[ 350 ]VI. Sancton's Hymn.

Ateoch rig^ Epscop Sanctdn" doronai*^ iun immunsa, 7 icdul do o*' Chluain Irard** siar^ do^ Inis Mat6c dorone" h^, 7 brathair sede do Mat6c 7 do Bretnaib doib diblinaib 7 t6isechu' tanic Matoc inErind quam epscop Sanctan. Causa autem haec est dia s6erad ab hostibus, 7 co roleced^ 5 a brathair e chucai' in insolam. Scoticam uero lingam usque ad banc horam™ non habuit, sed Deus ei tarn cito earn donauit. Tempus autem dubitatur.

Bishop Sanctan made this hymn, and he made it as he went from Clonard westward to Inis Mat6c. He was brother to Mat6c, and they 10 were both of the Britons, and Matoc came into Ireland before bishop Sanctan. Now this is the cause, to deliver him from enemies and that his brother should let him come to him in insolatu etc.

Ateoch^ rig namra^ uaingel • uair" ised ainm as tressom"^:
Dia dam him lorg* Dia tuathum^-Dladom thuus^^Dia dessom*'^ 15
Dia dom chobair n6eb togairm^ • ar cech nguasachf nodgiiasim *»:
4 drochet" bethad bid Issum*" • bennacht" D4 athar uasiim^

I beseech the wondrous King of angels, for that is the name that is
mightiest :
God (be) behind me, God on my left, God before me, God on my 20
right !
May God help me — holy the invocation — against every danger that
I risk !
4 let there be a bridge of life beneath me, the blessing of God the
Father above me. *5

1. .i. atchim 2. .i. maith i mirabilis T, .i. narnra .i. maith i namra .i. nadamra ningnad .i. ic anacul 7 ic soerad neich ar gaibthih, 'amra i.e. good, or amra i.e. wonderful, strange, i.e. in protecting and delivering' F 3. .i. arnach jil nomen fortius quam nomen illius quod liberet hominem '.since there is no nomen etc' T 4. .i. darmesi"" 'behind me' 5. .1. 30 frim^ atuaith 'to the left of me' 6. .i. remum 'before me' 7. .i. frim andess^ 'to the right of me' 8. .i. Dei T, .i. is noeb togair[m] De 'the invocation of God is holy' F 9. .i. imbiim hiiiguasacht 'in which I am in danger ' T, .i. nad biim i nguasacht ' that I am not in danger ' F 10. .i. doroich each cuce, i drochset .i. ara olcas intseta darsindentar, {35 set diriuch, ar biid droch diriuch, '. . i.e. everyone comes to it, or droch-set 'bad-way' i.e. for the badness of the way over which it is made, or a straight way, for there is droch 'straight' T, .i. dorochset' .i. set diriuch ar Ipiid] droch [diriuch^ isint [s]engoedilc, ^ dorochset i.e. a straight way, for there is droch 'straight' in old Gaelic,' F 11. .i. foum 'under me' 40 T,ybwm derc .i. gnuis^ F

^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25]}

^[26] [ 351 ]

Hfiasal trin(5it* donfosca^^ • donach airchenn" bds baile',
dn^' spirut ndeb uert^nime • Dla^ athair^ m6rmac Maire.
Morri fitir ar fine*^* • fiadu*** huas domun dillocht'*
8 domm anmain arcech guallocht"^ • nimtharle* demna dibocht".
5 Dia dim" cech saeth"' doringba • Cvlst frisinnle*"^ mochesta:
apstaiP immiim cotrisat • dommairse** trindit testa'.

May the Holy Trinity awake us to whom ... death is not certain,
the splendid Holy Spirit, the strength of Heaven, God the Father,
Mary's great Son.
lo The great King who knows our crimes' (?), the sinless Lord above
the world,
8 (be) to my soul against every...! may not the Devil's... come to me !
May God ward oflf from me every hardship ! May Christ prepare'
my pleadiugs !
15 may the Apostles come together around me ! may the Trinity of
witness come to me !

1. .i. ronthodiusca a hhas peccaid i i mmbrath quia ad similitudinem Dei facti sumus 'may He arouse us from death of sin or in judgment quia etc' T, Donfoscaig .i. dogena ar nduscud i mhrdtli donfofoscaig 20 .i. dorigne sin conid /oiscte .i. conidarcominatJie do quia ad similitudinem Dei facti sumus, *He will arouse us in judgment or donfofoscaig, i,e. he hath done that so that it is figurative (1), i.e. so that we are equally good with him' F 2. .i. is do aoenur donach airchend has na baile • armdd sinne immorro is a(irchenii) h{as) ocus bai(le)..., 'it is to Him alone that 25 death or frenzy (1) is not certain, for as to us, however, death and frenzy (?) are certain' T, (donach) air" 6as iaile in «pirut noeb acsi diceret: in spirut ninie viuinter nivie ...dia asa drech ... ercend bos baile F 3a. D int atkairfon innisin b... .i. uasal recht De donfoscai • aliter uasal don- fosc" ■ — i. Txascd .... donfosc^ ■ F™» 3. .i. hifertaib ocus hi mmir- 30 bailib 'in miracles and marvels' T 4. .i. arpectha 'our sins' T, .i. armbeta .i. ar pecctha 'our evil deeds i.e. our sins' F 5. .i. dia maith ' good God ' 6. .i. diUochtaigthe .i. ce?i locht ata Dia ' faultless, i.e. God is without fault' T, .i. dUochtaigthe .i. nietar a loctn^tid .. locda i adbolloctaigt/ie 'faultless, i.e. His faultiness is not found i.e ' F 35 7. .i. ar each locht goa 'against every fault of lying' T 8. .i. ni romtaidlet ' may they not come to me ' T 9. .i. cen dia occi acht 'without God with him but...' T, .i. boct Dia .1. cen Dia occum 1 nemboct .i. cen bocta osadbri int [s(eguil, 'poor in respect of God, i.e. without God with me, or not poor, i.e. without poverty in respect of the world's wealth' F

1. .i. cech toirsi i galar 'every grief or disease' T 2. rofrithaile T frisinle .i. doene Crist frithindel ino chest .i. ti Crist i nagid in doilgiusa, ' may Christ make preparation of my pleadings, i.e. may Christ come against the suflfering' F 3. .i. ti in trinoit testamail dom d ' t tresta .i. treda 'may the testifying Trinity come to help me, or tresta i.e. triple' T, 45 .i. domair Trinoit" co ti in tnnoit testamail dom tliarractain t dom thorithin riasiu tecma bet I pudar ' may the testifying Trinity come to overtake me or to help me Ijefore crime or hurt befal ' F ^{[27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45]}

^[46] [ 352 ]

Dommair trocaire tolam*^ • o Christ^ nadc^tla*' celar®:
12 nimthairle'^® ec na amor®^ • nimthair mortlaid® nagalar.
Nimthairle^ erchor amnas^ • sech Mace De medras' bodras* :
ainsium^^ Grist arcech nernbas^- arthein^ ar threthan*'* torbas*.
Arcech neclind^^" bas eslind'" • dom chorp co wainbthib^^ 5
huathaib*

May . . .' of mercy come to me from Christ who is not concealed in song™ !
12 may not death nor wailing overtake (?) me! may not plague nor
sickness come to me.
Let not a hard cast, which maddens, which perturbs, come to me lo
apart from God's Son !
may Christ protect me against every violent death, against fire,
against the tumult of the sea" !
Against every peril "C?) that is dangerous p to my body, with awful
storms,

4. .i. toiellam A. ti i toi -j i nellmai 'silence-ready, i.e. may it come in 15 silence and in readiness' T 5. .i. nad^ celar i cetlaih nacatcetla cdtar^ .i. ^ni dichliter achetla 'who is not concealed in songs, or nacatcetla celtar, i.e. His songs are not hidden' 6. .i. ni tharda li tassifovm ' may it not put the colour of a corpse on me ' T, .i. eca amar nimthaislige .i. ni tarda li tassi fovm nimtuisle .i. ni tarda tusliudjhrm • eca amar .i. 20 amran .i. ach 7 ucc ar is e sen amar ec(a) ' the wail of death nimthaislige, i.e. may it not i)ut the colour of a corpse upon me, or nimthuisle, i.e. may it not put falling on me (cause me to fall) ' eca amar i.e. ach and uch for that is the cry of death' F 7. .i. isse amor eca A. uch ach 'this is the wail of death uch ach ' T 8. .i. quando plurimi pereunt uno 25 morbo .i. luathecai A. anaichnide 'swift deaths, i.e. unnatural' T, [marg. d.] . . ^ .i. communis morbus, [under nagalar] A. anacnid, [marg. 1.] i. mortluath . . .luath A. has F

1. i nimthuisle A. ni tharda tuisliud form T 2. .i. temptatio diabulica F, .i. aminnas A. drochinnas 'an evil kind' T 3. .i. medar 3° fis, A. medras infis T 4. .i. hodarfis A. huadres in fis ; disponitur: .i. erchor .. .hodras sech mac {De) T, medras A. m,edar fis A. huadres in fi^ F 5. ainsiufii A. ainsiund A. roainge sind 'may He protect us ' F, .i. roainsind T 6. .i. ar cech niamhas ' against every iron-death ' 7. .i. ar thenid^ 8. .i. ar trethond [marg.] ar threthan A. ar trethond^^ quia ferunt periti 35 conid hi in tress tond hades^ naues, ^quia etc. that it is the third wave that sinks naves' T"^^ 9. .i. toirnes [marg. d.] toirnes has... bas i tores ba(s) T, tor tores has torbas .i. toires bas F 10. .i. arcach lindeca 1 ar each, ni na ba glind ' against every pool of death, or against everything that is not secure (?)' T, ar cech^, .i. arcech lind eca .i. immoilges bas i ar 4° cech nemglinni'" .i. cech ni napa glinne 'against every pool of death i.e. which causes death or against every nemglinne, i.e. all that is not secure' F 11, .i. bas esinill 'which is unsafe' T 12. .i. fil co nanhthib 7 CO nuathaib ' which is with storms and horrors ' T ^{[47] [48] [49] [50] [51] [52] [53] [54] [55] [56] [57] [58] [59] [60] [61] [62] [63] [64] [65] [66] [67]}

^[68] [ 353 ]

dommair'^* fiado cech thratha^' • argdith**" ar usctfe" luathaib^^
Luaidfe"*^» molthu^ Maicc Maire • bdges^^ armbdga finda*'^:
friscera*^ Dia dulecli • lurech** arbaig mothenga^^'.
Oc^^ digde* De de nimib • mo chorp rop sigith* sdethrach"^, f. 19b
5 arnadris^ ifFemn' uathach • ateoch" in rig adrdethach"*.
                                             Ateoch rig.

21 Epscop Sanctan sanct-a} sruith™-milid aingel" cloth glangel",
rosoera mo chorp for talmain • ronoeba m'anmain for nem.
Rombith or^it^ let", a Maire • rop trocar ri nime dun",
'o arguin, arguasacht', argabuda Christ hr do snadud" dun'.
25 Ateoch in rig" s6er suthain • dengeiune' De^ diar fethim:
rommain argaibthib g^raib • mace rogenair i mBetbil,

may the Lord at every time come to me, against wind, against swift
waters !
15 I will utter the praises of Mary's Son, who fights our white fights ;
creative God will answer, a corslet of which my tongue boasteth.
In entreating God from the heavens may my body be lastingly (?)
laborious :
that I may not go to awful hell, I beseech the King whom I have
10 besought.

Bishop Sanctan, holy sage, soldier of angels, pure-bright fame,
save my body on earth, hallow my soul in heaven !
Let me have a prayer with thee, O Mary, let Heaven's King be
merciful to us :
25 against wounding, danger, peril, O Christ, let us be under thy
protection !
25 I beseech the noble everlasting King, God's one ofispring, to watch us :
may the Son who was born in Bethlehem protect me against keen
perils !

15. .i. ti dom torithin ' may He come to help me' T 16. .i. etir la 7 aidchi 'both day and night' T 17. .i. arerchoit gaithe^ 'against the hurt of the wind ' 18. .i. fluminibus T 19. A. imluadfet T, .i. luaidfet F 20. .i. molada T, .i. molta F 21. .i. roerbaig 'who has boasted' T, .i. moides ' who boasts' F 22. .i. mathe 'good ' T, .i. 35 ar gniina .i. mathe ' our good deeds ' F 23. .i. /receraid 24. .1. Dia 'God' 25. .i. erbagess A. asandena haig 'in which it boasts' T, .1. airbages .i assa ndema baig F

1. .i. oc Diaguide^ A. oc guide' De 'at God-praying, i.e. at praying to God ' 2. .i. rob buan ' may it be lasting ' F 4. .1. cona^ ris 40 5. .i. atchim T 6. .i. roatchius ^{[69] [70] [71] [72] [73] [74] [75] [76] [77] [78] [79] [80] [81] [82] [83] [84] [85] [86] [87] [88] [89] [90] [91] [92] [93] [94]}

Notes

1. Ateoch rig om. P
2. Sanctain T, Sanctdin F
3. doronai T
4. do doT, oF
5. iraird F
6. om. F
7. co T
8. dorona T
9. tdisechu F
10. coroleiced F
11. he cucai F
12. horam banc
13. uar F
14. tressam T, tresom F
15. thus F
16. dessam T, deso7n F
17. guasacht T
18. cf. giiasfes LU. 88» 46 ; the d is simply rela- tive as it sometimes is in later Ir.
19. bith issuin F
20. bennact F
21. uasum F
22. darmese F
23. frium F
24. andes T
25. dorooset F
26. written over bennacht de
27. trinoit T
28. donfoscai TF
29. danach airchend F
30. in P
31. nceb F
32. atharF
33. mbineF
34. =O.Ir. fiada
35. fiado luus domon dilloct F
36. goilliuctF
37. diboct F
38. lim T
39. seth T, sceth F
40. frisinle F
41. abstail T
42. domairse T
43. the translation is very doubtful ; tbe verb should have been not fitir but rofitir. leg. fithir ar fine ' tutor of our tnhe' 7 J.S.
44. of . /risiwdZim Laws vi. 419
45. it looks somewhat like dindrithin
46. on the left margin of F over against apstal is a gloss... r^ .i. nimtairle
47. talam F
48. ocr. T, arcr. F
49. cetla F
50. nimthasle F. The glosses seem to point to a reading nimthaisle
51. hamor F ; the glosses seem to point to a text (ca amor
52. ainsiiinn T
53. thredan F
54. neiclind T, neclind F
55. eslinn T
56. uathaih F
57. the meaning of tolam is unknown; cf. LU. 70" 8, where it is found in an etymological explanation
58. With the curious compound ndd-cetla-celar cf. each ro do faobhra fee (leg. ro-da-faebra-fe), O'Dav. p. 84
59. Is torbas a Lat. word = t?tr6as on which trethan depends as genitive? J. S.
60. cf. isgess diiib i nfar nUltaib techt dar eclind i nfar carptaib LL. 6o^ = ni7-eidid tar eglindne LU. 61"43
61. cf. SP iv. 1, tria eslind a chuirp LL. 255» 15, arna bad eslind d6 LL. 106"12
62. ni T
63. naca... cetla celtar not in T
64. no T
65. tenid F
66. [in marg.]... artrcdan .1. ar tres (?) in tres toind F
67. as meinciu bades F
68. MS. memgline
69. dommdir F
70. gceth T
71. in F is u followed by tbe top of an s, the rest of the word (usee) is erased
72. luathfe T
73. bages arhaga fiiina T, baiges arbage finna F, baghas armbagha finda O'Dav. s.v. baghi
74. thihga F
75. ic F
76. sethrach (with variant !• gethach) T, stethrach F
77. arnaris iffemd F
78. adroetach T, adroethach F
79. leg. Sanctan^
80. sruthib F
81. i- angel F
82. gelglanT
83. oroitT
84. lettF
85. dun F
86. guasocht F
87. do nddud T do nadud F
88. ri F
89. oengeinne F
90. rf« T
91. erchdit na goete F
92. deguide F
93. gude F
94. conna F