AN GAODHAL.
491
[Literal Translation.]
Will Our Poor, Beautifull Country
Ever be Free.
Will our poor, beautiful country ever be free
That is the question that has been asked amongst
us
During five hundred heavy years.
It is asked by the people who love Ireland —
People true to their race and country,
And it is asked by people that have not
One patriotic thought about the land of their
birth —
People who see in the word "liberty"
Nothing but permission to do their own will —
"Land without rent," and everything topsy-turvy.
Will our ravaged island ever be free?
She will not be free until there is borne to her
Children whose hearts shall be full of the true
spirit
Of liberty: — children who shall not disdain
Things that appertain to their race and country —
Children like those who made Greece free,
That only used their own language.
That bowed not their knees before the strength of
their conquorers.
That sought not freedom but with sword and spear
And learned not the speech of the enemy that
enslaved them!
Will our dear Ireland ever be free?
She will not be free so long as lives one
Of the talkers that believes only in talk,
Although every word they say is in the enemy's
language,
When speaking about the ruin of their race and
nation.
Great God! is there any sense at all in Ireland?
Is she a fool amongst the nations of the earth?
Is it a wonder that people make game of us
When we speak of being our own masters?
We seek things without any worth at all,
And we take no interest in important things
That show the world that we have a right to be
free.
The leaders of the Irish people are like
The foolish rooster, as is related in the fable,
That found a precious jewel in a pile of rubbish,
And becamse it was not good to eat
He kicked it out of his rode with his heel
And said to the hens around him,
"I'd rather have one grain of barley, however
small,
Than the most beautiful and largest jewel in the
world!"
Ireland’s national language is a precious jewel,
Her beautiful and sweet music is a jewel as preci¬
ous,
Do not the present leaders of our people resemble
That foolish rooster? For are they not
Neglecting precious things and saying
That their country’s language and music are not
worth their care?
Let us beseech God to change their hearts,
And to put (political) wisdom into the heads of
the Clann an Gael!
Mr. Hagarty of Chicago sent us the
foregoing GAELIC poetry and transla¬
tion with a request to explain the diffi¬
cult words etc. and to return it ; and
thinking that others might profit by
the same explanations we give it room
These explanations are hurriedly given
as we cannot devote that time and at¬
tention to them which their import¬
ance demands, By and by, when the
Irish people's eyes are open to the im¬
portance of preserving their language
in order to preserve their respectabili¬
ty they may support Gaelic literature.
As the writer has handled the Irish
"mugwumps” without gloves, we will
let them rest; but this should never
be forgotten by those who say that
their fathers and mothers knew no Ir¬
ish, that their forefathers had, at an
early stage of their subjection, to go to
England or to the "Big houses” of the
conquerors to earn their bread. Other¬
wise, where did they get the English
or lose the Irish ? Such persons place
themselves in the position of “The
Chained Dog" in the fable.
VOCABULARY.
Pronunciation.
ainmhianta, evil desires, anveentha.
áluinn, beautiful, awlhuinn.
air bith, at all, arbih.
amháin, only, ahwawin,
aoiligh, gen. of dung, eelly.
bhaineas, belongs to, wainiss.
bliadhan, gen. of year, blee-in.
bóthar, road, way, bohur,
brách, ever, brawugh.
breith, birth, breh.
buaidhtheoir, conqueror. booyho-irh.
cainteoir, talker, cawintoirh.
caomh, mild, gentle, kayuv.
caras, friendship, koriss.
cárn, heap, karunn.
cearcaibh, gen. pl. of hen, karkiv,
ceannaibh, " " " head, kanniv.
cinidheach, racial, kinnaugh.
claidheamh, sword, klawiv.
cleachd, habituate, klaughd.
coileach, cock or rooster, kuilaugh.
cosamhuil, like, kuswill.
creideas, believes, kridiss.
croidhthibh, dat. pl. of heart, kreehiv.
cúirim, of care, koorim.
daoineadh, gen, pl. person, dheenah.
daoinibh, dat. pl. of " dheeniv.
