possibly by St. Brigid (flourished 10th century)

Ropadh maith lem
Language: Irish (Gaelic) 
Ropadh maith lem
cormlind mór do rígh na rígh;
muinntir nimhe
aca hól tre bithe sír.

Ropadh maith lem
taurte creitme, crábaid glain;
ropadh maith lem
sústa etla oc mo threib.

Ropad maith lem
fir nimhe im thegdais féin;
ropadh maith lem
dabcha amneit do a réir.

Ropadh maith lem
lestru déirrce do dáil;
ropadh maith lem
escra trócaire dia dáimh.

Ropadh maith lem
soichell do bith ina luss;
ropadh maith lem
Ísu beos do beith i fuss.

Ropadh maith lem
na teora Mairi, miad a clú;
ropadh maith lem
muinntir nime da cech dú.

Ropadh maith lem
corbam císaige don flaith;
mad chess imned
forsa tipredh bendacht maith.

About the headline (FAQ)

Note (provided by Melanie Trumbull) about the manuscript source: In Ireland, a microfilm version of the document is archived, according to David Greene, at the National Library of Ireland. As to the original monastic manuscript: MS. 1500, the Burgundian Library collection, Bibliotheéque Royale, Brussels, Belgium, is the ONLY manuscript containing these verses attributed to St. Brigid. The lyric is part of a piece within this manuscript called Félire húi Gormáin, or the Martyrology of Gorman, and can be found on page 33, line 21, according to Whitley Stokes.


Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (Eugene O'Curry) , no title


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2016-01-16
Line count: 28
Word count: 109