Eigse Paged 2004 - National University of Ireland

AILBE’S SPEECH TO CITHRUAD 3
Nīm c[h]ūairt codlud -cæmatar,
na lūt[h] serce sergaide,
10 na būaid mbīd mbit[h]amru,
na cēol clūasuib clot[h]†dumd-†,
fo dai(n)gin on[g] tom-ongadar.
Bangnīma menma 2 fri tuind trebairi,
fri bīathad, fri brugus, fri sīlad særc[h]ineda,
15 fri nīamlen do tlacht gec[h] dat[h]a,
fri dūburta dām do sood,
fri remch ? isin gac[h]a slaibri sīlamra,
fri berta baide †basi-†
fri graide, fri cairp[th]i, fri cluræ 3 cræslīnad,
20 fri daid 4 dingmāil c[h]ēle,
fri cuib[d]i 5 7 comæsa.6
Rom to-mbiur ōn ēim, arsī, di c[h]æmc[h]in[ī]uil.
Cin[n]us ām tārlethar?
Am dāna find fīrflatha.
25 Apair na ferba fīrfāidsine:
Ca hairm a nĒirind daramruib 7
fodom c[h]uirib -cosleb[th]a(i)r 8 ?
Is duit di-recmuis †all- f-b-† fri fius.
Ticcfa ēim airin druī com-bia a fāi[th]chi na Temrach riasin
trāt[h]-sa amāirec[h] an cēle cusa-rada-sa.
1
-arc (Thurneysen), leg. -urc 2 MS bangnima Menma 3 leg. clēre? 4 leg. dag-
5
cuilus? (Thurneysen) 6 MS comæsArom 7 l. deramruib 8 MS cosleb airis
TRANSLATION
On that occasion she went to ask him which of the men of Ireland
she should take in marriage. Then the girl said:
‘I ask you, gentle Cithruad:
Reveal what is in store for me.
True burning of sinews (or veins) has seized me,
evidence for waves of heavy desires.
5 To the field of a great mind the choice of a king (is directed).
If kings desist from censure,
the choice of the crowd (is directed) to a noble glance.
Neither travelling nor sleep protect me (i.e. keep me alive?),
nor the power of love, by which people waste away,