Post by Fool Coyote on Apr 14, 2008 16:46:13 GMT -5
Imcallam in da Thurad
The Colloquy of the Two Sages
Book of Leinster
The Colloquy of the Two Sages
Book of Leinster
NOTE: This copy of "The Colloquy" translated by Whitley Stokes first appeared at Erik Stohellou's site Tech Sceptra. His edition now has Stokes's notes on the text, so I recommend also reading the text there, perhapse before reading this page which contains my own notes.
I. Adnae, son of Uthider, of the tribes of Connaught, was the ollave1 of Ireland in science and poetry. He had a son, to wit, N�de. Now that son went to learn science in Scotland, unto Eochu Echb�l (Horsemouth); and he stayed along with Eochu until he was skilled in science.
II. One day the lad fared forth till he was on the brink of the sea - for the poets deemed that on the brink of water it was always a place of revelation of science. He heard a sound in the wave, to wit, a chant of wailing and sadness, and it seemed strange to him. So the lad cast a spell upon the wave, that it might reveal to him what the matter was. And thereafter it was declared to him that the wave was bewailing, his father Adnae, after his death and that Adnae's robe had been given to Ferchertne the poet, who had taken the ollaveship in place of N�de's father.
III. Then the lad went to his house and tells (all this) to his tutor, that is, to Eochu. And Eochu said to him:" Get thee to thy country now. Our two sciences have no room in one place; for thy science shews clearly to thee that thou art an ollave in knowledge".
IV. So N�de fared forward, and with him his three brothers, namely, Lugaid, Cairbre, Crutt�ne. A bolg b�lce (puffball)2 chanced (to meet) them on the path. Said one of them: "Why is it called bolg b�lce?" Since they know not, they went back to Eochu and remained a month with him. Again they fared on the path. A simind (rush) chanced to meet them. Since they knew not (why it was so called), they went back to their tutor. At the end of another month they set out (again) from him. A gass sanais (sprig of sanicle?) chanced (to meet) them. Since they knew not why it was called gass sanais, they return to Eochu and remained another month with him.
V. Now when their questions had been solved for them, they proceeded to Cantire, and he afterwards went to Rind Sn�c. Then from Port R�g they passed over the sea till they landed at Rind Roisc: thence over Semne, over Latharna, over Mag Line, over Ollarba, over Tulach Roisc, over Ard Sl�be, over Craeb Selcha, over Mag Ercaite, over the (river) Bann, along, Uachtar, over Glenn Rige, over the Districts of the H�i Bresail, over Ard Sailech, which today is called Armagh, over the Elfmound3 of Emain [Macha --MJ].
VI. Thus then went the youth, with a silvern branch above him; for this is what used to be above the anruths4 a branch of gold above the ollaves: a branch of copper over the rest of the poets.
VII. Then they go towards Emain Machae. And Bricriu chances (to meet) them on the green. He said to them that if they would give him his guerdon N�de would, through his advice and intercession, become the ollave of Ireland. So N�de gave him a purple tunic, with its adornment of gold and silver, and Bricriu told him to go and sit in the ollave's place. He also said that Ferchertne was dead, while (in fact) he was then to the north of Emain, leading (?) wisdom to his pupils.
VIII. And then Bricriu said: "No beardless man receives the ollaveship in Emain Machae", - for N�de was infantine (leg. boyish) as regards age. N�de takes his handful of grass, and casts a spell upon it, so that every one would suppose it was a beard that was on him. And he went and sat down on the ollave's chair, and took his robe around him. Three were the colors of the robe, to wit, a covering of bright bird's feathers in the middle: a showery speckling of findruine5 on the lower half outside, and a golden colour on the upper half.
IX. Thereafter Bricriu went to Ferchertne and said to him: "It were sad, O Ferchertne, that thou shouldst be put out of the ollaveship today! A young honourable man has taken the ollaveship in Emain."
Thereat Ferchertne was wroth, and he entered the palace, and stood on the floor with his hand en the beam. So that there he said: "Who is the poet, a poet", etc.
X. Now the place of this Colloquy is Emain Machae. And the time of it is the time of Conchobar Mac Nessa. The author, then, is N�de son of Adnae of Connaught - or he is of the Tuatha D� Danann6, as he says in the Colloquy (�� 129, 130) "I am the son of D�n (Poetry), D�n son of Osmenad (Scrutiny), etc." and Ferchertne the poet of Ulster. The cause of composing it is that after Adnae's death his robe was conferred on Ferchertne by Medb and Ailill. So Adnae's son, N�de, came out of Scotland, (as we have said), to Emain, and sat on the ollave's chair; and Ferchertne entered the house, and said on seeing N�de:
1. Who is this poet, a poet round whom lies the robe with its splendour,
2. who would display himself after chanting poetry?
3. According to what I see, (he is only) a pupil.
4. Of grass is the arrangement of his great beard.
5. In the place for chanting poetry who is this poet, a contentious poet?
6. I never heard the secret of the sense of Adnae's son:
7. I never heard of him with ready knowledge.
8. A mistake, by (my) letters, is N�de's seat!
9. This is an honorific speech which N�de uttered to Ferchertne:
SAID N�DE
10. An ancient one, O my senior, every sage is a corrective sage.
11. A sage is the reproach of every ignorant person.
12. (But) before he knows wrath against us he should see what reproach, what (evil) sap (is in us).
13. Welcome is even the piercing sense of wisdom.
14. Slight is the blemish of a young man, unless his art be (rightly) questioned.
15. Step, chief (a more lawful way).
16. Thou shewest badly, thou hast shewn badly.
17. Thou yieldest to me very meagrely the food of learning.
18. I have drained the dug of a man goodly, treasurous.
SAID FERCHERTNE
19. A question, O instructing lad, whence hast thou come?
N�DE ANSWERED
20. Not hard (to say). From the heel of a sage,
21. from a confluence of wisdom,
22. from perfections of goodness,
23. from brightness of sunrise,
24. from the hazels of poetic art,
25. from circuits of splendour,
26. out of which they measure truth according to excellences,
27. in which righteousness is taught,
28. in which falsehood sets,
29. in which colours are seen,
30. in which poems are freshened.
31. And thou, O my senior, whence hast thou come?
FERCHERTNE ANSWERED
32. Not hard (to say): along the columns of age,
33. along the streams of Galion (Leinster),
34. along the Elfmound of Nechtan's wife7 35. along, the forearm of Nuada's wife,8
36. along the land of the sun (science),
37. along the dwelling of the moon,
38. along the young one's navel-string.
39. A question, O instructing lad, what is thy name?
N�DE ANSWERS
40. Not hard (to say): Very-small, very-great, very-bright (?), Very-hard.
41. Angriness of fire,
42. Fire of speech,
43. Noise of knowledge,
44. Well of wealth,
45. Sword of song,
46. Straight-artistic with bitterness (?) out of fire.
47. And thou , O my senior, what is thy name?
FERCHERTNE ANSWERS
48. Not hard (to say): Nearest in omens.
49. Explanatory champion for declaration, (for) interrogatory.
50. Inquiry of science
51. Weft of art,
52. Casket of poetry,
53. Abundance from a sea.
54. A question, O instructing lad, what art dost thou practise?
N�DE ANSWERS
55. Not hard to say: reddening, a countenance
56. piercing flesh,
57. tingeing bashfulness,
58. tossing away shamelessness,
59. fostering poetry,
60. to searching for fame,
61. wooing science,
62. art for every mouth,
63. diffusing knowledge,
64. stripping speech,
65. in a little room,
66. a sage's cattle,
67. a stream of science
68. abundant teaching,
69. smooth tales, the delight of kings.
70. And thou, O my senior, what art dost thou practise?
FERCHERTNE ANSWERS
71. hunting for support,
72. establishing peace,
73. arranging a troop,
74. tribulation of young men,
75. celebrating art,
76. a pallet with a king,
77. .... ing the Boyne,
78. briamon smetrach,
79. the shield of Athirne,9
80. a share of new wisdom from the stream of science
81. fury of inspiration,
82. structure of mind,
83. art of small poems,
84. clear arrangement,
85. ruddy tales,
86. a celebrated road
87. a pearl in setting (?)
88. succouring sciences after a poem.
FERCHERTNE SAID
89. "A question, O instructing lad, what is it that thou undertakest?"
N�DE ANSWERS
90. Not hard (to say): (to go) into the plain of age,
91. into the mountain of youth,
92. into the hunting of age,
93. into following a king (death?),
94. into an abode of clay,
95. between candle and fire,
96. between battle and its horror;
97. among the mighty men of Tethra10
98. among the stations of...
99. among the streams of knowledge.
100. And thou, O my sage, what is it that thou undertakest?
FERCHERTNE ANSWERS
100. (to go) into the mountain of rank;
101. into the communion of sciences,
102. into the lands of the men of knowledge,
103. into the breast of poetic revision,
104. into the inver of bounties;
105. into the fair of the king's boar:
106. into the small respect of new men:
107. into the slopes of death (wherein is) abundance of great honours.
108. A question, O instructing lad, what is the path thou hast come?'
N�DE ANSWERS
109. Not hard (to say) on the white plain of knowledge,
110. on a king's beard:
111. on a wood of age:
112. on the back of the ploughing-ox:
113. on the light of a summer-moon:
114. on goodly cheeses (mast and fruit):
115. on dews of a goddess (corn and milk)
116. on scarcity of corn
117. on a ford (?) of fear
118. on the thighs of a goodly abode.
119. And thou, O my senior, on what path hast thou come?
FERCHERTNE ANSWERS
120. Not hard (to say): on Lugh's horserod (?).
121. on the breasts of soft women:
122. on the hair of a wood:
123. on the head of a spear:
124. on a gown of silver:
125. on a chariot-frame without a tyre (?)
126. on a tyre without a chariot:
127. on the three ignorances of the Mac ind �c.
128. And thou, O instructing lad, of whom art thou son?
N�DE ANSWERS
129. Not hard (to say): I am son of Poetry,
130. Poetry son of Scrutiny,
131. Scrutiny son of Meditation,
132. Meditation son of Lore,
133. Lore son of Enquiry,
134. Enquiry son of Investigation,
135. Investigation son of Great-Knowledge,
136. Great-Knowledge son of Great-Sense,
137. Great-Sense son of Understanding,
138. Understanding son of Wisdom,
139. Wisdom, son of the three gods of Poetry.11
140. And thou, O my senior, whose son art thou?