Nach fraoibiúil an lá!

[muckefuck]

I had to revist that cache of translated children's books that made my day last week. Here's an excerpt from one that I somehow overlooked before. Who can be the first to tell me the title, author, and original language? (Whoever you are, be sure to mention what bit it was that tipped you off.)

Briollaic a bhí ann; bhí na tóibhí sleo
ag gírleáil 's ag gimleáil ar an taof.
B'an-chuama go deo na borragóibh
is bhí na rádái miseacha ag braíomh.

Fainic an Gheabairleog, a mhic!
na gialla géara, greim na gcrúb!
Fainic an Gumailéan is teith
ó Bhandarsnap na bhfriúch!

Thóg sé bórpalchlaíomh 'na ghlac
is lorg i bhfad an manann-namhaid.
Faoin gcniogaidchrann a dhein sé reast
is mhachnaigh seal san áit.

Is é 'na sheasamh faoi ufmhidheamhain,
bhuifleáil an Gheabairleog an treo,
trín tulach-choill--ba lasta a súil--
is i ag plobaireacht insa ród.

'Aon 'do, 'aon 'do, trí fheith, trí fheoil
do ghearr a bhórpalchlaíomh slis! sleais!
Thit an beithíoch marbh; do thóg sé a cheann,
is go frábhógach rith sé ar ais.

Ar mharaigh tú mar sin an Gheabairleog?
Gabh i leith chúm anall a mhic mo bhéibh!
Nach fraoibiúil an lá! Hurú! Hurá!
a dúirt sé le scliogar a scléip.

Briollaic a bhí ann; bhí na tóibhí sleo
ag gírleáil 's ag gimleáil ar an taof.
B'an-chuama go deo na borragóibh
is bhí na rádái miseacha ag braíomh.

Comments

[kcatalyst.livejournal.com]

Yay! Jabberwocky! It was "gimleáil" that did it, then "Briollaic" and "borragóibh" backed it up.

[niemandsrose.livejournal.com]

Oi, me too. It was saying the first word out loud that did it.

[bunj.livejournal.com]

For me it was the structure, and the prominent placement of the word "Gheabairleog" at the appropriate places.

So how does the translation compare with the German?

[princeofcairo.livejournal.com]

For me it was "borragóibh."

[lhn.livejournal.com]

I'm slow-- I twigged at "Bhandarsnap".

Jabberwocky

[pne.livejournal.com]

Without looking at comments or anything beyond the first two lines: Lewis Carroll, Jabberwocky.

(I had to google for the title, though -- I recognised the poem but didn't remember its title. "Twas brillig slithy toves" as a search string found it quickly, though.)

FWIW, the very first word made me suspect which poem it was; the presence of "ag gírleáil 's ag gimleáil " in the second confirmed it.