Page:Faoistin naoṁ-Ṗadraig (1906).djvu/81



('Sé is fáṫ leis an aistriuġaḋ so ná ċum congnaṁ do ṫaḃairt do ṁacaiḋ léiġinn ná fuil ró-ċliste ar an nGaeḋilg ná ar an Laidin. Leanas Lorg an Ḟaoitiġ i n a lán neiḋṫe san aistriuġaḋ so.)

1. I, Patrick the sinner, am the most untutored and the least of all the faithful, and am held in contempt by many.

My father was Calpornus a deacon, a son of Potitus a presbyter, who belonged to the village of Bannavem Taberniae. He had a farm-stead near at hand where I was taken captive. I was at that time about sixteen years of age, and I was carried into Ireland into captivity with so many thousands of persons according to our deserts, because we turned away from God and kept not His commandments, and were not obedient to our priests, who admonished us for our salvation. And the Lord sent upon us the fury of His wrath and scattered us amongst many gentiles even unto the ends of the earth, where now my insignificance may be seen amongst foreigners.

2. And there the Lord opened the understanding of my unbelief, that even though late, I might recall to mind my sins, and that I might be converted with all my heart to the Lord my God who regarded my humility and took pity on the youth of my ignorance, and protected me before I knew Him and before I had