Folamh anocht Dún Chearmna
(Dun Cearmna is empty tonight)
This is a dramatic poem, written from the viewpoint of the famous queen, Gormfhlaith. She was the daughter of one high king (Flann Sionna, ard rí from 878-916) and wife of another (Niall Glúndubh, ard rí from 916?-919 --- her third husband). When he died fighting the Norse, legend has it that she lived and died in poverty and starvation. (History doesn't.) She was used as an exemplar of how quickly life can change, and it was popular to write "pityeful songs" from Gormfhlaith's point of view. This poem is part of a whole collection of such poems (the O'Gara MS).
Folamh anocht Dún Chearmna
do Ráith Teamhra is cúis bhaoghail;
méad uaigneasa an dúin dreachglain--
beart do bheartaibh an tsaoghail.
Ríoghradh fhial an dúin duasbhuig
ar nach bíodh uamhain foghla,
dá n-éis is truagh mar táimsi,
'sgan ann acht áite folmha.
Gearr go rabhad 'na n-uathadh,
Ráth Chruachan is Ráth Teamhra
gá beag dóibh so do robhadh? --
folamh anocht Dún Chearmna.
The Fort of Cearmna is empty tonight --
the movement of danger from the ringfort Tara;
great loneliness in the clean-faced fort--
the arrow planning your plight.
The generous fort of generous kings
that had no fear of plundering,
afterward is pitied like a ghost,
and without him there, it's just an empty place.
A corncrake in the deserted ones,
The ringfort Cruacha and the ringfort Tara --
do you need a little more warning?
Dún Chearmna is empty tonight.
I love this site...
http://www.dnaco.net/~mobrien/irishp...ms/folamh.html
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