﻿222
AN GAOḊAL
a learned person
13 beo, n. m any living person.
14 ḃronnas, v. inflicts or bestows.
15 míter, v. is concluded.
16 bíoḋḃa, n m. a defendant, a criminal
17 breaṫ reaċda, judgment of the law
18 neoid, n. f. a wound.
19 coinċeartaim, v. I decide, I pron¬
ounce.
20 ortaíġeaḋ, v. was killed, from or¬
taḋ, killing, slaughter.
21 doriaġluíġeaḋ, v. it was ruled or
decided
22 fóirḃreis, n. f. increased.
23 aiṫearraċ (airís), adv. again, at a¬
nother time.
English Translation.
There was in the first law * of the men of Erin
That which God has not vouchsafed in his new law.
The Trinity did not vouchsafe mercy,
Through heavenly strength to save Adam.
For it was perpetual existence
God gave him of his mercy,
Until otherwise he merited
By deserving death.
Let every one die who kills a human being;
Even the king who seeks a wreath with hosts,
Who inflicts red wounds intentionally,
Of which any person dies;
Every powerless, insignificant person,
Or noblest of the learned;
Yea, every living person who inflicts death,
Whose misdeeds are judged, shall suffer death.
He who lets a criminal escape is himself a culprit;
He shall suffer the death of a criminal.
In the judgment of the law which I, as a poet have
received,
It is evil to kill by a foul deed ;
I pronounce the judgment of death,
Of death for his crime to every one who kills
Nuada is adjudged to Heaven,
And it is not to death he is adjudged.
It was thus the two laws were fulfilled; the cul¬
prit was put to death for his crime, and his soul
was pardoned and sent to heaven. What was agreed
upon by the men of Erin was, that every one
should be given up for his crime, that sin might
not otherwise increase on the island.
* First law. This is obscurely stated. It
means that before Patrick's time the Irish had the
law of nature and the law of Moses, which Cai
Cainbhrethach is said to have taught the ancestors
of the Scoti in Egypt, which will hereafter appear.
(To be continued)
A HANDFULL OF EARTH.
1
I am bidding farewell to the land of my birth,
To wander far over the sea ;
I am parting from all I hold dear on this earth,
O! its breaking my poor heart will be :
But this treasure I'll take for my dear mother's sake,
'Twill often bring tears to my eyes.
'Tis a handfull of earth from the land of my birth,
From the grave where my dear mother lies.
'Tis a handul of earth from the land of my birth,
From the grave where my dear mother lies.
2
O Erin my home, tho' from thee I may roam,
My blessing be with thee, asthore ;
Your valleys and streams I will see in my dreams,
As bright and as green as of yore ;
And when I am dead O! I hope, o’er my head,
They will lay this dear treasure I prize
'Tis a handful of earth from the land of my birth,
From the grave where my dear mother lies.
'Tis a handful of earth from the land of my birth,
From the grave where my dear mother lies.
TRANSLATION
LÁN-DORN DE ĊRÉ.
1
Táim slán leat a' ráḋ do ṫír mo ġein¬
eaṁain'
Le seaċránaḋ a ḃ-fad ar an ṁuir
Táim a' sgaraḋ re n-a ḃ-fuil díleas
air ḋruim na talṁan
Oċ a' briseaḋ béiḋ mo ċroiḋe boċd,
faraoir!
Aċt so taisg glacfaiḋ mé air son mo
ḋíl ṁaṫar glé
A ḋeunfas mo ġul teaċd ó ċroíḋe
'Se lándoirn de ċre ó'n d-tír 'nnar
geineaḋ mé —
O'n uaiṁ mar tá mo ṁaṫair 'nna luíḋe.
'Se lándorn de ċre ó'n d-tír 'nnar
geineaḋ mé —
O'n uaiṁ mar tá mo ṁaṫair 'nna luíḋe.
2
A Éire, mo ṡeóid, gíḋ is fada uait mo
ród,
Bíoḋ ort-sa mo ḃeannaċd go deó,
Do ġleannta 's do ṡruṫa feicfiḋ mé
'nn mo ċodlaḋ,
Ċo soillseaċ 's ċo glas mar fad ó:
'S 'nuair béiḋead í síor-ṡuan. O! tá
súil, os mo ċionn
Go g-cuirfidís so ionṁus mo ċroíḋe,
'Se lán-dorn de ċré o'n d-tír 'nnar
geineaḋ mé —
O'n uaiṁ mar tá mo ṁaṫair 'nna luíḋe.
'Se lán-dorn de ċre ó'n d-tír 'nnar
geineaḋ mé —
O'n uaiṁ mar tá mo ṁaṫair 'nna luíḋe.
M Ua C.
To the Editor of the GAEL.
The above song was composed by a certain Jo¬
seph Murphy in English, and set to music by him.
I am told by those that heard him sing it in the
play of Seaghan Ruadh, it brought tears from
their eyes, it was so affecting.
— M C.
