déighionach. Tá sé teacht amach níos
coitchionnta ná bhidheadh sé, óir níor theip
aon uibhir míosa go fóil an bhliadhain so,
& is mór an sgeul sin le rádh. Tá fuin¬
neamh & spreacadh air h-uile nidh ann, i
nGaedhilge & i m-Béarla, & ní'l an oir¬
ead cainte míréasúnta ann i d-taobh
politics a's bhídheadh, & mar sin is feárr
é bheith. ("Cuir 'sa talamh iad a's fág
marbh iad)
Go d-tugaidh Dia rath & rathamhnas
duit & saoghal fada le d'obair naomhtha
do leathnughadh.
Do dhearbhráthair Gaolach,
Pádruic Ua Cathasaigh,
Some peculiar words as well as certain evidences
of a diphthongal vowel intonation deducible from
the rather irregular assonantal scheme used in the
following ballad declare it the work of an East
Munster man. We prefix by way of title a rather
quaint English note found in the margin. Readers
familiar with this class of Irish recognizing the ex¬
treme difficulty of making a fairly close translation
will readily accord indulgence for the short-coming
of the attempted literal rendering appended for the
use of learners.
“A dolefull Ditty, Being a Lament for John
Molloy's right shameful Desercioun of his friends
(the cordial Conversation whereof bee did enjoy be-
times) who being erstwhile of Keel in these parts
hath newly journey'd into the Wilderness of Minn¬
esota nigh to (sic) the Province of New England.',
I
Sgeul agam 'sa t-saoghal-so
Bhí gas do sheasadh taobh liom
Maiseach, meidhireach,
Magamhuil, meamhrach,
Mear-ghlan, mórthach, maordha.
II
Ba luath a léim ar bántaibh
I ruathar raon an bháire
Tre fuinneamh dluth
A reatha siúbhal
Ní bhuadhfadh gaoth an Mhárta air.
III
Ba sganradh saoghal a plaosgadh
De phlataidhibh maoil ar aonach,
Ba theann a dhóid
Nár mheall i ngleo
Cum fogha bhí faghairt a's faobhar air
IV
Mar chlagarnach a chréim-chur
D' fhrasaibh fiuca, fraochda,
Ar Gallaibh duír
Tug feall a's buadhairt
Ar faitche Fódla feur-ghlas.
V
Is sóghach do chaithfeadh píopa
Tráthnóna i d-taca dhíoga
Gan suim ar domhain
San maighistear modhamhuil
Nár bh-fan i bhfeidhil ár gclaoidhte.
VI
An tuiric bhuain dot' fhéirm,
Nó mustar mheata, mhéirlig,
Gur breall gan strus
Gan sancum suilt,
Gan dealradh gan spriuc do chaomh-
chruth?
VII
Sádhaile ar domhain ní mhuidhfinn ort
Da bhfaghbhainn-se cobhair ón iosbairt,
Do luaisg mo threor
Do bhruidhig mo mheón
Do thruaill an eol thug Dia dham,
VIII
'Sé theibh orm do réidhteach
An treighid-se chiap na h-aodha ,nam,
Gur gann an glór
Ód pheann dogheobhad
Thar tonn gidh fada gcéin tú.
Translation.
For a while I had in this world
A youth who used to stand by me,
Beauteous jolly, funny, fanciful,
Right, active, commanding.
Smart his bounce on bawns
In the rushing rout of the hurling
Through the straining energy of his
running gait
The winds of March would not beat
him
A terror to the world all he used to
crack
Of bald pates at the fair,
Rigid-tendon'd his fist never clack
in a row
For an onslaught he was tempered and
edged.
Like the rattling, his wound-blows,
Of hail madly dancing
On the dour strangers who brought
trouble and treachery
Upon the plain of green-grand Fodla.
Merrily he would smoke a pipe
At eventide beside a ditch
Without recking the least the modest
master
Who was unwearied in seeking to en¬
compass us.
