The 11^th century Liber Hymnorum states that Ultan of Ardbraccan-who was active about 100 years after Brigid-provided the source material for this hymn (Anonymous, 1868). Whilst it’s possible that Ultan drew on earlier sources, the hagiographic nature of Broccán Clóen’s work causes scholars to doubt its historicity.
Anonymous. (1868) ‘A Hymn to St Brigid’, The Irish Ecclesiastical Record, 4(February), pp. 221–237.

¹ Victorious Brigit loved not the world; she sat the seat of a bird on a cliff:
the saint slept a captive’s sleep for the sake of her Son.

² Not much to blame was found [in her] with the noble faith of the Trinity:
Brigit, mother of my over-king, of Heaven’s Kingdom best was she born.

³ She was not absent, she was not evil, not dear [to her] was vehement women’s war:
she was not a stinging speckled snake: she sold not God’s Son for wealth.

⁴ She was not greedy for treasures; she gave without gall, without abatement:
she was not hard, penurious: she loved not to enjoy the world.

⁵ She was not harsh to guests: gentle was she to the wretched sick:
on a plain she built a convent: may it protect hosts into the Kingdom!

⁶ She was not a milkmaid of a mountain-side; she wrought in the midst of a plain:
wondrous was the ladder to peoples to attain the Kingdom of Mary’s Son.

⁷ Wondrous was St Brigit’s congregation: wondrous was Plea to which it went:
t’was only about Christ… the meeting that is customary with companies,

⁸ In a lucky hour Mac Caille held the veil over Brigit’s head:
it was clear in her goings that her prayer had been heard in Heaven.

⁹ “‘God, I beseech Him’ for every struggle, in every way that my lips can reach:
deeper than seas, greater than count, three Persons, one Person, wonder of a story!”

¹⁰ Under his hut was the sage, famous Coemgen, whom the wind drove (thither) through a snowstorm.
In Glendalough a cross was suffered, till peace came to him after hardship.

¹¹ Saint Brigit was not drowsy, she was not intermittent about the love of God:
the holy one neither bought nor sought the profit of the present life.

¹² What the King has wrought of miracles for Saint Brigit,
if it has been wrought, for any [other] one, where have ear of any one alive heard [it]!

¹³ When the first dairying was sent with the first butter in a hamper,
it kept her not from bounty to her guests; their attachment was not diminished.

¹⁴ Her charge of bacon after this, at evening—high was the triumph—
though the hound was satisfied therefrom, the company was not sorrowful.

¹⁵ On her day of reaping good reaping was there; no fault was found there by my pious one:
till evening there was dry weather in her field, throughout the world… rain poured.

¹⁶ Bishops who visited her, not trifling was the danger to her,
but for—the King helped—the milking of the cows thrice.

¹⁷ On a day of rain she herded sheep in the middle of a plain:
she afterwards spread her mantle in the house on a sunbeam.

¹⁸ The fierce lad, who had besought Brigit for her King’s sake,
carried off seven wethers from her; the number of her flock was not diminished.

¹⁹ It is of my knowledge if I relate all the good that she has done:
a marvel of hers was the bath; she blesses it about her, it became red ale.

²⁰ She blessed the dropsical nun; she was whole without poison, without illness.
t’was a marvel greater than any other; of the stone she has made salt.

²¹ I cannot reckon, I count not what the holy creature has done:
she blessed the flat-faced man, so that his eyes became visible.

²² A dumb girl was brought; Brigit’s miracle was unique:
her hand went not from her hand till her speech was clear.

²³ Marvellous was the flitch that she blessed; t’was God’s might that secured it.
it was a full month with the hound; the hound marred it not.

²⁴ T’was a wonder greater than any other wonder, a bit that she asked from the [cauldron’s] charge.
it spoiled not the colour of her scapular; [though] boiling it was thrown into her bosom.

²⁵ The leper who begged a boon of her, t’was well that to him:
the choice of the calves she blessed; the choice of the cows loved [it].

²⁶ She then directed her chariot northwards to Bri Cobthaig Cóil;
the calf with her leper in the chariot: the cow after the calf.

²⁷ The oxen which parted from her, it seemed good to them that some one should turn them back:
the river rose against them; in the morning they came home.

²⁸ Her horse severed… when they ran down a slope:
the yoke was not down on one side: God’s Son stretched forth the royal hand.

²⁹ A wild boar haunted her herd: northwards the beast drove it:
Brigit blessed him with her crozier; with her swine he took up his abode.

³⁰ Mugart a fat pig was given to her:
over Mag Fea—t’was a marvel wolves hunted it for her, until it was in Uachtar-Gabra.

³¹ She gave the wild fox for her vassal, the wretched one:
it went to the wood though the hosts chased it.

³² It was clear in her goings that she was the unique mother of the Son of the Great King:
she blessed the fluttering bird, and brought it into her hand.

³³ Nine robbers she blessed: they reddened their arms [as they thought] from a pool of blood:
the man on whom they cast them was killed [in their opinion]; [in reality] no hurt was found to him therein.

³⁴ What she has wrought of miracles no one can rightly recount:
a marvel: she took away Lugaid’s dinner; it diminished not the champion’s strength.

³⁵ A tree which the host could not lift, at another time, excellent the fame—
Brigit’s Son brought to her to the place in which… that it should be.

³⁶ The precious thing of silver, which is not to be concealed, for evil to the champion’s woman
was flung into the sea the length of a cast; it was found in a salmon’s belly.

³⁷ A marvel of hers: the widow, who refreshed her in Mag Coil,
burned her new weaver’s beam on the fire in cooking the calf.

³⁸ T’was a marvel greater than another that the Saint devised:
in the morning the weaver’s beam was whole, the calf sucked at its mother.

³⁹ The precious thing of silver which the smith did not break—t’was a marvel of her’s—
Brigit struck it against her palm so that it then broke in three.

⁴⁰ It was cast into the balance by the artisan: a wonder was discovered thereafter:
it was not found that one third was greater than another by a single scruple.

⁴¹ What she has wrought of miracles, none can tell it.
she blessed a garment for Conlaid when it was brought from Letha.

⁴² At that time it was a peril to her; her Son before her could not defraud her:
He put a garment in Ronchenn’s basket in a chariot of two wheels.

⁴³ The vat of mead that was given to her—t’was no hurt whoever gave it,—
till it was found by her house, it had not been found there till then.

⁴⁴ She gave it for her vassal when he had need of it:
no superabundance was found therein and not a drop was wanting therefrom.

⁴⁵ On us be Brigit’s prayers, that she may help us against danger!
may they be on the side of her weaklings’ before going into the Holy Spirit’s presence!

⁴⁶ May she help us with a fiery sword for the battle against dark flocks!
may her holy prayers protect us into Heaven’s Kingdom past pains,

⁴⁷ Before going with the angels to the battle let us come to the Church speedily:
commemoration of God is better than any poem. Victorious Brigit loved not the world.

⁴⁸ I entreat the patronage of St Brigit with the saints of Kildare:
may they be between me and pain! may not my soul be lost!

⁴⁹ The nun that used to range the Curragh be a buckler against sharp edges!
I have found not her like save Mary: we appeal to my Brigit.

⁵⁰ We appeal to my Brigit. may she be a protection to our host!
may her patronage help me! may we all deserve, may we all escape!

⁵¹ Praise of Christ, famous utterance! adoration of God’s Son, victorious art!
may every one who has sung it, who has heard it, be of God’s Kingdom without denial.

⁵² Every one who has sung it, who has heard it, may Brigit’s blessing be on him!
the blessing of Brigit and of God be on us together!

⁵³ There are two nuns in Heaven, who I do not fear will neglect me:
Mary and St Brigit: may we be under the protection of them both!