As this specimen of the language spoken in Ireland about 1200 yearsago, is here published, not only for the elucidation of our apostle's history,but also for the gratification of the lovers of Irish literature in general;the Irish original is accompanied, on the opposite page, with an Englishtranslation of the whole.
In this translation, the literal meaning, and idiomatic expression ofthe words and phrases, are adhered to in all such stanzas as the editor (withthe aid of some members of the Gaelic Society, particularly conversant withsubjects of this sort) could fully understand: for he acknowledges thatneither he nor these gentlemen are so vain or disingenuous as to pretend thatthey comprehend the whole of this very ancient composition.
In order to obviate any objection which may be made against thepassages in which the editor differs from the author of the version of thishymn, in Colgan's collection of our patron saint's lives, the Latintranslation adopted in his edition, is also subjoined to the poem, atthe bottom of each page.
To the hymn are added some short notes, illustrative of the subject.
Vindication of St. Fiech's Hymn, in Answer to Dr.Ledwich's Objections.
Respecting the authenticity and antiquity of this curious specimen ofour language about the commencement of the sixth century, some doubts wereentertained by the sagacious Bollandists, who, consequently, considered St.Fiech to have lived long after our saint's time. This opinion, those learnedJesuits founded on Fiech's referring to other histories for the truthof what he relates with regard to his master, St. Patrick, during the firstsixty years of his life previously to his arrival on the mission of Ireland.
This plausible objection has been adopted and urged by Dr. Ledwich,against St. Patrick's existence, with that dogmatical tone of magisterialpositiveness so conspicuous in his volume of invectives against the ancientsplendour, sanctity, and literature of his native country, declaring thatFiech and Sedulius's poems on our saint "are the wretched productions of somecloistered ecclesiastic."
To this, the only remaining one of these formidable objections,adduced by the doctor against our apostle's existence, we answer, that Fiechlived and composed this hymn some time after St. Patrick's death, in the 120thyear of his age, and 60th of his apostleship. Now supposing Fiech to havelived to the 84th year of his age, and to have composed this hymn in 600,seven years after his master's death, which he so circumstantially relates inthe poem; Fiech must consequently have been no more than about 17 years of agewhen our saint commenced his mission here. Where, or whence, then, except bydivine revelation, or from St. Patrick himself, or from the revelation ofothers, could his disciple derive his information with respect to St.Patrick's parents and ancestors, who lived in a foreign country? or sacredTours, in Gaul, the place of our saint s nativity? or his original nameSuccoth? or his voyages and travels by sea and land, after his escape fromservitude in Ireland? or his insular retreats or studies under the spiritualguidance of St. German of Auxerre? &c, &c. &c.
Now, Fiech very justly informs his readers, that all thesetransactions, wrought before he was born, and in a foreign country, during thefirst 60 years of his great master's life, were ascertained in skelaiv,(STORIES,) as in the first stanza; or Fiadhaid, testified to us, as hesays in the sixth stanza of his poem, the only two plac