Líne 5: Loch Gréine: Loch in aice leis an bhFiacail, sráidbhaile in oirthear Chondae an Chláir | Líne 5: Loch Graney: A lake near the village of Feakle in east Co. Clare | |
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Líne 22: Reynard: ainm a thugtar ar an sionnach go minic i bhfilíocht agus in amhránaíocht na Gaeilge. Tagann an t-ainm ón bhFraincis renard, sionnach. Is é Renart ainm an sionnaigh sa tsean-scéal Francach Roman de Renart. | Líne 22: Reynard: the name often bestowed on the fox in Irish poetry and song. It comes from the French "renard," fox. Renart is the name of the fox in the Old French story Roman de Renart. | |
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Líne 24: Ciallaíonn sé go raibh an ghrian sa roinn sin den chrios dá ngairmthear Cancer: ionann sin nó rá gurbh é mí Iúil a bhí i gceistNóta ag Ó Foghlú | Líne 24: The Irish version speaks of the sun being in the tropic of Cancer, which means that it was July. | |
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Líne 26: I mBéarla, is gnáthach go n-úsáidtear forainm firinscneach ag tagairt don ghrian (ainmfhocal firinscneach é sol sa Laidin). Is ainmfhocal baininscneach é an focal grian sa nGaeilge agus tá an forainm baininscneach í anseo sa téacs ag tagairt di. Mar sin, úsáidim her san aistriúchán, rud atá aisteach go leor do lucht cainte an Bhéarla. | Líne 26: In English, the sun is comonly referred to in the masculine (compare it to the masculine sol in Latin). The word for sun in Irish is feminine and the pronoun used in the text referring to the sun is feminine. Thus, I use the translation her for the sun which may sound a bit strange to Engish speakers. | |
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Líne117: Aoibheall ríon sí Tuamhumhan,a bhíodh ina cónaí ag Craigliath, ar bruach Sionna, láimh le Cill Dalua, is do thairg go raghadh ar feadh tamaill chun an scéil do cheartú.Nóta ag Ó Foghlú. | Líne 117: Aoibheal (pronounced eeval, fairy queen of Thomond who resided at Craiglea on the banks of the Shannon beside Killaloe and who offered to go and rectify the state of affairs. | |
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Líne131: Fiacail: sráidbhaile in oirthear Chondae an Chláir, áit a raibh cónaí ar Bhrian Merriman go dtí gur athraigh sé go cathair Luimní. | Líne 131: Feakle: a village in east Co. Clare where Brian Merriman lived for many years before eventualy moving to the city of Limerick | |
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Líne 138: Cnoc Mháinmhaí .i. an eiscir nó an drom fada darab ainm inniu Fairhill i lár paróiste na FiacaileNóta ag Ó Foghlú | Líne 138: Moinmoy Hill: the esker or long ridge which today goes by the name of Fairhill situated in the middle of the parish of Feakle. | |
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Líne 149: Cailín: a girl. Usually spelt in English as colleen | ||
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Líne 168: Léithchraig or Craiglea: A remarkable rock in the parish of Killaloe where the banshee Eeval is supposed to resideNote by Ó Foghlú quoting from The Tribes and Customs of Hy Many, ed. Dr. John ODonovan.
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Líne 262: Ceardán or Cardinal, a cloak originally of scarlet cloth, with a hood, much worn by women at the beginning of the 18th century; so named from the similarity in shape to one of the vestments of a cardinal. At a later period the material as well as the color varied. Malcolm, writing in 1807 says the cardinal was almost of black silk richly laced.Note by Ó Foghlú
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Líne 343: Níl a fhios ag éinne cén t-aistriúchán ba cheart a thabhairt do na plandaí a luaite sna línte seo. Mar sin, cheap mé nár mhisde an méad sin a admháil san aistriúchán. | Líne 343: Nobody knows the translation for the names of the plants in these lines. So, I decided, I may as well be honest in the translation and say the plants cannot be named. | |
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Líne 380: Súgán: a hay or straw rope used as a belt or other binding | ||
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Líne 402: Bucks: Fataí suaracha a bhí ar fáil ag an am seo. | Líne 402: Bucks: A poor-quality variety of potato of the time. | |
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Líne 455: Ba mhór an áit chun pónra an dúiche sin ThreadraigheNóta ag Ó Foghlú | Líne 455: Tradree was a great area for growing beans | |
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Líne 456: Bhíodh gadaithe is méirligh chomh líonmmhar sin i gcoillte Chreatlaighe gur cuireadh suas croch ar an mbaile sin; tá Gallows Hill ann fós is dóigh liomNóta ag Ó Foghlú | Líne 456: Thieves and outlaws were so common in the woods around Cratlea that a gallows was erected in the town; I believe that there is still a place called Gallows Hill in the area. | |
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Líne 470: Ego Vos; Mé/Tú, dhá fhocal dóibh siúd a n-úsáidtear le linn an phósta, .i. ego conjungo vos in matrimonium. Seasann siad anseo do cheiliúradh iomlán an phósta | Líne 470: Ego Vos: I/You, two of the words used in marriage vows, i.e. ego conjungo vos in matrimonium. They stand here for the overall wedding ceremony. | |
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Líne 656: Acheron: Ceann de haibhneacha Hades (in éineacht le Styx, Lethe, Cocytus agus Phlegethon) i miotaseolaíocht na Gréige. Seasann Acheron do Hades é féin, nó ifreann, anseo. | Líne 656: Acheron: One of the rivers in Hades (together with Styx, Lethe, Cocytus and Phlegethon) in Greek mythology. Acheron stands Hades itself, or hell, here. | |
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Líne 672: Fallaí fód, i.e. sod walls: Their houses are of several sorts; but the most common is the sod wall, as they call it. By sods you are to understand the grassy surface of the earth.Ó Foghlú quoting from Campbells (1778) Survey on Co. Tipperary.
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Líne 882: Mad Sweeney: The literal translation of the line in Irish is: Waiting aimlessly on top of a branch, which doesnt seem to make much sense. However, I believe it is an oblique reference to Suibhne Geilt or Mad Sweeney, a seventh century king who, in the story Buile Shuibhne (The Frenzy of Sweeney), is portrayed as being driven insane by the din at the Battle of Mag Rath and who takes naked to the wilderness, living in tree topshence the reference. The exact phrase used by Merriman, ar bharr na craoibhe, is essentially the same as used to depict one of Sweeneys landing place in Buile Shuibhnefor barr na craoibhe sin. Cf.: Buile Suibhne, J. G. OKeefe ed., The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1952, pg. 12, lines 349-50.
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Línte 987-8: Meidhreach meanmach a ainm is is aerach: feictear, de ghnáth, gur nathaíocht í seo ar ainm an fhile fhéin, Merriman. Ós rud é gurbh é Merryman an litriú a bhí in úsáid ag an am ar a ainm, is soiléire fós an nathaíocht seo. | Línes 987-8: Meidhreach meanmach a ainm is is aerach: lit. his name is merry, cheerful and airy. This is usually seen as a play on the poets own name, Merriman. Since Merryman was the commonly used spelling of his name at the time, the play on words becomes even clearer. | |
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