AN GAODHAL.
441
AN BÁRD 'GUS AN FÓ (Leantadh.)
NESSA — BANIA.
Nessa.
Tar annso lem' thaobh!
Suigh síos liom faoi fhasga na feárrnóig',
Bania.
Ta an ceo anois imthighthe.
Nessa.
Feuch an ghrian thar chnoc Almhain 'g éirighe
Bania.
Nach áluin tá 'n t-seamróg aig fás ins
an bh-faithche!
Nessa.
An dóigh leat, a Bhania, an Flaitheas
A bheith amhail leis?
Bania.
Ní fheádar ;— Ní fheádar ;—
Budh mhaith liom do bheith ann!
Nessa.
Agus mé ann le do thaobh.
Bania.
Ann 'measg na slán!
Nessa.
An cuimhin leat air maidin moch 'r saoghal,
Nuair bhí sinn fágtha, thú 'gus mé linn
féin.
In d' óige roinn mé leat gach baoghal,
'Gus bhí mo leun duit mar do leun?
Ar dhearmad tú, mar croidhe le croidhe
go g-caoineamar,
Do shiúbhal'mar slíghe ár m-bíth taobh le
taobh,
'S mar drúchd na maidne grianmhar.
Do thiormuigh grádh ár n-deora caomh'?
Is iomad uair air bhruach Ui Mhéalla,
Air maidin sgiob sinn blátha fiadhán'!
Is minic sheinnmar duan le chéile,
Do spioradaibh na nón' aig imtheacht
uainn!
Mar sin, a n-diu, mar sin go mairfidh
Tú liom go buan, 'gus mise leat go deo!
No Am no Crádh ní sgarfuigh
Da chroidhe rinn' Am a's Crádh níos teo.
Bania.
Is cuimhin liom, gan athair, mé bheith cráidh¬
te,
THE BARD AND THE KNIGHT [Continued.]
NESSA — BANIA.
Nessa.
Come hither with me'!
Sit we down in the shade of the elder.
Bania.
The mist hath already departed.
Nessa.
See the sunlight creep over Alwain's
hill!
Bania.
How beautiul is the clover in the mea¬
[dow!
Nessa.
Think'st thou, O Bania? that heaven
Is like unto this?
Bania.
I know not. — I know not ;—
Would that I were there !
Nessa.
And I too there by your side.
Bania.
There with the blest!
Nessa.
Dost thou remember in life's early
morning,
When thou and I on earth were
left alone,
I shared thy childhood's sorrow,
And mine to thee was as thine own?
Cans't thou forget how, heart with
heart condoling,
We've trod the path of later, fond-
(er years,
Till, as the sun the raindrops,
The light of love hath dried our tears.
How oft beside Ui Mealla's river
We’ve culled at morn the desert flow¬
(er!
How oft we've sung our songs together
To spirits of the ebbing twilight
hour!
And thus, to-day, and thus for ever
Be thou to me, and l to thee anear !
The hearts that Grief and Time make
(dear.
Nor time nor Grief can sever
Bania.
I too have known my infant guardian
taken ;
(en;
