Chapter 3

[54]'distinction,' B. 'familiarity, fame (leg. allad), speech,' H.

81.Three things for which a friend is hated: trespassing,[55]keeping aloof,[56]fecklessness.

[55]Or 'encroaching.'

[56]Literally, 'unfamiliarity.'

82. Three rude ones of the world: a youngster mocking an old man, a healthy person mocking an invalid, a wise man mocking a fool.

83.Three deaf ones of the world: warning to a doomed man, mocking[57]a beggar, keeping a loose woman from lust.

[57]'pitying,' L.

84.Three fair things that hide ugliness: good manners in the ill-favoured, skill in a serf, wisdom in the misshapen.

85.Three ugly things that hide fairness: a sweet-lowing cow without milk, a fine horse without speed, a fine person without substance.

86.Three sparks that kindle love: a face, demeanour, speech.

87.Three deposits with usufruct: depositing a woman, a horse, salt.

88.Three glories of a gathering: a beautiful wife, a good horse, a swift hound.

89.Three accomplishments of Ireland: a witty stave, a tune on the harp,[58]shaving a face.

[58]Literally, 'out of a harp.'

90.Trí comartha clúanaigi: búaidriud scél, cluiche tenn, abucht co n-imdergad.

tri comartha cluanaide N clu ænaigh M cluænaige B teinn L tind BM abocht HLec abhacht M co n-imnead nó imdergad HLec co n-uaithiss L co n-aitis N

91.Trí gena ata messu brón: gen snechta oc legad, gen do mná frit íar mbith ḟir aili lé, gen chon ḟoilmnich.

ad meassam HMB mesom L drochmna LN fritom.L iar fes le fer n-aili H iar mbeith fri araile BM foleimnighe N foilmig dot letrad H foleimnigh (foilmnig B) agud rochtain dott ithe MB

92.Trí báis ata ferr bethaid: bás iach, bás muicce méithe, bás foglada.

ad HBM beatha H iaich L bás iaich bás muici meithi bás fodhladlu L fogladai N fodalada B bás bithbenaig B luifenaich Lec

93.Trí húathaid ata ferr sochaidi: úathad dagbríathar, úathad bó hi feór, úathad carat im chuirm.

uath ada N ad M is H deagbriathar H degflaith MB

94.Trí brónaig choirmthige: fer dogní fleid, fer dia ndéntar, fer ibes menip sáithech

fleidom.B fer nostairbir H fer teid dia tairtiud minab saitheach M

95.Trí cuitbidi in domain: fer lonn, fer étaid, fer díbech.

cuidmidi H

96. Trí cuil túaithe: flaith brécach, breithem gúach, sacart colach.

flaitheamh BM sacart tuisledach N sagart diultach B diultadhach M

97. Trí fuiric thige degduni: cuirm, fothrucud, tene mór.

fuiric .i. fleadh nó féasta B daghduine N

98. Trí fuiric thige drochduni: debuid ar do chinn, athchosan frit, a chú dot gabáil.

achmusan NBM a cu dod ledrad N do congabail M drochscel lat immach L

99.Trí gretha tige degláich: grith fodla, grith suide, grith coméirge.

tri grith L tri gartha M fogla L suigidhe BM

100. Trí dorchæ ná dlegat mná do imthecht: dorcha cíach, dorcha aidche, dorcha feda.

nach dleguid N narfacad do mnai imteact B d'imtecht NM

101.Trí sailge boccachta: imgellad, immarbág, imreson.

soilge BM imgellad bag L imarbaid imreasain BM imarbaigh imressain N imreason nó imraichni L

102. Trí airisena boccachta: sírchéilide, sírdécsain, síriarfaige.

hærsenna BM hairisin N sirfiarfaighe M sirfiarfaigid N

90.Three ungentlemanly things: interrupting stories, a mischievous game, jesting so as to raise a blush.

91.Three smiles that are worse than sorrow: the smile of the snow as it melts, the smile of your wife[59]on you after another man has been with her,[60]the grin of a hound ready to leap at you.[61]

[59]'Of a bad woman,' LN.

[60]'After sleeping with another man,' H.

[61]'To tear you to pieces,' H. 'Coming up to devour you,' MB.

92.Three deaths that are better than life: the death of a salmon, the death of a fat pig, the death of a robber.[62]

[62]'Of a criminal,' B.

93.Three fewnesses that are better than plenty: a fewness of fine words, a fewness of cows in grass, a fewness of friends around ale.[63]

[63]'good ale,' MB.

94.Three sorrowful ones of an alehouse: the man who gives the feast, the man to whom it is given, the man who drinks without being satiated.[64]

[64]'Who goes to it unsatiated,' M.i.e.who drinks on an empty stomach.

95.Three laughing-stocks of the world: an angry man, a jealous man, a niggard.

96. Three ruins of a tribe: a lying chief, a false judge, a lustful[65]priest.

[65]'Stumbling, offending,' N. 'Fond of refusing,' B.

97. Three preparations of a good man's house: ale, a bath, a large fire.

98. Three preparations of a bad man's house: strife before you, complaining to you, his hound taking hold of you.[66]

[66]'Tearing you,' N. 'A bad story to speed you on your way,' L.

99.Three shouts of a good warrior's house: the shout of distribution, the shout of sitting down, the shout of rising up.

100. Three darknesses into which women should not go: the darkness of mist, the darkness of night, the darkness of a wood.

101.Three props of obstinacy[67]: pledging oneself, contending, wrangling.

102. Three characteristics of obstinacy[67]: long visits, staring, constant questioning.

[67]Literally, 'buckishness.'

103.Trí comartha meraigi: slicht a chíre ina ḟolt, slicht a ḟíacal ina chuit, slicht a luirge ina diaid.

comarthadha M meraigthe N 'na cend BM 'na cuit BM inandiaig B na diaidh M

104.Trí máidme clúanaigi: ató ar do scáth, rosaltrus fort, rotflinchuscom étach.

cluainige BM ato BM atu L rodsaltar M rosaltrur ort L rosflinchuscom edach N rofliuchus com ediuch BM comh edach L

105.Trí bí focherdat marbdili: oss foceird a congna, fid foceird a duille, cethra focerdat a mbrénḟinda.

om.BMHLec

106.Trí scenb Hérenn: Tulach na nEpscop, Ached Déo, Duma mBúirig.

om.BMHLec achad N

107.Trí hingnad Hérenn: lige inn abaic, lige nEothuili, allabair i foccus.

om.BMHLec hinganta N allubuir a fogus N

108. Trí daurthige Hérenn: daurthech Birra, daurthech Clúana Eidnech, daurthech Leithglinde.

om.BMHLec

109.Trí hingena berta miscais do míthocod: labra, lesca, anidna.

do mitocuid N do togud BM lesce N anidna N nemidna BM .i. esinrucasadd.H

110.Trí hingena berta seirc do cháintocud: túa, éscuss, idnæ.

beres L berta seircce de caintogud BM serc N caintocaid N tri hadbair serci Lec tóa esces idna N esca BMLec

111. Trí túa ata ferr labra: túa fri forcital, túa fri hairfitiud, túa fri procept.

labrai N sproicept B sproicepht M fri aithfrend N

112.Trí labra ata ferr túa: ochán rig do chath, sreth immais, molad iar lúag.

uchan N oconnBM hairfidiudnófís BM luadh B

113.Trí hailgesa étúalaing .i. éirg cen co dechais, tuc cenitbé, déna ceni derna.

haisgeadha edualaing B erg gen cotis H tuc gen gud beirg (?) gen go gaemais dena gen go heda B tuca gen cobe N gen gudbe M gen [go] dernais N gen go feta HM

114.Trí hamaite bít[e] i ndrochthig óiged .i. sentrichem senchaillige, roschaullach ingine móile, sirite gillai.

hamaide drochtoighe BM sentriche caillige BM sentrichim N rosc cailleach ingine siridhe gillai BM siride N sirithe L

115. Trí hairig na ndúalche: sant, cráes, étrad.

103.Three signs of a fop: the track of his comb in his hair, the track of his teeth in his food, the track of his stick[68]behind him.

[68]Or 'cudgel.'

104.Three ungentlemanly boasts: I am on your track, I have trampled on you, I have wet you with my dress.

105.Three live ones that put away dead things: a deer shedding its horn, a wood shedding its leaves, cattle shedding their coat.[69]

[69]Literally, 'stinking hair.'

106.Three places of Ireland to make you start: Tulach na n-Escop,[70]Achad Deo,[71]Duma mBuirig.

[70]A hill near Kildare. See Thesaurus Palæo-hibernicus ii.. p. 335.

[71]At Tara. See Todd'sIrish Nennius, p. 200.

107.Three wonders of Ireland: the grave of the dwarf,[72]the grave of Trawohelly,[73]an echo near.[74]

[72]Somewhere in the west (i n-iarthar Erenn, Fél., p. clvii).

[73]See Todd'sIrish Nennius, p. 199, and Zeitschrift für Celt. Phil, v., p. 23.

[74]Nothing is known to me about this wonder.

108. Three oratories of Ireland: the oratory of Birr, the oratory of Clonenagh, the oratory of Leighlin.

109.Three maidens that bring hatred upon misfortune: talking, laziness, insincerity.

110.Three maidens that bring love to good fortune: silence, diligence, sincerity.

111. Three silences that are better than speech: silence during instruction, silence during music, silence during preaching.

112.Three speeches that are better than silence: inciting a king to battle, spreading knowledge (?),[75]praise after reward.[76]

[75]Sreth immais, which I have tentatively translated by 'spreading knowledge,' is used as a technical term in poetry for connecting all the words of a verse-line by alliteration, as e.g.slatt,sacc,socc,simend,saland. See Ir. Texte iii., p. 30.

[76]Cf.LL. 344a: Carpre asks Cormac what are the sweetest things he has heard, and Cormac answers: 'A shout of triumph after victory, praise after reward, the invitation of a fair woman to her pillow.'

113.Three impossible demands: go! though you cannot go, bring what you have not got, do what you cannot do.

114.Three idiots that are in a bad guest-house: the chronic cough of an old hag, a brainless tartar of a girl, a hobgoblin of a gillie.

115. The three chief sins: avarice, gluttony, lust.

116.Tréde neimthigedar crossán: rige óile, rige théighe, rige bronn.

117.Tréde neimthigedar círmaire: coimrith fri coin hi[c] cosnum chnáma, adarc reithi do dírgud dia anáil cen tenid, dichetal for ochtraig co rathochra a mbí ina íchtur for a úachtar do choṅgna ⁊ cnámaib ⁊ adarcaib.

om.BMHLec dirge N otrach N corotochra N a mbid na hichtar N huachtar N congnaim N

118.Tréde nemthigedar sáer: dlúthud cen fomus, cen fescred, lúd lúadrinna, béimm fo chommus.

om.BMHLec tri ara neimiterN dluthugud N feiscre N ludh luaithreand N

119.Tréde neimthigedar liaig: dígallræ, díainme, comchissi cenainchiss.

om.BMHLec ara neimiterliagh N coimcisin gin ainces N

120.Tréde neimthigedar gobainn: bir Neithin, fulacht na Morrígna, inneóin in Dagda.

om.BMHLec ara neimitergobaind N bir ndechin N

121.Tréde neimthigedar cerdai: fige ronn, cær comraic, plett for fæbur.

om.BMHLec cerd N flet N

122.Tréde neimthigedar cruitire: golltraige, gentraige, súantraige.

om.BMHLec

123. Tréde neimthigedar filid: immas forosna, teinm læda, dichetal di chennaib.

124. Dá mígairm míthocaid: commáidem do chétguine, do ben la fer n-aile.

atte dá ní igairm (!) do neoch .i. maidem a chétguine ⁊ a bean do beith fri fer n-aill BM mitocaid N a cedgona N a ben la fer n-aile N

125.Teora airi[se]na iarnduba: comar, cocless, clemnas.

tri hairnadmand BMN iardubha M coicless LM coicle M

126. Trí bainne cétmuintire: bainne fola, bainne dér, bainne aillse.

banda NBM

127. Trí coiri bíte in cach dúini: coire érma, coire goriath, coire áiged.

core B duini L duine B goiriat N aitiu N notead B notheadh M

116.Three things that constitute a buffoon: blowing out his cheek, blowing out his satchel, blowing out his belly.

117.Three things that constitute a comb-maker: racing a hound in contending for a bone; straightening a ram's horn by his breath, without fire; chanting upon a dunghill so that all antlers and bones and horns that are below come to the top.

118.Three things that constitute a carpenter: joining together without calculating (?), without warping (?); agility with the compass; a well-measured stroke.

119.Three things that constitute a physician: a complete cure, leaving no blemish behind, a painless examination.

120.Three things that constitute a blacksmith: Nethin's spit, the cooking-hearth of the Morrigan, the Dagda's anvil.[77]

[77]For a description and pictures of these appliances, see YBL., p. 419a, and Egerton, 1782, fo. 46a.

121.Three things that constitute an artificer: weaving chains, a mosaic ball,[78]an edge upon a blade.

[78]O'Curry, Manners and Customs, ii., p. 253, thought that acaer comraicwas 'a ball of convergent ribs or lines,' perhaps such a bead or ball of mosaic glass as is depicted in Joyce'sSocial History of Ancient Ireland, vol. ii., p. 32, fig. 171.A cáer comraicof eight different colours is mentioned in LB. 108b20.

122.Three things that constitute a harper: a tune to make you cry, a tune to make you laugh, a tune to put you to sleep.[79]

[79]Cf.H. 3. 18, p. 87: tréide nemtighther cruit; goltraiges, gentraiges, suantraiges.

123. Three things that constitute a poet: 'knowledge that illumines,' 'teinm laeda,'[80]improvisation.

[80]The names of various kinds of incantations. See Cormac's Glossary and Ancient Laws, s.v.

124. Two ominous cries of ill-luck: boasting of your first slaughter, and of your wife being with another man.

125.Three things betokening trouble: holding a plough-land in common, performing feats together, alliance in marriage.

126. Three drops of a wedded woman: a drop of blood, a tear-drop, a drop of sweat.

127. Three caldrons that are in every fort: the caldron of running, the caldrongoriath,[81]the caldron of guests.

[81]Quite obscure to me. There is a heavily glossed poem in H. 3. 18, beginningCoire goriath. In H. 2. 15, p. 117b, after the colophon to Dúil Laithne (Goid.,2p. 79), there are some further glosses, among which I find: goiriath .i. gardhamh in gach iath, erma .i. uasal-iompú no iar-iompa. Butérmaseems the genitive oférim, 'a course.'

128. Trí comartha láthraig bendachtan: clocc, salm, senad.

lathrach bennachtan H bendacht L senad NBMH ocsenad L

129. Trí comartha láthraig mallachtan: tromm, tradna, nenaid.

mallachtan HM neanad B neanntoch M tradnai BM tradna H

130. Teora muimmecha táide: caill, coim, adaig.

tri muime BM tri buime gaiti H coill HM

131.Teora ranna sluinte fri cáintocad: trumma, toicthiu, talchaire.

sloindti caintocaid N toicte N

132.Teora ranna sluinte dotcaid: tlás, áes, airbire.

dotcaid N tlass ois oirbire N

133.Dí derbṡiair: tlás ⁊ trúaige.

siair L tlas ⁊ trousca N truaighe BMH

134. Dá derbráthair: tocad ⁊ brugaide.

brathair M toice ⁊ blailaige N togud B tacad H

135.Trí fuidb dotcadaig: ráthaiges, etargaire, fiadnaise. Dotoing dia fiadnaisi, íccaid dia ráthaiges, doberar béimm n-etaigaire ina chinn.

foidb dothcadaigh M toindid a fiadnaisi BM iccaid a rathaigecht beiridh builleadha etargaire ina cind BM.

136. Trí sethraeha góa: béss, dóig, toimtiu.

toimdi L

137. Trí bráthair uamain: sta! sit! coiste!

braitri N omain BM ist sta ⁊ coisde BM sta sit coist N

138. Trí mairb fortgellat for bíu: med, airmed, forrach.

forgellait H for fiu BM meid armeid BM forach H

139.Trí brothcáin rátha: rothicc, rosiacht, rotochtaig.

brothcain ratha N raithi L rodícc rosiacht rotoncai N

140.Trí dubthrebtha: tuga co fúatchai, imme co forṅgaire, tírad co n-aurgorad.

doidbtrebtai tugai co fodaib imed co forrngaire N tuighe go foidibh M co foitib Lec tiriudh M

141.Trí hiarnduba: fer tochmairc, fer gaite meirle, fer hic aisnéis.

fear fochairc Lec fer aisneisi N

142.Trí maic beres drús do lonnus: tuilféth, fidchell, dulsaine.

lundus N tulfeith N dullsaine L

143.Trí maic beres féile do ainmnit: grúss, rúss, rucca.

ainmned N grús rús rucad N

144. Trí maic beres neóit do deinmnait: crith, dochell, grith.

deinmnet N grith crith doicell N

145.Trí húar fíchte: tipra, muir, núæ corma.

huara N

146.Trí fúammann móaigthe: fúam bó mblecht, fúam cerdchæ, fúam aratbair.

fuamandu moaigti N moigthi L fuaim bo mblicht N

128. Three tokens of a blessed site: a bell, psalm-singing, a synod (of elders).

129. Three tokens of a cursed site: elder, a corncrake, nettles.[82]

[82]See my edition ofCáin Adamnáin, p. 13, note 3, and p. 38.

130. Three nurses of theft: a wood, a cloak, night.

131.Three qualities[83]that bespeak good fortune: self-importance, ..., self-will.

[83]Literally, 'parts.'

132.Three qualities[84]that bespeak misfortune: weariness, (premature) old age, reproachfulness.

[84]Literally, 'heaviness, weight.'

133.Two sisters: weariness and wretchedness.

134. Two brothers: prosperity and husbandry.

135.Three unlucky...:[85]guaranteeing, mediating, witnessing. The witness has to swear to his evidence, the guarantor has to pay for his security, the mediator gets a blow on his head.[86]

[85]The usual meanings offodb, 'accoutrement, equipment, arms,' do not seem to suit here.

[86]Literally, 'the blow of mediation is dealt on his head.'

136. Three false sisters: 'perhaps,' 'may be,' 'I dare say.'

137. Three timid brothers: 'hush!' 'stop!' 'listen!'

138. Three dead things that give evidence on live things: a pair of scales, a bushel, a measuring-rod.

139.Three pottages of guaranteeing....[87]

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