Transcript

Ní rabh aon chionn sa pháirc nach rabh dhá ghiorria tráthnóna leis. Tháinig an ridire go dtí an tIarla: "Dar fia na mbeann, ní le haghaidh ár mbáis a tháinig sé."

"Ná bac leis," arsa an tIarla, "geobhfaidh mise réidh leis."

Thug sé síos é go dteachaigh sé isteach ar an oileán seo a bhí amuigh i lár an loch. Agus ní dheachaigh aon fhear isteach ariamh ar an oileán a thiocfadh amach beo (uadh) nach dtiocfadh páis... páist... péist as an loch a shlogfadh é. (...) sé suas dhá asal (...) agus plough le haghaidh an t-oileán a threabhadh agus a phlougháil.

Bhí go maith agus ní rabh go holc. Nuair a bhí sé... an chéad iarraidh a thug sé thart leis na hasail tháinig pa-... péist aníos as an loch agus sciob sí cionn dho na hasail uadh.

"Bhuel, dar fia na mbeann," arsa Conchúr, "má thigeann tú aríst," ar seisean, "ní imeoidh tú chomh slán."

An dara hiarraidh, bhí an t-asal ag goil á bháthadh agus ní rabh sé ábalta (ghoil) anonn agus anall ag tarraingt an phlough siar agus aniar agus gan é ábalta ghoil 'un tosaigh. (Tigeann) an phéist go (dtugadh) sí an dara hasal (uadh) agus nuair a chonaic Conchúr ag teacht í d'ardaigh sé an camán agus bhuail sé í. Rinn sé chomh modhúil í le gur chuir sé an tr(...) isteach uirthi. "A sheanasail," ar seisean, "níl maith ná maoin ionad ach tusa an cailín," ar seisean, "a thiontós suas agus a threabhas an t-oileán liomsa," ar seisean.

Bhuail sé air agus ní rabh sé i bhfad ná i ngearr go rabh an t-oileán tiontaithe suas aici le haghaidh a treabhadh. Nuair a bhí an t-oileán tiontaithe suas, "É féin agus a chuid asal," ar seisean, "ní tadaí iad," ar seisean, "le do thaobhsa."

Thiomáin sé suas í go dteachaigh sé suas ' tarraingt ar theach an Iarla. Ní rabh posta geata ná crann a bhí ag fás ar thaobh na mbóithrí nach rabh sí a tharraingt lena ruball thall agus abhus as an talamh agus ag leagaint achuile shórt roimpi.

"Bhí ag goil linne ariamh," arsa an tIarla, "go dtí anois," ar seisean. "Ach," ar seisean, "le haghaidh ár mbáis cinntí a tháinig sé," ar seisean, "agus caithfidh mise fáil réidh leis."

Gheall sé dhó go dtiúrfadh sé an tríú níon le pósadh dhó nuair a bheadh na trí dhuais astoigh aige.

"Tá go maith," arsa Conchúr, ar seisean, "ní bheidh sin i bhfad á ndéanamh agamsa," ar seisean.

"Bhuel anois," arsa... "Ó," arsa an tIarla, ar seisean, "buail an gearrán is fearr atá sa stábla sin thall isteach sa chairt ansin is gabh anonn go dtí an teach sin, an teach mór sin thall atá sa choill," ar seisean, "i mbun an chnoic agus tabhair anall cairt sclátaí leat," ar seisean. "Agus sin, nuair a bheas sin déantaí agad," ar seisean, "sin é an dara duais atá le fáil agad agus an tríothú duais bheadh mo níonsa agad."

Bhí go maith agus ní rabh go holc. Bhuail sé anonn agus céard a bhí astoigh sa ghleann uadhsan ach teach fathaigh. Agus suas leis i mullach an tseanbhildeáil mhór a bhí ansin ag cur anuas na sclátaí. Is nuair a chualaidh an fathach go rabh sé i mullach na bildeála d'fhuagair sé air a theacht anuas ansin nó céard a chas a leithide dho (ghrabachán) - dho bhuachaill - ann[1].

"Bí í do thost," ar seisean, "(...) (suí síos) (...) tusa a chaithfeas theacht aníos," ar seisean, "agus na sclátaí a chur síos chugam."

Tharraingíodh sé a anáil agus thiocfadh sé... bhí sé ag cur Chonchúir bhocht ar crith thuas ar an bhildeáil (...) a chuid anála dhá tharraingt agus dhá shúisteáil thuas i mullach an tseanbhildeáil.

"Bhuel," arsa Conchúr, "ach go dté mise síos go dtí thú," ar seisean, "(muirfidh)[2] mé go socair thú." Tharraing sé a chamán leis. "Gabh thusa suas anois," ar seisean, "agus cuir anuas na sclátaí," ar seisean.

Chuaigh an fathach suas dho léim amháin (...) féin go dteachaigh sé suas i mullach na bildeála. Agus nuair a chuaigh sé suas i mullach na bildeála thoisigh sé ag cur anuas sclátaí go rabh an gearrán bocht a dhroim dhá (shnaob)adh síos go dtí an talamh agus ní rabh an gearrán ábalta corrú.

"Bhuel," ar seisean, "(is deacair ordú)," ar seisean, "a leithide dho ghearrán ordú dhomsa," ar seisean, "nach bhfuil ábalta cairt sclátaí a thabhairt suas go dtí an doras chuige. Ach," (ar eisean, "tusa) is fearr a bhéarfas leat é," ar seisean. "Gabh isteach san chairt," ar seisean.

Bhuail sé le buille an fathach (dhon) chamán agus chuaigh sé isteach insa chairt go dtug sé suas an chairt agus an t-ualach go dtí an (...).

Translation

There wasn't one in the field which didn't have two hares at it in the evening. The rancher came to the Earl: "By heaven, it wasn't for our death he came."

"Don't mind him," said the Earl, "I will get rid of him."

He brought him down and he went into this island which was out in the middle of the lake. And no man ever went into this island who would come out of it alive whom a serpent from the lake wouldn't swallow. He (...) up two donkeys (...) and a plough to furrow and plough the island.

All was well and good. When he was... on his first time around with the donkeys a serpent came up out of the lake and snatched one of the donkeys from him.

"Well, by heaven," said Conor, "If you come again," he said, "you won't leave as safely."

The second time, the donkey was drowning and he wasn't able to go over and back pulling the plough over and back and he wasn't able to make progress (?). The serpent came to take the second donkey from him and when Conor saw it coming he lifted the hurley and hit it. He made it so obedient that he put the (...) into her. "You old donkey," he said, "you are useless but you are the girl," he said, "who will turn up and plough this island with me," he said.

Off he went and it wasn't long until it had the island turned over for ploughing. When the island was turned over, "Himself and his donkeys," he said, "they are nothing," he said, "compared to you."

He drove it up till he came up near the Earl's house. There wasn't a gate post or roadside tree which it didn't pull from the ground with its tail going over and back, and it knocked down all before it.

"We were always lucky," said the Earl, "until now," he said. "But," he said, "it is surely for the death of us he has come," he said, "and I must get rid of him."

He promised him that he would give him the third daughter to marry when he had the three prizes inside.

"That's fine," said Conor. "I won't be long doing that," he said.

"Well now," said... "Oh," said the Earl, "put the best gelding that is in that stable over there into that cart and go over to that house, that big house over there in the woods," he said, "at the foot of the hill and bring back a cart of slates," he said. "And when you have done that," he said, "that is the second prize which you can have and the third prize would be my daughter."

All was well and good. He went over and what was in the valley before him but a giant's house. And up he went onto the top of the old big building and he began taking down the slates. And when the giant heard that he was on top of the building he ordered him to come down then, and [asked] how such a brat as he (?) came to be there.

"Be silent," he said, "(...) sit down (...) it is you who must come up," he said, "to hand the slates down to me."

He was breathing and... he was making poor Conor shake up on the building (...) his breath was pulling and pushing him while he was on top of the old building.

"Well," said Conor, "if I go down to you," he said, "I will kill you easily." He raised his hurley. "You go up now," he said, "and send the slates down," he said.

The giant went up with one leap (...) up to the top of the building. And when he went up to the top of the building he started taking down the slates until the poor gelding's back was bent(?) down to the ground and was not able to move.

"Well," he said, "it is hard to order (?)," he said, "such a gelding (?)," he said, "that can't bring a cart of slates up to his door. But," he said, "you are the one who will best carry it with you," he said. "Get into the cart," he said.

He hit the giant with the hurley and he went into the cart and brought the cart and the load to the (...).

Footnotes

Commentary

Parts one and two of this story combine to form an example of an international folktale, ATU 650 Strong John. Standard versions involve a young man who possesses great strength, and works for a master who is afraid of him. He sets a series of tasks for the young man that are intended to get rid of him. The strong man completes all the tasks, and finally marries the master's daughter. The story is well known throughout Europe, Asia, north Africa and the Americas. See Hans Jorg Uther, The types of international folktales: a classification and bibliography (3 vols, Helsinki, 2004). The story was very popular in Ireland, having been recorded in great numbers throughout the country. See Seán Ó Súilleabháin and Rieder Th. Christiansen, The types of the Irish folktale (Helsinki, 1968). Motifs found in the story include F614.9 Strong man clears plain, F615 Strong man evades death, vain attempts to kill him and F1099.6 Extraordinary plowing. The motif of the monster being yoked to the plough is related to F615.2.3 Strong man sent for wild horses: brings them back, which is often included in ATU 650A. See Stith Thompson, Motif-index of folk literature (rev. and enlarged ed., 6 vols, Bloomington, Ind., 1955-8).