Marvan, brother of King Guare of Connaught in the seventh century, had renounced the life of a warrior-prince for that of a hermit. The king endeavoured to persuade his brother to return to his court, when the following colloquy took place between them.
Guare
Why, hermit Marvan, sleepest thou notUpon a feather quilt?Why rather sleepest thou abroadUpon a pitchpine floor?
Marvan
I have a shieling in the wood,None knows it save my God:An ash-tree on the hither side, a hazel-bush beyond,A huge old tree encompasses it.
Two heath-clad doorposts for support,And a lintel of honeysuckle:The forest around its narrowness shedsIts mast upon fat swine.
The size of my shieling tiny, not too tiny,Many are its familiar paths:From its gable a sweet strain singsA she-bird in her cloak of the ousel’s hue.
The stags of Oakridge leapInto the river of clear banks:Thence red Roiny can be seen,Glorious Muckraw and Moinmoy.[14]
A hiding mane of green-barked yewSupports the sky:Beautiful spot! the large green of an oakFronting the storm.
A tree of apples—great its bounty!Like a hostel, vast!A pretty bush, thick as a fist, of tiny hazel-nuts,A green mass of branches.
A choice pure spring and princely waterTo drink:There spring watercresses, yew-berries,Ivy-bushes thick as a man.
Around it tame swine lie down.Goats, pigs,Wild swine, grazing deer,A badger’s brood.
A peaceful troop, a heavy host of denizens of the soil,A-trysting at my house:To meet them foxes come,How delightful!
Fairest princes come to my house,A ready gathering:Pure water, perennial bushes,Salmon, trout.
A bush of rowan, black sloes,Dusky blackthorns,Plenty of food, acorns, pure berries,Bare flags.
A clutch of eggs, honey, delicious mast,God has sent it:Sweet apples, red whortleberries,And blaeberries.
Ale with herbs, a dish of strawberriesOf good taste and colour,Haws, berries of the juniper,Sloes, nuts.
A cup with mead of hazel-nut, blue-bells,Quick-growing rushes,Dun oaklets, manes of briar,Goodly sweet tangle.
When brilliant summer-time spreads its coloured mantle,Sweet-tasting fragrance!Pignuts, wild marjoram, green leeks,Verdant pureness!
The music of the bright red-breasted men,A lovely movement!The strain of the thrush, familiar cuckoosAbove my house.
Swarms of bees and chafers, the little musicians of the world,A gentle chorus:Wild geese and ducks, shortly before summer’s end,The music of the dark torrent.
An active songster, a lively wrenFrom the hazel-bough,Beautiful hooded birds, woodpeckers,A vast multitude!
Fair white birds come, herons, seagulls,The cuckoo sings between—No mournful music! dun heathpoultsOut of the russet heather.
The lowing of heifers in summer,Brightest of seasons!Not bitter, toilsome over the fertile plain,Delightful, smooth!
The voice of the wind against the branchy woodUpon the deep-blue sky:Falls of the river, the note of the swan,Delicious music!
The bravest band make cheer to me,Who have not been hired:In the eyes of Christ the ever-young I am no worse offThan thou art.
Though thou rejoicest in thy own pleasures,Greater than any wealth;I am grateful for what is given meFrom my good Christ.
Without an hour of fighting, without the din of strifeIn my house,Grateful to the Prince who giveth every goodTo me in my shieling.
Guare
I would give my glorious kingshipWith the share of my father’s heritage—To the hour of my death I would forfeit it to be in thy company, my Marvan.
- A Marbáin, a díthrubaig,
cid ná cotlai for colcaid?
Ba meinciu duit feiss i-m-maig,
cenn do raig for lár ochtgaig. - 1Nicon cotluim for colcaid
gé bethear com imslánud:
atáaid sochaidi2 amoig
atraicc hocim imrádud. - Ní marutt ar comolta,
scarad fri nínlúaidi:
acht mád óinsessoir namá
ní mair nech díouh, a Gúaire. - Ornait ocus Lugna lán,
Laidgén ocus Ailirán,
atá cechturde fri dán,
Marbán ocus Cluithnechán. - Rochluinis mo tiomna-sa
frie húir techta don domun:
mo qhúach-sa din díthrebach,
mo crain do Laidgén lobhor. - Mo scían is mo spedudhud,
ma trebad i Túoim Aidchi,
mo lourc, mo crain, mo cúach,
mo tíag lethoir, mo cairchi. - A Maruáin, a díthrubaig,
cid dia tiomna docúaid?
di don fior cerda a rath,
acht a brath do Mac Dúaid. - Atá úarboth dam i caill;
nís-fitir acht mo Fhíada;
uinnius di-síu, coll an-all,
bile rátha, nosn-íada. - Dí ersainn fraích fri fulong
ocus fordorus féthe.
Feraid in chaill immá cress
a mess for mucca méthe. - Mét mo boithe — bec nád bec,
baile sétae sognath.
Canaid sian m-binn día beinn
ben a l-leinn co londath. - Lengait doim Droma Rolach
assa sruth róeglan.
Fodeirc essi Roigne rúad,
Mucruime múad, Móenmag. - Mennután díamair desruid
día m-bí selb sétrois.
Día déxin in rega limm?
(Rofinn mo bethu it écmais.) - Mong co (libri)
ibair éoglais:
nósta cél!
Caín in magan:
márglas darach
darsin sén. - Aball ubull
(mára ratha)
m-bruidnech m-bras;
barr dess dornach
collán cnóbec
cróebach n-glas. - Glére thiprat,
essa uisci
(úais do dig) —
bruinnit ilair;
cáera ibair,
fiadait, fir. - Foilgit impe
mucca cenntai,
cadlaid, uirc,
mucca alltai,
uiss aird, ellti,
bruicnech, bruic, - Buidnech sídech,
slúag tromm tírech,
dál dom thig;
ina erchaill
tecat cremthainn:
álainn sin! - Caíni fleda
tecat (moteg,)
tárgud tricc,
uisce idan
barrán (bitchai,)
bratáin, bricc. - Barrán cáerthainn,
áirni dubai
draigin duinn,
túarai dercna
cáera lomma
(lecna luimm.) - Líne ugae,
mil, mess, melle,
(Día dod-roíd),
ubla milsi,
mónainn derca,
dercna froích. - Coirm co lubaib,
loc di subaib,
somlas snó,
sílbach sciach
derca iach,
áirni chnó. - Cuach meda
colláin cunnla
co n-dáil daith;
durcháin donna,
dristin monga
mérthain maith. - Mad fri samrad,
suairc snóbrat,
somlas mlas,
curair, orcáin,
foltáin glaise,
glaine glas; - Céola ferán
m-bruinne forglan
forom n-dil;
dordán smálcha
caíne gnáthcha
úas mo thig; - Tellinn, cíarainn,
cerdán cruinne,
crónán séim;
gigrainn, cadain,
gair ré samain,
seinm n-gairb chéir; - Caínciu gestlach,
druí donn desclach,
don chraíb chuill;
cochuill alaid
snaic ar daraig,
aidbli druing. - Tecat caínfinn,
corra, faílinn;
fos-cain cúan;
ní céol ndogra
cerca odra
a fráech rúad. - Rescach samaisc
(a) samrad
(soilsiu sín):
ní serb sáethrach
úas maig máethlach
mellach mín. - Fogur gaíthe
fri fid flescach,
forglas néol;
essa aba;
esnad ala:
álainn céol. - Caíni ailmi
ardom-peitet,
ní íar n-a creic:
do Chríst, cech than,
ní mesa dam
oldás deit. - Cid maith latsu
a n-do-milsiu,
mó cech maín;
buidech liumsa
do-berr damsa
óm Chríst chaín. - Cen úair n-augrai,
cen deilm n-debtha
immut-foich,
buidech dond Flaith
do-beir cech maith
dam im boith. - Do-bérsa mo ríge rán
lam chuid comorbsa Calmáin,
a dílse co úair mo báis,
ar beith it gnáis, a Marbáin.