Fionn’s foray to Taraverse beg. Cumain let a Oissin fhéil
- Late Middle Irish, Early Modern Irish
- verse
- Classical Irish poetry, Duanaire Finn, Finn Cycle
- Cumain let a Oissin fhéil
- Earliest version (Poem II)
- Dublin, University College, MS Franciscan A 20 (b) = Duanaire Finn [s. xvii1]ff. 2r (middle)–3v51 qq.
- Modernised version (Poem LXVI)
- Dublin, University College, MS Franciscan A 20 (b) = Duanaire Finn [s. xvii1]ff. 87r (bottom)–89vModernised version of the earlier poem in Duanaire Finn, beginning ‘In cumhain let a Oisin fhéil’ (“Do you remember, generous Oisin”). 84 qq.
- Late Middle Irish Early Modern 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.”
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.
Secondary sources (select)
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