Irish Litanies III: metrical litanies (Plummer) (the St Michael litany is ascribed to Máel Ísu Ua Brolcháin (d. 1086); the Marian one to Colum Cille)

10. Litany of St Michael

Maelisu O'Brolchan composed this. O Angel!

Bear, O Michael of the mighty powers, My cause before the Lord. Hearest thou?

Ask of the forgiving God Forgiveness for all my monstrous ill. Delay not!

Bear my fervent longing Before the King, the great King.

To my soul Bring help, bring comfort, In the hour of my departure from the earth.

In power, To meet my waiting soul.

Come with many thousands of angels, O Angel. O warrior!

Against the crooked, foul, contentious world Come to help me in very deed.

Pour thou not Contempt on what I say; While I live, forsake me not.

I choose Thee, To free this soul of mine, My reason, my sense, my flesh.

O Advocate, Triumphant, victorious in war, O angelic slayer of Antichrist! O Angel.

11. Litany of the Virgins

I place myself under the protection, Of Mary the pure Virgin, Of Brigit, bright and glowing, Of Cuach of great purity, Of Moninna and Midnat, Of Scire, Sinche, and Samchaine, Of Caite, Cuach, Coemill, Of Craine, Coipp, and Cocnat, Of Ness the glorious of Ernaide, Of Derbfalen (?) and Becnat, Of Ciar, and Crone, and Caillann, Of Lassar, Locha (?) and Luaithrenn, Of Rond, of Ronnat, of Rignach, Of Sarnat, of Segnat, of Sodelb, And of the virgins all together, (lit. in one place.) North, South, East, West.

I place myself under the protection, Of the excellent Trinity, Of the prophets, of the true apostles.

Of the monks, of the martyrs, Of the widows and the confessors, Of the virgins, of the faithful, Of the saints and the holy angels; To protect me against every ill, Against demons and evil men, Against thunder (?) and bad weather, Against sickness and false lips, Against cold and hunger, Against distress and folly, Against vengeance and dishonour, Against contempt and despair, Against misfortune and wandering, Against the plague of the tempestuous doom, Against the evil of hell with its many monsters,.

And its multitude of torments.

12. Metrical Litany of the Virgin Mary

Colum cille composed this.

O Mary, kind gentle maid, give help to us: O casket of the Lord's body, O shrine of mysteries!

O queen of all who reign, O holy virgin maid, Pray for us that through thee our wretched transgression may be forgiven.

O compassion, O forgiving one, with the grace of the pure Spirit, Entreat with us the true-judging King, Thy fair fragrant child.

O branch of the plant of Jesse, in the beauteous hazel wood, Pray for me that I may have forgiveness of my foul guilt.

O Mary, great beauteous diadem, who didst free our race; O Light most beauteous, O Garden of Kings.

O lustrous one, O shining one, with deed of white chastity, O fair bright Ark of gold, O holy birth from heaven.

O Mother of righteousness, who didst excel all, Pray with me thy First-born to save me at the Judgment.

O (Lady), victorious, long-descended, host-attended, strong, Entreat with us the mighty Christ, thy Father and thy Son.

O glorious star elect, O bush in bloom, O strong choice torch, O sun that warmest all, O ladder of the great fence whereby each holy one mounts, Mayest thou be our protection towards the glorious palace.

O city fair and fragrant, thee the King did choose; The great guest was in thy bosom for thrice three months.

O royal door elect, through which came into the body, The shining choice Sun, Jesus, Son of the living God.

For the sake of the fair birth which was conceived in thy womb, For the sake of the Only-begotten who is high king in every place; For the sake of His Cross, which is above every cross, For the sake of His Burial, who was buried in the rock; For the sake of His Resurrection who arose before all, For the sake of the holy household (which will come) from every place to judgment; Be thou our protection in the Kingdom of fair safety, That we may go with Jesukin we pray while life lasts. [O Mary.]

13. Litany of Creation

I entreat Thee by the tenth order in the compact earth; I entreat laud-worthy Michael to help me against demons.

Together with Michael I entreat Thee by land and sea unrestingly; I entreat Thee without contempt by every property of God the Father.

I entreat Thee, O Lord, by the suffering of Thy body white with fasting; I entreat Thee by the contemplative life, I entreat Thee by the active life.

I entreat the company of heaven with Michael for my soul; I entreat the saints of the world to help me on earth.

I entreat the company of heaven with bright-armed Michael; I entreat Thee by the triad, wind and sun and moon.

I entreat Thee by water and the cruel air; I entreat Thee by fire, I entreat Thee by earth.

I entreat Thee by the trinity, the arched torrid (zone), I entreat Thee by the two temperate (zones), I entreat Thee by the two frigid (zones).

I entreat Thee by the compass of the tuneful firmament; I entreat every stately-branching order, the host of the bright stars.

I entreat Thee by the kings with their royal mighty train of kings; I entreat all mysteries, I entreat the glories of Michael.

I entreat Thee by every living creature that ever tasted death and life; I entreat Thee by every inanimate creature because of Thy fair beauteous mystery.

I entreat Thee by Thy love, which is deeper than the ocean; I entreat Thine own self, O King of the fierce sun.

Every saint that is, was, and shall be, and every holy virgin without deceit, with Michael the fair guardian, to help me without […]

May this host protect me!

I entreat Thee, O Father. I entreat.

I beseech Thee, O Father, that I may be in Thy ranks; this is in brief the wise 'besom of devotion.' Though it be brief in words, it is a pure brightly ordered strain; it is full of devotion, it is perfect in clerkship.

It is a summons to saints, it is a […] to elements, it is an entreaty to angels, […]

It is a breast-plate to my soul, it is a protection to me, body and heart, it is a pleasant ready nurture, it is a praising of the King of heaven.

It is sanctification to men who recite it continually; it is a judgment of him who recites it, it is (ascetic) devotion, it is suffering.

It is a partaking of the Body of Christ, and it is a hard conflict; it is fair perfect faith, it is converse with angels.

Every angel, every strain, every dear fair-hued saint, every creature under Thy sway, by them I entreat Thee, O Father. I entreat.

I entreat Thee by time with its clear divisions, I entreat Thee by the darkness, I entreat Thee by the light.

I entreat all the elements in heaven and earth, that the eternal sweetness may be granted to my soul.

Thy boundless pity, Thy might over battles, Thy gentleness to Thy debtors, O beloved speedy King (?), To help me out of every conflict, by them I entreat Thee, O Father. I entreat.