Texts

Hymn of Colmán mac Uí Cluasaig
verse beg. Sén Dé donfé for-donté

Late Old Irish
verse

Early Irish verse hymn ascribed to one Colmán mac Uí Cluasaig, lector in Cork. The first divison (ll. 1-38) is regarded as the original poem, which appears to be an adaptation of a Latin prayer. The next divison (ll. 39-47), itself perhaps of mixed origin, serves as an appendix. The final one, almost certainly a later addition, invokes the chief patron saints of Ireland (Brigit, Patrick and Columba).

First words (verse)

Sén Dé donfé for-donté

Author

Ascribed to: Colmán mac Uí CluasaigColmán mac Uí Cluasaig

Entry reserved for but not yet available from the subject index.

Manuscripts

Dublin, Trinity College, MS 1441 (E 4. 2) = Irish Liber hymnorum [s. xi^ex–xiiⁱⁿ]

ff. 5r–6r

context: Irish Liber hymnorum

Dublin, University College, MS Franciscan A 2 = Irish Liber hymnorum [s. xi^ex/xiiⁱⁿ]

pp. 28–30

context: Irish Liber hymnorum

context: Immram Snédgusa ocus Maic Riagla

The first lines of the poem are cited in Immram Snédgusa ocus Maic Riagla.

Language

Late Old Irish
Stokes (1903): “The indications in the hymn itself point to the early part of the ninth century. A superior limit may be found in the mention of Joseph, the husband of Mary, who seems not to be commemorated in Irish liturgies before about 800 A.D. An inferior limit may be found in the treatment of final vowels. As the rhyme shews, there is yet e.g. no confusion between final ‑ae and final ‑a, a confusion well established for the middle of the ninth century by the St Gall glosses on Priscian. The language of the hymn strongly resembles that of the Félire Óengusso, which belongs to about 800 A.D. The most striking departure from Old-Irish usage is the use of anacht (l. 22) for the relative anachte.”

Form

verse (primary)

Textual relationships

Related: Oratio sancti BrendaniOratio sancti Brendani

Medieval Latin litany or lorica, with a preface which attributes its composition to Brendan, abbot of Clonfert. It is preserved in manuscripts from the 11th century onward. Its date of composition is unknown.

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.

[ed.] [tr.] Stokes, Whitley, and John Strachan [eds.], Thesaurus palaeohibernicus: a collection of Old-Irish glosses, scholia, prose, and verse, 3 vols, vol. 2: Non-Biblical glosses and scholia; Old-Irish prose; names of persons and places; inscriptions; verse; indexes, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1903.

comments: Reprinted by DIAS in 1987, together with Stokes' supplementary volume.

Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive – originally from Google Books: <link> Wikisource: <link>

298–306 (text); xxxvi–xxxvii (introduction)

[ed.] Bernard, J. H., and Robert Atkinson [eds.], The Irish Liber hymnorum, 2 vols, vol. 1: Text and introduction, Henry Bradshaw Society, 13, London: Henry Bradshaw Society, 1898.

comments: Volume 1: Text and introduction
Volume 2: Translation

Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive – originally from Google Books: <link> Internet Archive – originally from Google Books: <link> – originally from Google Books: <link>

26–30

[tr.] Bernard, J. H., and Robert Atkinson, The Irish Liber hymnorum, 2 vols, vol. 2: Translation and notes, Henry Bradshaw Society, 14, London: Henry Bradshaw Society, 1898.

comments: Volume 1: Text and introduction
Volume 2: Translation

Internet Archive – originally from Google Books: <link> Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive – originally from Google Books (missing: pp. 18-19, 86-87): <link>

14–16 (translation); 115–122 (notes)