The Song of Dermot and the Earl
| by Unknown | |
| Translator | G.H.C. Orpen |
|---|---|
| Written | early 13th century |
| First published in | 1892 |
| Country | Ireland |
| Language | Anglo-Norman |
| Subject(s) | Norman invasion of Ireland |
| Genre(s) | chanson de geste |
| Form | Heroic couplet |
| Meter | Iambic tetrameter |
| Rhyme scheme | aa bb cc ... |
| Lines | 3459 |
The Song of Dermot and the Earl (French: Chanson de Dermot et du comte) is an anonymous Norman verse chronicle written in the early 13th century. It tells of the arrival of Strongbow in Ireland in 1170 (the "earl" in the title), and of the subsequent arrival of Henry II of England.
The chronicle survives only in a single manuscript which was re-discovered in the 17th century, London, Lambeth Palace, MS Carew 596. The work bears no title in the manuscript, but has been commonly referred to as The Song of Dermot and the Earl since G.H. Orpen in 1892 published a diplomatic edition under this title. It has also been known as The Conquest of Ireland and The Conquest of Ireland by Henry II; in the most recent edition it was called La Geste des Engleis en Yrlande ("The Deeds of the English in Ireland") and The Deeds of the Normans in Ireland.
This section of the poem has been translated from the Norman-French by G.H.C. Orpen (Trinity College, Dublin) from the Carew 596 manuscript and covers lines 3129 - 3161 (ref Skryne and the Early Normans by Elizabeth Hickey.1994. p. 31).
Cum il feffa ses baruns,
chevalers, serjans e garsunz.
Chastelknoc tut premer donat
A Huge Tyrel, k'il tant amat;
E Chastel Brec, solum l'escrit,
A barun Willame le petit,
Macherueran altresi
E la tere de Rathkenni.
Le cantref pus de Hadhnorkur
A Meiler, qui ert de grant valur,
Donad Huge de Laci
Al bon Meiler le fiz Henri.
A Gilibert de Nangle enfin
Donad tut Makerigalin;
A Jocelin donat le Novan
E la tere de Ardbrechan:
Li un ert fiz, li altre pere,
Solum le dit de la mere.
A Richard Tuit ensement
Donad riche feffement;
Ratwor donat altresi
Al barun Robert de Lacy;
A Richard de la Chapele
Tere donad bone e bele;
A Geffrei de Constantyn Kelberi
A memes de Ratheimarthi;
E Scrin ad pus en chartre,
Adam de Feipo l'ad pus doné;
A Gilibert de Nungent,
A Willame de Muset ensement
Donat teres e honurs,
Veant baruns e vassaurs;
...
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