Transcript

Bhí fear ann agus bhí beirt mhac aige. Agus dúirt an mac ab óige acu lena athair, "A athair, tabhair domhsa a bhfuil ag teacht chugham ded chuid." Agus roinn sé a chuid eatarthu. Agus tréis beagán laethanta bhailigh an mac ab óige chuige a chuid go léir agus dh'imigh sé leis go dtí dúthaigh i bhfad ó bhaile. Agus scaip sé a chuid le drochiompar agus le ragairne.

Agus nuair a bhí gach aon rud caite aige tháinig gorta ana-dhian sa tír sin agus thosnaigh sé ar a bheith in uireasa. Agus dh'imigh sé agus shocraigh sé le duine dhe mhuintir na tíorach san. Agus chuir sé sin amach é chun a chuid talún ag cothú muc. Agus ba mhaith (ar ndóigh) leis a bholg a líonadh dhos na féithleoga itheadh[1] na muca ach ní thabharfadh éinne dhó iad. Agus mharanaigh[2] sé ina aigne agus dúirt sé, "Féach a bhfuil do lucht tuarastail a thuilleamh i dtigh m'atharsa agus a ndóthain aráin acu agus mise anso ag fáil bháis don ngorta. Éireod agus raghad ag triall ar m'athair agus déarfad leis, 'A athair, pheacaigh mé in aghaidh neamh agus in do láthairse. Ní fiú mé feasta go ndéarfaí gur mac duit mé. Lig dom a bheith mar a bheadh duine ' lucht tuarastail a thuilleamh.'"

Agus d'éirigh sé, agus tháini' sé ag triall ar a athair. Agus chonac an t-athair... bhí sé i bhfad uaidh... chonac an t-athair é. Agus tháinig ana-thrua aige dhó. Agus rioth sé ina choinne agus chaith sé é féin ar a bhráid. Agus phóg sé é. Agus dúirt an mac leis an athair, "A athair, pheacaigh mé in aghaidh neamh agus in do láthairse. Ní fiú mé feasta go ndéarfaí gur mac duit mé." Nach[3] dúirt an t-athair lena sheirbhísigh, "Brostaígí, agus tuigí[4] amach an chulaith éadaigh is fearr agus cuirigí uimig[5] í. Cuirigí fáinne ar a láimh agus bróga ar a chosa. Agus tuigí libh an gamhain ramhar agus maraígí é. Agus ithimíst agus bímís súgach. Ó bhí an mac so liom marbh agus tá sé beo aríst. Bhí sé caillte agus fuaireadh é. Agus ithimíst agus bímís súgach."

Ach bhí an mac ba shine leis amuigh insa pháirc. Agus bhí sé ag teacht chun an tí. Agus dh'airigh sé an ceol agus an rince. Agus dh'fhiarfaigh sé 'o dhuine dhos na seirbhísigh dé rud é seo a bhí ar siúl. Dúirt sé sin, "Tháinig do dheartháir óg agus mharaigh t'athair an gamhain ramhar do dheasca é a theacht slán chuige. Tháinig fearg air agus ní raghadh sé isteach. Ansan tháinig an t-athair amach agus chuaigh sé in achainí air. Agus dúirt an mac leis an athair á dh'fhreagra, "Tháimse ag obair duit na blianta so go léir agus níor dhiúlthaíos riamh d'aon rud a dhéanamh dhuit. Agus níor thugais riamh dom oiread le mionnán chun greann a dhéanamh lem chairde. Ach an mac so dhuit, chomh luath is do tháini' sé tar éis a chuid a chaitheamh le striapaigh, mharaís an gamhain ramhar dó." Nach dúirt an t-athair, "A mhic, bíonn tusa im fhochair i gcónaí agus is leat a bhfuil agam. Ach ba cheart dúinn sult agus greann a dhéanamh ó bhí an deartháir seo leat marbh agus thá sé beo aríst. Bhí sé caillte agus fuaireadh é."

Translation

There was a man who had two sons. And the youngest son said to his father, "Father, give me my share of the inheritance." And he divided his wealth between them. And after a few days the youngest son gathered all his share together and set off to a far away district. And he scattered his share through bad behaviour and revelling.

And when he had spent it all a very harsh famine struck that country and he began to be in want. And he went and made an arrangement with a citizen of that country. And that person sent him into his land to feed pigs. And he would of course (?) have liked to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate but nobody would give them to him. And he thought to himself and said, "See how many hired servants there are in my father's house that have enough bread while I am here dying of hunger. I will arise and go to my father and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your presence. I am no longer fit to be called your son. Let me be like one of your hired servants."

And he got up and went to his father. And his father saw him far away. And he felt great compassion for him. And he ran towards him and threw himself at him. And he kissed him. And the son said to the father, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your presence. I am no longer fit to be called your son." But the father said to his servants, "Hurry, and bring out the best suit of clothes and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Bring the fatted calf and kill it. And let us eat and be merry. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. And let us eat and be merry."

But his eldest son was out in the field. And he was coming towards the house. And he heard the music and the dancing. And he asked one of the servants what was this that was going on. He said, "Your younger brother came and your father killed the fatted calf because he has returned safely to him." He became angry and would not go in. And then the father came out and entreated him. And the son answered his father thus, "I have worked all these years for you and I never refused to do anything for you. And you never gave me as much as a kid goat that I might make merry with my friends. But this son of yours, as soon as he returned after spending his share on whores, you killed the fatted calf for him." But the father said, "Son, you are always with me, and all I have is yours. But we should make merry and be joyful for this brother of yours was dead and he is alive again. He was lost and is found."

Footnotes

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.

A transcription of the present track also appears in Máirtín Verling, Leabhar Mhaidhc Dháith (An Daingean, 2007), 310-11, and another telling of the story by the same speaker appears on pages 457-8.