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AN GAOḊAL.
an, "Oċ" arsan Dorsan "ní raḃ me dío-
ṁaoineaċ, do congḃaiḋ me seinnim air
feaḋ an t-Saṁraiġ alig." Duḃairt an
Seangan, a gaire agus a dúnaḋ suas a
sgiobóil, "Ó ṫarla go ḃ-feudṫá a ḃeiṫ
ag seinnim air feaḋ an t-Saṁraiḋ, tig
leat a ḃeiṫ aig doṁsuġaḋ air feaḋ an
Ġeiṁriġ."
Faġann an Geiṁreaḋ amaċ an rud
a ċuireas an Saṁraḋ suas.
Translation.
The Ant and the Grasshopper.
On a cold frosty day an Ant was
dragging out some of the corn which
he leid up in summer time, to dry it.
A Grasshopper, half-perished with
hunger, besought the Ant to give
him a morsel of it to save his life.
"What were you doing." said the Ant,
“this last summer ?" "Oh," said the
Grasshopper, “I was not idle, I kept
singing all the summer long." Said
the Ant, laughing and shutting up his
granary, “Since you could sing all
summer you can dance all winter."
Winter finds out what sninmer lay
by.
Mr. M. J. Logan,
Dear Sir. At the solicitation of several of your
readers, I send you the enclosed song for publica¬
tion in THE GAEL. Its author, Peter Walsh, a na¬
tive of Ballinamore, near Finntown, Co. Donegal,
died fifteen years ago. He was wholly illiterate,
but his poetic genius was such, that song flowed
from his lips, as it were, spontaneously. That
gifts, like his, were left uncultivated and uncared
for, is a sad commentary on the misrule of Phara¬
saical England, who, while expending thousands
annually, in educating savages in the Orient, pla¬
ced every obstacle in the way of the cultivation of
Irish genius.
Walsh's nature was buoyant, humorous, warm
and kind, and his poetry, (which if collected would
form a good sized volume, in every verse, bears the
impress of the geneality and wit so characteristic
of its author. That he was possessed of wit and
originality of conception, l think none will deny.
as to his ability for clothing his conceptions in ap¬
propriate verse, t emultin as here presented, does
not, I fear, offer a fair criterion. It must be borne
in mind, that Walsh's songs have never been com¬
mitted to paper, that we have them only tradition¬
ally as it were, that they must have undergone
many changes, in passing from tongue to tongue,
among a people, ignorant of Irish grammatical rules
and that this song is, now written for the first time
and by one who, however well inclined, is not ca¬
pable of doing it justice. Should it, however,
meet with favor, and should you desire it, I can
furnish the Gael with a number of Walsh's songs.
I am promised several. For the enclosed I am in¬
debted to Mr. Jas. Timony of this city,
Respectfully yours,
A. P, WARD.
PHILA. PA.
AN MUILTÍN.
Peadar Breaṫnaċ ro ċan.
Ḃí muiltín ḃeag agamsa air ṫeud,
'Gus lig sé liom féin a loim'; a
Gus d' agair sé mese ċo geur
'S naċ seasóċaḋ Éire a rinn:
"Ní aṫaróċaḋ siad mese air feaḋ lae,
Tá m'asnaċa geur, 's mo ḋrom;
'Sníor ḃ'eagal go raċfainn-se air strae
Da ligfiḋe liom féin mo ċeann." b
"Da ligfinn-se tusa de 'n teud seo,
Buḋ aiṫríḋeaċ ḃeiḋinn féin dá ċinn,
Gan fios 'gam ce raċfainn d' ḋiaiġ
'S an ollan seo ḃ-feiḋm gan ṁoill."
"Ná lomaiġiḋ mese ro ġeárr,
Fág giobaċ c mo ṫaoḃ 's mo ḋrom;
'Gus caiṫfiḋ me 'n Nodlaċ, le pléiseúr
Ṡoir ag cuid osgain TOM." d
'Nuair ṫainic me steaċ air a t-sraiṫ,
Níor taisbeánaḋ teagar dam ann;
Air siocar mar ḃí mé 'mo Ġaoḋal, dd
Ní ḃ-fuiġinn an feur no 'n fain'; e
Sgaoil Betei 'cuid madaḋ 'mo ḋiaiġ,
Tríd ċurraiġ gus eudan beann,
Gan faill agam aṁarc' 'mo ḋiaiġ,
Da m-bainfiḋe díom léab do 'n drom."
Cuireaḋ tríd curraċ dom' ruag' me,
'S ṡeasaiġ me ṡíos i m-ḃinn;
Níor ḃ-fad' no go d-ṫainic na gaḋair,
'S gur cuireaḋ me 'níos go teann;
Ṫainic me ann tobair 'sair Ḃriġid, f
Air maidin, 's í ciaraḋ 'cinn,
Níor ṫaisbeán sí dada d'a ṫaoiḃ,
'Gus ċuaiḋ me go d-ti Mac Glinn." g
'San áit ann, a ḃ-fuair mese fáilte,
Ṡeasaiġ me suas go teann,
'Gus ċonḃaiġ me coṁḃraċ leo uaim,
