A Hymn on the Life, Virtues and Miracles of St. Patrick. Fiech Saint Bishop of Sletty

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      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. I

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:

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.