The Celtic Literature Collective

Amra Senáin
H.3.17; variations from Leabar Brecc (RIA MS 23 P 16)

[col.832] Amrad1 Senáin2 maic Geirrchind inso.

Ba sanct n-amra inti Senan. Laithiu3 n-óen do Senan ina urnaigthi la Fiadait doching Nárach cerd (lin a m)untire for a chomairchi ar(a) co r(ised)4 slan sech in peist bói 'sind loch, (⁊) nenaisc a dín. Dochomlai iarma5 in cerd. Dothic in peist chuccai ⁊ no[n]-ithi uile6 lín a mbúi. Ro fes o Día do Senán andísin.7 Dogarar in peist co Senan ⁊ nodus-croch ⁊ doberta in cerddai (?)8 lín a mbói eisi. Conid de sin asbeir Aengus:

Senan Inse Cathaig · crochais ecrait Náraig.

.i. intí ropo9 écraiti do Nárach.

Comarcais Senán do Narach: In tuch duit uile? Tucc, ol Narach · ut dixit:

Tucc dúin uile, ol in cerdd · berma buide, ni blad borb, na rucc uaind fri gainim ṅgarg · acht agen ardd ocus ordd. Uand uáir forsrathaig10 mo noeb · ro chuir for bánfaid a bél, la corran ind again11 uáir · ro scé bruaid12 dia tromman trén.

Dallan dono doroine ind amra-sa do Senán do fossugud a ruisc lais iar ṅdenam ind amra13 aile do Colum cille.

1. Senan soer1 · sídathair2 silem soailche3 · sainemail suib amra4 · curson5**) · cuipe co fín7

1.) .i. soer · uais.       2.).i. ar n-athair sída Senáin.       3.).i. oc silad soailche do cach.       4.).i. is[s]ainnrethach in suí co n-áib oc suidigid dbgul do cach.       5.).i. is coir son Dé       6.).i. ar cáinced.       7.).i. ar cleth ordun.       8).i. amal tulcuma fína.

2. Fo lún lainderda loo · laissium1 luamna · assallais2***) luan · lan fuach firinde3 [col.833] forosna iltuatha Herend4 uasmaig5

1.).i. is lais is dagsoillisgad taitnemche · lun o luna .i. amal esca [is laissium LB.] lansomain in molta.      2.)[.i. ondi is laus, LB]       3.).i. is lan focal fursaintech firinde.       4.).i. foruaisligfider he etir iltuathib Eren ar-mo ruscu dam.       5.).i. uas cach.

3. Man moaigthe*) dagdaine1) danaib do Críst cáinmuinter -- cumachtaig2) eter cond sceo colt.3)

1) .i. matan métaigthe na ṅdagdaine .i. na cristaige.       2) .i. ro danaiged nó ascedaighed do Críst cona muintir caemichtaig biad ⁊ édach.       3) .i. enech nó biad.

4. Cob n-uile**) n-adamra · cona ecalsib i n-ilgradaib1) im riched2) rith raas.3

1) ro bo buaid adasmar uile gach gnim dognid fo ilgradaib n-ecailsi.       2) .i. im iath ind rig.       3) .i. cen mair raithestar rith.

5. Ruide***) im rochorp carcrastar1). cen chais2) modeat3) )· mugsaine is ††) macc Geirrgind4) · gart.5)

1) .i. ruanaid ro carcrastar a rochorp.       2) .i. cen carthain.       3) .i. a maethadbair.       4) .i. dognith mogsine Dé ic fognam do Dia in mac so Geirrchind.       5) .i. ba grian a inech.

6. Glainidir gol1) go noam som súi2) · dian sossad sidlotha3) sine i4) · Cathaig caur. 5)

1).i. is glaine ol na dér.       2).i. (er)draci som c(ach) súi.       3) .i. dianad soistad sid .i. in sid(loth sin).       4) .i. ro deil idu liter da insin.       5) [ro]sinestar a sáethar cathaisi co(coir) inna (hindsi).

7. Cáin n-ard n-orddon1) n-adamra · assa orddon2) · archaingel †††) hi findmaigeib §) fil.3)

1).i. is cain conid ard oirdnide adamra aige.       2).i. intí asa hardainm nó ard anim .i. fil eter arcanglib .i. eter uassalteachtairib.       3) hi maigib (na find) .i. na firian, fuil S(enán).

8. Fiadh fochraice follnathar1) · amru §§) cach ór oeibligad2)§§§) ina ma3) (ni mo).*†)

1).i. is e fiadugad airmitin ro follamnaig.       2).i. is ferr lais olda cech or iarna oebelgo(rad) nó iarna bruindid.       3).i. in log mor (fofuair) .i. nem (.i. is) do foch(raicc).

9. Mor ua Dubtaig*) drongo(blaig)1) [col. 834.] dom ṙo[ḟ]oir dom rusc reil-cobair ar a molta miad.2)

1).i. is mór intí ua Dubthaig dronchoibnes(saig dron)diglaig.       2) dom ro foire dom suilib soluschobair ar miadamlataig a molta a moaigthi.

10. Moai mo rosc1) · rigfotha2) mo da n hed**) n-ard n0imchaissen uassnaib nim-conbeb[a]***) blái.3)

1).i. rop limm mo radarc.       2) is fotha rigi.       3).i. mo [dá] súil co rabat ic arddeiscin cacha rodeirc ocum, ⁊ ni raib ní uassaib nodus-beba de dorchu blaisg.

11. Bleasc ) amrosc ilarda1) co mbrosnaigib uath2) nas mo luirgnib langlassaib is forru mada fail.3)††)

1).i. ni rofuirme daille ni lernalaig dam.       2)[.i.] co cnuassaigib grainechta.       3)[.i.] air istat langlas dom luirgnib daille mo súl, ár is fris benaid [leg. friu benait] beimenn.

12. Deaith1) · doerchrau hi crichaib caincailb2) co tarchas ainm ín chanand caidb.3)

1).i. diaith .i. ní haith.       2).i. do ercrasait mo súile hi cáincrichaib mo chind · calb .i. cenn.       3) .i. co ra tircanus a ainm in chano achataid cendchaeim †††) .i. Seanan cadb · ⁊ calb cen insin.

13. Cain teasbann §) teim essgal1) sceo2) ni ain ní hain ai §§) is mo hae is moam §§§) mo ain.3)

1).i. is taithnemach doesbann dorchatu esgail[e] na daille form.       2)[.i. sceo ar ocus, LB] .i. i[s]focus rom-cobuir ar in anim*†) ro bi form.       3).i. mo rosc ar focus mo hai is lim indí as moo dom ainius.

14. Mod roglanad mo blus1) · cach ambe2) · bil liath3) cen blæ4) amsom bui diach die.5)*††)

1).i. intan ro glanad mo bloesc dailli.       2).i. cach a mbóe de form.       3).i. ba liath mo indtliucht lam daille.)      4).i. cen landeche do brith uaim ar mo rosc.       5).i. dé.

15. Dommrofoir fiadu firinde fallnathar1) · triath2) trethnaig na bi saethach sen.3)

Senán s. s.

1).i. dom-foire tigherna firinde follamnaighes rigi na tri teglach .i. nem ⁊ talam ⁊ iffern.       2).i. treiath .i. triath ri · triath mucc.       3).i. ni fil sæth na sentu for Crist.

Ro fossaig tra Dia do Dallán a súile có a bás ar anóir ⁊ ar airmidin molta ⁊ marbnaide1) Senáin. Ro geallad nem ocus slansúilighe2) don ti la[sa] mbíad etir chorp ⁊ chéill in t-ámrad sa Senáin. Is liriu feor folt fidbaide3) [col.835] ilratha in marbnaid noeb siu4) · ní bi5) goirt hi fus na thall inti lasa ṁbia. Finit.6)


Preface

The Eulogy of Senán, son of Gerrchen, here.

This Senán was a famous saint. One day he was a-praying to God, Nárach the wright when to with a number of his household under the saint's protection, so that he, Nárach, might go safely by the monster that dwelt in the lough, and he 'bound his defence'. So the wright fared forth. The monster attacked him and devoured him with the whole of his company. This was made known to God by Senán. The monster is summoned to Senán, who hung her, and out of her was put the wright and his company. Wherefore Oengus says (Félire, March 8):

'Senán of Inis Cathaig hung Nárach's enemy.'

i.e. her who was a foe of Nárach's.

Senán questioned Nárach: 'did she give thee (back) all?' 'She gave', quoth Nárach, saying:

'She gave it all (back) to us', quoth the wright; 'we render thanks--in rude renown--that she had taken from us the rough sand, save a high caldron and a sledgehammer.

From the time that my saint perceived her, her mouth became pale: with the hook of the cold caldron she spewed a fragment of her strong liver.'

Now Dallán composed this eulogy for Senán that his (Dallán's) sight might stay with him after he had made the other eulogy (the Amra Choluimb chille) for Columba.


Epilogue

So God caused Dallán's eyes to remain with him until his death, because of the honour and respect of the praise and dirge of Senán. Heaven and healthy sight to him that hath this eulogy of Senán, both body and sense (i.e. text and gloss). More numerous than grass or a wood's hair. (i.e. the leaves) are many the graces of this holy dirge. Whoso hath it is not more here (on earth) or there (in the other world).

STOKES' NOTES

1) Amra LB.

2) .i. Inse Cathaig .i. do Chorco Baiscinn.

3) la LB.

4) for a comarc-sium co rised LB.

5) iarum LB.

6) nonithe uli LB.

7) innísin LB.

8) dobertha in cerd LB.

9) rop LB.

10) hon uair ros-rathaig LB.

11) in aigin LB.

12) buaid LB.

13) amrad LB.

*) carson LB.

**) clethard LB.

***) asallais LB.

*) mogaigthe LB.

**) hulide LB.

***) Rue LB.

†) modeta LB.

††) as LB.

†††) asa hordan n-archaingel LB.

§) findaigib LB.

§§) sic LB. amra H.3.17.

§§§) oeibligud LB.

*†) sic LB.

*) Senán's grandfather was Dubthac: see his pedigree in LL. 337, col. 2, Lismore Lives, p. 337.

**) mo da n-ed LB.

***) conbea LB.

†) Bleach LB.

††) faib LB.

†††) sic LB. in chanon chantaidcē

§) tesband LB.

§§) ni hainai LB.

§§§) moain LB.

*†) anai BL.

*††) dihe LB.

*§) .i. am daille LB.

1) marbnada LB.

2) slánsánlig LB.

3) CF. etir fid ⁊ a folt .i. etir fid ⁊ a duilli, Rawl. B. 502, fo. 61 a 2.

4) in marbnada noibsea LB.

5) Niba LB.

6) ⁊ rl. LB., the scribe adding: Do scribus in amra a n-oenlo eter cheill ⁊ fogur, i.e. 'I have transcribed the Amra in one day, both text and gloss.'

SOURCE
Stokes, Whitley. "Amra Senain." ZCP. v.III. pp. 220-225.