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Jul. 17th, 2005 08:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ravencallscrowsTime for more little interesting bits from Gaelic tales.
In something similar to "Captain Wedderburn" but in reverse, Fionn would only marry the lady who could answer all his questions, and none could do this but Graidhne, daughter of the King of the fifth of Ullin.
Without further ado, i give you Fionn's Questions- or, more properly, Ceisdean Fhinn:
Fionn: Dé 's lionaire na'm feur?
Graidhne: Tha n' druichd; bidh moran bhoinechandeth air aonghas feoir.
F: Dé 's teotha na'n teine?
G: Ciall mnatha edar da fhear.
F: Dé 's luaithe na ghaoth?
G: Aigne mnatha eadar da fhear.
F: Dé 's duibhe na 'm fitheach?
G: Tha 'm bas.
F: Dé 's gile na 'n sneachd?
G: Tha 'n fhirinn.
F: Dé 's long ri gach luchd?
G: Teanchar gobha; cumaidhi teith a's fuar.
F: Dé air nach gabh glas na slabhraidh cur?
G: Rasg duine ma caraid; cha ghabh e dunadh na cumail ach ag amharc air.
F: Dé 's deirge na full?
G: Gnuis duine choir nuair thigeadh coigrich an rathad 's gun bhiadh aige 'bheireadh e dhaibh.
F: Dé 's géire na claidheamh?
G: Athais namhaid.
F: Dé 's fhearr de bhiadh?
G: Bleachd; thig iomadh atharrachadh as, niotar im a's càise dheth, 's beathachaidh e leanabh a's seanduine.
F: Dé 's maoithr na cloimhteach?
G: Dearn air an leaca.
F: Dé 'n gniomh a 's fhearr de ghniomhabh?
G: Gniomh ard a's naill iseal.
Fionn: What is more plentiful than the grass?
Graidhne: The dew; there will be many drops of it on one grass blade?
F: What is hotter than the fire?
G: A woman's reasoning between two men.
F: What is swifter than the wind?
G: A woman's thought between two men.
F: What is blacker than the raven?
G: There is death.
F: What is whiter than the snow?
G: There is the truth.
F: What is a ship for every cargo?
G: A smith's tongs; it will hold hot and cold.
F: What is it which will not abide lock nor chain?
G: The eye of a man about his friend; it will not brook shutting nor closing, but looking on her.
F: What is redder than blood?
G: The face of a worthy man when strangers might come his way, but e has no meat with which to feed them.
F: What is sharper than a sword?
G: The reproach of a foe.
F: What is the best of food?
G: Milk; many a change comes out of it; butter and cheese are made of it; and it will feed both a little child and an old man.
F: What is softer than down?
G: The palm on the cheek.
F: What deed is the best of deeds?
G: A high deed and low conceit.
In something similar to "Captain Wedderburn" but in reverse, Fionn would only marry the lady who could answer all his questions, and none could do this but Graidhne, daughter of the King of the fifth of Ullin.
Without further ado, i give you Fionn's Questions- or, more properly, Ceisdean Fhinn:
Fionn: Dé 's lionaire na'm feur?
Graidhne: Tha n' druichd; bidh moran bhoinechandeth air aonghas feoir.
F: Dé 's teotha na'n teine?
G: Ciall mnatha edar da fhear.
F: Dé 's luaithe na ghaoth?
G: Aigne mnatha eadar da fhear.
F: Dé 's duibhe na 'm fitheach?
G: Tha 'm bas.
F: Dé 's gile na 'n sneachd?
G: Tha 'n fhirinn.
F: Dé 's long ri gach luchd?
G: Teanchar gobha; cumaidhi teith a's fuar.
F: Dé air nach gabh glas na slabhraidh cur?
G: Rasg duine ma caraid; cha ghabh e dunadh na cumail ach ag amharc air.
F: Dé 's deirge na full?
G: Gnuis duine choir nuair thigeadh coigrich an rathad 's gun bhiadh aige 'bheireadh e dhaibh.
F: Dé 's géire na claidheamh?
G: Athais namhaid.
F: Dé 's fhearr de bhiadh?
G: Bleachd; thig iomadh atharrachadh as, niotar im a's càise dheth, 's beathachaidh e leanabh a's seanduine.
F: Dé 's maoithr na cloimhteach?
G: Dearn air an leaca.
F: Dé 'n gniomh a 's fhearr de ghniomhabh?
G: Gniomh ard a's naill iseal.
Fionn: What is more plentiful than the grass?
Graidhne: The dew; there will be many drops of it on one grass blade?
F: What is hotter than the fire?
G: A woman's reasoning between two men.
F: What is swifter than the wind?
G: A woman's thought between two men.
F: What is blacker than the raven?
G: There is death.
F: What is whiter than the snow?
G: There is the truth.
F: What is a ship for every cargo?
G: A smith's tongs; it will hold hot and cold.
F: What is it which will not abide lock nor chain?
G: The eye of a man about his friend; it will not brook shutting nor closing, but looking on her.
F: What is redder than blood?
G: The face of a worthy man when strangers might come his way, but e has no meat with which to feed them.
F: What is sharper than a sword?
G: The reproach of a foe.
F: What is the best of food?
G: Milk; many a change comes out of it; butter and cheese are made of it; and it will feed both a little child and an old man.
F: What is softer than down?
G: The palm on the cheek.
F: What deed is the best of deeds?
G: A high deed and low conceit.
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Date: 2005-07-19 02:22 am (UTC)And a most interesting post.