Saile agus an Sagart

This week I’ve decided to return to Éamonn a’ Búrc’s stories, as collected by Liam Mac Coisdealbha. This was because the selections from Annála Beaga ó Iorrus Aithneach were getting smaller, and there wasn’t as much to point out dialectally in them because of that. I’ll return to them eventually, as I’d love to get the whole book online for easy reference as it’s out of print (and I still haven’t managed to get a physical copy of it myself).

Anyway, this story, Saile agus an Sagart, comes from the Main Manuscript Collection of the IFC, and is used with permission from them, as with the previous works from Éamonn a’ Búrc. “A Saile” adeir Seán, “táim-se ag ul

Fear bocht a bhí annseo fadó ⁊ phós sé bean an-bhocht eile. Agus bu dhé an t-ainm a bhí air Seán ⁊ bu dh’é an t-ainm a bhí ar a’ mbean Saile. Bliain a bhí siad posta díreach nuair a bhí mac óg acab. “A Saile,” adeir Seán, “táim-se ag ul go dtí an sagart leis a’ páiste a bhaiste.” “Gohad,” adeir Saile. Chua. Agus nuair a gho sí go dtí an sagart, ag teach a phobuil, bhí cruinniú mór daoiní ann. Agus thug a’ sagart faoi deara Saile ina seasa suas ⁊ a’ páiste aici.

“Páiste atá agad,” adeir a’ sagart. “Páiste ‘tá a’d,”adeir Saile.

“Basite an pháiste atá tú gul?” adeir an sagart “Basite an pháiste atá tú gul?” adeir Saile.

“Cén t-ainm atá ort-sa?” adeir a’ sagart. “Cén t-ainm atá ort-sa?” adeir Saile

“Cén t-ainm atá ar t’fhear?” adeir a’ sagart. “Cén t-ainm atá ar t’fhear?” adeir Saile

“Uisge,” adeir a’ sagart. “Uisge,” adeir Saile.

“Salann,” adeir a’ sagart. “Salann,” adeir Saile

“Baireach,” adeir a’ sagart. “Baireach,” adeir Saile

“Cé an sórt bean thú héin?” adeir a ‘Sagart. “Cén sórt bean thú héin?” adeir Saile

“Cé tá a seasa leis a’ bpáiste?” adeir a Sagart. “Cé tá a’ seasa leis a’ pbáiste?’ adeir Saile.

“bhfuil aon fhear a’d a chuirfeas tú un baiste leis a’ bpáiste?” adeir a’ sagart. “bhfuil aon fhear a’d [a chuirfeas tú un baiste leis a’ bpáiste]?” adeir Saile.

“Cá’il an bhean a ghohas un baiste leis a’ bpáiste?” adeir a’ sagart “Cá’il an bhean [a ghohas un baiste leis a’ bpáiste]?” adeir Saile.

“Cén sórt bean thú héin chor ar bith?” adeir a’ sagart. “Cén sort bean [thú héin chor ar bith]?” adeir Saile.

“Fág m’afarc!” adeir a’ sagart. “Fág m’afarc!” adeir Saile.

“Téir’ abhaile!” adeir a’ sagart. “Téir’ abhaile!” adeir Saile

“Bhfuil tú gul a’ baiste an pháiste?” adeir a’ sagart. “Bhfuil tú gul a baiste an pháiste?” adeir Saile

“Cé as thú?” adeir a’ sagart. “Cé as thú?” adeir Saile

“Glan as m’afarc,” adeir a’ Sagart. “Glan as m’afarc!” adeir Saile

“Buailfe mé dhó mhaide thú!” “Buailfe mé go mhaide thú!” adeir Saile.

“Bí ag imeacht as m’afarc!” adeir a’ sagart, “⁊ ná feicim afarc níos mó ort!” “Bí ag imeacht as m’afarc! ⁊ ná feicim afarc níos mó ort!” adeir Saile

D’imi an sagart ⁊ d’fhága sé Saile annsin. Gho Saile abhaile. Ar a’ mbealach abhaile, casú bean di. “Go mbeannauí Dia Dhuit, a Saile” “Dia’s Muire dhuit,” adeir Saile

“Ar bhaist tú an páiste, a Saile? “Bhaisteas.”

“Cén t-ainm a thug tú air?” “Thug mé Seán.”

Ní i bhfad bhí sí siúl nuair a casú bean eile dhi. “Tá tú — an páiste baisdí a’d,” adeir a’ tseanbhean eile. “Tá,” adeir Saile. “Cén t-ainm thug tú air?” “Thug mé Seán”

Tháinic sí abhaile. Bhí Seán roímpi – a fear. “Bhfuil an páiste basdí, a Saile?” “Tá” “Cé an t-ainm thug tú air?” “Thug mé Seán – cén t-ainm thiúrach mé air ach t’ainm héin.”

Nuair a shuidh sí síos, is gearr gus thosui an páiste a’ caoine. “A Sheán,” adeirsí, “is olc a chua an baiste gon pháiste.”

Ach fuair as sagart – fuair sé tuairisg ar a’ mbean a ru an páiste aici, nuair nach ru sé baistíthe, ⁊ dúirt sé go cathfar sé a dhul go dtí í, gan a’ páistea leigean suas – gan a leigean ní b’fhuide – nó go mbaistear sé é. Agus táinic a sagart un a’ tí go dtí Saile ⁊ bhí Saile istigh roimhe. “Go mbeannuí Dia annseo,” adeir a’ Sagart. “Go meannuí Dia’s Muire dhuit,” adeir Saile. “Cá’il a’ páiste?” “Tá sé annseo>” “Cathfa muid é bhaiste,” adeir a’ sagart. “Nár bhaist tú hana é?” adeir Saile. “Céard tá tú rá?” adeir a’ sagart. “Éist thusa do bhéal!” adeir sí, “⁊ ní maith a chua sé dhó! Níl ann ach go bhfuil sé beó ó bhaist tú é!” “Tá mé ‘gul dhá bhaiste anois,” adeir a’ sagart. “Ní bhaistfe,” adeir Saile. “Baistfead,” adeir a’ sagart. “Ní bhaistfir,” adeir Saile. “má théigheann tú dhá bhaiste aríst, deoul a mbeidh beó chor ar bith dhe!” “Céard tá tú rá?” adeir a’ sagart. “Cathfa muid an páistea bhaiste – ní leifge muid un báis é go mbaisteó.” “Leigfe,” adeir Saile. “ní bhaistfe muid níos mó é, nó má théigheann tusa dhá bhaiste an darna h-uaire beidh sé caillte uilig. Níl ann ach go bhfuil sé beo mar tá sé. “Dún do bhéal!” adeir a’ sagart. “Dún tusa do bhéal!” adeir Saile. “Buailfe mé gon mhaide thú!” adeir a’ sagart. “Buailfe mise gon tlú thusa!” adeir Saile. D’eiri an sagart go bhfát sé an páiste le baiste. Agus d’eiri Saile ⁊ fuair sí an sluasad,” ⁊ d’iúnnsui sí héin ⁊ a’ sagart a’ cliobhart a chéile, go mb’éigin gon sagart a dhul abhaile gan an páiste a bhaiste, ⁊ bhí an páiste cáillte ar maidin.

• Bu dhé/bu dh’é – In the standard this would be ba é, but in Connemara there’s a glide before it, giving ba dh’é. You’ll often see ba written as badh in older works, and it accurately reflects this (Ó Cadhain, for instance, uses badh in the original edition of Idir Shúgradh is Dáiríre)
• ag ul – ag dul in the standard. Likely a’ gul as dul is often said goil or ghoil in Connemara and the g is often left off ag before consonants in all dialects.
• Gohad – In Connemara, gabh has replaced rach- as the future stem of téigh. This is also a synthetic form, so it means “I will go”.
• Chua – In Connemara, the -igh endings of verbs are just schwas. This represents that. Other instances will likely appear, which I won’t repeat
• gho – Ghabh; this is just how it’s said in Connemara. It seems they’re using it here for chuaigh.
• Teach a’ phubail – Teach an phobail in the modern spelling. This is the Connemara way to talk about church.
• daoiní – This is hold daoine is said, with the í (actually, it varies throughout Connemara and Cois Fhairrge; a friend has made some maps, maybe I’ll share them soon with his permission)
• a’ sagart – As you can likely notice already, an is often a’ before consonants, especially if it’s preceded by a consonant. This happens in all dialects, and actually is written in Scottish Gaelic (as well as the sandhi it undergoes). Sadly this wasn’t adopted in Irish orthography
• seasa – seasamh; two syllable words ending with ‘(e)amh’ are often shortened to end with the schwa. Same happens in Gaillimh – Gaille.
• t’fhear – As far as I’m aware, in all dialects when do (your) is shortened to d’ it becomes devoiced. This is a better realization of it than in modern orthography (go figure!)
• héin – féin in the standard. It’s often héin in Connemara though usually written fhéin, even though that doesn’t accurately reflect pronunciation since <fh> is silent.
• Cé tá – cé atá. The first a (the relative clause particle) is often elided in speech
• a seasa – ag seasa. the /g/ is often lost before consonants in speech (in all dialects)
• bhfuil – an is often dropped in speech. Happens in all dialects, afaik
• chuirfeas – Future relative clause form of cuir. Occurs in Connemara and Ulster nowadays. Still very much in use, for all verbs.
• cá’il – How cá bhfuil is said in Connemara.
• ghohas – Future relative form of gabh.
• afarc – amharc
• Téir – Téir(e) is often used in Connemara instead of téigh.
• Buailfe – Buailfidh in the standard. the <idh> is often a schwa in Connemara, and is written that way here.
• d’fhága – How d’fhág is often said in Connemara.
• casú – casadh in the standard. First conjucation autonomous is often /u:/ in Connemara int he past tense.
• Bhaisteas – An echo for using the synthetic forms. “I baptized”
• báisdí – Verbal adjectives often end with í in Connemara.
• thiúrhach – Conditional of tabhair. Often uses tiúr as a root in Connemara.
• a ru – a raibh; remember <u> was often used for schwa in the past, were <a> would be now.
• hana – cheana
• Céard tá tú rá – After a vowel sound, the <a> in <ag> is often elided. Before a consonant, the <g> is. If both occur, it can be left out.
• deoul – Pretty sure this si supposed to be diabhal, pronounced deabhal and used as an intesnifer.
• darna – dara
• go bhfát – It’s likely that this is supposed to be go bhfaighfeadh. faigh is pronounced fagh in Connemara, as if it had a long /a/, and before sé/sí/siad, the /x/ of the conditional becomes a /t’/
• sluasad – sluasaid
• d’iúnnsui – d’ionsaigh. Words of this type often have a ú sound.
• cliobairt – clibirt
• éigin – How éigean is often said in Conemara.