Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus/Ultán's hymn

by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, eds.

[ 323 ]IV. Ultan's Hymn.

T. Brigit be bithm«t^/t. Commad he* Colum Cille dogneth innim- mun sa, 7 inaimseir*' ^da nieicc Ainmerech dorone" he maso e dorone** • Isse'^ filth adenma : anfud mor tanic do Coum^ cille intan dochoid^ dar 5 muir CO tarlai i Coire Breccan co roattaig' Brigt< co tisad feth" d6 7 CO nerbairt 'Brigit be hithmaith^.' is Broccan cloen dorone he™, 7 is inunn aimser" i ndernad 7 'Ni car Brigit".' t is triur do muintir hrigfte doronai he ; dochotar do Roim co roachtatar Blasantiam, co tarla fer do muintir na cathrach doib immuig, co roiarfaig doib^ in rancatar ales oegedachti; 10 ad libra tar som"" co rancatar. Rosfuc less iarsin^ diathaig, co tarla doib scolaige iarna thichtain' o" R(5im illic co roiarfaig doib canas tancatar 7 ced*' aratancatar. Atrubratarsom co?ad ar oegedacht". 'Is pudar sein*,' arse, ' arise ^ bes indfirse marbad aoeged'; 7 roiarf aigset som sein tria thincosc in scolaige. Tuccad^ tra neim doib illinn*^, coromolsat Bri^i^ IS dia soerad'*'* 7 corochansat * Brigit be hithmaith.' Atibset in linn*^ cosind neira 7 nidernai pudar"*^ doib. Tanic tra*^*^ fer in tige dia fegad dus^® in rosmarb ind neim, 7 atchondairc" eat imbethaid^» 7 atchondairc^" ingen sochraid etarru. Tanic iarsein isin tech 7 roboi" for iarair na hingene"" 7 nisfuair; 7 roiarfaig doib cid^' dochoid ind ingen™'", 7 attrubratar"" som 10 nissaccatar"*' etir. Doratad tra cumrechP" forrusom*»i, co romarbtais iarna

Brigit be bithmaith. It may have been Columcille who made this hymn. And he made it in the time of Aed son of Ainmire, if it is he who made it. This is the cause of its composition. A great storm came to Columcille, when he went over sea, and he came to Corryvreckan, 15 and he besought Brigit that a calm might come to him, and said Brigit be bithmaith. Or it is Broccan the squinting that made it, and it was made at the same time as Nicar Brigit. Or it is three of Brigit's household that made it. They went to Rome, and reached Placentia, and one of the people of the city met with them without, and asked 30 them whether they needed hospitality. They said they did. He took them thereupon with him to his house, and a student who had come from Rome met them there, and asked them whence they had come and why they had come. They said it was for hospitality. * That is unfortunate,' said he, ' for the custom of this man is to slay his guests.' 35 ""And they asked for that through^ the student's teaching. Then poison was given to them in ale, and they praised Brigit for their deliverance, and sang Brigit be bithmaith. They drank up the ale with the poison and it did them no hurt. So the master of the house came to see whether the poison had killed them. And he saw them alive, and he saw a fair 40 maiden among them. Then he came into the house, and was seeking the maiden, and he found her not. He asked them where the maiden had gone, and they said they had not seen her. Then they were put in bonds ^{[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] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43]} [ 324 ]barach mani foillsigtis'* inningin". Tanic dawo in scolaige cetna chucu iarna barach*' dia fis ; 7 inuenit eos in uinculis, 7 interrogauit eos quo- modo euaserunt*^ 7 cur ligati sunt. Responderunt^ ei 7 narrauerunt ei' omnia quae eis contigerunt per ordinem, 7 dixit scholasticus eis: 'cantata ei laudem quam fecistis.' Postquam auteni illam cantauerunt, sancta 5 Brigita omnibus illis apparuit. Tunc penituit ille et demisit^ eos ex uinculis, 7 dedit suam sedem in Blasantia Brigitae, uel Blasantiam totam, ut alii dicunt.

No is Brenainn** dorigne innimmunsa: nauigans mare 7 quaerens terram repromisionis audiuit bestiam aliam' clamantem et adiurantem ro uoce humana bestiam aliam conuocantem 7 rogantem Brendiniim 7 ceteros omnes sanctos Hibernise insolse excepta Brigita, ne sibi alia bestia noceret, et nihilominus tamen uim ab alia patientem" usque dum rogaret Brigitam, euadentem uero postquam rogaret Brigitam et nihil mali a persequente patientem, in tantum ut diceret alia quae earn 15 persequeretur : ' postquam Brigitam adiurasti', nocere tibi non possum.' Postquam uero Brendinus™ [audiuit] haec omnia 7 honorem quern dedit bestia Brigitse prae ceteris °, admiratus est 7" Brigitam laudauit dicens : 'Brigit be hithmaithJ

Locus ergoP mare, causa^ ad laudem Brigitae, tempus uero Diarmata 20 meic Cerbaill rig Herenn". Tanic dano Brenainn* iarsein*^ do Chill dara" coBrigi^, cofessad^ cid ara tarat in beist in mare^ onoirdo Brigi^ sech na noebu archena. O rosiacht^ tra Brenainn^ co Brigi^, rochuinnig cuicce^ cotarrtad**a coibsena cinnas roboi grad De aicce^^ Atrubart*"' Brigt^ fri Brenainn*^** : 'tabair a chlerig do chobais*"^ prius, 7 dobersa iarsein".' 25 Atrubairt Brenainn^^: 'ond 16 rogabusa*^^ crabud, nocho deochadusa" dar secht nimmaire"" cen mo menmain inDia.' 'Is maith in chobais'V ol Brigit. 'Tabair siu dano a chaillech,' ar Brenainn'"™ 'do chobais"".' 'Dar*^ mac na hingene^P,' arsi, 'ond uair doratusa^i mewmain ind, nithucus ass.'

that they might be slain on the morrow, if they did not reveal the maiden. 30 On the morrow the same student came to them to visit them. Et etc.

Or it is Brenainn that made this hymn, nauigans etc.

Now Brenainn afterwards came to Kildare to Brigit that he might learn why the monster in mare had honoured Brigit beyond the other saints. So when Brenainn reached Brigit, he asked her to confess in 35 what wise the love of God was with her. Brigit said to Brenainn : ' Confess thou first, cleric, and I will do so afterwards.' Said Brenainn : 'From the day that I took orders I have never gone over seven ridges without my mind on God.' 'Good is the confession,' said Brigit. 'Do thou now. Nun,' said Brenainn, 'make thy confession.' 'By the Son of 40 the Virgin,' said she, 'from the time that I set my mind on Him, I have never taken it from Him.' ' By God, Nun,' said Brenainn, 'it is right for ^{[44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] [51] [52] [53] [54] [55] [56] [57] [58] [59] [60] [61] [62] [63] [64] [65] [66] [67] [68] [69] [70] [71] [72] [73] [74] [75] [76] [77] [78] [79] [80] [81] [82] [83] [84]} [ 325 ]'Dar Dia* a chaillech^,' ar Brenainn", 'is coir do biastaib cia doberat^ on6ir^ duit sechoinne.'

No is Ultan Airdbreccan^ dorigne innimnmnsa*; armolad ihBrigte dorone^ Arropo doDail Chonchobair dosom, 7 rop'ed dano do mathair 5 Brig^e .i. Broicsech" ingen Dallbronaig. I naimseir' immorro da mac ^da Sliine doronad™ foesin" ; arite" romarbsat Suibne mac ColmanP Moir ior lethlaim Ultan". I iiArdbreccan"" dsLno^ dordnad*^.

the monsters that they honour thee rather than us.' Or it is Ultan of Ardbreccain who made this hymn. For Brigit's praise he made it. For 10 he was of Dal Conchobur, and so it was with Brigit's mother, Broicsech daughter of Dallbronach. In the time however of the two sons of Aed Slane it was made in accordance with that, for it is they that slew Suibne son of Colman Mor on one hand of Ultan. It was made moreover in Ardbreccain.

Brigit^ be"^ bithmaith' • breo^ orde'^ diblech^
donf(^^^ don bithflaith^ • ingr^n** tind* tdidlech"^".

Rons(5ira'^" Brigit • sech drungu*^^' demne^®:
roroina" reunn^^* • cathu*^^ each thedme"^

Dirodba""'!» indiunn^i • ar colno"""" cisu""",
inchr6ib°° comblathibP^i^ . ^ mdthir"'* Isu".

Brigit ever excellent woman, golden sparkling flame,
lead us to the eternal Kingdom, the dazzling resplendent sun

May Brigit deliver us past throngs of devils :
may she break before us the battles of every plague !

May she destroy within us the taxes of our flesh,
the branch with blossoms, the mother of Jesus ^^.

(Brl)git .i. brigaitt...a,tc[ie a brlga . . .b7'eosaigit .i. homines... breoaigit .i. homines T™^. Brigit .i. breosaigit .i. Jir Herenn breoagit ,i. immeclaigit i BHgit t b)ng:t:: ara haitte i/ertaib 7 mirbulib F 2. .i. ben 30 ut dicitur bebind .i. ben find, 'woman,' ut dicitur bebind i.e. fair woman' T 3. be .i. ben quia dicitur bind .i. ben find be bithmaith din Brigit .i. ben maith tre bithu .i. dogres 'Brigit is be bithmaith, i.e. good woman through the ages, i.e. forever' F™^ 4. .i. donfuca^^ 'may she bring us' 5. .i. tentide i lainderda ' fiery or shining ' T, .i. tenntide F 6. .i 35 taitnimach 'shining' F 7. .i. sechbuidne 'past troops' T 8. .i. rosroena .i. robrisse 'may she break' F 9. .i. cacha dualcha 'of every vice' F 10. .i. ro(Zi6o&z 'may she quench' 11. .i. cisa^^ ar colla A. peccata^*" 12. .i. co siudcJiaib'^^ 'with virtues' ^{[85] [86] [87] [88] [89] [90] [91] [92] [93] [94] [95] [96] [97] [98] [99] [100] [101] [102] [103] [104] [105] [106] [107] [108] [109] [110] [111] [112] [113] [114] [115] [116] [117] [118] [119] [120] [121] [122] [123] [124] [125] [126] [127] [128] [129] [130]}

^[131] [ 326 ]

Ind flrog*^ inmain^ • co norddon^ adbil"*,
bd^s^ir*^ cechinbaid^ • lam n6ib* 61^ Laignib.

Lethcholbe^ flatho*^* • la Patrice" prfmde"
10 in tlacht 6s ligib'^ • ind rigin rigde™.

Robet" er°^ sinit" • ar cuirp hi cilice^"; 5
dia rath ronbrdina*" • rons6ira" Brigit
Brigit b^

Brigtse per laiidem Christum precamur
ut nos eeleste regnum habere mereamur. Amen.

The true virgin, dear, with vast dignity, 10
I shall be safe always with my saint of Leinster.

One of the columns of the Kingdom with Patrick the pre-eminent,
10 the vesture above... , the royal queen.

May our bodies after old age be in sackcloth !
from her grace may Brigit rain on us, save us! iS

1, casta et uirgo corpore et spiritu fuit T™^ .i. pro Deo TF 2. .i. linne la each 'with us or with all' T, .i. linne F 3. .i. ordan T, CO nord ayiai i co nordan ' with splendid dignity ' F 4. .i. ada .i. fas, bil .i. inill .i. is ada corop inill ordan 7 erechas noibmBrigte dogres 'it is fitting that the dignity and pre-eminence of St Brigit should be safe forever' 20 T, .i. attadbil ada .i. coir bil .i. inill conordun adbil din Brigit .i. conordun as choir do bith co inill .i. co niart}ianach * Brigit then is co nordun adbil i.e. with dignity which it is right should be safely, that is lastingly' F 5. .i. Brigit TF, amal bite da cholba indoniun sic Brigit ocus Pa^raic i nHerenn ' as there are wont to be two pillars in the world, so 25 Brigit and Patrick in Ireland T'"^, .i. ereghda .i. ar mar bad colba ic roind taige sic roroi ^n Brigit 7 Patraic Jlathius Uerend inter se conid hi as cen[cl^ do mnaib Erend, Patraic immorro as chend d'eraib * famous i.e. for as it were a pillar dividing a house, so Brigit and Patrick have divided Ireland between them, so that she is head to the women of Ireland, 3° Patrick, however, is head to the men' F™^ 6. .i. Jlathemnasa Herenn* 'of the sovereignty of Ireland' 7. .i. cend, do feraib Herenn Patraic, cend do mnaib Herenn Brigit T 8. .i. ua[s socraitib ' over beautiful ones' T, .i. dt Brigit .i. is etach doroisce each netach socraid hi i.e. 'she is a garment that surpasses every beautiful garment ' F 9. .i. post T 35 10. .i. set sin T, .i. iar set sin .i. iarsentaid, 'i.e. after old age' F 11. .i. ipennait 'in penance' TF, quia cilicium nomen uestis est quae fit do finnaib gabur I chamaill ' which is made of goats' hair or camels' hair ' T, quia cilicum uestis penitentium est 7 is do findfud gobair t camaill donit[h]er F 40 ^{[132] [133] [134] [135] [136] [137] [138] [139] [140] [141] [142] [143] [144] [145] [146] [147] [148] [149]}

Notes

1. IsM F
2. awi»/r F
3. dorone F
4. he. ..dorone om. FL
5. t» hefdth F
6. cholam F
7. dochuaid F
8. Brecan F
9. roataig F
10. anfu F
11. om. F
12. Brocan cloen doronai he F
13. inund amser F
14. hrigii be F, 6n^it buadach bith L
15. roKfiafrskig dibh L
16. les oegedecht F
17. om. F
18. iarsein F
19. thoigecht L
20. iarna thichtain o: co roiarfaig F
21. cid F
22. aegedecht F
23. sin F
24. hiF
25. tucad F
26. lind F
27. sderad F
28. pudair F
29. iaraia L
30. dus F
31. atchonnairc F, ateonnaic L
32. i vibethaid: slana F
33. atchonnairc
34. robdi F
35. hingine F
36. ced F
37. ind ingen om. F
38. atrubratar F
39. nisacatar F
40. cuinirech F
41. forrosom F
42. something seems to be wanting here J.S.
43. in spite of, W.S.
44. follsigtis ¥
45. ingein F
46. arna barach F
47. euasserunt F
48. respon- derunt — alii dicunt om. L
49. om. F
50. dimisit F
51. Broenaind F
52. aliam bestiam F
53. uim — patientem : alia bestia uim faceret illi F
54. rogasti F
55. Broenaind F
56. Brigitae bestia pr8B ceteris dedit F
57. om. F
58. igitur F
59. autem add. F
60. rig Herend F
61. Broenaind F
62. iarsein do Childara om. L
63. Cilldara F
64. fesad F
65. isin mhuir L
66. rosiact F
67. Broenaind F
68. chucce F
69. tartad F
70. acce grdd D4 F
71. Atrubairt F
72. Brenaind F
73. choibsena L
74. postea F
75. dixit Broenaind F
76. rogabudsa F
77. deochudussa F
78. tar -vii' nimmairibhlj
79. coibhsenh
80. Broenaind F
81. choibsen L
82. dofhitir L
83. hingine F
84. doratxxssa
85. linn L
86. challech F
87. Broen&ind F
88. gia noberut L
89. honoir F, anoir L
90. ardbrecain F
91. hunc ymnum F, doroine an ymonnsa L
92. Brigte doronai F
93. rob F
94. Brocsech F
95. amseir F
96. dordnad F
97. foesin F, fesin L
98. iti F
99. Colmain F
100. Ultain F
101. Ardbrecain F
102. in — dano om. L
103. duo doronad he F
104. 6e TL
105. bruth FL
106. orda F, orda T, ordhai L
107. oiblech T, oibhlech L
108. donfe T
109. bithlaith TF, bhithfhlaith LX
110. grlan F,grian T, ghrian L; for gr^n cf. YBL. 194" 51
111. taidlech TF, toidlech L
112. ronsoera T, ronsdera F, ronscera L
113. drufigu F, dhrunga L
114. MSS. demna
115. roroena TF, rorcena L
116. remond F, remhainn L, remaind X
117. MSS. catha
118. thedma T, tedma FL
119. MSS. dorodba: leg. dirobda = di-ro-bddea?
120. innunn T, innund F, indonn L, indaind X
121. MSS. colla
122. cissao L
123. chroeb TF, chraeb L, naob X
124. mblathaib TFL, rathaib X
125. MSS. mathair
126. ISSu L
127. Brigit is identified with the Virgin; cf. issi Muire na nGceidhel, Lismore Lives p. 51
128. donfucca F
129. cissu F
130. pecta F
131. suailchib F
132. ir6g T, irog F an fhirogh L
133. conorddain adbail T, gonordan adhbhuil L ; cf . F61. Oeng. Mar. 31
134. biam TF, bu7)i L ; for be cf. besoir Wb. 4«= 18
135. soer TF, S(Br L
136. cechninbaith F, gach ninb" L, gach inbuidh X
137. n6eb TF, ncemh L
138. MSS. do
139. MSS. lethcholba Jlatha
140. MSS. patraic
141. primda T, primduF, primhdhai L
142. uas ligaib T, Imas ligaib F, uas lighaib L, os lighdhaib X ; cf. Salt. B. 439
143. rigan riga T, rigan rlgda F, righan righdha LX
144. robbet TF, Robet L, rombend X
145. MSS. iar
146. hiccilicc T, i cilic F
147. ronbroena TF, ronbrano L
148. ronsoera T, ronsdera F, ronscera L
149. Erend F