130.
AN GAODHAL.
AN t-SEAN BHEAN BHOCHT
Le Seághan O Suilleabháin o Chathair-saidhbhín.
Editor of the Gael.
Dear Sir. — The following is an Irish version of
the Sean Bhean Bhocht. I got it from a friend of mine,
Mr Jeremiah Sullivan, a member of the GAELIC LEAGUE
of Boston. The song was composed by Mr. Sullivan's
father, John Sullivan, a poet of no mean order, who yet
lives at an advanced age at a place called Garán Bán
(Whitewood), or Barr na Cathrach (Topstreet) on the out-
skirts of the town of Cahirciveen, county of Kerry. The
present song, which is a good specimen of Mr. Sullivan's
poetic style, was composed at a time when the christian
spirit of Ireland was roused to indignation over the arm¬
ed hostility which, in certain quarters, was manifested
against the Pope of Rome. General Garabaldi the main¬
spring of that hostility, is referred to in the poem in no
very complimentary terms.
In writing this poem from dictation I noticed certain lo¬
cal peculiarities in the pronunciation of some words. These
corruptions or provincialisms l have, of course, discarded
in the body of the song; but for the benefit of your rea¬
ders who are conversant only with the Munster or Kerry
dialect, I have given a complete list of them at the end
of the song.
Respectfully yours,
JOHN O'DALY.
1
Maidean aoibhinn, álainn,
'S mé 'n-imeall coille Chárthain,
T'réis teacht o'n nGarán Bán dom,
Go sásta as mo neid;
Do bhí "Phoebus" ar an d-tráth sin
Ag géimrigh le dásacht
Chum teurnamh os cionn Chlár-loirc
Anáirde anns an roth;
Do sméideas ainnir mhná
Go h-ochlánach ag gol,
Ar an d-taobh astigh dhe bheárnainn
'S ba bhreagh, deas e a rosg;
Do bhí craobh-fholt fada, fasta
Go meur' a troighe, 'na tháthaibh,
tiugh, dréimreach, cruthánach.
Buidhe, márluighthe, bog.
2
Do léim mo chroidhe le h-áthas
Gur peurla caoin o'n "Sráid
Bhí traochta 'ndiaigh biotáille
i *
