Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge/Imleabhar 6/Uimhir 2/Séadhna

by Peadar Ua Laoghaire

[ 20 ]

SÉAḊNA.

(ar leanaṁaint)

	[ 21 ] TRANSLATION—(Continued).
[ 20 ]Ar maidin lá ar n-a ḃáireaċ, do ġluais sé go moċ ag dul ar an aonaċ go gceannóċaḋ sé capall ⁊ bó ḃainne. Ba ġeárr gur ḃuaileadar na coṁursain uime.[1] “Airiú, a Ṡéadna, cad d’imṫiġ um ṫráṫnóna indé ort?” arsa duine aca. “Ċeapamair go léir gur b’aṁlaiḋ ṫuit caor ar do ṫiġ ⁊ go raḃais loisgṫe id’ḃeaṫaiḋ. Níor airiġeas riaṁ a leiṫéid de ṫóirniġ.” “Tá an éagcóir agat,”[2] arsa duine eile. “Níor ṫóirneaċ é aċt búirḟeaċ mar ġéimreaċ ṫairḃ.” “Éist do ḃeul,”[3] arsa an tríoṁaḋ duine. “Cá ḃfuil an tarḃ d’ ḟeudfaḋ an ḃúir úd do ċur as?” “Do ḃíos-sa,” ars an ceaṫraṁaḋ duine, “im ṡuiḋe i mullaċ Carraige an Éiḋneáin ⁊ ḃí raḋarc agam ar an dtiġ ⁊ ’nuair airiġeas an foṫrom go léir d’ḟeuċas anonn ⁊ ċonnarc mar ḃeiḋeaḋ fiolar[4] ⁊ graṫain ċíorduḃ ṗréaċán ag éiriġe i n-áirde sa’ spéir ⁊ ḃí iongnaḋ orm a ráḋ go ḃfeudfaidís a leiṫéid d’ḟoṫrom do ḋéanaṁ.	[ 21 ]On the following morning he started early for the fair to buy a horse and a milch cow. It was a short time until the neighbours met him. “Aroo, Seadhna,” said one of them, “what happened you yesterday evening? we all thought that it was how a thunderbolt fell upon your house and that you were burned alive. I never heard the like of it of thunder.” “You have the wrong,” said another person, “it was not thunder, but a bellowing like the bellowing of a bull.” “Whisht your mouth,” said the third person; “where is the bull that would be [ 22 ]able to put that bellow out of him?“ “I was,” said the fourth person, “sitting on the top of the rock of the ivy, and I had a view of the house, and when I heard all the noise I looked over and I saw, as might be, an eagle and an intensely black swarm of crows rising up into the sky, and a wonder was upon me to say that they would be able to make the like of it of a noise.”
[ 20 ]Ṫiomáineadar leo ar an gcuma-sain, ag caint ⁊ ag áiteaṁ ⁊ ag cur ṫré ċéile, ⁊ níor laḃair Séaḋna focal. Ċoiṁeádadar an ċaint ċúca féin ⁊ níor ṁór leis dóiḃ[5] é. Ní raiḃ dúil ar biṫ aige i gcaint, le heagla go sleaṁnóċaḋ aon ḟocal uaiḋ do osglóċaḋ (= oisgeolaḋ) a aigneaḋ. Dá éagṁuis sin ⁊ uile,[6] ḃí fáṫ maċtnaiṁ aige a ċoimeád ar siuḃal é. Ḃí sé ag cuiṁneaṁ ar an gcapall ⁊ ar an mbuin ⁊ ar cad ḋéarfaidís na comarsain uile nuair ċífidís ar marcuiġeaċt é. D’ḟiarḟóċaidís cá ḃfuair sé an t-airgiod. Cá é an leaṫ-sgeul a ḃeiḋeaḋ aige le taḃairt uaiḋ?[7]	[ 22 ]They went along (with them) in that way, talking and disputing and mixing (the story) through itself, and Seadhna did not speak a word. They kept all the talk to themselves, and he did not grudge them. He had no desire for talk, for fear any word should slip from him that would open his mind. Besides that and all, he had matter for thought that kept him occupied. He was thinking of the horse and of the cow, and of what would the neighbours all say when they would see him on horseback. They would ask where did he get the money. What excuse would he have to give from him?
[ 20 ]’Nuair do roiċeadar páirc an aonaiġ ⁊ ċonnairc Séaḋna na capaill go léir, do ṫáinig mearḃall air, ⁊ ní ḟeadair sé cad baḋ ṁaiṫ do ḋeunaṁ. Ḃí capaill ṁóra ann ⁊ capaill ḃeaga, sean ċapaill ⁊ capaill óga, capaill ḋuḃa ⁊ capaill ḃána, capaill ġlasa ⁊ capaill ḃreaca, capaill ag siosaraiġ ⁊ capaill ag léimriġ, capaill a ḃí go deaġ-ċroicinn groiḋe cumusaċ[8] ⁊ braimíniḋe gránda gioballaċa. Eatorra uile go léir, ḃí sé ag teip air go glan a aigneaḋ do ṡocruġaḋ ar an gceann do ṫaitneóċaḋ leis. Fé ḋeire, do leig sé a ṡúil ar ċapall deas ċíor-ḋuḃ a ḃí go fuinte fáisgṫe[9] ag falaraċd ar fauid na páirce ⁊ marcaċ éadrom lúṫṁar ar a ṁuin. Ḋruid Séaḋna suas, ⁊ do ḃagair ar an marcaċ. Sul a raiḃ uain ag an marcaċ é ṫaḃairt fé ndeara, do ġluaiseadar triúr marcaċ eile ṫairis amaċ, ⁊ ġluaiseadar a gceaṫrar[10] an ṗáirc siar ar a léim-lúṫ.[11] Ḃí claiḋe dúbalta idir iad ⁊ an ṗairc amuiċ,[12] ⁊ d’imṫiġeadar a gceaṫrar go héasguiḋ éadrom seólta de ḋruim an ċlaiḋe sin, gan bárr coise tosaiġ ná deiriḋ do ċur ann. Siúd ar aġaiḋ iad go lom díreaċ[13] ⁊ gan [ 21 ]órdlaċ sa mbreis[14] ag aoinne’ aca ar a ċéile. Siúd ar aġaiḋ iad, uċt ⁊ com seang gaċ capaill ag cuimilt naċ mór do’n ḃféar nglas a ḃí ar an bpáirc, ceann gaċ capaill sínte go hionlán, ceann gaċ marcaiġ cromṫa anuas ⁊ iad ag gluaisioċt mar ġluaiseóċaḋ siġe gaoiṫe.	[ 22 ]When they reached the fair field, and Seadhna saw all the horses, a bewilderment come upon him, and he did not know what was good for him to do. There were big horses there and little horses, old horses and young horses, black horses and white horses, grey horses and speckled horses, horses neighing and horses jumping, horses that were well-skinned and large-built and stately, and ugly little colts with the old hair clinging to them. Among all of them together, it was failing him completely to settle his mind upon the one that would please him. At length he laid his eye upon a nice jet-black horse, which was, with collected and concentrated energy, cantering along the field and a light, lissom rider upon his back. Seadhna moved up and made a sign to the rider. Before the rider had time to notice him, three other riders passed him out, and they went, all four, away down the field at full gallop. There was a double fence between them and the field outside, and they went all four together, freely, lightly, with well-directed motion, over the back of that fence, without putting the top of a hind or fore leg in it. Then they go right ahead in a perfectly straight line without any of them having an inch of advantage over another. Onward they go; the breast and slender body of each horse all but touching the green grass that was on the field, he head of each horse stretched out completely, the head of each rider bent down, and they going as the “fairy wind” would go.
[ 21 ]Ní raiḃ duine óg ná aosda ar an aonaċ naċ raiḃ ’n-a ċoilg-seasaṁ[15] ag faire orṫa aċt aṁáin fear na meuraċán. Nuair ḃíodar ag deunaṁ ar[16] an dara claiḋe, ṫug gaċ aonne’ fé ndeara go raiḃ an capall duḃ buille[17] beag ar tosaċ. Nuair ḃíodar ag glanaḋ an ċlaiḋe, do ġluais an capall duḃ ⁊ an capall ba ġiorra ḋó ḋá ḋruím, mar ġluaiseóċaḋ an preuċán, gan baint leis. Do ċuir an dá ċeann eile na cosa ann. D’imṫiġ an fód ó ċosaiḃ an ċapaill ba ṡia amaċ ⁊ ṫuig sé féin ⁊ a ṁarcaċ ar an dtaoḃ eile ’ċlaiḋe. “O!! . . . . tá sé marḃ.” . . . . do liúġadar na daoine go léir. Nír aiḃ an liú as a mbeul nuair ḃí sé ṫuas arís, aċt má ’seaḋ ḃí a ċapall bacaċ ⁊ b’éigion do filleaḋ.	[ 22 ]There was not a person, young or old, at the fair, that was not standing erect watching them except the man of the thimbles. When they were making upon the second fence everyone noticed that the black horse was a little stroke to the front. When they were clearing the fence the black horse and the horse next to him swept over it as the crow would sweep. The other two put their feet in it. The sod went from the feet of the farthest out horse, and himself and his rider fell at the other side of the fence. “Oh ! . . . . he is killed,” all the people shouted. The shout was not out of their mouth when he was mounted again; but if he was, his horse was lame and he had to return.
[ 21 ]Siúd ar aġaiḋ an triúr ⁊ an t-aonaċ ag faire orra, na daoine coṁ ciuin sin gur airiġ Séadna go soiléir na builliḋe fuinte ceolṁara toṁaiste cruaḋa a ḃuaileaḋ cosa na gcapall sain ar ḟód na páirce, díreaċ mar ḃeiḋeaḋ rainceoir ag rainceaḋ ar ċlár.[17]	[ 22 ]Onward went the three, and the fair watching them, the people so mute that Seadhna heard plainly the hard, measured, musical, well-defined blows which the feet of those horses struck upon the sod of the field, like a dancer that would be dancing on a board.
[ 21 ]Tug Séaḋna fé ndeara uim an dtaca so go raiḃ an capall duḃ go maiṫ[18] ar tosaċ, ⁊ é ag déanaṁ, ceann ar aġaiḋ, ar bata a ḃí ’n-a ṡeasaṁ ’sa ṗáirc ⁊ éádaċ éigin dearg ’n-a ḃárr. Siúd timċeall an ḃata sain é. Siúd ’n-a ḋiaiḋ an dara ċapall. Siúd n-a ḋiaiḋ sin an tríoṁaḋ capall. Siúd ar aġaiḋ i ndiaiḋ a ċéile iad, i leiṫ na láiṁe clé, soir ó ṫuaiḋ an capall duḃ ar tosaċ ⁊ é ag bogaḋ uaṫa. Do ġéaruiġ an capall dearg, ⁊ ḃí sé ag breiṫ suas ar an dara capall. Do ġéaruiġ-san ⁊ ḃíodar araon ag breiṫ suas ar an gcapall nduḃ. Annsain do ċonnairc Séaḋna ⁊ an t-aonaċ an raḋarc.[19] Do ṡearg[20] an capall duḃ sain é féin, do ḃog an marcaċ an tsrian ċuige, ⁊ iúd amaċ é mar ġluaiseóċaḋ cú ⁊ gur ḋóiġ leat naċ raiḃ cos leis ag baint le talaṁ aċt é ag imṫeaċt i n-aice an talaiṁ mar ḃeiḋeaḋ seaḃac.	[ 22 ]Seadhna noticed by this time that black horse was well to the front, and he, pulling right a-head for a stick that was standing in the field, and a red cloth of some sort on the top of it. Around that stick he swept. There was the second horse after him. Then was the third horse after him. On they went after each other in the direction of his left hand, to the north-east, the black horse leading, and he moving away from them. The last horse quickened, and he was catching up upon the second horse. He sharpened (quickened) and they were both catching up upon the black horse. Then Seadhna and the fair saw the sight. That black horse slendered himself. The rider softened the bridle to him, and then he was out as a hound would go, and that you would imagine there was not a foot of his touching the ground, hut he moving along near the ground as a hawk would be (moving).
[ 21 ]Le n-a linn-sin, d’éiriġ liú fiaiḋ[21] ó’n áit ṫoir ṫuaiḋ go raiḃ na capaill ag déanaṁ air. Do tógaḋ an liú mór-ṫimċeall an aonaiġ. B’éigion do Ṡéadna a ṁeuranna do ċur n-a ċluasaiḃ nó go sgoiltfiḋe a ċeann. Ḃí gaċ aonne’ ag riṫ, ⁊ gaċ aonne’ ag liúiriġ. Do riṫ Séaḋna ⁊ do liuiġ se leó ⁊ ní raiḃ a ḟios aige cad ar a ṡon.	[ 22 ]By that time there arose from the place to the north-east, that the horse was making for it, a hunting-shout. The shout was taken up all round the fair; Seadhna had to put his fingers in his ears or his head would be split. Everybody was running and everybody was shouting. Seadhna ran and shouted along with them, and he did not know for what.
[ 21 ]’Nuair do stad an riṫ ⁊ an liuiriġ, do ċonnairc Seaḋna ar a aġaiḋ amaċ seisear nó móir-ṡeisear daoine uaisle ⁊ ceann feola[22] ⁊ bolg mór ⁊ culaiṫ éadaiġ uasail ar gaċ aonne’ aca, ⁊ iad ag caint le n-a ċéile ⁊ ag feuċaint ar an gcapall nduḃ. “An mór ar a ndíolfá é?” arsa duine aca leis an marcaċ. “Ar ṁíle púnt,” ars an marcaċ. Nuair airiġ Séaḋna an focal sain, d’iompuiġ sé ar a ṡáil, ag ráḋ ’n-a aigneaḋ féin, “Ní ḃeiḋeaḋ aon ġnó agam de. Do ṁarḃóċaḋ sé me.”	[ 22 ]When the running and the shouting ceased, Seadhna saw opposite him six or seven gentlemen, and a head of flesh and a big stomach and a suit of broad-cloth on each of them, and they talking to each other, and looking at the black horse. “How much would you sell him for?” said one of them to the rider. “For a thousand pounds,” said the rider. When Seadhna heard that word, he turned on his heel, saying in his own mind, “I would not have any business of him, he would kill me.”
[ 21 ]Cia ḃeiḋeaḋ ar an dtaoḃ ṫiar de aċt fear na meuracán? “Ṁarḃóċaḋ sé ṫu an ead?” arsa fear na meuracán. “Aḋé ṁaise, greadaḋ ċuġat! a ġréasuiḋe ḃig ḃuiḋe na mealḃóige, de ṡíol taoiḃíniḋ ruaḋ ⁊ meannuiṫiḋ raṁar ⁊ bréan-ḃróg, munab ort atá an t-éirġe i n-áirde, ag teaċt annso ċum capall do ċeannaċ ⁊ gan ṗinginn id’ ṗóca!” (le ḃeiṫ ar leanaṁaint.)	[ 22 ]Who should be behind him but the man of the thimbles. “He would kill you, is it?” said the man of the thimbles, “Oyewisha! gradda hoot! you yellow little shoemaker of the mallivogue, of the generation of brown theeveens and thick awls and strong-smelling shoes; if it is not upon you the rising up (presumption) is, coming here to buy a horse without a penny in your pocket!” (To be continued).

[ 22 ]

NOTES.

1.   Um is much used in Munster still.
2.   Tá an éagcóir agat, you are quite wrong.
3.   Eist do ḃeul, shut up, stop talking.
4.   mar ḃeiḋeaḋ fiolar, what appeared to be an eagle.
5.   Níor ṁór leis dóiḃ é, he didn’t begrudge it to them.
6.   Dá éagṁuis sin ⁊ uile, besides that and all.
7.   Uaiḋ: this pronoun cannot be omitted in this phrase; it may in the English translation.
8.   Note that cumasaċ is not plural, while gioballaċa is.
9.   Fuine fáisgṫe, full of braced-up energy and well-knit.
10.   Do ġluaiseadar a gceaṫrar, the four of them went.
11.   ar a léim-lúṫ, I heard that this, a long time ago, used to mean, ‘at full gallop.’
12.   an ṗáirc amuiċ, the field beyond.
13.   lom díreaċ, in a perfectly straight line.
14. ​ Sa’ mbreis: note use of definite article.
15. ​ Coilg-ṡeasaṁ, standing erect.
16. ​ Ag deanaṁ ar, approaching, making towards.
17. ​ ḃuille ar tosaċ, a little ahead.
18. ​ go maiṫ i dtosaċ, well to the front.
19. ​ an raḋarc: This use of the definite article requires to be well-studied; it is quite general in Irish, when an indefinite word would be used in English; thus: Connac an rud ag teaċt = I saw something approach.
20. ​ do ṡearg. he made himself slim, by stretching and straining himself more.
21. ​ liú fiaiḋ, a hunting shout, also, any loud and general shout.
22. ​ Ceann feóla, a large fleshy head.

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