Texts

verse beg. A Marbáin, a díthrubaig

  • Old Irish
  • verse
Poem presented as a verse dialogue between Gúaire (Aidne), king of Connacht (7th century), and his brother Marbán the hermit.
Title
also referred to as King and hermit
First words (verse)
  • A Marbáin, a díthrubaig
“Marbán, hermit”
Author
Anonymous
Language
  • Old Irish
Date
9th century (Murphy);(1)n. 1 Gerard Murphy, ‘Anonymous: King and hermit’ in Early Irish lyrics... (1956): 10. 10th century (Meyer)(2)n. 2 Kuno Meyer, King and hermit. A colloquy between king Guaire of Aidne and his brother Marban. Being an Irish poem of the 10th century (1901).
Form
verse (primary)
Metre
Stanzas 1, 8-12 and 33 in Murphy’s edition are in rannaigecht; much of the remaining poem in 424231424231.
  • rannaigecht

Classification

Subjects

Gúaire Aidne mac Colmáin
Gúaire Aidne mac Colmáin
(d. 663)
Gúaire Aidne (‘of Aidne’) mac Colmáin, king of Connacht from the Uí Fhiachrach; son of Colmán mac Cobthaig (d. 622)

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Marbán mac Colmáin
Marbán mac Colmáin
(7th century)
hermit; brother of Gúaire Aidne, king of Connacht

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Sources

Notes

Primary sources Text editions and/or modern translations – in whole or in part – along with publications containing additions and corrections, if known. Diplomatic editions, facsimiles and digital image reproductions of the manuscripts are not always listed here but may be found in entries for the relevant manuscripts. For historical purposes, early editions, transcriptions and translations are not excluded, even if their reliability does not meet modern standards.

[ed.] [tr.] Murphy, Gerard [ed. and tr.], “Anonymous: King and hermit”, in: Gerard Murphy [ed. and tr.], Early Irish lyrics: eighth to twelfth century, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1956. 10–19, 177–178.
CELT – edition: <link>
Omits stanzas 2-7.
[ed.] [tr.] Meyer, Kuno [ed. and tr.], King and hermit. A colloquy between king Guaire of Aidne and his brother Marban. Being an Irish poem of the 10th century, London: David Nutt, 1901.  

Preface (5-9) -- Edition of poem beg. A Marbáin, a dithriubaig (10-21) -- Glossary (22-27) -- Appendix I. Colum Cille and Guaire [text and translation of poem beg. Dena, a Ghuaire, maith um ní (28-29) -- Appendix II. Ornait’s lament for Laidgnen (Cormac's Glossary) [quatrain beg. Dethbir dam ce ni antais].

Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive: <link>
Edition and translation
[ed.] Meyer, Kuno [ed.], “Mitteilungen aus irischen Handschriften: IV. Aus Harleian 5280. Zweigespräch zwischen König Gúaire von Aidne und seinem Bruder Marbán, dem Einsiedler”, Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 3 (1901): 455–457.
Celtic Digital Initiative – all Mitteilungen of ZCP 3: <link> Internet Archive: <link>
[tr.] Lehmann, Ruth P. M., “Guaire and Marban”, Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 36 (1978): 96–111.
English translation based on Murphy (1956).
[tr.] Meyer, Kuno, Selections from ancient Irish poetry, London, 1911.  
A collection of early and medieval Irish poetry in English translation. The individual items are reprinted from earlier publications.
Internet Archive: <link>, <link>, <link>, <link>, <link>
47–50 Omits stanzas 2-7.
[tr.] Jackson, Kenneth Hurlstone, Studies in early Celtic nature poetry, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1935.
Translation of stanzas 8-32.

Secondary sources (select)

Ó Coileáin, Seán, “The making of Tromdám Guaire”, Ériu 28 (1977): 32–70.
Contributors
C. A., Dennis Groenewegen, Julie Le Blanc
Page created
November 2011, last updated: January 2024