Transcript

Bhí fear ann fadó agus bhí beirt mhac aige. Dúirt an mac ab óige acu lá lena athair, "A athair, tabhair domhsa a bhfuil ag dul dom dod chuid." Agus do roinn an t-athair an chuid eatarthu. I gcionn beagán laethanta do bhailibh an fear óg chuige a chuid go léir agus d'imigh sé go dtí dúthaigh iasachta a bhí i bhfad ó bhaile, an áit inar scaip sé a chuid le baois agus le teaspach agus le rabairne.

Nuair a bhí deireadh caite aige do ráinig gur tháinig gorta ana-dhian sa tír sin. Agus bhí sé i gcruachás agus in uireasbha. D'imigh sé go dtí fear na tíre sin agus do réitigh sé in aimsir leis. Agus chuir sé sin sin amach é chuin a chuid talún ag cothú mhuc. Ba mhaith leis a bholg do líonadh dos na féithleoga do dh'itheadh na muca agus ní thabharfadh éinne dhó iad. Do shuigh sé síos agus do mhachnaigh sé. Agus dúirt sé leis féin: Fillfead thar n-ais ar m'athair. Is mór do lucht tuarastail i dtigh m'athar agus a ndóthain aráin acu agus mise anso fé ocras agus fé ghorta.

D'éirigh sé agus do ghluais sé fé dhéin a athar. Nuair a bhí sé fós i bhfad bhuaidh do chonaic an t-athair ag teacht é. Agus do rith sé féna dhé-... Bhí ana-thrua aige dhó agus do rith sé féna dhéin agus chaith é féin ar a bhráid agus do phóg sé é. Dúirt an mac leis, "A athair, tá peaca déanta agam in aghaidh nimhe agus id láthairse. Ní fiú mé feasta go ndéarfaí gur mac duit mé."

Ach dúirt an t-athair lena sheirbhísigh, "Brostaíg agus tugaig amach an chulaith éadaigh is fearr agus cuirig air í. Cuirig fáinne ar a mhéar, agus bróga ar a chosaibh, agus tugaig libh an gamhain ramhar agus maraíg é. Agus ithimíst agus bímís suairc súgach pléisiúrtha. Mar bhí an mac so liom marbh agus tá sé beo arís. Bhí sé caillthe agus do fuairtheas é." Do dheineadar dá réir agus bhíodar go súgach suairc sultmhar[1].

Lena linn sin, bhí an mac ba shin(e) amuigh sa pháirc agus bhí sé ag teacht chun an tí agus do chuala sé an ceol agus an fothram agus an rince. Do ghlaoigh sé (ar) duine dhos sna seirbhísigh agus d'fhiafraigh sé dhe cad ba bhun leis seo go léir a bhí ar siúl.

Dúirt sé sin leis, "Tháinig do dheartháir agus do mharaibh t'athair an gamhain ramhar dó toisc é theacht slán arís chuige."

Do tháinig fearg air sin agus ní raghadh sé isteach. Agus tháinig an t-athair amach agus bhí sé ag tathant air.

Dúirt sé lena athair dá fhreagairt, "Táimse anso na blianta so go léir ag obair duit agus níor aontaís[2] riamh do rud a dhéanamh ort. Níor thugais riamh dom oiread is mionnán gabhair chun cairdeas a dhéanamh lem chairdibh."

Dúirt an t-athair leis áfach, "Taoirse aga... A mhic, taoirse agam i gcónaí agus is liom a bhfuil agat[3]. Ach ba chóir suairceas agus pléisiúr a dhéanamh mar bhí do dheartháir anso marbh agus tá sé beo arís. Do cailleadh é agus do fuairtheas é."

Translation

There lived a man long ago who had two sons. The youngest son said to his father, "Father, give me my share of your wealth." And the father divided it between them. In a few days the young man gathered all his wealth and went to a distant foreign land where he spent it in folly, exuberance and prodigality.

When he had spent the last of it it happened that a very harsh famine struck that country. And he was in distress and in want. He went to an inabitant of that country and arranged to work for him. And he sent him out on his land minding his pigs. He would have liked to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate but no one would give them to him. He sat down and he thought. And he said to himself: I'll return to my father. There are many employees in my father's house and they have enough bread and I am here hungry and starving.

He got up and went to his father. While still very far from him his father saw him coming. And he ran to hi-... He felt very sorry for him and ran to him and threw himself at him and kissed him. The son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your presence. I am no longer worthy of being 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, and bring the fatted calf and kill it. An let us eat and be happy, joyous and cheerful. For this son of mine was dead and he is alive again. He was lost and was found." They did accordingly, and they were happy, joyous and merry.

During that time, the eldest son was out in the field and was coming to the house when he heard the music and noise and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked him why all this was happening.

He told him, "Your brother has come and your father has killed the fatted calf for him because he returned safely to him."

He became angry and wouldn't go in. And the father came out and tried to persuade him.

He answered his father, "I have been working here for you all these years and [I never refused] what you asked of me. You never gave me so much as a kid goat for to make merry with my friends."

The father said to him however, "I have y-... Son, I have you all the time and all that you own is mine.[4] But it is right to make merry because your brother here was dead and 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.