Page:Irish Lexicography.djvu/33

 preters”, aiebas enim te magis interpretum varietate turbari. But, in order to make this clearer, I add a few more instances of its use: LL. 125 α 14, no-shíned a shuanemain etar da chualli, ⁊ no-bid oc díburgud eturro, ⁊ ni anad co n‑ermaised in ubull no-bíd for cind in chualli, “he stretched his rope between two poles, and used to shoot (sling stones) between them; and he did not stop till he hit the apple that was on the top of the pole”. From this meaning comes the further application, ‘to attain’, ‘consequi’, ‘to have time for’: cf. the following passage [LB. 49 α 28]:—

This word seems to have been a constant stumbling-block to O’Donovan in his translation of Magh Rath, e. gr. p. 268:—

, “there is not a man in the world for whom his certain and fixed place of death is not preordained, even though he should have no want of vigour, or lack of valour” (O’Don.). Here even the logical connexion shows that the sense is “who does not [hit, attain] meet with his appointed doom, in spite of his prowess”, &c. Again, ibid. p. 192:—, “it would be the business and improvement of a chief or true hero to remain to view these heroes and conceive their description” (O’Don.). In these vague, alliterative phrases, a certain liberty must be allowed; but I do not think that the translator has hit the point; and the true rendering seems to me something like this: “it would be a great effort on the part of, and would only be attained by, a great chief to stay cool, inspecting his troops and reviewing their qualities”; because, as the narrator goes on, with considerable insight into the native character, “these heroes are not