BEANNACHT BÓINNE.

A Bhóinn a bhí ag Síol Chuinn,
A Bhóinn a bhí fa mhuirnn ag a lán,
A Bhóinn na gcreach, na gcath 's na ngliadh,
An bhfuil tú liath 's ar chuir tú a bhláth?

A Bhóinn a bhí ag sliocht Éibhir Fhinn,
A Bhóinn a bhí fo chuim na Niall,
A shean-bhean aosda ba ghlinn glas,
A Bhóinn gan rath, cá ndeachaidh an t-iasg?

A Bhóinn a bhí ag sliocht Ír na gcath,
A Bhóinn a bhí ag mac Airt gan cáin,
A Bhóinn a bhí ag cloinn Míleadh i bhfad,
A Bhóinn ba líonmhar alt ar snámh.

A Bhóinn a bhí ag Bodhbh Dearg,
A Bhóinn fá' n-éirghidh fearg na bhFiann,
A Bhóinn le'r claoidheadh na mílte flaith,
A Bhóinn na bhfear, na n-each 's na srian.

A Bhóinn na mbradán is na mbreac,
A Bhóinn na marc is na mac ríogh,
Cuirfead beannacht leat-sa a Bhóinn,
Ó d'fhágas mo lón le do thaoibh.

D'fhágas agad-sa i dtaisgidh a n-uaighe
Brighid is Ruaidhrí, Brian is Róis,
Mo dhá Shaidhbh, mo ló truaighe,
Tá agad uaim-se is Brighid no dhó.

Tá ochtar, agus ní do mo thoil,
Agad-sa i bhfos i dtaisgidh, a Bhóinn,
Mo chroidhe, mo chnáimh, mo chraobh ghaoil,
Mo ghrádh na naomh, ar mbeannacht leó.

Beannacht do'n chomharsain fa chéad,
Beannacht d'á gcléir agus d'á dtuaith,
Beannacht d'á n-óige is d'á n-aois,
Beannacht leó, na mílte beannacht uaim.

Ó Cheannannas na gcros, ó Dhroichead Átha,
Go srathnaighe bláth mo bheannacht siar
Agus roinneadh stiobhard Íosa an grádh
Ar a bhfuil i nDroichead Átha lerab ion-
mhuin mé.

Ní do mo dhearmad Beartly Wheet,
Plúr na laoch do n-a threibh áird,
An t-óigfhear saoitheamhail soilbhir suairc,
Croidhe gan cruas is féile lámh.

Beannacht faoi thrí le naoi gcéad
Uaim-se dó féin is d'á ghaol,
No go dtillfead fo ghirr ó Shíol Néill
Mo chroidhe 'mo dhiaidh Beartly Wheet.

Toirbhir uaim-se indiu 'na gcion,
Do Lúcás is d'á chloinn le grádh,
M'ocht gcéad beannacht faoi dhó dhéag
Dóibh gan léan d'á gcoimhéad slán.

TAGRA.
Fa mhuirnn, beloved; muirnn, also muirn, muirne,
natural affection, fondness, tenderness. A bhláth, its
bloom, appears to have reference to the preceding

line; ar chuir tú a bhláth, have you cast off the bloom
of it? It is possible, however, that a = do, thy, as
this would certainly be a better reading. Fo chuim na
Niall, under the protection of the Nialls [the MS. has
here fo cuimh]. As a present-day colloquialism in the
ancient Meath fa chuim = underhand, by secret means.
Glinn, clear, bright. Cá ndeachaidh: Here we find
this word eclipsed in a poem, composed by a Northern
poet, and contained in a Northern MS., although
both Meath and Ulster people say cá deachaidh. This
shows the pains writers formerly took to aim at a
standard by avoiding known provincialisms; yet
Ulster provincialists of the present day insist on
writing this very form cá deachaidh even in grammars!
Na marc, of the steeds; marc, a horse, a steed, is a
very rare word nowadays, even in poetry, although
its derivative marcach is one of the commonest words
in the language. On the other hand, it is usual in
the Britannic languages in the form march (W.), marc'h
(Bret.). Shaidhbh: in MS. Sadhbha, which represents the
Meath colloquial pron. sae'-wa; similarly Méabhdha
for Meadhbh. Uaim-se: in MS. uaim; truaighe points
to a dissyllable. Craobh ghaoil (craimh gaol in
MS.), branch of relationship; cf. craobha coibhneasa.
Naomh: raomh, MS. Fa chéad, a hundred times.
Ceannannas na gcros, Kells of the crosses; Kells is
now called Ceannadas, through dissimilation of the
second nn. Go srathnaighe, may it spread, spelt in
MS. in error snathnaigh, whilst the usual spelling is
sreathnuighe. Grádh: MS. graidh. Beartly Wheet
(so exactly in MS.) is an anglicisation of Partholón
(Pártlán) De Faoit, Bartley (or Bartholomew) White.
Plúr, the flower, choice, in MS. apparently puir.
Do n-a = d'á, of his: the present usage in the ancient
Meath territory. Saoitheamhail, pleasant, funny. No
go dtillfead, until I return. Fo ghirr, shortly, soon.
Dhiaidh: in MS. dhiadh; rather dhéidh = Néill. Indiu:
andugha, MS. 'Na gcion, for love of them, in MS. na
gcen (?). Faoi dhó dhéag, twelvefold, twelve times.