139. Love Charm. Eolas Gradhaidh

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p. 41

EOLAS GRADHAIDH [139]

LOVE CHARM

p. 40

p. 41

EOLAS gradhaidh dut,
Uisge thraghadh thromh shop,
Blaths an fhir [te] thig riut,
     Le ghradh a tharsainn ort.

Eirich moch Di-domhnaich,
Gu lic chomhnard chladaich
Beir leat beannach pubaill,
     Agus currachd sagairt.

Deannan beag a ghriosaich
An iochdar do bhadain,
Dolman corr a ghruaigean
     Ann an sluasaid mhaide.

Tri cnamhan seann-duine,
An deigh an creann a uaigh,
Naoi goisne reann-roinnich,
     An deigh an treann le tuaigh.

Loisg iad air teine crionaich
Is dean gu leir diubh luath;
Crath am brollach broth do leannain,
     An aghaidh gath gaoth tuath.

Rach ruaig rath an alachd,
Car nan coig cuart,
’S bheirim brath is baran duit
     Nach falbh am fear [bean] sin uat.

A LOVE charm for thee,
Water drawn through a straw,
The warmth of him [her] thou lovest,
     With love to draw on thee.

Arise betimes on Lord's day,
To the flat rock of the shore
Take with thee the pointed canopy,   [butter-bur (?)
     And the cap of a priest.           [fox-glove (?)

A small quantity of embers
In the skirt of thy kirtle,
A special handful of sea-weed
     In a wooden shovel.

Three bones of an old man,
Newly torn from the grave,
Nine stalks of royal fern,
     Newly trimmed with an axe.

Burn them on a fire of faggots
And make them all into ashes;
Sprinkle in the fleshy breast of thy lover,
     Against the venom of the north wind.

Go round the 'rath' of procreation,
The circuit of the five turns,
And I will vow and warrant thee
     That man [woman] shall never leave thee.