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AN GAOḊAL
Oil City, Pa. Jan 21st. 1884
Mr. M. J. Logan.
Dear Sir :— It is more than twenty
years ago, while residing in Canada
since I wrote the following English
lyrical effusion which was published
in an Ottawa journal and elicited some
plaudits, so that a certain musical com¬
poser of that city requested the privi¬
lege of having it set to music, which I
denied him. I have now made a trans¬
lation of it into Irish for the GAEL, and
dedicate it to the interests of the Gael¬
ic movement in any manner that may
suit your predilection.
Yours &c
Wm. Russell.
THE GREEN ISLE THAT LIES FAR AWAY
(Air — The pretty girl milking her cow)
[Translation on opposite column.]
Oh! sweet to the lark is the shower,
And sunshine is dear to the bee ;
The humming-bird loveth the flower,
But dear is “Old Erin” to me:
And like the wild billows of ocean,
That circle her shores with their
spray,
My heart's love entwines with devo¬
(tion
The Green Isle that lies far away.
Till death it shall be my fond duty
To wish to see happy and free,
The Emerald Eden of beauty
That smiles in the midst of the sea
And absence my love for her height¬
[ens —
Alas! that adversity's sway,
O’ershadows the glory that brightens
The Green Isle that lies far away.
But dark tho' the cloud of her sorrow,
And starless her slavery’s night,
Her children shall see the bright mor¬
(row
That promises liberty’s light;
When proud banners, gorgeously glea¬
ming,
Her heroes will boldly display;
And freedom shall bless with its
beaming
The Green Isle that lies far away.
AN t-Í GLAS ATÁ ḃ-FAD A g-CÉIN.
Uilliam Ruiséal Cecinit a m-Béarla 'sa
n-Gaoḋailge.
Fonn — Cailín deas crúiḋte na m-bó.
Is greann leis an ḃ-fuiseoig an dian-ċioṫ,
'S is grinn leis a n-dord-éan an bláṫ ;
Is geal leis an mil-ḃeiċ an griantas,
Aċ sí Éire is dóṁsa is gráḋ :
Agus dealraċ le tonnaiḃ na bóċna
Tá dlúiṫ le na feorannaiḃ féin
Criosann mo ċróiḋe-si le móir-ċion
An t-Í Glas atá 'ḃ-fad a gcéin.
Go n-eagad-sa, traoċta, ní duaḋ liom
A ġuiḋeaṁ ná raiḃ doċar san doṁan,
Ag ciapaḋ na h-Eidine uaiṫne
Do smiodas a g-ceart-ṁeaḋan na d-
[tonn :
'Sa tréigion aċ meaduiġeann mo ġráḋ
ḋi —
Mo ċiaċ! go ḃ-fuil cruaḋtan le peinn,
Ag smuitiúġaḋ gal-ġlóire 'gus áille
An Í Ġlais atá 'ḃ-fad a g-céin.
Aċ cia duḃ é a scamall, 's gur náireaċ,
Agus dorċa a h-oiḋċe gan realt,
Ċiḋfid a clanna an máireaċ
Do ġeallas di lan-ṡolas lae:
'Nuair leaṫfaid a laoċraḋ go buacaċ
A m-brataċa uaiṫne faoi ġréin;
Agus lonnróċa saoirse air ċuantaiḃ
An Í Ġlais ata 'ḃ-fad a g-céin.
NOTE — The letter i taken in connect¬
ion with the word glas, green, in the
above composition signifies an Island,
and is pronounced so as to rhyme
with double ee in the English word
knee.
O'Connell and Parnell.
Not wishing to detract from the deserved popu¬
larity of Mr. Parnell, we cannot for a moment ad¬
mit that he is a greater man than O'Connell was.
Circumstances alter cases. Had O'Connell in his
day the power at his back that Parnell has in his,
Ireland would be an independent nation to-day.
Were it not for the resources which modern science
has placed within the reach of Irishmen Parnell
and his compatriots would have been jibbeted long
before now, as were their forefathers for lesser
pretenses. Yet we hear Irishmen unthinkingly,
perhaps, decrying the patriot dead regardless of
this and the apothegm — de mortuis nil nisi bonum.
