Ciaran for what they were fasting:  Ciaran simply replied, “Bless ye the air before me”—­the air through which I must travel in passing heavenwards—­“and what ye desire shall be given you.”  The Book of Leinster contains a poem attributed to Saint Ciaran relating to the shortness of his life:  as it has apparently never been printed it is given here with a translation, so far as the obscurity of the language permits—­

An rim, a ri richid rain    corbom etal risin dail: 
co cloister cech ni atber   i sanct cech sen, a De mair.

(Stay for me, O King of glorious heaven, till I be pure before the assembly; till everything that I shall speak be heard in the sanctuary of every blessing, O great God.)

A Mic Maire, miad cen on   ammochomde corric nem,
a ruiri na nangel find,    innanfa frim corbom sen?

(O Son of Mary, a dignity without blemish, O my Lord as far as Heaven, O King of the white angels, wilt Thou stay for me till I am old?)

Attchimse mo guide rutt   arbaig Maire diandit Macc
menbad tacrad latt a Ri   condernaind ni bud maith latt

(I make my prayer unto Thee, for the love of Mary to whom Thou are Son, if it be not displeasing in Thy sight, O King, that I may do somewhat pleasing to Thee.)

Maccan berair rian a re   ni fintar feib ar a mbe
asaoete lenta baeis       aggaes cach aes bes nithe

(A young man who is taken before its time, the honour in which he may be is not discovered:  from his youth of following folly, to his age every company ... (?).)

Ni horta laeg rianaes daim   ar cach sen as tressiu achach,
ni horta uan na horc maith   ni coilte cr ... [31] a blath

(A calf is not slaughtered till it is of ox’s age, ’tis the ploughing (?) of every old one which waxes stronger:  a lamb or a good pigling is not slaughtered, the (saffron?) is not plucked till its flower.)

Buain guirt riasiu bas abbuig   is m ... cacaid, a Ri rind?
is e in longud riana thrath     blath do choll in tan bas find

(To reap a field before it is ripe, is it a right (thing), O King of stars?  It is eating before the time to violate a flower while it is white.)

Fuiniud immedon laa          ni hord baa rian ...
matan in aidche, in dedoil   ria na medon cia mo col

(Sunset in midday, no order of profit before...; morning in night, twilight before its noon, though it be greatest wrong.)

Cluinti itgi notguidiu    is mo chridiu deroil duir
a Mic mo De cianomrodba   is bec mo thorba donduir

(Hear Thou the prayer I pray Thee in the depth of my wretched hard heart, O Son of my God, although Thou cuttest me off, small is my profitableness ... )

Duitsi a Mic motholtu     cen cope sentu dom churp,
cenambera cen taithlech   no co bia maith fe[in] fort

(To Thee, O Son, ... (?), that without my body becoming aged, I be not taken without reason till I shall myself be good in Thy sight.)