454
AN GAODHAL
Michael Sweeney, the bard of Iar-Connaught,
who composed this song, had been asked one time
to dispraise Jenny Ward whose beauty and comeli¬
ness were envied by the village belles. The bard
disguised himself as a stranger and proceeded to
where Miss Ward had been engaged with some
girls of the neighborhood scutching flax. Pre¬
tending to be a poor man, he asked the girls if
any of them would be kind enough to direct
him to where he could find a night's lodging,
but the girls did not seem to have any com¬
passion on him, save one, and that one was
Jenny Ward. She directed him to her father's
house, instructing him to say that she sent him
to find a night's shelter and whatever else he could
get with it, promising him that he would be suc¬
cessful.
The bard left, and instead of dispraising Jenny
Ward, wrote the following. I wrote this from the
dictation of Mr. Patrick Mylott of West Hoboken.
Martin. P. Ward.
JENNY WARD.
Air — Suas air Bhruach an t-Sléibhe.
I
Shiúbhal mise thart Éire agus Sacsanaigh
dá réir sin,
Asia agus Égipt is gach aon bhaile cuain
Agus mac samhuil mo cheud-searc ní fha¬
ca mé 'sa méid sin,
Le na h-oineacht as le na féile, le ciall
& le stuaim.
Is aici bhí na beusaigh nár smuain ariamh
air aon fhear;
Budh deacair bean d'a tréighthe air aon
chor d' fhághail;
Cia gur mór le rádh 'san m-Béarla Di¬
ana, Juno 's Bhénus,
Ní h-iad a gheabhfadh an scór ach an
péarladh, Jenny Ward.
II
Is gile í réir mo thuairim 'ná 'n eala air
na cuanta,
Is bu binne liom naoi nuaire í 'ná na
cuacha anns an ngleann;
Ní cainteoir bog no cruaidh í, is tá sí
céillighe, stuama,
Is ní'l aon nídh dul cruaigh airthi tá foil¬
leamhnach do mhnaoi.
An trá théidhmuid ann suaircis sí bhídh¬
eas againn air ghluaiseacht;
Sí an chraobh 'measg na m-buachall í trá
bhídheann siad cruinn;
Sé mo leun gan mé 'san stuadh-bhean fé
bhruach na coille dualaigh,
Ó sí bhláth na g-craobh í a thóigfeadh an
ceo dubh dom' chroidhe.
III
Is deas é 'nna cuid eaduigh, 'sní deise
'ná 'nna feuchaint,
Is deas a súil sa béilín 'stá an chaor in
a gruadh;
Is deas a brollach glégeal is a dhá cich
chórtha gheura,
A cúilín costa craobh ghlas 'sa h-eudan
gan ghruaim.
Bu deas a meamhair meur í seinm tiúin
air theudaibh,
No a sprigháil píosaidhe céimbrich le ciall
agus le stuaim;
'Sgo m-beárr liom-sa gan spré í lá
breágh le éirigh gréine.
’Ná a bh-fuil ó Chruach go Néphinn faoi
chaoiribh is faoi bhuaibh
IV
Cia chídhfeadh i d-tigh an óil í, sí gnaoi
gach buachaill óg í,
'San daibhseóir deas ní beo é gan a tabh¬
leis air láimh;
Ní'l fear grinn no deunadh órdháin nach
orthi bhídheas a cómhrádh,
'Sdá rádh gur b'í 'n reult eoluis í trá¬
nóna is maidin bhreágh.
Tá 'n lilí 'gus an rósa in a gruadh is
gile có-shnuadh,
Tá a súil mar an ómra deunadh eoluis
ann gach gleann;
'Sgur milse blas a póigín 'ná mil na m-
beach 'sa b-Fóghmhar,
'Sé mo leun gan mise pósda le mo
stóirín, Jenny Ward.
V
A stóirín fearaibh Éireann ní duit budh
chóir mé sheunadh,
'Gus fheabhas do molfainn féin thú is do
bheurfainn duit-se cliú;
Ó budh damhsa b'fhusadh dheunadh ó's mé 's
faide chaith dod' fheucháint,
A breathnúgh' air chlár d' eudain nuair
ba leur dam do shnuadh.
Trá dhearcas air do mhéinn-mhaith dar
liom budh lághach do thréighthe,
Led' oineacht agus féile le ciall agus le
stuaim;
Ach ó sé mise nach bh-fuil breugach ní
cháinfidh me go h-eug thu,
A's mo mhíle beannacht 's ceudh leat ó
nach n-éalóch' tú liom.
