Translated by Kuno MeyerElectronic edition compiled by Beatrix FärberProof corrections by Beatrix Färber
Funded by The HEA via PRTLI 4
1. First draft, revised and corrected.
Extent of text: 2100 words
Distributed by CELT online at University College, Cork, Ireland.
Text ID Number: T301042
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CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
The electronic text covers pages 220–221 and 224–225. O'Curry's translation of the poem is integrated with minor editorial changes.
Text has been proof-read once.
The electronic text represents the edited text including footnotes.
Quotations are rendered q.
When a hyphenated word (hard or soft) crosses a page-break, the page-break is marked after the completion of the hyphenated word (and punctuation).
div0=the tale.
Names of persons (given names) and places are not tagged.
Created: Translation by Kuno Meyer (1892)
Beatrix Färber (ed.)
Beatrix Färber (text capture)
In his Appendix to his Lectures on the MS. Materials of Ancient Irish History, pp. 472–475, O'Curry has published and translated the story of Baile Binnbérlach from H. 3. 18, p. 47. The same text is found in the British Museum MS Harl. 5280, fo. 48a; with this difference that for many ordinary Irish words (gnáthfhocla) of H.3. 18, Latin, Hebrew, and archaic Irish words have been substituted. We have here, in fact, an instructive example of that delight in obscure modes of diction, which Irish poetry so often shows in its use of kennings, extinct forms of language, antiquated native, and
While in a literary point of view the use of the incongruous elements, misplaced fragments of learning, only serves to mar a pretty tale, it supplies the modern student with some valuable linguistic material. For this reason I have thought it worth while to publish the following text. I add a translation and a glossary of the old and rare words.
Baile the sweet-spoken, son of Buan. Three grandsons had Caba, son of Cing, son of Ross, son of Rugraide: Monach and Buan and Fercorb, de quibus Dál m-Buain, and Dál Cuirb and Monaig Arad. Buan's only son was Baile. He was the special love of Ailinn, daughter of Lugaid, son of Fergus of the Sea; or of the daughter of Eogan, son of Dathi; and he was the special amour of every one who saw him or heard of him, both men and women, on account of the tales about him. And they (he and Ailinn) agreed to meet in a love-tryste, at Ross na Ríg, at the house of Maelduib, on the brink of the Boyne in Breg.
{Irish text line 10}The man (Baile) came from the north to meet her, from Emain macha, across Sliabh Fuaid, over Murthemne to Tráig Baili. They unyoked their chariots and put their horses on the turf to graze. And there was glee and merry-making.
{Irish text line 14} As they were there, they saw a horrible apparition(?) of a man coming towards them from the south. Fitful was his course and his approach. He sped over the earth like the darting of a hawk from a cliff, or the wind from the green sea. His left was towards the land.
{Irish text line 17}‘To him!’ said Baile, ‘and ask him whither he goes or whence he comes, or what is the cause of his haste.’
{Irish text line 19}‘To Tuaig-Inber I am going and back northward now from Mount Leinster, and I have1 no news but that the daughter of Lugaid, son of Fergus, has given love to Baile, son of Buan, and was coming to meet him, when the warriors of Leinster overtook her and killed her, as druids and good seers foretold of them, that they would not meet in life, and that they would meet after their deaths, never to part. This is my news.’ And he went from them after that, and they were not able to detain him.
{Irish text line 26}When Baile heard that, he falls dead without life; and
{Irish text line 31}The the same man went southward to the place where was the maiden Aillinn, and went into the bower. ‘Whence cometh he whom we know not?’ said the maiden. ‘From the north of Erin, from Tuaig-Inber, and past this place to Mount Leinster.’ ‘Hast thou news?’ said the maiden. ‘I have no news worth lamenting here, but by the side of Tráig Baili I saw the men of Ulster at funeral games, digging a rath and placing a stone and writing the name of Baile, son of Buan, the royal heir of Ulster, who was coming to meet a sweetheart and lady-love to whom he had given love; for it is not their fate to meet in life, not that one of them should see the other alive.’ He darted out when he had completed his evil tale. Aillinn fell dead without life, and her grave is dug, etc.
{Irish text line 42}And an apple-tree grew through her grave and was a large tree at the end of the seventh year, and the shape of Aillinn's head on its top. At the end of seven years princes and seers and prophets cut down the yew which was over Baile and make a poet's tablet of it; and the are written in it. In the same manner the wooings of Leinster are written in the tablet (made of the tree that grew on Aillinn's grave).
{Irish text line 49}The came Halloween, and its feast was made by Cormac, son of Art. Poets and men of every art came to that feast, as was the custom, and they brought their tablets with them. And Art saw them and when he saw them he asked for them. And the two tablets were brought to him, and they were in his hands face to face. The one tablet of them sprang upon the other, and they twined together as the woodbine round a branch, nor was it possible to sever them. And they were (kept) like any other jewel in the treasury at Tara, until Dunlang, son of Enna, burnt it when he slew the maidens. Hence said the poet etc.2
{MSMat page 466}
- The apple tree of noble Aillinn
the yew of Baile,—small inheritance—
Although they are introduced into poems,
They are not understood by unlearned people.
‘And the daughter of Cormac, the grandson of Conn, said:—’
{MS. Mat. 467}
- What I liken Aluime to,
Is to the yew of Ráith Baile,
What I liken the other to,
Is to the apple tree of Aillinn.
‘Fland mac Lonan dixit:—’
- Let Cormac decide with proper sense,
So that he be envied by the hosts;
Let him remember,—the illustrious saint,—
The tree of the strand of Baile Mac Buain.
- There grew up a tree under which companies could sport,
With the form of his face set out on its clustering top;
When he was betrayed, truth was betrayed,—
It is in that same way they betray Cormac.
‘Cormac dixit:—’
Here was entombed the son of White Buan.