notes:
|
The Sleep Song Of Grainne Over Dermuid translation by Eleanor Hull see notes on the text & translation |
Anthology of Irish Verse edited by Padraic Colum NewYork: Boni and Liveright, 1922 |
|
from the Irish text of Aodh Ó Dochartaigh: . after the
Tóraigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne
. |
XXXIII. The Sleep-Song For Diarmaid
|
Sleep a little, a little little,
Thou needst feel no fear or dread,
Youth to whom my love is given,
I am watching near thy head.
Sleep a little with my blessing,
Dermuid of the lighthouse eye,
I will guard thee as thou dreamest,
None shall harm while I am by.
Sleep, O little lamb,
Whose homeland was
The country of the lakes,
In whose bosom torrents tremble,
From whose sides the river breaks.
Sleep as slept the ancient poet,
Dedach, minstrel of the South,
When he snatched from Conall Cernach,
Eithne of the laughing mouth.
Sleep as slept the comely Finncha
'Neath the falls of Assaroe.
Who, when stately Slaine sought him,
Laid the Hard-head Failbe low.
Sleep in joy, as slept fair Aine,
Gailan's daughter of the West,
Where amid the flaming torches,
She and Duvach found their rest.
Sleep as Degha, who in triumph,
Ere the sun sang o'er the land
Stole the maiden he had craved for,
Plucked her from fierce Deacall's hand.
Fold of valour, sleep a little,
Glory of the Western World,
I am wondering at your beauty,
Marvelling how thy locks are curled.
Like the parting of two children,
Bred together in one home,
Like the breaking of two spirits,
If I did not see thee come.
Swirl the leaves before the tempest,
Moans the night wind o'er the lea,
Down the stony bed the streamlet
Hurries onward to the sea.
In the swaying boughs the linnet,
Twitters in the darkling light,
On the upland wastes of heather
Wings the grouse its heavy flight.
In the marshland by the river,
Sulks the otter in his den,
While the piping of the peeweet
Sounds across the distant fen.
On the stormy mere the wild duck
Pushes outward from the brake,
With her downy brood beside her
Seeks the center of the lake.
In the East the restless roe-deer
Bellows to his frightened hind,
On thy track the wolfhounds gather,
Sniffing up against the wind.
Yet, O Dermuid, sleep a little,
This one night our fear hath fled,
Youth to whom my love is given,
See, I watch beside thy head.
notes:
Eleanor Henrietta Hull (1860-1935) was a scholar of Old & Middle Irish and a co-founder of the Irish Texts Society / Cumann na Scríbheann nGaedhilge, dedicated to the publication of early Irish manuscripts.
The ‘Sleep Song” is a translation of one poem from the ‘Duanaire Finn’ ['Poem-Book of Fionn'] written/compiled in the early 17th century by Aodh Ó Dochartaigh, who was inspired by the Fenian Cycle [Old Irish Fiannaidheacht; modern Irish Fiannaíocht; variously dated to the 8th -12th centuries] - in this case, the text known as Tóraigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne (The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne) .
Ó Dochartaigh's manuscript was transcribed and translated by Eoin Mac Neill for the Irish Texts Society & published in 1908 as Duanaire Finn: The Book of the Lays of Fionn.
As noted by Mac Neill in his introductory 'Contents & Arguments' [pg. xv]:
XXXIII. The Sleep-Song For Diarmaid
Grainne sings a sleep-song for Diarmaid. Though she wishes him to sleep soundly, she notes that all
the animals of the wilds are awake and restless [for the place is surrounded by the pursuers of Diarmaid]”
Hull's translation, less literal than Mac Neill's - & less faithful to the original metre - was originally published in:
The Poem Book of the Gael: Translations from Irish Gaelic Poetry Into English Prose and Verse
By Eleanor Hull
London: Chatto & Windus, 1913
| Díarmait's Sleep |
Early Irish lyrics, eighth to twelfth century edited & translated by Gerard Murphy Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1956 |
| from theTóraigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne (The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne) |
see alsoThe Sleep-Song For Diarmaid |
Cotail becán becán bec,
úair ní h-ecail duit a bec,
a gille día tardus seirc,
a meic uí Duibne, a Díarmait.
Cotail-si sunn go sáim sáim,
a uí Duibne, a Díarmait áin,
do-génsa t'foraire de,
a meic uí delbda Duibne.
Cotail becán (bennacht fort)
ós uisce Topráin Tréngort,
a úanáin úachtair locha,
do brú Thíre Trénsrotha.
Rop inonn is cotlad tes
degFidaig na n-airdéices,
dá tuc ingin Morainn búain
tar cenn Conaill ón Chráebrúaid.
Rop inonn is cotlad túaid
Finnchaid Finnchaím Essa Rúaid,
dá tug Sláine (ségda rainn)
tar cenn Fáilbe Chotatchinn.
Rop inonn is cotlad tíar
Áine ingine Gáilían,
fecht do-luid céim fo thrilis
la Dubthach ó Dairinis.
Rop inonn is cotlad tair
Dedad dána díumasaigh
dá ruc Coinchinn ingin Binn
tar cenn Dechill déin Duibrinn.
A chró gaile íarthair Gréc,
anfatsa 'got forcoimét;
maidfid mo chraide-se acht súaill,
monat-faicear re h-énúair.
Ar scarad ar n-dís 'ma-le
's scarad lenab óenbaile
is scarad cuirp re h-anmain,
a laích Locha finnCharmain.
Léicfider caínche ar do lorg
(rith Caílte nó ba h-anord),
nachat-táir bás ná brocad,
nachat-léice i sírchotlad.
Ní chotail in eilit máel
ac búirfedaig fó brecláeg;
do-gní rith tar barraib tor;
nó déin 'na h-adbaid cotal.
Ní chotail in chaínche bras
ós barraib na crann cáemchas;
is glórach a-táthar ann;
gi bé in smólach ní chotlann.
Ní chotail in lacha lán;
maith a láthar re degsnám;
ní déin súan nó sáime ann;
ina h-adbaid ní chotlann.
In-nocht ní chotail in gerg;
ós fráechaib anfaid imard
binn fogar a gotha glain:
eitir srotha nó chotail.
