314
AN GAOḊAL.
To the Editor of the Gael,
Dear Sir. — Some ten years ago, while residing in the City of Otta¬
wa, Canada, I received a letter from Oil City, Pa., giving an ac¬
count of the death of an esteemed namesake who was deeply con¬
versant with the spoken Gaelic of my native land. Upon receipt
of which communication I penned the following extempore effus¬
ion to the Air of “Youghal Harbor", and transmitted it to Mr.
Michael Egan of said Oil City also an adept in the idiom of the
Gael. Some who have at heart the interest of our Gaelic tongue
have desired its publication, but this result must depend upon
your editorial “fiat."
Yours, &c.,
W. Russell.
Mac Uí Aoḋgáin Ó Uaċtar Tuaṁan.
Andé 's mé 'm aonar ag mactnaṁ tréiṫe
Na teangan Ġaoḋailge is starṫa cruaḋa,
Do sgínn dom éilioṁ-sa sgríḃín béarla,
'S bo lán a taoḃa de sgeultaiḃ nuaḋa :
Bo geárr an téarma sul air fad do léiġeas i
Gur ṡil na braona go fras le m' ġruaḋ —
'S is dáṁ do 'n éigse do sgríḃ an stréaḋaire —
Sé Mac Uí Aoḋgáin ó Uaċtar-Tuaṁan.
Bo ṁor mo ṗléisiúr-sa, seal a n-Éirinn,
A g-Cill-Ċaoi aoraċ an ġainiṁ-ċuain —
Ag báire 's aonaċ bo ġnáiṫ mé déaġnaċ,
'S ameasg na m-béiṫe do ḃiḋinn air cuaird;
Aċ cé 'r ḃínn liom caoṁ-ġuiṫ na b-píob ’s na d-téad
úd
Ag ċuallaċt meur-ġlic do ċloisinn uair;
'Nois b' ḟeárr liom éisteaċt le dántaiḃ Gaoḋailge
Ó Ṁac Uí Aoḋgáin ó Uaċtar-Tuaṁan.
Sé ṡaoilim tréiṁse naċ cóir na déiṫe
Ṫugann stór an tsaoġail-seo do'n ḟuirionn-duairc,
Agus filíḋe leiġeanta, is milis dreaċta,
Gan ór, gan séudaiḃ mar seal bo dual :
Aċ tá áras naoṁṫa, 's gan deire séin air,
A ḃ-flaṫas Dé ġil ag slioċt an Uain,
'Sgo raḃam araon ann, ag cantain Gaoḋailge,
A Ṁic Uí Aoḋgáin ó Uaċtar-Tuaṁan.
Má ṫugann réilṫionn mo ġeinte ré ḋom,
'Sgo n-déanfad téirnioṁ óḋeas arís,
Go ḃ-fáġad tú féin is do ġile-ċéile
'N ḃur sláinte ṡaoġalta, go saiḃir sío'aċ;
Aċ go teaċt an lae-sin, 'sgo buan 'na ḋeiġ-sin;
Ó ċaṫair sgéirde an réigiúin ḟuair —
Biḋeaḋ slán is céad leat, ó ċroiḋe gan ċlaon-ċleas,
A Ṁic Uí Aoḋgáin ó Uaċtar-Tuaṁan.
NOTE. Uaċtar-Tuaṁan signifies the upper portion
of the county Clare from Tuaṫ-Ṁúṁain or Thom¬
ond, North-Munster. Tuaṁan is pronounced as
word of one syllable.
Oil City, Pa., Jan. 4th, 1884.
Taṁan
