Matheson Collection > Measgra dánta

NOTES 69
8
Lines addressed to a woman, the point of which consists in a play
on the meanings of the word lionn, viz. (i) ale, and (2) one of the four
' humours ' or temperaments of the body (e.g., lionn dubh, ' melancholy' ;
lionn riiadh, ' choleric humour ' ; cf. 1. 17).
Sources. F. v. 3, p. 334 ; 23 K 24, p. 366. Both give a practically
identical text.
MS. Readings (both MSS. imless the contrary is indicated) : 3 is
aithne. 8, 12 's] is. 9 Ibh féin. 15 olc é scan is ur K. 20 is measa.
21 and 23 have a syllable too many j perhaps sé should be omitted.
27 cleith. 31 hop. 33 sul do chaithfir. 40 is uradh.
9
On the delights of a student's life.
Sources. Mainly from 23 D 4, p. 226. Also, H. 5. i, p. 3 ; 23 B
38, p. 152 ; 23 G 24, p. 38 ; 3 B 9, p. 250 (" C ").
The poem is anonymous in all the MSS., except C, the latest, which
heads it Cearbhall cct. But this ascription to Cearbhall [Ó Dálaigh]
may be dismissed.
The order of quatrains here followed is that of BGC. DH reverse
qq. 4 and 5. H omits q. 3.
The metre reaches the extreme of looseness, the only rules observed
throughout being (i) seven syllables in each line, and (2) riming dis-
syllables at the end of the second and fourth lines of each quatrain.
MS. Readings. These I mainly confine to recording those readings
of D (the oldest MS. ; 17th cent.) not adopted in the text. 2 a H ;
om. cett. 6 ná] ar na D. 8 meirsi D ; meirsne H (re-inked) ; tneirse
GC; meirbhthe B. 10 uadha GC ; uaidh DB. 11 dd BGC; ar D.
13, 15 greas DGC ; dreas HB. 15 no fós GC ; w B ; om. DH. 17 Is
maith D. 19 seadh D ; asé cett.
10
Counsel to a youthful student.
The text was printed from nine MSS. in ' Gadehca,' i, 260-262, to
which the reader is referred for information as to the MSS., and for the
MS. readings.
The present text reproduces that of ' Gadelica ' with the exception