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Fionn’s foray to Tara
verse beg. Cumain let a Oissin fhéil

  • Early Modern Irish, Late Middle Irish
  • verse
  • Duanaire Finn, Classical Irish poetry, Finn Cycle
First words (verse)
  • Cumain let a Oissin fhéil
“Thou rememberest, generous Oisín”
Context(s)The (textual) context(s) to which the present text belongs or in which it is cited in part or in whole.
Author
Anonymous
Manuscripts
Earliest version (Poem II)
Dublin, University College, MS Franciscan A 20 (b) = Duanaire Finn [s. xvii1]
ff. 2r (middle)–3v
51 qq.
Modernised version (Poem LXVI)
Dublin, University College, MS Franciscan A 20 (b) = Duanaire Finn [s. xvii1]
ff. 87r (bottom)–89v
Modernised version of the earlier poem in Duanaire Finn, beginning ‘In cumhain let a Oisin fhéil’ (“Do you remember, generous Oisin”). 84 qq.
Language
  • Early Modern Irish Late Middle Irish

  • late Middle Irish or Early Modern Irish (poem II); Early Modern Irish (modernised version, poem LXVI). Murphy: “The language of this poem suggests that it originated either in the second half of the 12th century, or at latest, in the 13th century.

    The chevilles go mbáigh 2, miadh nglē 5, go b[h]feibh 30, ger m[h]ór in ró 38, tré ghus 43, are suggestive of Middle Irish, as also the following words rare in the later language nachar [1] (for nár) 11, the intensitive suffix -siomh, -sam[h] 16 and 43, brosgar 18, angbhuidh 27, chonnailbhe 28, [d]tonnbháin 32, badh-dhéin (= fadhéin) 34, frithlorg 42, bhine 51.

    The plural copula niod in 33 (cf. nít, Táin ed. Windisch l. 1122 and ibidem glossary p. 1022), and perhaps the nominal preposition doc[h]om in 7 (there was a prejudice against the use of this word in poetry during the classical period: cf. IGT Int. 131), are in favour of a Middle Irish origin (Cf. also metrical argument in note to l. 30c infra).

    On the other hand the analytic verbal form nior d[h]iongaibh sibh in 8, the nominative forms bruit ( : Cormuic) 1, tachair ( : d[h]eaghathair) 12, for the acc. pl. masc, and the nominative form c[h]reach ( : Teamhrach) 30, for the acc. sing. fem., suggest that the poem is at least as late as the middle of the 12th century. In the rest of the poem the acc. forms where supported by the rime preserve the old inflection, énlá[i]mh ( : dháil) 8, an iris uill ( : cáogdhuirn) 49, méin ngluin ( : cum[h]-ain) 51.”

Form
verse (primary)
Length
Number of stanzas: 51 or 84

Classification

Duanaire Finn
Duanaire Finn
id. 11031
Classical Irish poetryClassical Irish poetry
...
Finn Cycle
Finn Cycle
id. 578

Sources

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.] MacNeill, Eoin [ed.], Duanaire Finn: The book of the lays of Fionn, 3 vols, vol. 1: Irish text, with translation into English, Irish Texts Society, 7, London: Irish Texts Society, 1908.
Foclóir na Nua-Ghaeilge – editions: <link> Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive – originally from Google Books: <link>
4–6; 98–102 Poem II. Edition and translation
[ed.] [tr.] Murphy, Gerard [ed.], Duanaire Finn: The book of the lays of Fionn, 3 vols, vol. 2: Irish text, with translation into English, Irish Texts Society, 28, London: Irish Texts Society, 1933.
CELT – edition: <link> Internet Archive: <link>
336–361 Poem LXVI. Edition and translation

Secondary sources (select)

Murphy, Gerard, Duanaire Finn: The book of the lays of Fionn, 3 vols, vol. 3: Introduction, notes, appendices and glossary, Irish Texts Society, 43, London: Irish Texts Society, 1953.
Internet Archive: <link>
7–9 Poem II.
Murphy, Gerard, Duanaire Finn: The book of the lays of Fionn, 3 vols, vol. 3: Introduction, notes, appendices and glossary, Irish Texts Society, 43, London: Irish Texts Society, 1953.
Internet Archive: <link>
161–163 Poem LXVI (Modernised version).
web page identifiers
Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen
Page created
April 2012, last updated: January 2024
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