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1782. Tairnig an seal-sa ag Siol Neill $
Length: very long 53qq
Certainty: 1
Period:
  1. 12th ult
Areas:
  1. Connacht
Classes:
  1. ‘prophetic’
  2. eulogy mp or
Manuscripts:
  1. RIA 1225(D/ii/1) Bk Ui Mhaine c. 1394
  2. RIA 744 (A/v/2) 17th cent.
Prints:
  1. transl. Eriu xxxiv, 161-71
Motifs:
  1. eulogy on appearance
  2. Satire on personal appearance
  3. War with English
  4. imagery for kingship
  5. inauguration q. 35
  6. territory as king’s spouse
  7. reim rioghraidh, regnal list
  8. prophecy of ruler
  9. Hunting
Patron Christian Names:
  1. Cathal Croibhdheag mc Toirdhealbhaigh
Patron Surnames:
  1. O Conchobhair d. 1224
Apologue Subclasses:
  1. Niall Naoighiallach & the hag at the well
Meter Vars:
  1. deibhidhe
Poem:

Poem in printable PDF format

Tairnig an seal-sa ag Síol Néill


[Brian Ó Cuív: ‘A poem composed for Cathal Croibhdhearg Ó Conchubhair’, Ériu 34, 157-174]


1 Tairnic in sel-sa ac Síl Néill

mar do ordaig in flaith féin

dá fuair in flaithes fuirmech

Niall coscarach cathbuidnech.


2 Meic Echach, Muigmedon mas,

Niall, Ailill, Fiachra foltchas,

Fergus is Brian a Bregaib,

cúic meic Echach airmlebair.


3 Luidset in cúicer saer seng

ar cuairt ar uaislib Éirenn;

mo-chen ór chin in cuaine,

clann ríg Temrach taebuaine.


4 Do-niat selg a Cnogba chuirr

na cúic slata a cathair Cuinn;

fastait muic mórgairg menmnaig

na cuiléna a claenTemraig.


5 Do-ní Niall is Fergus finn

fianboth caelaig ós a cinn;

Ailill is Fiachra, na fir,

benait seisc mbarrúir mbuingil,


6 Tuigis Brian, barr in fhine,

slesa taebhlebra in tige;

atait teinid crithrig cuirr;

innénait in muic mórthruim.


7 Caithset a fulacht ferda

cúic onchoin tellaig Temra;

don gasraid chúilfhinn chorcra

ros-gab íta in fhulachta.


8 A-dubairt Brian, barr in tsluaig:

“Gabad nech a arma uaib

ocus sired leis co luath

uisce fuar inar finnchuach”.


9 Faemais Fergus bailc buidnech

dul do ráith na mac muirnech

d’iarraid in fheda bláith buic

nó co tarla ar in tiprait.


10 Mar do thoimdig cuice in cuach

at-chonnaic Fergus in fuath,

arracht gránna co nguth ngarg,

arait garbfhinnach gruadard.


11 A-dubairt, dá díchur di,

nach fuigbed aenchuach uisce

ar chomaid airgit ná óir

acht dul ’na caemtha i cétóir.


12 Intóis uaithi Fergus fial

co soich co a bráithrib, co Brian;

nír adaim in degmac dáib

in mnaí ná in t-uisce d’fhácfáil.


13 Tochrait uirri druim ar druim

maicne Moingfhinne in mórgluinn;

nochar fhás tarba dóib de

uair ní fhuaratar uisce.


14 Gabais Niall cúilfhinn in cuach

ocus rithis leis co luath;

siris in fid ndorcha ndall

d’iarraid uisce na habann.


15 Nír fhata don mac menmnach,

do Niall a toraib Temrach,

co facaid in macám muad

in sruth lochthoprach linnfhuar.


16 Cúic buinne áille arda

d’ibraib caema comarda

ina ndosaib - ba dín sluaig -

ós in linntiprait lánfhuair.


17 Tinsaitne caema cruaide

trésna dosaib dlúmuaine

do chaeraib cruinne corcra

fán tiprait saír somolta.


18 Cairthe ar lár in topair theinn,

comsholas re gréin a greim,

do shoillsig in linn lebair

in lia taebderg taebshlemain.


19 Do bí tré chenn in chairthe

can anad is can aithbe

sruth ina stuaig báingil buic

co toited isin tiprait.


20 Ré do maigrib soir is siar

im in nglaislinn-sin co grian

ac techt fón sruth n-uar n-idan

fó fhrémaib na rígibar.


21 Nochtais Niall cúilfhinn in cuach

ó ráinic in linn co luath

dá chur fón sruth nglan ngainmech

taidlech nglasuar ngelmaigrech.


22 Éirgis cuice suas ón tsruth

fiadchaillech roba garb guth;

sínis uaithi i coinne in chuaig

láim féithig fata fortruaig.


23 Décais uirri Niall neimnech,

mac ríg Gaídel na ngeimlech;

bidcais a chraide ina chliab

leis in fuath n-éitig n-ainfhial.


24 Súile linnacha liatha,

mailge garba greinnliatha,

fiadmael deimside ar na dód

tréna cenn cnámach cluasmór.


25 “Dámad duit, a fhir engaig,

a uí Thuathail a Temraig,

nocha béra can luach lat

uisce tonnglas mo thiprat.”


26 “Nochan fhuil m’airget ná m’ór,

a ben dífhregra dímór,

ní thibar duit tar a chenn

cuach Echach airdríg Éirenn.”


27 “Dámad let in cuach do-chím

do shloinnis-se ón airdríg

bad ferr lim caemthach colla

let, a laedán Liatroma.”


28 Do-ní-sim comairle cruaid,

mac Echach Muigmedon muaid;

cér uathmar do-delba a drech

comraicis ria Niall noíthech.


29 Dercais uirri as a haithle

ua Fiachrach, glan a graifne,

co facaid ré a thaeb i tlacht

ingin mongbuide macdacht.


30 Do lasfad grian ocus gaeth

dá gnúis rígnaide can fraech,

ba coimgel a cruth caidche

re snechta n-uar n-aenaidche.


31 “Ó ro scaras rit fó scéim,

ó ro chlaechlóis do deilb féin,

innis, a shaerchlann shercach,

t’ainm, a ingen ilrechtach.”


32 “In flaithes meise, a Néill náir,

a uí Chairbre chrechaig cháid;

is í in tipra gainmech gel

Inis Fótla na finntreb.”


33 “Is iat na hibair arda

na cúic cúicidh comarda;

is iat caera na n-eó n-ard

étála na ríg ro-garg.”


34 “Is é in cairthe taidlech tenn

Uisnech ardmedón Éirenn;

is é in sruth caem can cruaide

Feis na Temra taebuaine.”


35 “Is iat in ré maigred mór

flaithe Éirenn ac in ól;

íbait Feis Temra na treb

mar ebait in sruth saergel.”


36 “At-chífe-se a-nois, a Néill,

a ngéba dot chlainn bu-déin,

ar na rím dam bu-déine,

Inis Fótla fonnréide.”


37 Tuc a gualainn re fót féig

ua Muiredaig Thírig thréin

cur innis dó in mín medrach

maithe rígrad ro-Themrach.


38 Do innis dó ’na degaid,

do mac Echach airmlebair,

remes cacha ríg dár gairm,

fed a ríge ’s a rígainm.


39 Ar n-áirem dó in chaecaid chaím

do na maigrib taeb re taíb

ac snám shrotha, ac léim na lec,

co faca in bratán baillbrec.


40 “Cúich in rí-se a-nois?” ar Niall,

“innis dúinn, a ingen fhial,

cúich in ré chaem can chruaide

buaidres in linn lachuaine?”


41 “Tosach clainne buice Briain,

do-só in Banba dóib it diaid,

faefat-sa leis, bud é m’fher,

in bratán álainn uchtgel.”


42 “Is é sin Toirdelbach trén

gébas Éirinn na n-arm ngér;

buaidéraid in mBanba mbuic

mar buaidres tís in tiprait.”


43 “Cia so thís cus na srebaib

chuartaiges in linn lebair,

is bec don ré maigred mór

nach fuilet uime ar n-impód?”


44 “Ruaidrí mac Toirdelbaig thréin,

céile eile dam féin;

gébaid Éirinn re hathaid

lethguaillid Cuinn Chétchathaig.”


45 “Cia anois in bratán baillgel

’ma n-iad in ré mór maigred,

innis dúinn can sceinm in scél

can as ngeib in flaith fortrén?”


46 “Mac Ruaidrí, ríg cáid Cruachna,

airgnech Line ’cus Luachra,

taisleoir Muige braenaig Breg,

lennán dam in laech láingel.”


47 “At-chiú-sa anois éicne án,

a ingen gasta gruadnár,

co n-eithrib corcra cruinne

do rochtain in rígbuinne.”


48 “At-chiú anoir isin sruth saer

ina n-agaid taeb re taeb

rechta gránna co ngráin piast,

réithe gorma do gairbiasc.”


49 “Do-rónsat trota is trena

ris na maigrib móirgela

do cach leith ’m in finnlinn fuair

ar cúl in bratáin ballruaid.”


50 “Is iat in ré gránna garb

Bretnaig co n-imat a n-arm

cus na gelmaigrib dá nguin

Sacsain, Francaig tar finnmuir.”


51 Mo-chen tír cus a toraid

éicne Ruadmara Romair,

in bratán doinneithrech derg

dana comainm in Croibderg.”


52 “Naí mbliadna ’cus trícha trén

remes in Chroibdeirg, ní chél,

mór cliath, mór cuire ro cherb

co toracht in laech láimderg.”


53 “Náram léic uada im aenar,

toisc dá mbia in Banba i mbaegal,

in t-airdrí ceirtbrethach cáid;

bidam senóir in tan táir.”