This short piece was written by a monk in the margin of an Irish manuscript of Priscian's Institutiones grammaticae. The poem's author welcomes a stormy night free from the risk of attacking Vikings, and supplies us with our earliest attestation of the Irish name for Scandinavia.
Thankful for a Stormy Night
Anonymous (9th century)
Translated by A.Z. Foreman from Old Irish
Bitter wild winds blow tonight,
Tossing the sea's tress to white.
Good. I don't fear clear seas may
Bring berserkers from Norway.
Tossing the sea's tress to white.
Good. I don't fear clear seas may
Bring berserkers from Norway.
Audio of me reading the original Old Irish:
The Original:
Is aicher in gáeth in nocht
fu·fúasna fairrge findḟolt;
ní·águr réimm Mora Minn
dond láechraid lainn úa Lothlind
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