Transcript

Tháinig fear a'n[1] am amháin aniar go Baile na Brocaí agus tháinig sé isteach toigh Mhicí Eoin agus dh'iarr sé aoideacht[2] oíche.

"Bhuel, (...), ar shiúil tú i bhfad?"

"Maise," a deir sé, "shiúil mé aniar as Ard Mhic Giollagáin."

"(Bhfuil dochar domh a fhiafraí)," a deir sé, "gad is ainm thú?"

"Bhuel, deir sé, "Mánus Ó Maolagáin aniar as Ard Mhic Giollagáin. Sin m'ainm agus an áit ar tógadh mé."

(Deir sé), "A Mhánuis," a deir sé, "an bhfuil cineál ar bith ceirde agad?"

"Maise, bím ag seinm ar théadaí."

"Tchím," a deir sé. "Bhuel, a Mhánuis," a deir sé, "bhfuil (dochar domh a fhiafraí) cén (seinní) is fearr thiar ansin agaibhse?"

"Maise, deir daoiní gur mise," (a deir) Mánus, "agus deirim féin nach mé."

"M'anam féin, maise, a Mhánuis," a deir sé, "gur tusa a chreidim."

"Ó, bhuel, chan fiú ar bith do dhuine ar bith bheith dhá mholadh féin. Ach an méid a sheinnimsa, seinnim go fíor é."

"Á, (...), maise, a Mhánuis," (a deir sé), "gur minic a bhíonn an fhírinne féin searbh."

Translation

A man came from the west one time to Ballynabrocky and he came in to Mickey Owen's house and he asked for a night's lodgings.

"Well, (...), have you walked for long?"

"Indeed," he said, "I have walked back from Magilligan(?)."

"May I ask (?)," he said, "what is your name?"

"Well," he said, "Manus Mulligan from Magilligan. That is my name and the place I was reared."

"Manus," he said, "do you have any sort of craft?"

"Indeed, I play music on strings."

"I see," he said. "Well, Manus," he said, "may I ask who is the best player back there?"

"Indeed, people say that I am," said Manus, "and I say myself that I'm not."

"Well, indeed, Manus," he said, "it is you that I believe."

"Oh, well, there is no worth in a person praising himself. But what I play, I play truthfully."

"Oh, (...), indeed, Manus," he said, "the truth itself is often bitter."

Footnotes

Commentary

This humorous anecdote implements an Irish proverb, namely Bíonn an fhírinne féin searbh 'The truth itself is bitter'. See Thomas F. O Rahilly, A miscellany of Irish proverbs (Dublin, 1922), 13. It seems to simply be a joke, and does not appear to be of any further particular folkloric relevance.