Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 21, 1910.djvu/474

 432 The Ancient Hymn- Charms of Ireland.

A staff art thou to the pilgrim, An isle art thou at sea, A fortress art thou on land, A well art thou in the desert,

Health art thou to the ailing. . . Thou art the joy of all joyous things, Thou art the light of the beam of the sun. Thou art the door of the chief of hospitality, Thou art the surpassing star of guidance, Thou art the step of the deer of the hill, Thou art the step of the steed of the plain. Thou art the grace of the swan of swimming,

Thou art the loveliness of all lovely desires, The lovely likeness of the Lord Is in thy pure face, The loveliest likeness that Was upon earth." ^^

The Gaelic of part of this last rann is : —

Is tu sonas gach ni eibhinn. Is tu solus gath na greine, Is tu dortis jlath na feile, Is tu corra reul an iuil. Is tu ceum feidh nan ardu. Is tu ceum steud nam blaru. Is tu sei?nk eal an t-snamhu Is tu ailleagan gach run.

This rhythmic iteration of the idea may be found in numberless runes and charms ; it is often really beautiful in its effect and in its thought, and no doubt tended to soothe both the reciter and the person to be benefited by the charm. The tendency of all charms everywhere is to- wards the repetition of phrases, but among the Gaelic- speaking peoples this tendency is specially marked. Here is a prayer used in the Highlands : — "O God, In my deeds. In my words,

^^ Cartnina Gadelica, vol. i., pp. 7-11.