Seacht mbliana is ceithre scór ó sin, bhunaigh ár n-aithreacha náisiún nua ar an oileán úr seo. Saoirse ba chúis leis gur tháinig an náisiún nua ar an bhfód an chéad lá riamh, agus b'é ba chuspóir leis an stát nua ná an ceart céanna agus an dínit chéanna a chinntiú, go prionsabálta, do gach aon duine mar a chruthaigh Dia é.
Inniu, tá muid sáite i mórchogadh cathartha, mar náisiún. Tá muid ag iarraidh a fháil amach, an bhfuil fad saoil ar bith daite don náisiún, nó d'aon náisiún a bunaíodh ar a leithéid de dhúshraith agus ar a leathbhreac de chúis is de chuspóir. Chruinnigh muid le chéile anseo, áit ar cuireadh cath mór millteanach de chuid an chogaidh sin, le fód de pháirc seo an áir a choisreacan mar sheanbhaile dóibh siúd a thug a n-anamana anseo ar mhaithe leis an náisiún. Ní bheadh aon duine ag súil lena mhalairt uainn.
Mar sin féin, agus sinn ag trom-mheabhrú ar na cúrsaí seo, caithfidh muid a admháil nach acmhainn dúinn féin an áit seo a naomhadh ná a choisreacan. Na fir chróga chalma, cuma cé acu beo nó marbh dóibh inniu, a throid anseo, b'iadsan a choisric an áit agus a bhronn uirthi naomhadh nach féidir linne cur leis ná baint de. Is beag sonrú a chuirfidh an saol mór inár gcuid cainteanna anseo inniu, agus is lú cuimhne a choinneofar orthu; ach ní féidir dearmad a dhéanamh choíche dá ndearna ár gcuid laochra sa bhall seo. An cúram sin gan chríochnú a ndearna siadsan a gcion féin lena chur chun cinn, ar dhóigh chomh huasal sin, caithfidh muid, ós beo dúinn, an cúram sin a thabhairt i gcrann. Ár mbeatha féin atá le coisreacan is le tiomnú don mhóréacht atá romhainn féin amach - agus is treisiú linn san obair seo cuimhne na marbh a d'íobair iad féin ar mhaithe leis an gcúis sin - lena chinntiú nach bhfuair siad bás in aisce; le beatha nua agus saoirse úr a bhaint amach don náisiún seo; agus le féachaint chuige nach bhfuil an rialtas seo - rialtas na cosmhuintire, faoi stiúir na cosmhuintire, ar mhaithe leis an gcosmhuintir - nach bhfuil an rialtas seo le dul de dhroim an tsaoil.[1]
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
