Jonathan Slocum, Interim Director :: PCL 5.112, 1 University Station S5490 :: Austin, TX 78712 :: 512-471-4566
Indo-European Texts
Old Irish
Douglas Simms and Jonathan Slocum
An Anonymous Old Irish Lyric: 'Summer has gone'
From the Finn-Cycle
Text and literal translation from Gerard Murphy, ed. & trans., Early Irish Lyrics, Eighth to Twelfth Century (Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, 1956, pp. 160-61). Originally prepared by Douglas Simms; edited by Jonathan Slocum.
Ut dixit Finn úa Baíscni: As Finn, descendent of Baíscni, said: Scél lem dúib: I have tidings for you: dordaid dam; the stag bells; snigid gaim; Winter pours; ro fáith sam; Summer has gone; Gáeth ard úar; Wind is high and cold; ísel grían; the sun low; gair a rrith; its course short; ruirthech rían; the sea runs strongly; Rorúad rath; Bracken is very red; ro cleth cruth; its shape has been hidden; ro gab gnáth the call of the barnacle goose giugrann guth. has become usual. Ro gab úacht Cold has seized etti én; the wings of birds; aigre ré; season of ice; é mo scél. these are my tidings.
This Old Irish poem is glossed here. We have two other translations:
- a rhyming translation by Ruth P. Lehmann;
- an alliterative translation by Douglas Simms.