Liz Gabay wrote:
> BB
>
> Nocho nuair fortacht foill fuinuin
> sin torcd sin troich teinel
> co tor sin iar ngath gliaid ngalaig
> faithaid fabaig feinin.
> Lec
> Nocho nuair furtacht foill fuinain
> Sin torcdacht truag teineal.
> Co toiracht iar ngath gliaig ngalaig
> faithliaig fabaig feinin
LINE (a)
The last word is: BB 'fumuin', Lec 'fumain'. It is harder to tell in BB,
but in both cases the middle minim of the 'm' lacks the straightness and
distinct serif that the initial stroke of an 'n' would have.
LINE (b)
> I thought 's' with a line on it might stand for 'sin'.
No, it is the standard abbreviation for 'acht'. It has been taken
directly from the Latin abbreviation for 'sed' ('but') but it acquired
the value of the equivalent Irish word ('acht'). And that is why Lec has
'torcdacht' for BB 'torcd+barred s'.
The final word in line (b) is: BB temel, Lec temeal. (Notice that in
this case the middle minim of the 'm' in both MSS is a tiny bit shorter
than an intitial minim ought to be.)
LINE (c)
In both MSS read 'toracht' (not 'tor sin' and 'toiracht'). The 'o' in
Lec is a bit dodgy on the right-hand side, but there is no 'oi'
compendium that combines the two letters in that way.
Note that Lec actually has 'ngnath' (not 'ngath') and so offers the
better reading.
LINE (d)
The last word is 'Feimin' in BB and 'Femin' in Lec (though I supplied
the capital - it is a territory in Munster). Again the middle minim of
the 'm' helps us here: there is no proper serif in BB and the
down-stroke is really quite short in Lec.
So I suggest:
BB 108 r col a
Nocho n-uair fortacht fôill fumuin
acht torcdacht trôich teme[i]l
co toracht iar ng[n]âth-gliaid ngalaig
fâth-[li]aid fabaig Feimin
Lec fol 221 v col a
Nocho n-uair furtacht fôill fumain
acht torcdacht trűag temeal.
co toracht iar ngnâth-gliaig ngalaig
fâth-liaig fabaig Femin
> I wondered if 'fuinain/fuinuin' and 'ngalaig' could possibly rhyme.
No, they don't. Nor do 'fumain : ngalaig'. But lines (a) and (c)
need only consonate with the rhyming lines (b and d). So the
stressed vowels here don't haave to be identical - just of the same
length.
Neil
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