436.
AN GAODHAL.
THE BLACKTHORN STICK.
Written to the old air, for the GAEL,
By WILLIAM RUSSELL
NOTE — The Eo-Rosa mentioned in one
of the verses, is the famous Yew of Ross
so highly extolled by the ancient poet
Dallan-Forgaill, in his archaic descrip¬
tion of the shield of King Hugh of Oir¬
giall. The Circe alluded to in another
verse and which in Irish must be pro¬
nounced, Sírcé, is the same, mentioned
in the Odyssey, and who by the virtue
of her enchanting wand could metamor¬
phose men into swine: The song is ori¬
ginal except two lines of the first verse.
W. R.
Eistigh lem' sgeul, a éigse sealad le
truagh,
'S ní talamh, 'ná spréidh, 'ná béith, do
dheineann dom duadh;
Ach maide draidhin — éille bhí faobhrach,
ingiolta cruaigh,
Do goideadh óm' thaobh 's me air aonach
Bheul-Ath' Na Sluagh.
Ba daingion a bhár le fáinne ta h-agach
cruadh,
'S an iall ann dob' fheárr le fághail o
Chorcaigh go Tuaim;
Do bhí sé fadharcánach, dána, dannartha,
ruadh,
'Nuair sgiobadh óm' dháil mo ghrádh a m-
Beul-Áth' Na Sluagh.
Do bhí sé siúd díreach, ríghinn, 's mar
chuileann a g-cruadhas,
'S ba mhairg a thígheacht, a m-bruíghin, air
bhathas anuas;
Do dheunfadh slat-rígh do thír ghlas,
chreachta na g-cuan,
Dhá bh-faigheadh le na lín a saoirse 'n
Bhanaba, uainn.
A g-Connachth a d'fhás mo chána taithnio¬
mhach, nuadh,
Air fhatha Chruacháin, sean áitriomh fla¬
tha na m-buadh
An t-Eo-Rosa cáig, Dallán do thuigeadh
a luach,
Níor bh-fheárr a sgéith Aodh, 'ná é a m-
Bheul-At' Na Sluagh-
Ag Circé do bhí slat draoidheachta dei¬
rid na suaidh,
Agus slat aile ag Maois' a deighilt na
Faraige Ruadh;
Ach cipín níor fháisg riamh, lámh fáigh,
file, 'ná druadh',
Mar chailleas de bhár na g-cárt a m-
Beul-Ath' Na Sluagh.
Mo mhallacht do 'n sméirle claon do
bhradaigh é uaim,
Agus d'fhág me aréir, mo léun, gan
codladh gan suan;
Go raibh sé gan chéill. 'sa phlaosg gan
ruibhe de 'n ghruaig,
Muna g-cuireadh mo sheud am ghéig a m-
Beul-Ath' Na Sluagh.
Mr. Martin P. Ward’s contribution
to the next Gael will be Ceártaigh An¬
toine Dhuibh-
Gael Glas predicts the freedom of
Ireland about the year 1889; we differ
with him, we think it will be accom¬
plished before two years. Hence, we
would urge our co-workers in the Gae¬
lic cause to renewed energy, so that
when the time comes we may have in¬
creased strength to assist our friends
in Dublin to have it taught in the Na¬
tional schools right away. We pres¬
ume our Dublin friends will see to it
that this will be one of the first acts of
the Irish Parliament. We are well a¬
ware that business is very dull now
but one glass of beer or one cigar in
the month less will pay for the Gael.
Irishmen should make that little sac¬
rifice.
We hear a large number of Irishmen
call Rossa a coward because he did not
turn on his assailant on the spot. If
Rossa be a coward he has a great man¬
y comrades in his countrymen, for they
are being slaughtered and murdered
for the last three hundred years yet
very few are to be found to take that
immediate and energetic action to a¬
venge their wrongs for which they ac¬
cuse Rossa, — Fiat justitia ruat cœlum.
