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AN GAOḊAL
Oil City, Pa. Feb. 25th. 1884.
To the Editor of the GAEL.
Dear Sir, — My object in writing the following composition
has been to divorce one of our most beautiful and attractive Irish
airs from an improper, unsuitable connection, to which it had been
wedded, in days past, by some obscure, vulgar poetaster, who had
no due appreciation of its merits. I am well aware that the Cuc¬
koo builds no nest of its own but appropriates that of another bird;
and hence the production has no actual basis of reality for its foun¬
dation : but must be accredited to the whimsical fancy and creative
imagination of its humble author. Professor O'Curry, in his works
on the “Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish " has stated that
some of our melodious, popular Gaelic airs reach back for their ori¬
gin to a date anterior to the beginning of the Christian era; and
hence the propriety of their preservation must appear obvious to
the true Irish patriot who feels zealous for the traditionary honor
of his enlightened ancestors.
W. RUSSELL.
The Cuckoo's Nest. In Irish and English:
Written for the GAEL by William Russell.
Tráṫ ṁaidne mar bo ċleaċtas dom, air ḃruaċ sruṫáin ag taisdiol dom,
Tré sgartaċaiḃ, bláṫ-ḟuiliġṫe, mar ruaig mo ċasán,
Áit a g-canaḋ annsa n-Earraċ moċ, an ċéirseaċ ċaoin a binne-ṗuirt,
'Sa 'smólaċ, ġniṫeaċ, a foínn san ngarran —
Mar ḃiḋeas am ġas neaṁġangaideaċ, baoiseaċ, is óg —
Sul a n-gort mo ṡaoiġil do sgaip an aois síol an dobróin —
Mo ċróiḋe le méiḋir, bo ḃrosdaiġṫe, nuair fuair me diḋeanṁar
(fosgaiḋṫe,
Faoi ċraoċaiḃ sailliġe feistiġṫe nead cuaiċe a d-tor.
'Nois 'faid nár ṫig le gaoṫ air biṫ aon doċar léin do ḋéanaḋ ḋí,
Do ḃí flocas teiṫ na h-alann d'a compórduġaḋ astiġ —
Le feaṫal, rón, is olann fáin, do ḃí fiġte cluṁ na g-colm bán,
Ag cur greantaċt air an g-caiṫis do ċuir draoiḋeaċt air an nid:
A coilleaḋ siúd dob' ana-ċoir na reiġfeaċ lem' ċroiḋe,
D'a h-ál níor ḋeárnas anaċain aċ ṫréigeas an t-sliġe;
'S go dian ag triall aḃaille ḋom tré ṁáġ nóiníniḋe geala-ċruiṫ,
'Na seoid am ḋiaiḋ-si fanas nead na cuaiċe san d-tor.
Mar ṡeanann naoṁ a ṫréiṫe cirt, do ċeileas mo ḋiscreid anois,
Air eagla, mar do sgeiṫeann an tuaṫ-ġaoṫ plúr na sgoṫ,
Go n-ḋéanfaċ gadaíḋ beag gan stad, le fonn is meinn a ḃeiṫ ag slad,
Nead éin na Mai do ċreaċa 'r fad, uair éigin go grod —
D' ḟaireas ó ġlan-ṁaidin í go meaḋan an ġil lae,
'S a d-taiḃriḃ ionn mo ċodlaḋ ḋom do ḃíḋeas le na taoḃ :
Óir cia daor na gréiṫre saiḋḃiris do ġraḋann an saoġal le leiṫriodas,
Níor ḃ' éifeaċt liom iad seoċas nead na cuaiċe san d-tór.
Anois ó taim ag dul an aois, le gráin seaḋ ṫráċtaim air an m-baois,
Do ḃronn an oiread geana air neiṁníḋ ḃig gan taḃaċd;
Aċ ní'l díṫ-céille réiḋ liom fós, óir tá mé saoḃ air eile nós,
Tré ḋán mo rae ḋom ṫaraing-si a sgléipiḃ do ġnaiṫ:
'S ní ṡé dúil a n-ionaṁus is buairt dom go bráċ,
Na súil go d-taḃarfaiḋe urraim dom go buan ameasg ċáċ;
Aċ siad mna — díl ṁná na m-brioċt is tearc, a n-éidiḋe siġe, do sgíoḃ¬
(as searc,
As lár mo ċroiḋe a n-ionad nide cuaiċe a d-tor.
"An Spealadóir."
