Blessings & Good Wishes

Sét no·tíag,
téiti Críst;
crích i mbéo,
bith cen tríst.

(path * that I go
Christ * goes;
land * in * which I am
let it be * without * curse)

The path I walk,
Christ walks;
The land I am in,
let it not be blighted.

This is the first stanza of a poem attributed to Colum Cille, edited by James Carney in "Three Old Irish accentual poems" in Ériu, xxii (1971).

Trí bás úaim rohuccaiter!
Trí áes dom dorataiter!
Secht tonna tacid dom dorodailter!

(three * death(s) * from me * may they be taken
threee * age(s) * to me * may they be given
seven * waves * of good fortune * to me * may they be poured out)

May three deaths be taken from me!
May three ages be given to me!
May seven waves of fortune be granted to me!

These lines are part of a much longer prayer for long life which begins "Ad·muiniur secht n-ingena trethan" ("I invoke the seven daughters of the sea"). Kuno Meyer edited and translated it for the first time in "Miscellanea Hibernica", where he attributed it to Fer fio macc Fabri. P. L. Henry also edited and translated it in "Dánta Ban".

For another portion of this "ortha" (poem or incantation), see "Ropo chétach cétblíadnach" in this collection.

Ropo chétach cétblíadnach, cech cét diib ar úair.

(may I be * hundredfold * hundred years * each * hundred * of them * by * time)

May I live for a hundred times a hundred years, each hundred of them in turn!

This supplication comes from a longer "ortha" (poem or incantation) for long life which begins "Ad·muiniur secht n-ingena trethan" ("I invoke the seven daughters of the sea"). Kuno Meyer edited and translated it in "Miscellanea Hibernica" and attributed it to Fer fio macc Fabri. P. L. Henry edited and translated it again much later in "Dánta Ban".

For another selection from this "ortha" , see "Trí bás úaim rohuccaiter" in this collection.

Rath fortsu dano 7 for fir t'inaid ina lóg sin, 7 nirab écen iarfaigid fir t'inaid do grés in cach airiucht i mbia.

(good fortune * on you * then * and * on * men * of your place * in its * reward * that * and * may there not be * need * of protection * of man * of your place * for * ever * in * every * assembly * in * which he will be)

Prosperity on you then and on your successors in reward for that, and may the protection of your successor be forever unnecessary in any assembly in which he is!

Lí Bán delivers this effusive blessing in exchange for the offer of a purple cloak in "Aided Echach Meic Maireda" (LU 3114-15). For other examples of the use of the "fir t(h)'inaid" in blessings and curses, see "Dolma n-aithisc for fer th'inaid do grés" and "Sonus ocus degfhéth tria bithu d'fhir th'inaid do grés" in this collection.

Sonus ocus degfhéth tria bithu d'fhir th'inaid do grés.

(prosperity * and * good healthy condition * through * ages * to men * of your position * for * ever)

Good fortune and good health throughout the ages to your successors forever!

This blessing is found in the Leabhar Breacc (p. 236 B, line 51).

A more long-winded blessing on a man's successors, in which "fer th'inaid" makes two appearances, is found in "Betha Colmáin" (§70), where the saint says:

"Búaid n-échta 7 áithesa for fer th'inaid 7 cen a marbad ind 7 ní muirfidter nech ele úait a ndigail Conaill co brath 7 gurab é fer t'inaidh goires gairm ríg Temrach co brath!"

And in "Acallam na Senórach" (4183) Saint Patrick greets a regal looking young man surrounded by horses with:

"Uaitne rig umut, a maccaeim, ocus ac fir th'inaid it degaid!" (The support of kings around you, young man, and around your successors after you!)

For still more examples of the use of the "fir th'inaid" in blessings and curses, see "Dolma n-aithisc for fer th'inaid do grés" and "Rath fortsu dano 7 for fir t'inaid..." in this collection.

Corbat cara sluaig,
Corbat roga ríg,
Corbat cruithnecht chaem,
Corbat craebh co fín.

(may you be * friend * of multitude
may you be * choice * of king(s)
may you be * wheat * lovely
may you be * branch * with * wine)

May you be the friend of many.
May you be the choice of kings.
May you be the beautiful wheat.
May you be the branch that yields wine.

A blessing, in the form of a complete stanza in the metre known as lethrannaigecht mór, bestowed by Ailill Ólomm on his son Éogan Mór in the Middle Irish poem "A maccáin na cí".

Nom-choimmdiu-coíma!

(may me * lord * protect)

May the Lord preserve me!

We find this exclamation is written down in the "Thesaurus" (ii 290.11). The word order is archaic, involving a feature called tmesis, which allows a noun to intervene right in the middle of the verbal complex, something like "May pro-the Lord-tect me!"

Buaid lamaig ort, a meic, ocus buaid roinni ocus buaid coscair!

(virtue * of dexterity * on you * o * son * and * virtue * of distribution * and * virtue * of triumph)

May you have the gift of dexterity, my lad, and the gift of generosity and the gift of winning.

Patrick's blessing on Áed, son the King of Leinster, in "Acallam na Senórach" (line 4809).

Imb i céin fa in accus beo-sa, nicon·chloor acht far caínscél.

(be it * in * distance * or * in * nearness * that I be * may I not hear * but * your (pl.) * good tidings)

Whether I be far or near, may I hear only good news of you all.

This lovely formula, both courtly and affectionate, is found in the Würzburg Glosses (23b41). I can imagine using as a complimentary close in a letter. Addressed to a single person, it would end with "... acht do chaínscél."

Rop sén slán!

(may be * good omen / blessing * whole)

May it be a complete blessing!

This formula, used to welcome good news, is spoken by the king in the tale "Inghen Ríg Ghréc" (LL and "Silva Gadelica") upon hearing that his wife has given birth to a daughter.