Tras-scríbhinn

A'n[1] am amháin dá dteachaigh... A'n am amháin dá dteachaigh an tÓgánach Mór amach a sheilg go Dún (Deilge) agus go Gleann na Smól, go Crích Lochrann na gceolta caoin, é féin agus a bhean, shuigh siad síos a dhéanamh scíste. Charbh fhada dófa nó go dtáinig 'ucu (scoileánach) óg agus bhí sé armáilte mar ba chóir. Bhí lann géar mín leis ar a thaobh deas. Bhí dhá shleagh leis agus bhí scion[2] ina dhorna. Agus bhí leis corn a ba chosúil é le corn a mbeadh ann deoch.

"Go mbeannaíthear duid," arsa seisean. "Go mbeannaíthear duid, a Ógánaigh Mhóir, duid féin agus do do bhean. Bí go subhach agus ól deoch."

"Ó, ná hól deoch agus ná caith bia," arsa an bhean óg, "go mbeidh a fhios a'd goidé an gleann nach rabh tú ann aroimhe ariamh."

"Dar an láimh atá ort," arsa an tÓgánach Mór, "ólfaidh mé deoch agus caithfidh mé bia, agus is maith liom é, cibé hé."

Is an deoch sin a d'ól sé ba searbh i ndéidh a hól. An dá chois ó na glúine síos gur sciob sé den Ógánach Mhór. Ansin scread an fhaoileann óg agus tharraing sí go cruaidh a folt.

"A Ógánaigh Mhóir, tá tú gan chois agus níl do charaid insa domhan mhór."

"Ó, éist, a bhean óg, agus fuiling (feacht). Cha bhíonn a'n chos insa tír nó gheo' mise mo dhá chois ar ais."

Ach charbh fhada dófa ná go bhfaca siad ag teacht 'ucu fia. Fia... dhá... cú... agus dhá choin agus Gruagach Dhún an Óir ar an tóir ina ndéidh. D'éirigh an tÓgánach Mór suas agus bheir sé ar an fhia bairr.

"Tabhair domhsa an fia bairr," arsa an gruagach (óir).

"Ó, dar an láimh atá ort," a deir an tÓgánach Mór, "is mé féin a rinn an tseilg."

"Tabhair domhsa an fia bairr agus bhéarfaidh mé bia agus deoch duid féin agus do do bhean le do lá."

"Ó!" Labhair an bhean óg. "A Ógánaigh Mhóir, tabhair an fia bairr dó."

"Ó, bhéarfainn agus (Éire bhreac nó dá n-iarróchá thusa) ní ba mhó."

D'éirigh an tÓgánach Mór suas agus chaith sé ar a mhuin fia, (crann) agus sciath, agus a bhean. Ba luaithe an tÓgánach Mór ar a dhá ghlúin ná ochtar ar lúth na gcos. Charbh fhada dófa go dteach-... go bhfaca siad lena dtaobh cathair dheas ar dhath an óir. Cha rabh dadaí dá bhfacaidh súil ariamh nach rabh sa chathair sin mar ba chóir.

"Anois, a Ógánaigh Mhóir, tá mise amárach ag goil amach a sheilg go Dún (Deilge) agus go Gleann na Smól. Is a bhráthair a ghráidhe, fágaim coimheád mo mhná ortsa agus a cuid óir."

Ach shuigh an tÓgánach Mór insa doras. Char lúb gabha, saor ná ceárta hinge ar chomhlaidh ba daingne ná an tÓgánach Mór.

"Tar, a fhaoileann óg, agus suigh faoi mo chionn. Tá an codladh do mo shuan agus níl an gruagach uair sa ghleann."

Tháinig an bhean óg agus shuigh sí faoina chionn. Tháinig an (scoileánach) óg isteach agus thug sé póg don mhnaoi óig. Bhuail sise cic ar an Ógánach Mhór.

"A Ógánaigh Mhóir, rinn tú suan agus níl an gruagach uair sa ghleann."

"Ó, dá bhfaighinnse liom mo shuan mar ba chóir, duine cha dtiocfadh insa ród isteach ná go háirid sa ród amach. Dar an láimh atá ort, a ógánaigh óig, díolfaidh tú póg a mhná."

"Ó, ná déana[3] sin orm," arsa seisean, "a Ógánaigh Mhóir, an chos a fuair mé amuigh go gcuirfidh mé fúd mar bhí 'e ghnách. Is anois nach ligfidh tú mé sa ród amach?"

"Ó, amach cha dtéid tú sa ród. Amach cha dtéid tú insa ród nó go dtaraí[4] Gruagach Dhún an Óir isteach nó go ndíolfaidh tú póg a mhná."

"Ó, lig mé insa ród amach agus an chos a fuair mé amuigh dhomh cuirfidh mé fúd mar a bhí 'e ghnách."

Shíob sé an chos faoi.

"Anois, a Ógánaigh Mhóir, an ligfidh tú mé sa ród amach?"

"Amach cha dtéid tú nó ' gcuirfidh tú an chos eile fúm, (greim cruaidh), nó do cheann."

Shíob sé an chos eile faoi.

"Anois, an ligfidh tú mé sa ród amach?"

"Ó, amach cha dtéid tú insa ród go dtaraí Gruagach Dhún an Óir isteach, nó sarmar[5] dtaraí Gruagach Dhún an Óir isteach díolfaidh tú póg a mhná."

D'éirigh sé suas lena ghualainn. (Sheasaigh) sé seacht (ceann) buille dona cheann. Bhuail sé an (curaidh) go teann agus bhain sé an ceann de d'aon bhéim.

Aistriúchán

One time when the Big Fellow went out to Dún Deilge(?) and to Gleann na Smól, to Críoch Lochlann of the pleasant music, he and his wife sat down for a rest. They hadn't been there for long when a young schoolboy(?) came to them and he was properly armed. He had a sharp smooth sword on his right side. He had two spears and he had a knife in his fist. And he had a horn which was like a drinking horn.

"Greetings," he said. "Greetings to you, Big Fellow, to yourself and your wife. Be merry and have a drink."

"Oh, don't drink and don't eat," said the young woman, "until you know the glen you've never been in before."

"By your hand," said the Big Fellow, "I will take a drink and I will eat food, and I like him, whoever he is."

And the drink he took had a bitter aftertaste. He chopped the two legs off the Big Fellow from the knees down. Then the young maiden screamed and she pulled her hair hard.

"Oh, Big Fellow, you are without legs and without a friend in the world."

"Oh, quiet, young woman, and have patience(?). I will get my two legs back or there won't be a leg in the country (?)."

But it wasn't long until they saw a deer coming towards them. A deer... with two hounds and the Giant of Dún an Óir ('Fort of the Gold') chasing after them. The Big Fellow got up and he caught the stag.

"Give me the stag," said the (...) giant.

"Oh, by your hand," said the Big Fellow, "it was I who did the hunting."

"Give me the stag and I will bring food and drink to yourself and to your wife for the whole day."

"Oh!" The young woman spoke. "Big Fellow, give him the stag."

"Oh, I would give it, and speckled Ireland, if you asked for more (?)."

The Big Fellow got up and he threw a deer, a pole(?) and a shield, and his wife onto his back. The Big Fellow was faster on his two knees than eight men with the use of their legs. It wasn't long before they saw beside them a lovely golden stronghold. No eye ever beheld anything as perfect.

"Now, Big Fellow, I am going to Dún Deilge(?) and to Gleann na Smól tomorrow to hunt. And my dear brother, I entrust to you the minding of my wife and her gold."

Well, the Big Fellow sat in the door. No smith, craftsman or forge(?) ever bent(?) a hinge on a door-leaf that was as strong as the Big Fellow.

"Come, young maiden, and sit in front of me. I am getting sleepy and the giant hasn't been an hour in the glen."

The young woman came in and she sat in front of him. The young schoolboy(?) came in and he kissed the young woman. She kicked the Big Fellow.

"Big Fellow, you have slept and the giant hasn't been an hour in the glen."

"Oh, if I got my proper sleep, no one would come in the road and for sure no one would get out. By your hand, young youth, you will pay for his wife's kiss."

"Oh, don't do that to me, Big Fellow, and I will put the leg I found outside under you as it was before. Now won't you let me out on the road?"

"Oh, you won't go out onto the road. You won't go until the Giant of Dún an Óir comes in and you pay for the kiss of his wife."

"Oh, let me out onto the road and I will put the leg I found outside under you as it was before."

He put the leg under him.

"Now, Big Fellow, will you let me out onto the road?"

"You won't go out until you put the other leg under me (...) or your head."

He put the other leg under him.

"Now, will you let me out onto the road?"

"Oh, you won't go out until the Giant of Dún an Óir comes in, because(?) before the Giant of Dún an Óir comes in you will pay for his wife's kiss."

He rose up as far as his shoulder. He (...) seven blows to his head. He hit the warrior(?) hard and cut his head off with a single stroke.

Fonótaí

Tráchtaireacht

Is cosúil gurb éard atá anseo ná leagan den scéal ar a dtugtar Eachtra an amadáin mhóir, scéal a áirítear mar chuid den Fhiannaíocht cé gur annamh a luaitear pearsana na Féinne ann. Bhí an scéal coitianta in Éirinn agus i nGaeltacht na hAlban, agus tá roinnt leaganacha ar marthain, i bprós agus i véarsaíocht araon, agus téann cuid acu seo siar go dtí an t-ochtú céad déag. Cuid de na leaganacha seo, iad siúd atá i bhfoirm laoithe go háirithe, tá greann iontu, ach is iondúil go mbíonn na leaganacha próis níos dáiríre. Féach Gordon Mac Gill-Fhinnein, 'Eachtra an amadáin mhóir', Eighteenth-Century Ireland 4 (1989), 79-81. Creideann údair áirithe go mb'fhéidir go bhfuil baint ag an scéal le scéal rómánsaíochta Artúrach mar gheall ar Sir Percival agus an Rí Créachtach (Fisher King), a bhfuil roinnt de na móitífeanna céanna ann. Féach L. Muehlhausen, 'Neue Beiträge zum Perceval-Thema', Zeitschrift für Celtische Philologie 27 (1927), 1–30, agus Sheila Joyce McHugh, 'The lay of the big fool', Modern Philology 42:4 (1945), 197-211. Ar na leaganacha eile den scéal seo i gcló tá Alexander Cameron (eag.), Reliquiae Celtique (Inbhir Nis, 1892), 289–94, agus Jeremiah Curtin, Hero tales of Ireland (Boston, 1894), 140-62. Féach leis James McKillop, A dictionary of Celtic mythology (Oxford, 2004), 146.