AN DARA RANN DE GHNÍOMHARTHAIBH
AN CHAIT.

THE SECOND PART OF THE FEATS OF
THE CAT.

Ní raibh cat chomh bréagha leis a g-clár
Luirc aoibhinn,
Ná a shamail le faghail o thragha na
díleann;
Bhí croídheamhail láidir áluin gníomhach,
A's mo nuar go bráth mo phániteach claoidhte.
Niór dhíon do'n ngall-luch poll ná áirse,
Ar teacht na Samhna ná a niam an cáithte,
Dá maireadh Mathghamhuin ba rogha lé bás
d'fhághail,
'S anois o's fann é foghalfaid m'árus.
Ní raibh go feasach a shamhail ag-clár
Luirc:—
Do sheinnfeadh cronán chomh binn le cláir-
seach,
Do bhreugfadh leinbh is daoine ársaidh.
A's do thugadh cearc-uisge go minic chum
Mháire.
Do thugadh an traghnach asteach o'n b-páirc
leis:
Do thugadh o'n sgairt an lon 'sa smólach;
Do thugadh an creabhar 'san gabhairín-reódhadh
leis,
'S breach o'n linn leis, nídh nár dhoígh libh.
Do thugadh an míolbuidhe asteach ar nóin leis.
'San paínteach coinín as ghoirtín dhomhnaild;
Na gealbhuinn tíghe as díon an t-seómra,
'San chuaichín bhuidhe a claoidh níor mheoin leis.
Do thugadh o'n mhóin an meannán aeidhir leis;
An philibín míoc 'san faoilean gléigeal;
Na cearca fraoich de dhruim an t-sléibhe,
A's de'n chiairseach ramhar do ghnídheach a
bhéile.
Do bhreugach go minic an leanbh dob' oíge,
Le crónán milis do sheinneadh mar cheól
cruit',
Budh chliste bheireadh ar imiol a chota;
Dá tharruint ó'n d-teine air eagla a dhóighthe
Is lúthmhar, tapaidh do phreabadh anáirde
A m-bárr crainn úbhal a's thugadh seacán as;
Do thugadh go minic leis lacha nó bárdal;
Feadoígín mhilis no pitrisg áluinn.
Do thugadh go dearbh as bhárra an chaisléin
leis,
Cága, seabhaic is druide 'na d-táintibh;
Do thugadh o'n bh-fearann na cearca feadha
leis,
Colúir is gearra-guirt re tuile na trách-
taim,
Ní raibh a shamhail ar thalamh na Fódla;—
Seang-chat dathanach, bastalach, córach;
Tréightheach, taithniomhach, meanmnach, deóraidh,
Leómhanta, greanamhar, acfuinneach, treórach.
Budh dheas a cheann 'sa chealltar gleoidhthe,
Budh dheas a theanga 'sa ghreann feasóíge;
Budh dheash a dhrom 'sa chom budh chórach.
'Sa mhása teann, chomh sleamhuin le h-omra.

Ní raibh a shamhail 'san Eóruip, —
Ar luth, ar mhire, ar ghol, is ar chródhacht.
Ní raibh laoch ná curadh, ursain na ollamh,
Ar fhod na cruinne ná raibh sealad do ag
fóghnamh.

VOCABULARY, NOTES &C.

Clár Luirc, one of the names of Ireland.
Trághadh, g. -áighte, pl. id. an ebbing; dile, g. eann, pl.
-eanna, the deluge.
Aluinn, compar. áille, adj. beautiful; croidheamhuil,
compar. -mhla, adj. hearty.
Gníomhach, comp. -aighe, adj. active; monuar, alas, inter.
claoidhte, p.p. overcome.
Luch, g. luiche, pl. lucha, a mouse; luch francach = gall-
luch, a rat.
Díon, g. dín, pl. id. a shelter, defence; áirse, g. id. pl.
-sídhe, an arch.
Samhuin, g. -mhna, All Saints; cáthadh g. cáithte, a win-
nowing.
Mathghamuin g. -mhna, pl. id. the cat's name; properly a
bear. Dá maireadh = dá mairfeadh, had [the cat]
lived, budh rogha lé bás d'faghail, the rat would
rather die, literally, it would be a choice with her to
die; foghalfaid [the rats] will plunder, m'árus, my
home.
Feasach, knowing, known; ní raibh go feasach, either
there was not, it is known, or there was not known.
Cronán, g. -áin, a purring.
Bhreugfadh [sé], it would amuse; do bhreugach, Munster
pronunciation of do bhreugadh, it used to amuse;
cearc-uisge, a water hen, a coot. Gabhairín-reodhadh
recte, reodhtha, gen. (gabhar, a goat, reodhadh, frost,
ice), same as meannán aeidhir, a snipe.
Creabhar, g. -air, a woodcock. Miolbuidhe = miol-
mhaighe, a hare.
Gealbhan, g. -ain, sparrow, or gealbhonn, pl. -bhuinn.
díon, g. dín, thatch.
Seómra, a room, a parlour, pl. -raidhe, gen. sing. with
the article, an t-seomra.
Cuaichín, g. id. a little cuckoo; meoin for méin, a desire.
Meannán aeidhir (meannán, a kid, aeidhir, gen. of aer,
the sky), a snipe, from its cry, like a kid's.
Pilbín or filbín, a lapwing; pilbín míoc, a plover in
Waterford.
Faoilean, a seagull.
Cearc, g. circe, a hen; fraoch, g. fraoich, heath; cearc
fraoich, grouse.
Ciairseach, g. -sig, a female blackbird in Waterford,
otherwise ceirseach, a thrush.
An leanbh dob' óige (do budh óige), the youngest child.
Imioll, the border; dóghadh, g. dóighthe, burning; air
eagla a dhóighte = é do dóghadh, lest he should be
burned.
Feadóg, a grey plover, bárdal, a drake — in Waterford,
the b is aspirated, bhárdal.
Pitrisg, a partridge, cág, pl. -ga, a daw; seabhac, pl.
-bhaic, a hawk; droid, g. de, pl. id. or -deanna,
a starling; tain, pl. nte, a multitude.
Caisleán, g. -léin, a castle. The poet certainly said
chaisleáin.
Gearraguirt, quails; seang-chat, a slender-cat; bas-
dalach, gay.
Córach, well-shaped; acfuinneach, able; cealltar, the
appearance of the face.
Greann féasoige, beauty of a beard; más, a hip, thigh;
omra, amber.
Luth, activity, vigour; mire, madness, levity, frolic; in
Munster it signifies swiftness, as mear signifies swift;
goil, valour; cródhácht, bravery.
Ursain for ursa, a prop., here figuratively for warrior;
cruinne, the globe.
Fóghnamh, inf. or part. of fóghain or fóghuin, serve: ag
Fognamh, in service.

Páinteach I do not know, nor the English for seacán;
cearca feadha, I can only guess at. Any reader who
can explain these terms ought to write to us. Deoraidh
and treórach, too, are dark in the poem.