114 COW 



are, as may !)e concluded, numerous among the Celts ; the 

 following is a fair, though not complete, collection. 



Bha aig seana bhodach fior seana mhairt 

 'S cha robh bheag sam bith aige dhi idir 



Ach ghlac e am fiodhall 's chluich e dhi port, 

 Dean fidir 'shean bho, dean fidir. 



There was an old man who had an old cow. 



And he had nothing to give her. 

 But he took out his fiddle and played her a tune. 



Consider old cow, consider. 



The above, under the name of "the tune the old cow died 

 of," is well known in both Scotland and Ireland. An additional 

 line before the last is sometimes given, viz. : — 



Cha ne so an am airson fas air an fheoir. 



This is no time (of the year) for the grass to grow. 



It need hardly be added, the old cow died. 



A bho a's mio^a a th'anns a' bhuaile 's i 's cruaidhe geum — 

 no a bho a's caoile 's a bhuaile 's i 's airde geum. 



The worst cow in the fold lows the loudest, or the 

 leanest, etc. 

 Adhaircean fada air a chrodh tha 'n Eirinn, no th'anns a cheo. 

 Long horns on the cows that are in Ireland, or that are in 

 the mist. 

 Adharc bo 's ton capuill — seachain. 



A cow's horn and a horse's hinder parts — shun. 

 Adharc na ba maoile 's duilich a toirt dith. 



It's hard to take the horn off the hornless cow. 



An I (? Aoi) mo chridhe, I mo ghraidh, 

 An aite gu manach bithidh geum ba, 

 Ach mu 'n tig an saoghal gu crich, 

 Bithidh I mar a bha. 



In I (loua) of my heart, I of my love, 



Instead of the voices of monks, will be the lowing of cows. 

 But ere the world comes to an end, 

 I will be as of yore. St Columba's Prophecy. 

 This is now almost literally verified. 



Aithneachadh bo badhail, no faillt' a chruidh. 



The wandering cow's welcome (recognition), or the kine's 

 salute. A cow knows her own stall, which makes good 

 sense, but the word badhail is Irish, buabhail is the 

 Gaelic for stall. 

 An te is urranta dhe 'n chrodh, is i gheibh a bhuaidh. 



The ablest, or most dauntless, of the cows, 'tis she will 

 achieve the victory. Among cows, as among animals of 

 all kinds, a leader, 2)ro tern., always exists. 



I 



