Transcript

Do bhí fear ann fadó agus bhí beirt mhac aige. Agus dúirt an mac ab óige acu lá lena athair, "A athair, (tabhair domhsa) a bhfuil ag teacht chugham dod chuid." Agus do roinn sé a chuid eatarthu.

I gceann beagán laethanta do bhailigh an fear óg chuige a chuid féin go léir agus d'imigh sé go dúthaigh iasachta i bhfad ó bhaile. Ba ghearr a bhí nuair a scaip sé a chuid go baoisiúil agus go rabairneach. Agus nuair a bhí deireadh caite aige do tháinig gorta ana-dhian sa tír agus do bhí sé in uireasbha. D'imigh sé agus do réitigh sé le duine do mhuintir na tíre sin. Agus do chuir seisean amach chun a chuid tailimh ag cothú mhuc é. Ba mhaith leis a bholg a líonadh don bhia itheadh[1] na muca ach ní thabharfadh éinne dó é.

Do mhachnaigh sé ina aigne agus dúirt sé, "Tá mórán lucht tuarastail a thuilleamh i dtigh mh'athar agus a ndóthain aráin acu, agus mise anso ag fáil bháis don ocras. Éireod agus raghad ar triall ar mh'athair agus déarfad, 'A athair, tá peaca déanta agam in aghaidh neamh agus id láthairse, agus ní fiú mé feasta go ndéarfaí gur mac duit mé. Ach (...) mar dhuine dod lucht tuarastail a thuilleamh.'" Agus d'éirigh sé agus d'imigh sé fé dhéin a athar.

Nuair a chonaic an t-athair ag teacht é do tháinig ana-thrua aige dhó. Rith sé ina choinnibh. Do chaith sé é féin ar a bhráid agus do phóg sé é. Ach dúirt an mac, "A athair, tá peaca déanta agam in aghaidh neamh agus id láthairse agus ní fiú mé feasta go ndéarfaí gur mac duit mé."

Do ghlaoigh an t-athair ar a sheirbhísigh. Agus dúirt sé, "Brostaíg. Tugaig amach an gamhain ra-, an chulaith éadaigh is fearr agus cuiríg uime í. Cuiríg fáinne ar a láimh agus bróga ar a chosaibh. Tugaig libh an gamhain ramhar agus maraíg é. Agus ithimís agus bímís sóch. Mar an mac so liom do bhí marbh tá sé beo arís. Do cailleadh é agus do fuarthas é." Agus do bhíodar go sásta.

Do bhí a mhac críonna amuigh sa pháirc. Agus é a theacht chun an tí do chuala sé an ceol agus an rince. Agus do ghlaoigh sé ar dhuine dhos na seirbhísigh agus d'fhiafraigh sé gad é seo a bhí (ar siúl). Dúirt seisean, "Do tháinig do dheartháir. Do mhairbh t'athair an gamhain ramhar toisc é a theacht slán."

Do tháinig feirg air agus ní raghadh sé isteach. Do tháinig an t-athair amach agus do chrom sé ar thathant air.

Agus dúirt seisean go feargach, "Táimse ag obair leis na blianta so go léir agus ní dhiúlthaíos riamh do rud a dhéanamh ort. Agus níor thugais oiread agus mionnán dom chun sóchas a dhéanamh lem chairdibh. Ach an mac so (agat), chomh luath agus do tháini' sé tar éis a choda do chaitheamh le striapachaibh do mharaís an gamhain ramhar dó."

Dúirt seisean ámhaigh, "A mhic, bhís im fhochair i gcónaí. Is leat a bhfuil agam. Ba chóir bheith sultmhar, go (háirithe) le do dheartháir anso a bhí marbh. Tá sé beo arís. Do cailleadh é agus do fuarthas é."

Translation

Long ago there was a man and he had two sons. And the youngest son said to his father one day, "Father, give me my inheritance." And he divided his wealth between them.

After a few days the young man gathered all of his riches and went to a foreign land far from home. It wasn't long till he began to spend his wealth with wantonness and abandon. And when he had spent the last of it there came a severe famine in the land and he was destitute. He went and he arranged with one of the inhabitants of that land. And [the man] sent him out on his land to look after pigs. He would have liked to fill his belly with the food the pigs were eating but no one would give it to him.

He gave it some thought and said, "There are many people employed in my father's house with enough to eat while I am here dying of hunger. I will get up and go to my father and say, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your presence. And I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But [take me on] as one of your employees.'" And he got up and set off to go to his father.

When his father saw him coming he took great pity on him. He ran towards him. He embraced him and kissed him. But the son said, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your presence and I am no longer worthy to be called your son."

The father summoned his servants. And he said, "Hurry. Bring out the fatted ca-... the best suit of clothes and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. Bring the fatted calf and kill it. And let us eat and be merry. For this son of mine who was dead is alive again. He was lost and he has been found." And they were happy.

His older son was out in the field. As he came towards the house he heard the music and the dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what was going on. [The servant] said, "Your brother has returned. Your father has killed the fatted calf because he has returned safely."

He became angry and refused to go in. The father came out and began to press him.

And he said angrily, "I have been working all these years and I have never refused to do anything for you. And you have never given me so much as a kid goat so that I might make merry with my friends. But this son of yours, as soon as he came, having spent his wealth on prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him."

The father said, however, "Son, you have always been with me. All that I possess is yours. We should be happy, especially with your brother being here who was dead. He is alive again. He was lost and has been found."

Footnotes

Commentary

This telling of the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32) is based on a version supplied to the speaker in advance. See Peadar Ua Laoghaire, Na cheithre Soisgéil as an dTiomna Nua (Dublin, 1915), 191-2. The speaker was encouraged to adapt the text to his own dialect.