AN FREAGRADH THUG TOMÁS RUADH
AIR AN b-PAORACH.

SRÁID AN MHUILLINN, IN ÉIRINN,
20mhadh la Lúghnára, '86.

21 Phaoraig an Chroídhe:

Do fuaireas do leitir roínt laethanta, o
shoin, agus níor bh'fhéidir liom a dh'insint duit
go de'n t-áthas agus an misneach chuir sé orm
sgeula dh'fhághailt uait, ó mhac t-athar agus do
mháthar. Bhí luthgháir orm a chlus go bh-fuil
tú go maith sa t-saoghal agus ad' shláinte.

Ce go bh-fuil an aois ag drideamhuint
liom agus mo chois air bhruach na h-uaimhe
agus mé crom agus liach chomh maith le
“ruadh,” mar sin féin, do thugas léim as
mo chorp le áthas nuair a chualaig mé an
cúntas léir cruinn do tháinig a bhaile uait
sa teanga mhilis Ghaoghalainn. Is mór an t-
aistriúghadh tá air an saoghal anois seocas
mar a bhí sé fadh'ó i'nuair a bíos am bhuachaill
óg, agus tusa ad gharsún.

Tá romór na n-daoineadh anois ag la-
bairt béarla, iad go léir, nach mór, air
fuaid ná h-áite seo. An ait seo nach raibh
mórán bhéarla dhá labhairt dhá fhichid bliadain
ó shoin, acht feilídhe Ghaedhilgé go fairsing,
thall sa bhus, ag deuna abhráin agus dánta,
ag ínnsint sgeulta fánaigheachta agus eacht-
araídhe agus an páidrín páirteach dá rádh
ann gach tig, agus mná caointe gur breágh
leat éisteacht leó ag cuir síos áir dheidh-ghnío-
mhthara agus air mhuintir an te beach sínte
fuar, marbh air an g-clár lá sochraide, nó
oídhche thórthaimh; agus ce go n-deir daoine
gur beag an fhoghluim bhí ortha, ba bhreágh,
deas an caointechán do dhéinidis. Ní'l dada
'ge clann na h-aimsise seo acht béarla agus
gan iád ábulta air eachtara rád ná abráin
a dheunadh. Is docha nach bh-fuil a leithéid
seo le rádh age aon tir fé 'n ngréin acht
'ge Éire.

Nach cathach, nach dúbhach, nach bhrónach agus
nach dealbh an sgeul é dhuinn? Chíghim-se
daoine annso agus gan focal béarla aig a
n-aithir na 'ge n-a máthair agus ní labarthach
án chlann leo an Ghaedhilinn acht bhéarla.
An dream a bhíonn tímchioll tíghte móra
agus an iarball uaisle na Sagsanach, is
gnathach leo bheith mar seo. Ni ceart dam
locht dh' fhaghail air aenne. Nuair a labharaim
Gaedhilinn le clann mo chlainne is béarla
labharaid liom tar n-ais go minic. Tá 'n
galar ceudna air aos óg na dúithche. Tá
na sgoilleana Galla-sa ag cuir deire leis
an nGaodhailinn mar atá na daoine óga 'g
éirigh suas ag labhairt béarla, agus ag
tabairt a n-aghaidh air na fairgídhe, mar
ní'l dada annso le deunadh aco. Ní'l na
daoine ábalta air a b-pádha thabhairt dóibh tá
uatha, mar ní 'l strus ná geall aco féin
acht ag iarradh maireachtuin ó 'n lámh go
d-tí an m-beul. Na maighistirídhe da
g-cathadh amach air na bóithre, chomh dona
's bhíodar annsna droch bhliadh'nta, agus gan
obair ná gnódh dá dheunadh. Is beag nach
bh-fuil Éire bhocht na fásach; gach aon áit
uaigneach, eartha, gan ann acht fáinaire
desna seanna comharsan thall 'sa bhus air
fuaid an pharóiste. Sgoth na b-fear agus
plúr na m-ban ag imthaecht tar sáile uainn,
gan sa mbaile acht na seandaoine agus na
daoine óga nach féidir leó cuir díobh amach,
agus gan mórán díobh-san féin ann.

Ba mhaith an sás sgéal fianuigheachta dh'
innsin tú, no eachtara rádh dhúinn air thóramh,
no cois teine bhreágh mhóna oídhche Gheimhre.

Coimeád an creideadh; tabhair suas do
chlann a ngrádh agus ann eagla Dé agus le
sgoil 's léighean, faoi smacht. Bíoch cion agat
air an teanga Ghaedhilge. Thabhair aireachus
dhod' shláinte. Seachain an braon acht le

fíor-ghádh. Bíon sean-annduirídhe na h-áite
seo bhailighthe steach gach tráthnóna Domhnaig
ag éisteacht le leitir Phádraig Phiarais
agur le do leitir-se. Is mór an ás'samh
aigne chuir do leitir ormsa, mar —

VOCABULARY, IDIOMS, AND LOCAL
PECULIARITIES.

A gentleman, who is a ripe Irish scholar, though he
does not speak the language, wrote to me lately to say that
he is sometimes puzzled in trying to understand what I
think so plain as not to require explanation: this lesson
I will to explain clearly enough, even for the comprehen-
sion of beginners.

(1) Paorach, g. -raigh, a proper name, Power; in Mun-
ster, the final gh, in many cases, is pronounced
as g unaspirated: a phaoraigh an chroidhe, O Power
of my heart.

(2) roint = roinn, a share, laetheanta = laetheadh, gen.
plur. of lá, a day; better roinn de laetibh o shoin,
a few days ago.

(3) 7 = agus; nior bh-féidír liom = níor bhudh fhéidir
liom; I could not; it was not possible for me.
In the west of Ireland this would be, níor thig liom;
… a dh'innsint duit, to tell to thee; recte a
innsin duit, or e d'innsin duit. D'innsin = do
innsin, inf. of innis, tell. By speakers, and by
many writers, too, in Ireland, and still more in
Scotland, the particle do, sign of the inf. mood, is
incorporated with the verb, as if they were a simple
word, and a = do is put before the verb, aspirating
the d as in a dhinnsint, above.

(4) Go de'n (dé an) t-áthas, what was the joy = how
great was the joy; go dé = cad é, what [is] it. an
misneach do chuir sé orm, the courage it put upon
me = gave me. Dh'faghailt, like d'innsint, above,
inf. of fagh, find, get. T-athar = d'athar (do áthar,
your father).

(6) bhí luthgáir orm, there was gladness on me (I was
glad); a chlos = é do chlos, to hear. Go maith 'sa
t-saoghal (isan) in the world = in good circum-
stances; agus ad' (ann do) shláinte, in thy
health.

(9) drideamhuint. M. for druidim, inf. of druidim, I
shut; with le, and its compounds, it signifies to
approach; and with ó and its compounds, to with-
draw; ág drideamhuint liom, drawing near me.
(10) Agus mo chois (chds) air bhruach na h-uaimhe.
… on the brink of the grave. Liach for liath in
Munster; chomh maith le ruadh as well as red
(foxy); mar sin féin, even so; nevertheless. Do
thugús léim as mo chorp, I leaped (gave a leap) out
my body; le h-áthas, with joy; nuair chualaig mé
án cúntus, when I head the account. Chualaig,
past tense of clumim, I hear. In Munster g is
for dh. An cúntus léir, cruinn, the account
clear, exact — but the English terms do not fully
express the meanings. (14) Do thainig a bhaile
uait, that came home from thee. (15) Gaodha-
lainn instead of gaodhailge, in Munster. An
t-aistriughadh, the change; seochus = seacha, far-
ther, more than: “There in a great change in the
world,” seochus mar a bhí sé fad ó, beyond what
it was long ago (compared to what). (18)
Nuair a bhíos ain' bhuachaill óg, when I was a
young man agus tusa ad' gharsún, and thou a boy.
Romhár = urmhor na n-daoineadh, the most of the
people. (20) Iad goleir nach mór, they all very
nearly (not great). Air fuaid na h-áite so,
throughout this place. Feilidhe = filidhe, poets,
thall 's abhus here and there (beyond and at this side).
(25) Abhráin agus dánta, songs and poems.
Sgeulta fianuideachta, stories of the Fianns (any
romantic tales were called sgeulta fiannuíg-
eachta). (27) An paidrín páirteach dá radh ann gach
tigh, the rosary reciting in every house (the little
beads in partnership). Mná caointe, women
keeners. Ag cur síos ar, relating, deigh-
ghníomharta, good deeds. (30) An té beach
(bheideadh) who would be; Lá sdchraide, funeral
day; oidhce tórrthaidh, a wake night. Caointea-
chán, a dirge, or caoineadh is so called in Munster.
(35) Ní'l dada ag clann na h-aimsire so,
there is nothing with the children of these times
(they have nothing). Eachtra do rádh, to tell an
adventure. Is docha, it is likely, nach bh-suil a leith-
éid so le rádh, that there is not such as this to be
said; fé'n (fá an) ngréin, under the sun; acht
'ge Eire, but with Ireland: 'ge = aige and aige is
for ag in Munster.

(40) Nach cathac, nach dúbhac, nach bronach, agus
dealbh, is it not sad, is it not sorrowful, is it not
grievous, and is it poor? (45) Timchioll tighthe
móra, about great houses; ann iarball uaisle,
in the tail of the gentry; clann mo chlainne, my
children's children; (50) is béarla labhraid liom
tar n-ais go minic, it is English they often speak
to me back again. Sgoilleana (sgolta) Galldha,
English schools. Ag cuir (cur) deire leis an
ngaodhalainn, putting an end to the Irish. Aig
éirghe suas, growing up. (55) Ag tabhairt a n-
aghaidh air na fairrgidhe, giving their face on
(towards) the seas. Ní'l dada annso le déanadh
aca, there is nothing for them to be done here. Ní'l
na daoine ábalta áir a b-pádá thabhairt dóibh,
the people are not able to give their wages to them.
Tá uatha, which they require. Ní'l strus na
geall aca féin, (60) there is not capital or
wealth with themselves. chomh dona, as miserable.
(65) is beag nach, it is little but; 'na fásach, a
desert; literally, in its desert. Gach aon áit uaig-
neach eartha, every place lonely and desolate. Gan
ann acht fánaire, there not being [left] there but
an odd person, desna (de na) seanna chomarsain
(sean-chomharsain), of the old neighbours. Sgoth na
bh-fear agus plur na m-ban, the best of the
men and the flower (flour) of the women. (71)
Cuir(cur) díobh, go away (put off them). Agus
gan móran díobh sin féin ann, and not many
even of them there. (73) Budh mhait an sas, thou
wast a good hand at. (75) chois teine mhóna, near
the turf fire. Coimeád an creideamh, keep the
faith; tabhair suas do chlann, bring up thy chil-
dren; agus le (80) sgoil agus leigeann, and
with schooling and learning; faoi smacht, under
correction; bíoch (bídeadh) cion agat air an
teanga ghaedhilge, have a love for the Irish tongue;
seachain an braon, shun the drop; acht le fior-
gádh, except with real necessity; sean-annduiridhe
na (85) haite, the old (?) of the place; bailighthe
steac gach tráthnóna domhnaig, collected within
every Sunday evening; is mor an sasamh aigne
chuir do litir orm-sa, great is the satisfaction of
mind thy letter put on me.