IARGHNÓ
Ar Bhás

Uilliam Ruaidh Mhic Choitir.

Éadhmon de Bhál cct.

Sin urchradh guirt do thuitim ar Éirinn,
Do bheir sgeimhleadh bróin ar óg 's ar
aosda;
D'imthigh an lonnradh a súilibh Phoebuis
O chuaidh Uilliam Ruadh go luath fá chré
uainn.

2.
Tá gáir chaointe ag mnáibh sídhe gach maol-
chnuic,
Aoife, Áine, Gráinne, 's Déirdre;
Tá cliabh na ndruadh fá ghruaim le
tréimhse
Ó chailleamar tighearna 's triath na
hÉigse.

3.
Och, mo bhrón! cá ngeobhadh-sa id' éaghmais?
Cia sgaoilfeas dam laoithe ná dréacht?
'S mé im' dhonán diombádhach déarach,
I' chál le deacair, a charaid, ó d'éagais.

4.
Mo mhallacht do'n Bhás a tháinigh dhod'
éileamh,
S nach dtug grádh dod' cháilibh léigheannta,'
Nár ghlac uait-se duain ná dréachta,
'S go bhfuil sáith mhíle dhíobh 'san gcré
agat!

5.
Bás an Choitirigh, clogad na céille
Tiubhaist choitcheann do chroithigh ar Éirinn,
Bheir an dochmaso ar sgothaibh na Cléire,
'S do chaith teimheal ar inntleacht na
hÉigse.

6.
Ní tirim gan dhaoi do chaoinfeadh féin tu;
Do threabhadar deóra róda im' éadan;
Is damh-sa ba chóir sin do dhéanamh
Ba chomh-ghrádhach ár gcomh-pháirt le chéile.

7.
Ní raibh le cian i n-Irthaibh Éibhir
File ná fáidh ná dámh ná cléireach
Do b'fhearr chum dáin do rádh 's do
dhéanamh
'Na an t-Éigeas Ruadh fuair buaidh gach
céime.

8.
Do b'é an feallsamh gan fallsacht 'na
bhréithribh,
Do bhí sé súgach múinte tréitheach,
Do bhí sé cabharthach bronntach déarcach
Ceannsa cráibhtheach lán de dhaondacht.

9.
Cá ngeabhaidh feasda an teanga Gaedhilge?
Cá ngeabhaidh ceart is blas gach dréachta?
Táid sin uile 's a thuilleadh nach léir dam
Ag Uilliam Ruadh 'san uaigh, mo mhéala!

10.
Ní deárnadh riamh i n-Iathaibh Éilge
Le dámh d'a ásra 's d'a ghéire
Dán doilbhe dorcha ná daer-cheast
Tar mar do cheapfadh an faraire gléigeal.

11.
Do chonnarc-sa an sáir-fhear láidir Léid-
mheach
'Na churadh nár thláth i mbeárnain bhaoghail,
'Na chúinne mar Lughaidh i spéirlinn,
No 'na Osgar úr i dtús na Féinne.

12.
Dob' uaibhreach a ruathar ar aonach,
Dob' fhada ar riasgaibh rian a léime;
Ar mheud a reatha no ar chaitheamh na ndaer-
leac
No ar chamán a chompráid ní léir dam.

An Ceangal
13.
Mo thurainn, mo phian, mo chiach, mo dhochair,
mo phúdair!
Is tiubaist bliadhna 's is iarsma dhoilbhis
dúinn
An ursa do thriathaibh Iaithe foirtille
Mumhan,
An curadh ba riaghalta, Uilliam Mac
Coitir, i n-úir.

14.
I n-úir ó cuireadh an file do b'fhearr 'san
iaith,
Is dubhach 's tuirseach táid fir agus
mná 'na dhiaidh;
Níor dhiúltuigh duine 'san gcruinne fá 'r
lámhuigh riamh
Úghdar tuigseach glic, cisde agus grádh
na gCliar.

NOTES.

1. Urchradh, mischief, woe, sorrow (O'R.); not úr-
chrádh.

3. Diombádhach, afflicted; diombáidh, affliction.

Im fhál le deacair; is this correct. There is an old
personal name Dáil-re-dochar, i.e., apparently "He
who is to deal with adversity." Qu. im dháil-le-
deacair, exposed to hardship.

A charaid, dative (or old accus.) used as nom. and voc.
Properly cara, gen. carad, dat. caraid.

4. Cáilibh léiteannta, learned qualities or attain-
ments.

5. Clogad na céille, helmet or headpiece of intellect.
Bheir an dochma so, that brings this distress on the
flowers (i.e., men of note, etc.) of the learned. Dochma
usually an adjective 'uneasy,' here apparently = do-
chuma, evil plight. Cliar, clergy, also a body of men,
especially of learned men.

7. Fáidh here 'a wise man,' dámh, a learned man,
cléireach, a man of letters. The variety of words used in
this sense is suggestive : éigeas, file, fáidh, dámh,
cléireach, feallsamh, ughdar; as well as the names for

literary work, etc. : iarghnó, éigse, laoidh, dréacht,
duan, dán, daer-cheast - all used in this short poem.

10. Doilbhe for doilbh, obscure. It is to be feared
that the dánta doilbhe dorcha have done more to create
a fleeting reputation for thir authors, and to interest
the modern dissectors of Irish than to benefit the language
and literature as part of the life of the nation.

11. Léidmheach, powerful. Baoghal, saoghal, are often
disyllables in Munster poetry.

12. Daer-leac may be translated 'difficult or unwieldy
stone.' Ar chamán, a the caman; ar iomáin, at the
game of hurley, might possibly read.

13. Turainn, dejection? cp. turnaim, I lower,
tuireanta, burdened, O'R.

14. Níor dhiúltuigh duine fá'r lámhuigh riamh, who
never refused anything he possessed to anybody, lit. who
never refused anybody with regard to all he ever handled.
Cp. nár éar neach fá nídh, who never denied aught to
anybody, a common laudatory expression in the older
poetry. This idiomatic use of fá is well worth study, as
it often obviates the foreign idiom, making a verbal noun
depend directly on a noun or adjective. Take the
following instances from "Trí Bior-ghaoithe:" a
impidhe do chur ar an rígh fá shaor-dháil do thabhairt dó,
to make entreaty with the king to give him freedom;
tug an tí lé'r pósadh bean lom-dhiúltadh d'a thighearna
fá dhul ar chuireadh leis, he by whom a wife had been
wed gave a direct refusal to the king to go on invitataion
with him; ná déana maill fá thilleadh, do not make
delay to return; beith doilgheasach fá imirce do dhéanamh
to be sorry to make a change of residence; bheith doirbh
fá thoil nDé go choimhlíonadh, to be reluctant to fulfil
God's will; eagla do bheith air fá thuitim i ndroch-
staid, to have fear to fall into an evil state; fonn do
bheith air fá bhás d'fhághbháil, to have the desire to die.
This genuinely Irish idiom seems much preferable to the
use of the infinite directly dependent on noun or
adjective (fonn do bheith air, bás f'fhagháíl; bheith
doilgheasach imirce do dhéanamh) which is borrowed for
the English idiom.

The poem is sent for publication by Tadhg O
Donnchadha.