AN GAODHAL.
249
TRÍD INNIS FÁIL.
[Through Erin's Isle]
Fonn — Aibhlín Crócar.
Tríd Innis-Fáil,
Aig rinc'dh in 'dáil
Trá ghluais Grádh 'gus Gaisge,
'Gus sígh 'n ghrín ghéir
Siubhal leo 'sa bh-feur
'Sceith ghaethe ó n-a thaisge;
Air feadh na slíghe
Tig feur thri-dhlaoighe
Faoi dhrúchta dealra, faluighthe,
'Gus é cho glas
Le smáróg deas
Trídh scáthán cristil calcuighthe.
An t-seamróg, tá glas fíor-bhuan an
t-seamróg!
De dhuilleóg sgaith,
Aig file 's flaith
Fás Eire amháin an t-seamróg.
Aig Gaisge, aig rádh,
"'S dam tá faoi bhláth,
Na seoide maidhne craobhamhuil."
"Ní h-amhla tá,"
Do fhreagair Grádh,
"Le m' fhearan-s' an dil' aoibheamhuil."
Acht dearch 'sa bh-feur
Trí dlaoigh 'n t-sígh gheur,
'Gus ghair air feadh na spéire:
"Na sgoiltidh an bláth
Tá 'r triúr mar scáth,
Grádh, Gaisge 's Grean na h-Éire!"
O an t-seamróg, ta glas, sír-bhuan,
an t-seamróg!
De dhuilleog sgaith,
Aig file 's flaith,
Fás Éire amháin an t-seamróg!
Co dílis fíor,
Bidheadh teann go síor
An chuing an lá úd 'cheangail,
'S air eite an ghaith,
Na tuiteadh dath,
An domhbhlais no a samhuil!
Glanadh go h-eug
An grádh drís breug,
O 'n ngort tá faoi 'n a mhaorsacht,
'S ná tóig'dh go deo,
A bhrat sa ngleó,
Gaisge 'n aghaidh na saorsacht;
O an t-seamrógh, tá glas, sir-bhuan,
an t-seamróg!
De dhuilleog sgaith
Aig file 's flaith,
Fás Éire amhain an t-seamróg!
We would wish to remind those pro-English sho¬
neens who turn up their noses and sneer at those
who are laboring to preserve and cultivate the time
honored language of Ireland that none but the low¬
er order of the Irish people spoke English two hun¬
dred years ago. The princes and nobles of Ireland
were well versed in their own language, the French
Latin, and Spanish; the English being looked on
at that time as a mere gibberish undeserving of cul¬
tivation. This was demonstrated in the article on
Prince O'Rourke in another page.
It was the low Irish who were obliged to go to ser¬
vice to the stranger to earn their living that intro¬
duced the English language in Ireland, and it is the
descendants of these same low Irish who are the
greatest curse to Ireland today. Through dire ne¬
cessity they lost their language and now they would
fain belittle it. Apply to those renegades the fa¬
ble of “The Fox Without a Tail", and you have
their full measure. It is the descendants of these
“Big House Scullions” who are glib with their
English. Picture to yourself the class of Italians
who come out here to earn their bread and who re¬
turn home after a few years full of English and
you have a parallel to the English speaking Irish¬
man of a century ago. Of course, English tyran¬
ny and usurpation reduced Irish nobles to such a
condition of serfdom that their descendants had to
go earn their living to strangers, but the above
were the introducers of the English language in
Ireland.
Go into the Gaelic class-rooms and you cannot
fail to observe the self-respecting demeanor of those
who compose the classes. In their countenances
may be read, England, you may bind our limbs
by brute force, but our tongue and mind, never!
The Easy Lessons will be continued in the next
issue of the Gael. The First Book is given in nos
7 and 8. The Second and Third will be given in
the succeeding numbers.
We have been much disappointed in getting
books from Dublin lately. We hope those order¬
ing them will have a little patience. If books
can't be had money will be returned.
The first copy of the New York
SUN was published on Sept. 3d., 1833.
by Ben. H. Day. The size of the pa¬
per was 18x10, and the "staff" con¬
sisted of “himself.” The weekly cir¬
culation of it now is 1,000,000 copies.
May the GAEL thus increase ?
