Transcript

Fadó riamh, is fadó riamh Éireann é, do chónaigh lánú in iarthar Chontae Chiarraí gurbh ainm dóibh Mícheáilín agus Peig. Bhí feirm bheag thalún acu agus i gceann na mblian níor thit aon mhuirear orthu. Agus dá bhrí sin dob é cúram Mhichílín bheith amuigh ins na gortaibh agus Peig i bhfeighil an tí. Choimeádaidís muca ó am go ham chun iad a ramhraithe (?) agus dá dhíol ar an margadh. Ba ghnáth leo leis muc a mharú anois agus arís (...) agus (...) speisialta i gcomhair na Nollag.

Bliain áirithe do mhairibh Mícheáilín ar deireadh muc i gcomhair na Nollag. Agus dúirt sé le Peig nuair a chuireadar ins an soitheach í agus iad ag baint blúire aisti anois is aríst mar a (dh'oireadh) dóibh. Fé dheireadh do chuaigh sé go dtí an soitheach agus dúirt sé le Peig go gcuirfeadh sé píosa dhon muic i gcoimeád i gcomhair scológ liath an earraigh. Thug sé leis píosa maith agus do chuir sé in airde sa mhaide snaidhmthe í i gcomhair scológ liath an earraigh, mar a dúirt sé. Agus d'fhan sí ansan. Bhí sé ag imeacht ag déanamh a ghnótha leis. Fé dheireadh, do bhí an (...) á chaitheamh agus do dhruideadar isteach insa Mhárta. Agus cé bhuailfeadh an doras isteach go dtí Peig ná strapaire d'fhear mhór fhada liath agus féasóg síos go dtí lár a bhorlaigh[1] air. Agus do bheannaigh sé go dlúth do Pheig.

"Mhuise, b'fhéidir," ar sise leis, "gur tusa scológ liath an earraigh?"

"Is mé cheana, mhuise," a dúirt sé.

"Tá píosa feola in airde insa mhaide snaidhmthe id chomhair," ar sise.

Leis sin do chuaigh sí in airde go dtí an maide snaidhmthe agus do leag sí anuas an píosa feola agus do thug sí do scológ liath an earraigh í. (...) ( chuige í agus d'imigh air) agus d'fhág sé ansan Peig.

I gcomhair dinnéir do tháinig Mícheáilín isteach ach thug sé fé ndeara ná raibh aon bhlúire feola i gcomhair dinnéir aige. "A Pheig," ar seisean "canathaobh nár chuiris blúire feola síos i gcomhair dinnéir? Ná fuil a fhios agat gurb é seo an t-earrach?"

"So is súd orm," a dúirt sí, "gur tháinig scológ liath an earraigh agus do thugas dó an píosa feola fé mar ' dúraís."

Leis sin do tháinig buile ar Mhícheáilín. "Dalladh dóite (deacair ort)," ar seisean, "a óinsigh, chun bheith ad iarraidh tí a choimeád i dteannta do leithéid. Agus is fada mé ag plé leat agus anois beidh deireadh agam," ar seisean ag iontó an doras amach agus ag fágaint an tí (ansan). Agus n'fheacadar araon a chéile go brách arís.

Translation

A long long time ago a couple lived in the west of county Kerry whose names were Michaeleen and Peg. They farmed a small patch of land and after many years they had no children. Therefore it fell on Michaeleen to be outside in the fields and Peg tended to the house. They kept pigs from time to time to fatten them (?) and sell them at market. They also used to kill a pig now and again (...) and (...) especially for Christmas.

A particular year Michaeleen finally killed a pig for Christmas. And he told Peg when they put it in the barrel and were taking a piece from is now and again as it suited them (?). In the end he went to the barrel and he told Peg that he would save a piece for the grey-haired spring labourer. He took a good piece and put it up on the tie-beam for the grey-haired spring labourer, as he had said. And it stayed there. He kept on at his business. In the end, the (...) was fading and they moved into March. And who called in to Peg but a strapping tall grey man with a beard down to the middle of his chest. And he heartfully greeted Peig.

"Maybe," she said, "you are the grey-haired spring labourer?"

"I am indeed," he said.

"There is a piece of meat up in the tie-beam for you," she said.

With that she went up to the tie-beam and she knocked down the piece of meat and gave it to the grey-haired spring labourer. (...) he took it and went and left Peg there.

Michaeleen came in for dinner but he noticed that he had no meat for dinner. "Peg," he said, "why didn't you put down any meat for dinner? Don't you know that it is springtime?"

"I swear by this and that," she said, "that the grey-haired spring labourer came in and I gave him the piece of meat as you said."

With that Michaeleen became angry. "A burning harsh blinding on you (?)," he said, "you foolish woman, how hard it is (?) trying to keep house with the likes of you. And I have been trying to deal with you for a long time and now I will end it," he said turning out the door and leaving the house there. And they didn't see each other ever again.

Footnotes

Commentary

This story is a version of an international folktale, ATU 1541 For the long winter. This tale usually concerns a farmer who saves some money or a piece of meat for the long winter. Some time later a beggar comes to the door, and the farmer's foolish wife asks him if he is the long winter. He replies that he is, and she hands over her husband's provisions. It first appeared in the early fifteenth century in Italy, and is a common tale in Europe, most of Asia and the Americas. It is a popular story in Ireland, known throughout the country. See Seán Ó Súilleabháin and Rieder Th. Christiansen, The types of the Irish folktale (Helsinki, 1968). It has been categorised as an international folk motif K362.1 For the long winter. See Stith Thompson, Motif-index of folk literature (rev. and enlarged ed., 6 vols, Bloomington, Ind., 1955-8).