A Hymn on the Life, Virtues and Miracles of St. Patrick: Composed by his Disciple, Saint Fiech, Bishop of SlettyFiech, Saint, Bishop of Sletty, active 6th century
History
A Hymn on the Life, Virtues and Miracles of St. Patrick: Composed by his Disciple, Saint Fiech, Bishop of Sletty
Fiech, Saint, Bishop of Sletty, active 6th century
Patrick, Saint, 373?-463?
(1) In the Latin translation accompanying Colgan's edition of this
Hymn Nein Thur, or _Holy Tours_, is rendered into _Nemthur_, as if
the two words were but one, designating a place of that name. In the
fifth and ninth stanzas, the word _Lethu_ or _Letha_, is rendered by
_Latium_ or _Italy_: upon which absurd translation, Colgan, without
rectifying the mistake, observes that _Nisi Germanus dicatur degisse
in eis (insulis Tyrrheni maris) videtur hic preposterus ordo_;
"except St. German be said here to have lived in them, (the islands
of the Tyrrhenian sea,) the order of time seems preposterous." So
contradictory does this appear to the Latin translator, that he has
totally mistranslated the 17th and 18th verses, in which _Letha_
again occurs, by his omitting the word altogether. The editor's
reason for deviating from the Latin translation may be seen, at full
length, in the preceding work.
(2) Colgan, from the psalter of Cashel, traces back St. Patrick's
pedigree to the 17th progenitor, thus:
Calphurnius 1
Potitus 2
Mercutius 3
Oda, or Othus 4
Oricius 5
Muricius 6
Muricius 7
Oricius 8
Leo 9
Maximius 10
Otrasius 11
Ericius 12
Pelestius 13
Fierinius 14
Brittanus 15
Fergusius 16
Nemethus 17
&c. &c.
From the names of the above list, if they could be depended on, it
would appear that St. Patrick's ancestors were of Roman origin.
(3) As Father Michael Clery, one of the annalists called the four
masters was employed for fifteen years previously to the Anglo-Cromwellian
invasion in collecting Irish manuscripts, and translating
them into Latin for Colgan's Lives of the Irish Saints, it is very
probable he was the translator of this Hymn into Latin at the same
time. He was also the author of an Irish dictionary of difficult
words. To the translation of such a scholar, made also at a time when
the language was regularly studied in the seminaries of Ireland,
great deference must be paid. In this third stanza, however, the
editor has ventured to deviate from his version, which runs thus,
according to the Latin words "St. Patrick was six years in slavery,
during which he eat not the food of the (heathenish) people. For this
reason he was called Cathraige, because he served four masters." Now,
as _Cothraighe_ may also mean a supporter, maintainer, protector, &c.
this last import of the word is adopted in the English translation.
(4) Instead of St. Patrick's running over the Italian "Alps," as the
Latin translator affirms here, he travelled over all the mountains
from the north to the south of Ireland, whence he took shipping for
his native country; for _Ealpa uile_ denotes all mountains in
general.
(5) Tassach was originally a brazier and silversmith, who ornamented
the celebrated crozier of St. Patrick, called the _Staff of Jesus_.
Tassach was afterwards a priest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account