*) The Cauldron of Poesey
This rendering of “The Cauldron of Poesy” is adapted from translations by P. L. Henry and Liam Breatnach, as transmitted through Caitlín Matthews and Erynn Rowan Laurie. It has been modified for use within this work.
Mo coire coir goiriath
Gor rond n-ir Dia dam duile dnemrib;
Dliucht soir soerna broinn
Belrae mbil bruchtas uad,
Os me Amergin glungel garrglas greliath,
Gnim mo goriath crothaib condelgib indethar
-Dath nad inonn airlethar Dia do cach doen,
De thoib, is toib, uas toib-
Nemshos, lethshos, lanshos,
Do h-Ebiur Dunn denum do uath aidbsib ilib ollmarib;
I moth, I toth, I traeth,
I n-arnin, I forsailm, I ndinin-dishail,
Sliucht as-indethar altmod mo choiri.
My cauldron, cauldron of warming
Brought by God from the abyss of elements
An eternal truth shinning from the center
Pouring forth terrifying streams of speech
It is I Amergin of the white knee, pale faced and grey haired
Accomplishing my poetic incubation in proper form,
In diverse colours.
It is not equal the wisdom which God bestows upon the people
Some incline, some supine, some prone
No knowledge, half knowledge, full knowledge
For Eber Donn, the making of fearful poetry
Of vast, mighty draughts death-spells, of great chanting;
In active voice, in passive voice, in the neutral balance between
In rhythm and form and rhyme
In this way is spoken the path and function of my cauldrons.
Ciarm I ta bunadus ind airchetail I nguiniu; in I curp fa I n-anmain?
As- berat araili bid I curp in tan dano fo-glen oc cundu corpthai .i. o
Athair no shenathair, ol shidain as firu ara-itha bunad ina airchetail &
Int shois I cach duiniu chorpthu, acht cach la duine adtuithi and;
Alailiu atuidi.
Where is the root of poetry in a person; in the body or in the soul? Some say it is in the soul, for the body does nothing without the soul. Some say it is in the body where the arts are learned, passed through the bodies of our ancestors. It is said that this is the trutgh remaining over the root of poetry,
And the wisdom in every person's ancestry does not come from the Northern sky into everyone, but into every other person.
Caite didiu bunad ind archetal & cach sois olchenae? Ni ansae;
Ginitir tri coiri I chachn duiniu .i. coire goriath & Coire ermai & coire sios.
What then is the root of poetry and every other wisdom? Not hard:
Three cauldrons are born in every person –The cauldron of warming, the cauldron of motion,
And the cauldron of wisdom
Coire goiriath, is e-side gainethar foen I nduiniu fo chetoir. Is as fo dalter soas do doinib I n-ogoitu
The cauldron of warming is born upright in people from the beginning.
It distributes wisdom to people in their youth.
Coire ermai, immurgu, iarmo-bi impud moirgid; is e-side gainethar do thoib I nduiniu
The cauldron of motion, however, increases after turning; that is to say it is born tipped on it's side, growing within.
Coire sois, is e-side gainethar for a beolu & is as fo dailter soes cach dano olechenae cenmo-tha aichetal.
The cauldron of wisdom is born on its lips and distributes wisdom in poetry and every other art.
Coire erma dano, cach la duine is for a beilu ata and .i. n-aes dois.
Lethchloen I n-aer bairdne & rand. Is ata I n-anshruithaib sofhuis & airchetail. Conid airi didiu ni denai cach oerenet, di h-ag is for a beolu ata coirse ermai and coinid n-impoi bron no failte.
The cauldron of motion then, in all artless people is on its lips. It is side-slanting in people of bardcraft and small poetic talent. It is upright in the greatest of poets, who are great streams of wisdom. Not every poet has it on its back, for the cauldron of motion must be turned by sorrow or joy.
Ataat dano di fhodail for fiilte o n-impoither I coire sofhis, .i. failte deodea & failte doendae.
There are two divisions of Joy that turn the cauldron of wisdom; divine joy and human joy.
Ind fhailte doendae, ataat cetheoir fodlai for suidi .i. luud eoit fuichechtae & failte slane & nemimedchem, imbid bruit *biid co feca in duine for bairdni & failte fri dliged n-ecse iarna dagfhrithgnum & failte fri tascor n-imbas do-fuaircet noi cuill cainmeso foe Segais I sidaib, conda thochrathar meit motchnae iar ndruimniu Boinde frithroisc luaithiu euch aige I mmed dia secht mbliadnae beos.
There are four divisions of human joy among the wise- sexual intimacy, the joy of health and prosperity after the difficult years of studying poetry, the joy of wisdom after the harmonious creation of poems, and the joy of ecstasy from eating the fair nuts of the nine hazels of the well of Segais in the Sidhe realm. They cast themselves in multitudes, like a ram's fleece upon the ridges of the Boyne, moving upstream swifter than racehorses driven on midsummer's day every seven years.
Failte deoldae, immurugu, torumae ind raith deodai dochum in choiri ermai conid n-impoi foen, conid de biit faidi deodai & deondai & trachtairi raith & frithgnamo imale, conid iarum labrait inna labarthu raith & do-gniat inna firthu, condat fasaige & bretha a mbriathar, condat desimrechtm do cach cobrai. Acht is anechtair ata-tairberat inna hi-siu in coire ciasu medon fo-fertar.
The Gods touch people through divine and human joys so that they are able to speak prophetic poems and dispense wisdom and perform miracles, giving wise judgement with precedents, and blessings in the answer to every wish. The source of these joys is outside the person and added to their cauldron to cause them to turn, although the cause of the joy is internal.
Ara-caun coire sofhis
Sernar dliged cach dano
Dia moiget moin
Moras cach ceird coitchiumn
Con-utaing duine dan
I sing the cauldron of wisdom
Which bestows the nature of every art,
Through which treasure increases,
Which magnifies every artisan,
Which builds up a person through their gift.
Ar-caun coire n-ermai
Intlechaib raith
Rethaib sofhis
Srethaib imbais
Indber n-ecnai
Ellach suithi
Srunaim n-ordan
Indocbail doer
Domnad insce
intlecht ruirthech
Romnae roiscni
Saer comgni
Coemad felmac
Fegthar ndliged
Deligter cialla
Cengar sesi
Silaigther sofhis
Sonmigter soir
Soerthar nad shoer,
Ara-utgatar anmann
Ad-fiadatar moltae
Modaib dliged
Deligthib grad
Glanmesaib soire
Soinscib suad
Sruamannaib suithi
Soernbrud I mberthar
Bunad cach soifhis
Sernar iar ndligiud
Drengar iar frithgnum
Fo-ngluaisi imbas
Inme-soi failte
Faillsigther tri bron;
Buan brig
Nad dilbdai din.
Ar-caun coire n-ermai.
I sing the cauldron of motion
Understanding grace,
Accumulating wisdom
Streaming ecstasy as milk from the breast,
It is the tide-water of knowledge
Union of sages
Stream of splendor
Glory of the lowly
Mastery of speech
Swift intelligence
Reddening of satire
Craftsman of histories
Cherishing pupils
Looking after binding principles
Distinguishing meanings
Moving towards music
Propagation of wisdom
Enriching nobility
Ennobling the commonplace
Refreshing souls
Relating praises
Through the working of law
Comparing of ranks
Pure weighing of nobility
With fair words of the wise
With streams of sages,
The noble brew in which is boiled
The true root of all knowledge
Which bestows according to harmonious principle
Which is climbed after diligence
Which ecstasy sets in motion
Which joy turns
Which is revealed through sorrow;
It is enduring fire
Undiminishing protection.
I sing the cauldron of motion.
Coire ermai,
Ernid ernair,
Mrogaith mrogthair,
Biathaid biadtair,
Maraid marthair,
Ailith ailtir,
Ar-cain ar-canar,
Fo-rig fo-regar,
Con-serrn co-serrnar
Fo-sernn fo-sernar.
The cauldron of motion
Bestows, and is bestowed
Extends, and is extended
Nourishes, and is nourished
Magnifies, and is magnified
Invokes, and is invoked
Sings, and is sung
Keeps, and is kept
Arranges, and is arrangement,
Supports, and is supported.
For topar tomseo,
Fo atrab n-insce,
Fo comair coimseo
Con-utaing firse.
Good is the well of poetry,
Good is the dwelling of speech,
Good is the union of power and mastery
Which establishes strength.
Is mo cach ferunn,
Is ferr cach orbu,
Berid co h-ecnae,
Echtraid fri borbu.
It is greater than every domain,
It is better than ever inheritancem,
It bears on to knowledge.
Adventuring away from ignorance