948
AN GAODHAL
bh-fuil an chnáb dúinn dá casadh,
A's má chuirfidh siad chum báis mé na
grásta go bh-fuig m'anam
The above lay giving expression to the lonely
musings of a poor deserter in Clonmel jail is a
good example of the old Irish street ballad that
the spread of English forced to cede alto¬
gether to the modern “come all ye.” It is still ex¬
tant in the neighborhood of Clonmel. The appen¬
ded translation furnished by the Irish poet, J. J.
Callinan, is a beautiful rendering indeed but so
loose in its adherence to the text that it should be
regarded rather as a metrical paraphrase. It is
only necessary to add that the Bagwell mentioned
was a Crowellian burgess in Clonmel eminently
qualified to give the current quotations in hemp
by his share in the "fudicial” murder of Father
Sheehy and the other atrocities prompted by the
ruthless devilry of those concerned in the Munster
No Popery panic of 1766.
THE CONNOT OF CLONMEL.
How hard is my fortune and vain my repining.
The strong rope of fate for this young neck is twi¬
ning,
My strength is departed my cheek sunk and sal¬
[low,
While I linger in chains in the gaol of Cluanmeala
No boy in the village was ever yet milder,
I'd play with a child and my sport would be wilder
I'd dance without tiring from morning till even,
And the goal-ball I'd strike to the lightning of
Heaven.
At my bed-foot decaying my hurlbat is lying,
Through the boys of the village my goal ball is
flying ;
My horse 'mong the neighbors neglected may
fallow.
While I pine in my chains in the gaol of Cluan-
meala. *
Next sunday the patron at home will be keeping
And the young active hurlers the field will be
sweeping.
With the dance of fair maidens the evening they
'll hallow,
While this heart once so gay shall be cold in
Cluanmeala.
* Field of honey ; now Clonmel.
Cluanmeala.
Here is a modern Munster poem but retaining
the characteristics of the old poetic effusions, —
Do'n rábaire rábach rinn-gheurach rath¬
mhar agus don ridire ro-eachdach reidh .i.
Seághan soillseach, solusmhar O'Maol¬
dhia, ó n-a chara neimhfiúntach, duairc,
dobheusach,
An Buinneán Aorach.
A Sheághain ghle ghil, aoibhinn, is lonnrach
do chroidhe 'stigh,
Tá d'aigne a's d'intleacht air fogh¬
namh;
Mar ní fhaca mé duine led' dhaonnacht
a's fuineamh
Chomh fialmhar grinn-mhilis dod' chomh¬
arsain.
Dá fheabhas iad a's eile ar m-buachaill¬
idhe gheala,
Cia socair a g-cuideachta shéimh iad;
Go mór do b'fheárr linne bheith suidhe
cois na teine,
le Seághan agus tuille ag plé seal.
Is buachaill tú gasda ó oileán na mara,
A tháinich ó'n bh-fine-cheart Mhiliodh,
Do rugadh a bh-farradh na trom-tuile
gairbh.
A g-ceanntar na Gaillimh' leath-as-t-
siar uainn.
Is truaigh gan ár d-talamh le h-aice
Chluain-meala,
No b-Paoraigh na machaire mín-bhog ;
Gach sásacht do gheobhmais 'dir greann
agus ól ann,
A's caol-chuin chum spóirt & fiadhachta.
Go mairidh tú béimneach go síor-chaith¬
réimeach,
A fharraire threun, láidir, bhríoghmhar,
Dar a raibh ag na Caesars de hats agus
beavers
Do pháirt si ní reicfinn air ríoghacht.
An Buinneán Aorach.
Vocabulary.
Rabaire, a dashing young fellow.
Rinn-gheurach, sharp-pointed, of weapons
Rathmhar, fortunate
Ridire, knight.
Ro eachdach, very doughty, deed-doing.
Neimh-fhiúntach, worthless
Duairc, of a dull, stubborn nature,
Do-bheusach, ill mannered.
Lonnrach, gleaming.
Intleacht, intellect.
Daonnacht, humanity, civility.
Fuinneamh, fierce, quick energy.
Feabhas, goodness; dá fheabhas, how
good soever.
