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verse beg. Mairg thochrus fri cléirchib cell

  • Early Irish
  • verse

Early Irish poem attributed to Díarmait mac Cerbaill. In recensions of his death-tale, he is made to utter this poem after two saints, Ciarán and Rúadán, had cursed him for having acted against the rights and authority of the church.

First words (verse)
  • Mairg thochrus fri cléirchib cell
Author
Ascribed to: Díarmait mac Cerbaill
Díarmait mac Cerbaill
(supp. d. 565)
In Irish historical tradition, high-king of Ireland, son of Fergus Cerrbél.
See more
Manuscripts
Dublin, Trinity College, MS 1339 (H 2. 18) = Book of Leinster [s. xii2]
pp. 149bl.25–150a
rubric: ‘Diarmait mac Cerbaill cecinit’
beg. ‘Mairg thochras ri clerchib cell’
19 stt.
Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Laud Misc. 615 = Saltair Choluim Chille [s. xvi1]
pp. 15.19–16.inf
rubric: ‘Diarmait mac Cerbuill cecinit’
beg. ‘Mairg thachras re cleirchibh cell’
22 stt.

Embedded in Aided Diarmata meic Cerbaill, recensions I and II :

Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS D ii 1 (1225) = Leabhar Uí Mhaine (The Book of Uí Maine) [1394]
f. 74vb.17 ff
beg. ‘Mairg tagras fri cleircib cell’
22 qq.
Dublin, Trinity College, MS 1318 cols 573–958 = section of the Yellow Book of Lecan [s. xivex/xvin]
col. 872
beg. ‘Mairg tachras fri clerchib cell’
London, British Library, MS Egerton 1782 [1516-1518]

Extent unknown. O'Grady’s edition of the tale from Egerton 1782 offers the first quatrain only.

Cork, University College, Book of Lismore = Book of Lismore (Leabhar Leasa Móir) [s. xv]
f. 136ra.19–rb.inf
beg. ‘Mairg thachrus fri clerchibh ceall’
22 qq. See transcripts from this manuscript for even further copies.
Language
  • Early Irish
Form
verse (primary)

Classification

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.

[dipl. ed.] Best, Richard Irvine, and M. A. OʼBrien, The Book of Leinster, formerly Lebar na Núachongbála, vol. 3, Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1957. xxi + pp. 471-760.
CELT – pp. 471-638 and 663: <link>
629–631 Book of Leinster version.
[ed.] [tr.] Wiley, Dan M., “An edition of Aided Diarmata meic Cerbaill from the Book of Uí Maine”, unpublished PhD thesis, Harvard University, 2000.
Not seen, but likely to contain an edition and translation of the poem as it occurs in the Book of Uí Maine.
[ed.] OʼGrady, Standish Hayes, Silva Gadelica (I–XXXI): a collection of tales in Irish, vol. 1: Irish text, London: Williams & Norgate, 1892.
Digitale-sammlungen.de: <link> Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive – originally from Google Books: <link>, <link> CELT – various: <link>, <link>, <link>, <link>, <link>, <link>
70–71

Text of the poem as it stands in the second recension of Aided Díarmata from the Book of Lismore. There is no English translation in vol. 2, except for the opening line (p. 74, “Woe to him that with the clergy of the churches battle joins ...”).

web page identifiers
Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen
Page created
December 2022, last updated: June 2023
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