Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition

Buile Suibhne (Author: [unknown])

paragraph 58

1. Cold to-night is Benn Boirche,
   'tis the abode of a blighted man;
   no place is it for food or milk,
   nor in storm and endless snow.
2. Cold is my bed at night
   on the summit of Benn Boirche;
   I am weak, no raiment covers me
   on a sharp-branching holly-tree.
3. When cold has gripped me in the ice
   I move sharply against it,
   I give fire to the glinting wind
   blowing over the plain of Laoghaire's Leinster.
4. Glen Bolcain of the clear spring,
   it is my dwelling to abide in;
   when Samhuin comes, when summer goes,
   it is my dwelling where I abide.

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p.117

5. Wheresoever I might wander west and east
   throughout Glanamhrach's glens
   the biting snowstorm is in my face,
   for shelter of the chilly madman of Erin.
6. That is my beloved glen,
   my land of foregathering,
   my royal fortress that has fallen to my share,
   my shelter against storm.
7. For my sustenance at night
   I have all that my hands glean
   in dark oak-woods
   of herbs and plenteous fruit.
8. I love the precious bog-berries,
   they are sweeter than
   [...]
   
   brooklime, sea-weed, they are my desire,
   the lus bian and the watercress.
9. Apples, berries, beautiful hazel-nuts,
   blackberries, acorns from the oak-tree,
   raspberries, they are the due of generosity,
   haws of the prickly-sharp hawthorn.
10. wood-sorrels, goodly wild garlic,
    and clean-topped cress,
    together they drive hunger from me,
    mountain acorns, melle root.
11. I in a green land that is not a glen,
    O Christ, may I never reach it!
    it is not my due to be there;
    but though I am cold, it also is cold.

p.119