Triúr mac na bardscolóige - Martin Mitchell


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Transcript

Bhí triúr deartháir fadó ann is glaotaí orthu triúr mac na bardscolóige. Agus bhí trí (...) (uathub) agus ní raibh aon trí (...) le fáil acub ó aon duine ach ó Harry deas na leabhar a bhí (...). D'imigh an triúr agus níor tharraingíodar (...) nó go ndeachadar go Luimneach. (...) go dtí Harry. Agus d'iarr siad air... d'fhiafraigh siad dhó an dteastódh buachaillí... triúr buachaillí aimsire uaidh.

Dúirt sé, "Bhfuil aon cheird agaibh?" ar seisean.

"Tá," ar siadsan.

"Cén cheird athá agatsa?"

"Búisté(ara) aonraic," ar seisean.

"Cén cheird athá agatsa?" a deir sé.

"Siúinéaraí mé."

"Cén cheird athá agatsa?"

"Fear (teangacha) (...) san oíche."

"Teastaíonn sibh uaim," ar seisean.

Ar maidin lá arna mháireach dúirt sé leis an mbúistéaraí a ghoil amach agus an bullán a bhí insa stábla a mha-... a mharú, nach raibh aon fheoil acub le haghaidh an dinnéir. Bhuel, chuaigh an búistéaraí amach agus (...) (sé dhó) (...) (fháil réidh). Agus chuir sé air a bhríste agus chuir sé... bhain sé dhó aríst iad agus chuir sé air iad. Chuaigh Harry amach féacha-... féachaint an raibh aon fheoi-... an bullán marbh. Agus ní rabh. Bhí sé ag breathnú air ag baint a chuid éadaigh dhó agus dhá gcur air arís.

"Céard tá ort?" arsa Harry.

"Tá léine le m'athair orm agus léin-... léine le mo mháthair, agus níl a fhios agam cé acu mo mháthair nó m'athair, " a deir sé, "is gaire dhom."

"Nach t'athair?" a deir sé.

"Fear mé," ar seisean.

"Bhuel, tá dhá thrian dho t'athair ionat agus níl ionat ach trian dho do mháthair. Agus is... Ach dhá mba bean thú bheadh dhá thrian dho do mháthair ionat agus aon trian amháin dho t'athair.

Dúirt sé leis mbu-... leis an siúinéaraí a ghoil amach agus (rámhainn) a dhéanamh dhon mhaide a bhí san, ins an yard, sa tsráid. Agus chuaigh sé amach agus thóg sé an tua. (...) agus (...). Lig sé anuas arís go réidh é. Thóg sé aríst é agus lig sé anuas é. Tháinig sé amach (ina choinne is rug sé) (...).

"(Is maith)," a deir seisean.

"Níl," ar seisean. "Tá faistíos orm dhá dtóiginn mo láimh ró-ard," a deir sé, "agus dhá dtarraingínn mo sheanbhuille," a deir sé, "b'fhéidir (...) go mba (...) (talamh íochtair) is gaire dhom."

"Bhuel," a deir sé, "(...) an lár anois."

Agus sin é an fios a bhí uaidh sin. Thit an oíche is dúirt Harry... dúirt Harry, "Shíl mé," a deir sé, "go mba fear teangacha (thusa san oíche)."

"Bhuel, is ea," a deir sé, "ach níl a fhios agam cén (chuid is có)(...) dhom féin," a deir sé, "(nach) (...) (an tí)," a deir sé, "(...)."

"Bhuel," ar seisean, "(...) isteach ann," a deir sé, "(...) fear an tí," a deir sé, "fonn cainte air. Ná bain an chaint as a bhéal," ar seisean. "Tabhair cead cainte dhó," a deir sé. "Ach má bhíonn a cheann faoi aige agus gan é... gan é ag labhairt aon fhocal," a deir sé, "(...)," a deir sé, "agus (...)," a deir sé, "agus bíodh (...)," a deir sé. (Mar) sin é an stuif a (bhíonn) uaidh siúráilte."

Bhuel, ar maidin lá arna mháireach d'imigh... d'éalaigh an triúr amach le giolcadh an éin. Agus chuimhnigh Harry ansin go mbudh é an trí scéiméaraí (...) uathub. (...) Dúirt (sé lena fhear) éirí agus an capall is fearr a bhí insa stábla a thabhairt (léithi) agus na trí (...) a thabhairt abhaile aige ar chaoi ar bith. D'imigh sé ina ndiaidh agus d'airíodar ag teacht é. Ara, nuair a thosaíodar ag bualadh a chéile i lár an bhóthair chomh mear in Éirinn agus ab fhéidir leothu é tháinig sé suas.

"Céard tá oraibh?" ar seisean.

"Á, muise, ag troid faoi oidhríocht," a deir sé, "a d'fhágaibh m'athair againn."

"Cén... céard é?" ar seisean.

"Crann," ar siadsan.

"Céard d'fhág sé agatsa dhó?" a deir sé.

"D'fhág sé an méid a bhí faoi thalamh agus (...) (talúna) dhó," a deir sé, "(dhom)."

"Céard d'fhág sé agatsa dhó?" ar seisean.

"D'fhág sé an méid a bhí cam agus díreach agam dhó," ar seisean.

"Céard d'fhág sé agatsa dhó?"

"D'fhág sé an méid a bhí úr agus críon dó dhom," ar seisean.

"Bhuel, níl a fhios agam," a deir sé, "cé acu is... cé acu... cé acu is deise," a deir sé. "Cé agaibh is sine?" a deir sé.

"Níl a fhios agam," ar siadsan, "ach leanaim m'athair (...) agus níor chaill mé (grán) ná níor (...) mé (grán) ariamh agus (grán, chaill mé chuile ghreán acub is mé dho mo bhearradh féin.) (...). Agus (...)."

Translation

Translation in hand. Aistriúchán go Béarla idir lámha.

Commentary

This is a version of a folktale that appears to be particular to counties Galway and Mayo, and is usually titled 'Triúr Clainne na Bardscolóige', or 'Triúr Mac na Bardscolóige'. It involves three sons who have unusual questions or enquiries, and their subsequent quest to find answers. It does not appear in catalogues of international folktales, nor does it seem to have been recorded in Seán Ó Súilleabháin and Rieder Th. Christiansen's The types of the Irish folktale (Helsinki, 1968). Over twenty versions of the story have been recorded from Conamara, however, and can be found in the National Folklore Collection (UCD). A catalogue of versions has been prepared by Ian Ó Catháin for a doctoral thesis entitled 'Micheál Breathnach agus traidisiún na scéalaíochta in Iar-Chonamara' (Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, 2011). Two other versions appeared in pamphlets that were issued by Conradh na Gaeilge in the early twentieth century, and appear to be transcriptions of oral versions that were recited at the annual Oireachtas storytelling competition. See Micheál Mhag Ruaidhrí, Triúr clainne na bard scolóige: sean scéalta ó Thír Amhalgadha (Dublin, 1914) and Seosamh Laoide (ed.), Éan an cheoil bhinn (Dublin, 1908).

Although the story seems to be wholly Irish, it is possibly influenced by an international folktale, ATU 460B The journey in search of fortune. See Hans Jorg Uther, The types of international folktales: a classification and bibliography (3 vols, Helsinki, 2004). This concerns a young man who sets out on a quest to ask Fortune a question. On his way he meets others who give him additional questions to ask should he manage to find her. He succeeds, and asks his questions. On his return journey he relates the answers to those he met on the outward journey. The story is not well known in Ireland, with only a handful of examples being recorded. It was collected in Galway, Cork, Kerry and Donegal. See Seán Ó Súilleabháin and Rieder Th. Christiansen, The types of the Irish folktale (Helsinki, 1968). However, the fact that the story is not popular in Ireland, and that the plot is quite different, suggests that any link to the current narrative is likely to be tenuous at best.

Title in English: The three sons of the rustic poet
Digital version published by: Doegen Records Web Project, Royal Irish Academy

Description of the Recording:

Speaker: Martin Mitchell from Co. Galway
Person who made the recording: Karl Tempel
Organizer and administrator of the recording scheme: The Royal Irish Academy
In collaboration with: Lautabteilung, Preußische Staatsbibliothek (now Lautarchiv, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)
Recorded on 20-09-1930 at 11:00:00 in University College, Galway. Recorded on 20-09-1930 at 11:00:00 in University College, Galway.
Archive recording (ID LA_1172g1, from a shellac disk stored in Galway) is 04:03 minutes long. Archive recording (ID LA_1172g1, from a shellac disk stored in Galway) is 04:03 minutes long.
User recording (ID LA_1172g1, from a shellac disk stored in Galway) is 04:02 minutes long. User recording (ID LA_1172g1, from a shellac disk stored in Galway) is 04:02 minutes long.