Tras-scríbhinn

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."

Aistriúchán

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."

Fonótaí

Tráchtaireacht

Tugann an scéilín greannmhar seo léiriú ar sheanfhocal Gaeilge, is é sin le rá 'Bíonn an fhírinne féin searbh'. Féach Thomas F. O Rahilly, A miscellany of Irish proverbs (BÁC, 1922), 13. Is cosúil nach bhfuil ann ach scéal grinn, agus nach bhfuil aon tábhacht níos mó ná sin ag baint leis ó thaobh an bhéaloidis de.