Transcript

Bhí fear ann agus bhí beirt mhac aige. Agus dúirt an mac ab óige acu lena athair, "A athair, tabhair domhsa an méid dem chuid athá ag teacht dom." Agus do roinn an t-athair a chuid eatarthu. Agus tar éis beagán laethanta, do bhailigh an mac ab óige chuige a chuid go léir agus dh'imigh sé leis go dúthaigh iasachta i bhfad ó bhaile. Agus scaip sé a chuid le baois agus le rabairne.

Agus tháinig gorta ana-dhian sa tír sin agus thosnaigh sé ar a bheith in uireaspa. Agus do dh'imigh agus réitigh sé le duine dhe mhuintir na tíre sin. Agus do chuir sé sin amach chun a chuid talún ag cothú muc é. Agus ba mhaith leis a bholg a líonadh dhes na féithleoga a dh'itheadh na muca ach ní raibh éinne chun iad a thabhairt dó.

Agus ansan dhein sé a mhachnamh, (dhein) sé a mhachnamh. Agus dúirt sé, "Féach a bhfuil de lucht tuarastail a thuilleamh i dtigh m'athar agus mise anso agus ocras orm. Raghad abhaile agus déarfad le m'athair: A Athair, thá peaca déanta agam id láthairse agus in aghaidh nimhe. Ní fiú mé feasta go ndéarfaí gur mac duit mé."

Agus dh'éirigh sé agus chuaigh sé ag triall ar a athair. Agus ansan nuair a chonaic an t-athair i bhfad uaidh é rop sé chuige. Agus do chaith sé é féin ar a bhráid agus phóg sé é. Agus ghlaoigh sé ar a sheirbhísigh agus dúirt sé leo, "Cuirigí amach an chulaith is fearr athá agaibh agus cuirigí uime í. Agus cuirigí bróga ar a chosa agus fáinní ar a lámha. Agus maraígí an ghamhain (sic) ramhar, mar bhí an mac so liom marbh agus tá sé beo arís. Agus ithimís agus bímís sóch."

Ansan bhí an mac ba shine leis amuigh sa pháirc. Agus nuair a dh'airi-... Bhí sé ag teacht gairid don tigh. Agus nuair a dh'airigh sé an ceol agus an rince bhí sé ar buile. Agus ghlaoigh sé ar dhuine dhes na seirbhísigh agus ní raghadh sé isteach. Tháinig a athair amach agus bhí sé ag tathant air.

Agus thosnaigh sé, "Féach, bhíos-sa anso feadh na blianta so go léir agus níor dhiúltaíos riamh aon rud a dhéanamh dhuit. Ach an mac so agat, nuair a tháini' sé abhaile tar éis a chuid go léir a chaitheamh le striapaigh, do mharaigh tú an ghamhain (sic) ramhar dó agus bhíodar... bhíobhair go léir go sóch.

Ach dúirt an t-athair leis, "Bhís i m'fhochair i gcónaí agus is leat a bhfuil agam. Ach an mac so agam nuair a tháini' sé abhaile tar éis dó na blianta go léir a chaitheamh i bhfad uainn, is cóir dúinn bheith go deas leis."

Agus ansan do chuaigh an mac isteach. Bhí an... Agus thosnaigh sé, "Bhí an mac so agat... bhí an deartháir so againn, bhí sé marbh," arsa sé, "agus tá sé beo arís. Bhí sé caillte agus fuaireadh é."

Translation

There was a man and he had two sons. And the younger son said to his father, "Father, give my share of the inheritance." And the father divided his possessions between them. And after a few days, the younger son gathered together all of his things and he went to a foreign land far from home. And he spent what he had foolishly and extravagantly.

And there was a great famine in the land and he began to find himself in want. And he went and made an arrangement with one of the people of that land. And that person put him out on his land feeding pigs. And he wished to fill his stomach with the pods the pigs were eating but no one would give him any.

And then he thought to himself. And he said, "Look at what the employees in my father's house are earning and I am here and I am hungry. I will go home and say to my father, Father, I have sinned in your presence and before heaven. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."

And he got up and went to see his father. And when the father saw him in the distance he raced towards him. And he threw himself upon him and kissed him. And he called his servants and he told them, "Take out the best suit you have and put it on him. And put shoes on his feet and rings on his hands. And kill the fatted calf, because this son of mine was dead and he is alive again. And let us eat and be merry."

Now, his elder son was out in the field. He approached the house. And when he heard the music and dancing he was furious. And he called one of the servants and he wouldn't go in. His father came out and pleaded with him.

And he began, "Look, I was here all these years and I never refused to do anything for you. And when this son of yours came home after spending all he had on women, you killed the fatted calf for him and you were all merry."

But his father said to him, "You were with me always and what is mine is yours. But when this son of mine has come home after spending years far away from us, we ought to be kind to him."

And then the son went inside. And he began, "This son of yours... this brother of ours (sic), he was dead," he said, "and he is alive again. He was lost and he was found."

Commentary

This telling of the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is based on a version supplied to the speaker in advance. See Peadar Ua Laoghaire, Na cheithre Soisgéil as an dTiomna Nua (Dublin, 1915), 191-2. The speaker was encouraged to adapt the text to his own dialect.