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AN GAOḊAL.
Ó d'imṫiġ uainn na buaċailliḋ
A ḃí aoiḃinn álainn;
Ḃí ór buiḋe go fras acú,
Agus airgead 'na ṁámaiḋ,
Agus ḃí croiḋe acú le 'na scabaḋ,
Mar ḃí an ḟéile leoḃṫa ó nádúir.
Tá aoiḃneas a n-Dorl ó Conaill,
Naċ ḃ-facas ariaṁ san áit seo,
Tá toras ag Naoṁ Conall ann,
Agus miarúiltiḋ ḋá réir sin;
Tá cuaċ 's truis a sinnim ann,
Agus torṫa bréaġṫa fás ann,
'S tá dúil agam nár ṗeacuiġiḋ siad,
Ó baisteaḋ iad 'na b-páistiḋ.
AḂRANN — GAṀNA GEALLA.
Dear Mr. Logan, I beg to send you a little song termed “Gamh¬
na Geala,” which I learned long ago from an old woman in this town. It
was composed by a mountain-girl whose chief work was tending cattle,
and who was no way particular about taste or grandeur. She got mar¬
ried to a young man whose home was maritime, and lived up to style.
The young bride found all requisites in her new home, but was not
content. She had also plenty geese — which is the subject of the song —
but she preferred her calves to the geese which she calls the “White
calves.” The last verse was composed by her husband, trying to console
her.
I also enclose a little piece I composed myself, about a Gaelic
meeting which the school-teachers around here had at a place called Kil¬
lybegs. The chairman was J. C. Ward. I simply give the proceedings in
verse.
Faithfully,
Mullagh duff, Co. Donegal,
Daniel Gallagher.
'Siad mo ċuid gaṁna na gaṁna gealla,
Iṫeann siad feur agus ní ólann siad bainne ;
Biḋeann siad anonn agus anall ar an ḃ-fearann,
,S ní fearr leo an traiġ aca ná bárr an lán-mara.
'S beag, 's beag mo ḋúil-se ann g-cupaiḋ ná gcartaiḋ,
Ḃ-fuinneogaiḋ gluinne, na leapaċa árda;
Míle b'ḟeárr liom féin, arú! lá breáġ Saṁraiḋ,
Poll a ḃeiṫ ar an scráiṫ 'gus mé ag aṁarc ar na gaṁna.
'S beag, beag mo ḋúil-se ann mná na gclócaiḋ móra,
Ná anns na fuídaṁdaiḋ ḃiḋeann orra Dia-doṁnaiḋ;
Míle b'ḟeárr liom féin an ḟollainn ḋeas ċóiriḋ,
Rince ḃeiṫ ar an t seamra 'gus na gaṁna 'ga seolaḋ.
Ní feárr liom locais fúm na luaċair;
Ní feárr liom ribíníḋ ḃeiṫ ṫarm na buarraiḋ;
Píobairiḋ an doṁain 's biḋeaḋ ag sinnim in mo ċluasaiḃ,
Buḋ deise liom ḃeiṫ ag éisteaċt le géimneaċt mo ġaṁna.
Tiocfaiḋ an sioc agus greatfaiḋ an Ṁárt é,
Tiocfaiḋ an sneaċta go trom fa na gleanntáin:
Tiocfaiḋ an t-eug ar an ealaċ agus feannfar na gaṁna
A ċuisle 'gus a stór ná biḋeaḋ dúil againn ionnta !
's
ḋá
biseaċ é
seo
