Tras-scríbhinn

Bhí fear fadó ann thoir ar an gcnocán a dtugaidís... agus bhaist siad - daoine bochta a bhí thimpeall - bhaist siad (...) in Éirinn. Bhuel, bhí mac aige agus thóig sé suas go maith é go dtug sé an-fhoghlaim dó agus ní... nuair bhí sé tóigthí aige ní raibh aon mhaireachtáil aige dhó, ach d'imigh sé ina scoláire bocht. Agus bhí sé ag siúl go ndeachaigh sé go Baile Átha Cliath agus shaothraigh sé an oiread i mBaile Átha Cliath agus a thug anonn go Sasana é. Agus nuair a chuaigh sé anonn go Sasana ansin casadh (isteach ar) damhsa é. Agus casadh cailín óg leis agus rinne siad cuairt lena chéile. Agus nuair a bhí sin déantaí aige ar maidin thug sí culaith... luach culaith éadaigh dhó. Agus nuair a bhí an luach chulaith éadaigh aige d'ordaigh sí dhó ghoil agus cóiste - thug sí luach cóiste agus péire capall dó - agus a ghoil agus iad a cheannacht, agus imeacht agus a ghoil ina leithide seo dho shráid lena chóiste go minic. Agus fuaigh. Agus bhí sí ag goil... sé ag goil (thar) teach a hathar.

Agus thug an t-athair faoi deara ar ball go mba stainséara a bhí ann. Agus dúirt sé, "Sin strainséara," a deir sé, "agus is gearr... gearr (ó thosaigh) sé ag goil an bealach seo," a deir sé. "Agus chaithfeadh sé gur strainséara é."

"Tá aithne mhaith agamsa air," a deir sí.

Bhuel, bhí go maith. Ansin (...) i gceann cúpla lá d'ordaigh sí dhó ghoil agus í a iarraidh ar a hathair. Agus fuaigh. Agus nuair a d'iarr sé í dúirt an t-athair go (mb'fhearr... go) gcaithfeadh sé fios a fháil cén sórt bealach a bhí leis. Agus nuair... Dúirt sé (go bhfaighfeadh) agus (go bhfaighfeadh) an t-athair ansin beirt dhá chuid searbhóntaí, gur chuir sé anall aige iad go hÉirinn go bhfeicfeadh sé cén sórt bealach a bhí leis.

Agus bhí dhá ghabhar déag agus pocaide amuigh ag goil thimpeall an tí agus bhí an teach faoi (...)aitheachaí. Agus bhí poll in aghaidh gach lá dhá rabh sa mbliain. Agus bhí pláta (...) dhá ghlúin aige agus mug bainne gabhair agus é dá ithe. Agus d'fhiafraigh siad dó an rabh aon mhac ariamh aige agus dúirt sé go rabh.

Agus d'imigh siad ansin agus chuaigh siad anonn agus d'fhiafraigh an fear thall daofa cén sórt bealach a bhí leis. Agus dúirt siad nárbh fhiú tada é sin lena ais, agus... nárbh fhiú tada é sin lena ais.Dúirt siad go raibh dhá shaighdiúir déag agus oifigeach ag goil thimpeall na tíre agus go rabh poll ar a theach in aghaidh gach lá dhá rabh sa mbliain agus go rabh... nach dtiú-... an bord a rabh sé ag ithe a bhéilí air nach dtiúrfadh sé oiread (...) ar fad dó. Agus cuireadh fios... Pósadh ansin iad agus cuireadh fios anall go hÉirinn agus tugadh anonn ar ais é. Tugadh sin nó go... Tugadh anonn ar ais ansin é agus d'fhan sé thall, é féin agus (...) a chéile (...) siad.

**********

Maidin an lae úd... Maidin an lae úd is ann a bhí an spóirt,
Bhí móruaisle na tíre ann, ní (airíonn siad óg),
Ghlac siad an sionnach agus é ag goil thríd an móin
Nó gur suaitheadh é i gclampa le Prionsach Thír Eoghain;
Dhá bhfeictása an prionsach agus é (is é ag tíocht air de léim),
Ag Íosa na glóire nach ann a bhí an géim,
Bhí sé gléastaí i ndearg agus i mbán,
Agus bhí orm (goncaí) ar an Domhnach an t-oighre a theacht slán.

Níl an t-oighre óg seo ach naoi mbliana déag,
Tá (...) na háite i ngrá leis gan bhréig,
Tá sé ar chlár a éadain le léamha ag an saol
Gurb é an áit a bhfuil a áras i bpálás na naomh;
Dhá bhfeictása an prionsach agus é (ar thaobh fir is mná),
D'fhéach sé thart orthu, idir fhearaibh agus mhná,
D'ordaigh sé leann dubh agus fuisce le n-ól,
Tá beannacht na mbocht ag Prionsach Thír Eoghain.

Dá bhfeictása an prionsach... Dá mairinnse seachtain nó mí eilí beo
Rachainnse in áit nach gcuirfí orm tóir,
Síos go Sligeach nó go (plána) Mhaigh Eo,
Shul dá chasfaí mé i gclampar le Prionsach Thír Eoghain;
Ach bhí mise cheana ann agus (ba dho chóir) ann mé,
Mar bhí mé róbheadaí agus bhí dúil agam i bhfeoil,
Mharaigh mé géabhaí agus lachain go leor,
D'fhág sin mo ruball ag Prionsach Thír Eoghain.

Aistriúchán

Long ago there was a man to the east on the hill they used to call... and they named him - poor people who were around - they named him (...) in Ireland. Well, he had a son and he raised him well and gave him a good education and when he had raised him he didn't have any means for him to make a living, but he went off as a poor scholar. And he walked until he reached Dublin and he earned as much in Dublin as brought him over to England. And then when he went over to England he happened upon (?) a dance. And he met a young lady and they courted(?) each other. And when he had done that the next morning she gave him the price of a suit. And when he had the price of a suit of clothing she ordered him to go and get a coach - she gave him the price of a coach and a pair of horses - to go and buy them, and to go to such a street often with his coach. And he went. And she was going... he was going past her father's house.

And the father soon noticed that it was a stranger. And he said, "That's a stranger," he said, "and it is lately he started going this way," he says. "And he must be a stranger."

"I know him well," she says.

Well, all was good. Then (...) in a few days she ordered him to go and to ask her father for her hand. And he did. And when he asked for her the father said that he it would be best... that he would have to find out what kind of means he had. And when... He said that he would get... that the father would then get two of his servants, and he sent them over to Ireland to see what kind of means he had.

And there were twelve goats and a puck goat going around outside the house and the house was under (...). And there was a hole for every day of the year. And he had a plate (...) his two knees and a mug of goat's milk and he was eating it. And they asked him if he ever had a son and he said that he did.

And then they left and went back over and the man asked them what kind of means he had. And they said he was worth nothing compared to him, that he was worth nothing compared to him. They said that there were twelve soldiers and an officer going around the country, and that his house had a hole for every day of the year, and that... the table at which he was eating his meals, that he would not give as much as (...) altogether to him. And they sent for... They were then married and word was sent to over to Ireland and he was brought back. He was... He was then brought back over and he stayed over there, himself and (...) his wife (...).

**********

That day's morning was when sport was had,
The country's nobility were there, they don't feel young (?),
They took the fox as it went through the bogland
It was trapped in a hole(?) by(?) the Prince of Tyrone;
If you saw the Prince as he and he came up to him with a leap,
By glorious Jesus wasn't it there they had the sport,
He was dressed in red and white,
And I had to () on Sunday (...) the heir to survive.

This young heir is only nineteen years old,
The (...) of the area are truly in love with him,
It is clear in his forehead to be read by the world,
That his abode is in the palace of the saints;
If you saw the prince alongside men and women,
He looked around at them, both men and women,
He ordered black ale and whiskey to drink,
The Prince of Tyrone has the blessings of the poor.

If I lived another week or a month
I would go to a place where I would not be chased,
Down to Sligo or to the plain of Mayo,
Before I would meet in a quarrel with the Prince of Tyrone;
But I was there before and it was by right I was there,
Because I was too fond of food and I wanted some meat,
I killed geese and plenty of ducks,
That left my tail with the Prince of Tyrone.

Tráchtaireacht

Is cosúil gurb éard atá anseo ná leagan den scéal idirnáisiúnta béaloidis, ATU 859 The penniless bridegroom pretends to wealth. Is éard a tharlaíonn sna gnáthleaganacha ná go dtugann fear cur síos thar fóir ar a chuid saibhris chun go dtaibhseodh sé oiriúnach mar fhear céile d'iníon fir shaibhir. Tá scata leaganacha ann, ach is cosúil gur imir ceann ar leith acu seo tionchar ar an scéal seo. Baineann sé le fear a deir go bhfuil céad caoga solas ina theach, agus cró gabhar. Le ceart, tá céad caoga poll i ndíon a thí trína soilsíonn solas na réaltaí, agus aon ghabhar amháin ceangailte de chrann. Faightear an scéal ar fud na hEorpa, sa Mheánoirthear agus in áiteanna san Afraic Thuaidh. Féach Hans Jorg Uther, The types of international folktales: a classification and bibliography (3 iml., Helsinki, 2004). Bhí an scéal coitianta in Éirinn, agus tá roinnt leaganacha éagsúla ann a cláraíodh i ngach cearn den tír. Tá sé le fáil in Seán Ó Súilleabháin agus Rieder Th. Christiansen, The types of the Irish folktale (Helsinki, 1968), faoin teideal AT 1455 The hard hearted fiancée. Tá an mhóitíf idirnáisiúnta béaloidis, K1917.4 Penniless wooer, “House of my father with one hundred fifty lights and goat pen” ann. Féach Stith Thompson, Motif-index of folk literature (atheagrán méadaithe, 6 iml., Bloomington, Ind., 1955-8).

**********

Tráchtaireacht ar na véarsaí idir lámha.