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 mergin, Chief Poet of the Milesions, is credited with four songs or poems after the taking of Ireland. The most notable is the Song of Amergin, thought by many to be an alphabetic or calenderical enumeration. The remaining three are titled (according to their first lines); Iascach Muir, Fir otrachta tunnidé and Ailiu iath nHerend. A number of versions of these short poems appear in various Gaelic manuscripts. Because of what appears to be a truncated version of ten lines in The Book of Leinster, I choose to show comparison with the version found in Lebor Gabála Erenn compiled by MacAlister. In my new English translation I have tried to avoid the trap of trying to make the poems "readable" in modern English. I prefer to translate and let the reader do his or her own interpretaion.
BOOK OF LEINSTER
(Translation by Michael Ragan)
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Iascach muir
mothach tír
tomaidm n-eisc
iasca and.
fothuind
én
lethach mil
partagh l´g
tomaidm n-esc
iscach muir
Iascach |
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Fishful sea,
fertile land,
eruptions of water
fish into
their setting
water
portions of creatures
song in the ports
eruptions of fish
fishful sea.
Fishful
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LEBOR GABALA ERIN
(Translation by R. A. S. McAlister)
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Iascach muir,
mothac tír,
tomaidn n-eisc,
iasc fo tuind,
I rethaib én,
fairgge cruaid,
cassar find,
cetaibe iach,
lethan mil,
portach laid,
I tomaidm n-éisc,
iascach muir.
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Fishful sea,
fertile land,
eruption of water,
wave of fish,
running in the water,
expanse of the harsh sea,
fair shower,
hundreds of fish,
broad creatures,
song of the ports,
about eruptions of fish,
fishful sea. |
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