APPENDIX 3
Commentary from D (H. 3. 17 cols. 430-2 - CIH 1916.36-1917.20).
(a) Beich fesa -| beich aerda -j beich cundtaburtacha -j anfesa. (cf.
§§36-7) Mat beich fesa gabait bun craiftd uasailneimid is da trian
do neimid -] is trian dfir bun aid-] is a comramd doib eaturru. (§§41 ff.)
Ma barr gabait is trian don neim ed -j da trian dfir bun aid *j is co cend
mbliadna bis comraind etarru, ar is barr.
(b) Mat beich aerda a mbun cramd graid feine is \eth bech don
gyad fein[e] -] leth dfir bunadh. Mad barr is ceath raimtht dfir barr -j
teora CQthraimthQ dfir bun aid bech.
(c) Mat beich cundtabr/rtacha na randa filit eissib dona fiib atat
i re i tairisit -j beth&ib (= beich?) fessa ci bun cidh barr (barr- MS)
gabait *i in cuid noberadh fer bun aid a bethaib (— bechaib) fesa is ed
beiris fer bunaid ( read bairr) dara eisi -] comrainwet aturru fur do -j
fer bun aid in cuitsm -j ni fil deithb/r ailc atur ru acht is fer bunaidh
bis i colmxXecht bech fesa *j ni ee bis i ndiaidh beth (== bech) aerda
acht eolodh doibh on adba -j noscomaitcend co maigi/? i ngabait -j
is co CQnn teora mbliadhan bis comr[a]in« fursna bethch aib gabait i
mbun cidh bun crain n uasail no isil cidh beth (= beich) fesa cidh
beich asrda -j is co CQnn mbliadhna nama bis comr[a]ind forru ma
barr gabait cidh eidh barr uair nosbeir fer bunaidh immach.
(d) Mat beth (= beich) cun«tabartach[a] i anfesa gabait i mbun
uasailneimidh i[t] teor[a] cethramthansi do n neimhidh i CQthraimthe
do fir bun aid bech. Ma barr is leth do neimhidh -j leth do fir bun aid
bech. Mad a bu« craind graidh feine is da trian don graidh feine i
trian do fir bunadh bech. Madh barr is trian dfir barr *j da trian do
fir buna[id] bech no dano is leth do each do gres i coitcind a bech aib
cun;itaburtach[a] i anfesa -j co cend .iii. [the rest of this commentary
is largely illegible ].
TRANSLATION
(a) Bees of known origin and bees in the air and bees of doubtful
origin and [bees] of unknown origin. If bees of known origin settle
in the trunk of the tree of a noble dignitary, two thirds go to the
dignitary and one third goes to the original owner and they are
APPENDIX 3
183
divided between them. If they settle in the branches, a third goes to
the dignitary and two thirds go to the original owner and they are
divided between them for one year, for it is the branches.
(b) If it is bees in the air [which settle] in the trunk of a tree of
a commoner (= iselnemed ‘ lower dignitary ’ cf. Appendix 1 (c))
a half of the bees goes to this person and a half to the original owner.
If it is the branches [in which they settle], a quarter goes to the owner
of the branches, and three quarters go to the original owner of the
bees.
(c) If they are bees of doubtful origin the divisions which are
[made] from them go to those (see DIL s.v. 4 i) who are [present] at
the time in which they settle, and bees of known origin whether they
alight on trunk or branches and the share which the original owner
gets from bees of known origin, that is what the owner of the
branches gets afterwards and he and the owner of the branches divide
that share in half between them and there is no other distinction
between them, except when it is the original owner who accompanies
bees of known origin and he is not following bees in the air, but they
have escaped from the hive and he keeps watch on them to the place
where they settle and for three years there is division of [the produce
of] the bees which settle in the trunk, whether it is in the trunk of the
tree of a noble or a commoner or whether they are bees of known
origin or bees in the air and they are divided for one year if they
settle in the branches, though it be the branches when the original
owner takes them (i.e. the bees) out(?).
(d) If it is bees of doubtful and unknown origin which settle in
the trunk of [the tree of] a noble dignitary, three quarters go to the
dignitary and one quarter to the original owner of the bees. If it is
in the branches [that they settle] one half goes to the dignitary and
one half goes to the original owner of the bees. If it is in the trunk
of the tree of a commoner, two thirds go to the commoner, and one
third to the original owner of the bees. If it is the branches, one third
goes to the owner of the branches and two thirds go to the original
owner of the bees or half goes to each for ever in common from bees
of doubtful and unknown origin and for three . . .