Transcript

Bhí bean ag Gobán tSaor[1] a'n[2] uair amháin agus fuair sí bás nuair a bhí an leanbh aici. Tógadh an leanbh go rabh sé ina fhear agus d'iarr (an) Gobán tSaor air na caoirigh a thabhairt leis agus a dhíol agus an t-airgead agus na caoirigh a thabhairt 'na[3] bhaile chuigesean ar ais.

Bhí sé ar chuid mhaith aontaí agus níor dhíol sé iad, agus bhí sé ag teacht 'na bhaile tráthnóna amháin, chuir cailín ceist air ga tuighe[4] nár dhíol sé na caoirigh.

"Bhuel," a deir sé, "b'fhurast domh a ndíol, ach caithfidh mé na caoirigh agus an t-airgead a bheith liom ar ais 'na bhaile."

"(Pill thart na caoirigh, bhuel)," a deir sí.

Phill, agus nuair a... fuair sí dhá fhear baineadh an olann daofa agus thomhais sí an olann agus thug sí an t-airgead - luach na holla - dó, agus d'iarr sí air na caoirigh agus an t-airgead a bheith leis 'na bhaile (chuig) Gobán tSaor.

Thug sé an t-airgead do Ghobán tSaor ag teacht 'na bhaile dó.

Agus, "Cé a rinn sin?" a deir Gobán tSaor.

"Tá, cailín a rinn é," a deir sé, "a casadh orm."

"Bhuel," a deir sé, "gheobhaidh mise suas suipéar mór daoithe," a deir sé, "anocht agus tabhair leat chugamsa í," a deir sé, "agus beidh oíche mhór againn."

Ach thug sé leis cailín eile a rabh aithne... nó a bhí ag coinneáil cuideachta leis. Agus (nuair a) theiseáin[5] Gobán tSaor an t-airgead ar maidin daoithe dúirt sí nach mbeadh sin caite achoíche acu.

Agus dúirt Gobán tSaor leis an mhac, "Tóg leat an bhean sin, a mhic, is fág sa bhaile í."

Agus thug sé leis í agus d'fhág sé sa bhaile í.

Agus, "Anois," a deir sé, "tabhair leat an cailín a bhain an olann de na caoirigh," a deir sé, "agus beidh suipéar níos fearr anocht againn ná a bhí aréir."

Agus thug sé leis an cailín sin an oíche sin agus bhí siad ansin agus bhí suipéar mór acu. Agus d'iarr Gobá-... Theiseáin Gobán tSaor an t-airgead ar maidin daoithe is dúirt sí, "Ó, is maith sin le bheith ag cur leis."

"Agus tóg leat í seo anois," a deir Gobán tSaor, "agus pós í."

Agus pósadh an bheirt agus bhí banais mhór acu. Agus nuair a bhí siad seachtain (...) póstaí tháinig... chuir rí in Albain scéala chuige ghoil (...) go gcríochnóchadh sé caisleán mór dó. Agus rinn siad réidh agus d'imigh siad maidin amháin agus nuair a (bhí siad) giota ar shiúl d'iarr Gobán tSaor air é a iomchar inniu is go n-iomchróchadh seisean eisean amárach.

Dúirt seisean nach n-iomchróchadh sé é.

"Bhuel, pillfimid 'na bhaile," a deir sé.

Phill siad 'na bhaile agus nuair a tháinig siad 'na bhaile chuir a bhean ceist ar an fhear goidé a thug orthu pilleadh.

"Tá," a deir sé, "d'iarr sé ormsa é a iomchar inniu is go n-iomchróchadh seisean mise amárach."

"Bhuel," a deir sí, "(dá rachfá thusa a inse) scéaltaí dó," a deir sí, "dhéanfadh sin an bealach gairid daoibh is cha mhoitheochadh sibh an bealach leath comh fada." Dúirt sí, "Iarrfaidh sé an rud céanna ort amárach," a deir sí, "agus comh luath is a iarrfas," a deir sí, "toisigh thusa a inse scéaltaí dó."

(Ar) lá harna mhárach ag imeacht daofa nuair a bhí siad giota ar shiúl d'iarr Gobán tSaor air é a iomchar inniu is go n-iomchróchadh seisean amárach é. Thoisigh sé a inse scéaltaí dó agus bhí sé ag inse scéaltaí dó an lá sin. Lá harna mhárach thoisigh Gobán tSaor ag inse na scéaltaí dósan agus níor mhoithigh siad an bealach leath comh fada go dteachaigh siad go hAlbain. Ach chríochnaigh siad an... an caisleán, agus an mhaidin a bhí an caisleán críochnaithe acu bhí siad leis an cheann a chailleadh nó a bhaint daofa.

Agus dúirt Gobán tSaor, "Ná bí(odh) eagla ar bith ort," a deir sé, "cha bhainthear[6] an ceann d'aon nduine againn go fóill."

Tháinig an rí amach agus chuir sé ceist orthu an rabh sé críochnaithe is dúirt siadsan go rabh sé críochnaithe ach go rabh a'n airteacal amháin in Éirinn acu is dá mbeadh an t-airteacal sin acu nach mbeadh a'n chaisleán ar an tsaol cosúil leis (ná choíche go bráth arís).

Translation

Gobán Saor once had a wife and she died in childbirth. The child was raised to manhood and Gobán Saor asked him to take the sheep and sell them and to bring the money and the sheep back home to him again.

He was at a lot of fairs and he didn't sell them, and as he was coming home one evening, a girl asked him why he didn't sell the sheep.

"Well," he says, "it would be easy for me to sell them, but I have to bring the sheep and the money back home."

"Go back with the sheep, then (?)," she says.

He went back, and then she got two men to shear the wool off them and she measured the wool she gave him the money – the price of the wool – and she asked him to bring the sheep and the money back home to Gobán Saor.

He gave Gobán Saor the money when he came home.

And, "Who did that?" says Gobán Saor.

"A girl did it," he says, "a girl I met."

"Well," he says, "I'll make her a big supper," he says, "tonight and bring her to me," he says, "and we'll have a great night."

But he brought another girl he knew with him... or one who used to keep company with him. And when Gobán Saor showed her the money in the morning she said they would never spend it all.

And Gobán Saor said to the son, "Take that woman, son, and bring her home."

And he brought her with him and brought her home.

And, "Now," he says, "bring the girl who had the sheep sheared," he says, "and we'll have a better supper tonight than we had last night."

And he brought the girl with him that night and they were there and they had a great supper. And Gobán ask-... Goban Saor showed her the money in the morning and she said, "Oh, it's good to increase it."

"And take this one with you now," says Gobán Saor, "and marry her."

And the two were married and the had a big wedding feast. And when they were a week (...) married, there came... the king in Scotland summoned him to come and (...) finish a big castle for him. And they got ready and they went one morning and when they had gone a short distance Gobán Saor asked him to carry him today and that he would carry him the day after.

He said he wouldn't carry him.

"Well, we'll go back home," he says.

They went back home and when they came home the woman asked the man why they came back.

"Well," he says, "he asked me to carry him today and that he would carry me tomorrow."

"Well," she says, "if you would tell him stories," she says, "that would shorten the road for you both and you wouldn't find it half as long." She said, "He'll ask the same thing of you tomorrow," she says, "and as soon as he asks," she says, "you start telling him stories."

The next day as they went off when they had gone a short distance Gobán Saor asked him to carry him today and that he would carry him tomorrow. He began to tell him stories and he told him stories that day. The next day Gobán Saor started telling him stories and they didn't find the journey half as long until they were in Scotland. But they finished the... the castle, and the morning they finished the castle they were to lose their heads or be beheaded.

And Gobán Saor said, "Don't be in the least bit afraid," he says, "neither of us will be beheaded just yet."

The king came out and he asked them if it was finished and they said it was but that they had one item in Ireland and that if they had that item there would be no castle on earth like it ever again.

Footnotes

Commentary

This is a classic example of lore concerning the Gobán Saor, and incorporates international folktale ATU 875 The clever girl. See Hans Jorg Uther, The types of international folktales: a classification and bibliography (3 vols, Helsinki, 2004). This narrative was introduced to lore surrounding the famous quasi-mythological figure of the Gobán, usually in the context of his clever daughter-in-law. The motifs of his son having to return with the sheep and their value, and shortening the road by telling stories are both commonly found in folk tradition regarding the Gobán. See Dáithí Ó hÓgáin, Myth, legend and romance (New York, 1991), 242. For a full list of Irish versions of ATU 875 and its subtypes from all over the country, see Seán Ó Súilleabháin and Rieder Th. Christiansen, The types of the Irish folktale (Helsinki, 1968).