D. Is fíor ḋom é.
T. Do b’uaṫḃásaċ an obair í. Ní ḟeadar an mó ceud bliaḋain atá ó cloiseaḋ a leiṫéid i m-Baile-aṫa-Cliaṫ roiṁe so. Ba ṁaiṫ liom a ḟios a ḃeiṫ agam cad duḃradar go léir.
D. Ní’l agat aċt fios a ċur ar an bpáipeur, agus ġeaḃair “fios-fáṫ in aġaiḋ an sgéil” ann.
T. Déanfad san; agus nuair ḃéiḋ an ċeud Ḟéis eile dá cruinniuġaḋ, ní gan ḟios domsa cruinneóċar í.
D. Is maiṫ liom ṫú d’á ráḋ san. Slán leat anois.
T. Go dtugaiḋ Dia lá maiṫ ḋuit.
(Sgaraid ó chéile.)
Translation.
Mor[1] to you, Taḋg; Mor and Mary to you! Were you at the Congress? What Congress? The Gaelic Congress. I was not, where was it? In Dublin. For what?[2] To preserve[3] the Gaelic. And where is the Gaelic going that it is a necessity to preserve it? It is going out of the world fast.[4] Yerra! what is it that you are saying? I am saying that the Gaelic is going, and that unless a powerful effort is made to preserve it, that it is short until there will not be a word of Gaelic spoken in Erin. Indeed, Dermot, you have always been queer.[5] You think to persuade (lit., put it lying on) me that the people of Erin will soon be going about like “dummies.” Who said the like of that? I heard you say that soon there would not be a word of speech in Erin, and that it was necessary to gather a Congress in Dublin in order to keep a hold of the speech, and how could people without speech be but dumb? I did not say[6] that there would soon not be a word of speech in Erin, but I said, and do say, that soon there will not be a word of Gaelic in Erin. And is not Gaelic speech? It is, but there is speech which is not Gaelic. What speech is that? English, for instance.[7] Oh, I understand you now. You are afraid that the language of the country will change from Gaelic to English, and the Congress was gathered to put a check to that change. You have put your finger on it at last. Do you think you will succeed? All I can say is,[8] we will our best. Were there many at the Congress? Crowds![9] Who was in the chair? The Lord Mayor of the city. Who were the others there? They were there from all sides, . . . . . . . many other expert “Irishians” from west, north and south. Look here. I don’t understand myself what use it is for the Gaelic that all these should come together in that way, chat a while, and then go home. I don’t see, you understand, any[10] work done after them. Well, but[11] they made laws and rules, and put a bond and obligation on themselves to carry out these rules in future. It is easy to make rules. What rules did they arrange? Did they oblige people to speak Irish, instead of English, in their ordinary business? That was the very rule they laid down most strictly. That everyone should speak Irish? Undoubtedly! Whisper here to me, Dermot, did they speak it themselves? Almost every man that was there representing the Gaelic League made his public speech in Gaelic, in presence of the ladies and gentlemen there. Do you say so? (lit., do ye hear?) ’Tis true for me. It was great work. I don't know (= I wonder) how many centuries ago it is since the like was heard in Dublin before, and I should like to know what they all said. You have only to send for the paper, and you will get a full account[12] of the story. I will do that; and when the next Congress is a-gathering, it will not be gathered unknown to me. I am glad to hear you say that. Good-bye, now. Good day to you. (They separate.)
[Another specimen of idiomatic Irish, from the same pen, will be given in next issue.]
Notes.
- ↑ Mór. What the word means in this ordinary salutation is not well known. Some old people say ta Mór ’na suiḋe = the sun is up. The other common salutations in Munster when A. meets B. are: A. Dia ḋuit! B. Dia ’s Muire ḋuit. Or, A. Bail ó Dhia orraiḃ. B. Dia ’s Muire ḋíḃ, and the plural is often used towards one person, for deference sake. Or, A. Dia a’s Muire ḋuit. B. Dia a’s Muire ḋuit, a’s Pádraig. In welcoming one: A. Dé (= Dia do) beaṫa-sa, a Thaiḋg! B. Go mairir-se, a Dhiarmuid! Or, A. Dé ḃeaṫa a ḃaile. B. Go mairir a ḃfad. Or, A. Míle fáilte róṁaiḃ! Answer: Go mairṫí slán! When separating: (A.) Go dtugaiḋ Dia lá maiṫ ḋuit. (B.) Go dtéiḋir slán, beó.
- ↑ Often shortened to tuige? Ca ’na ṫaoḃ=why, also used.
- ↑ coiṁeud, coimeud, coiṁeád, coimeád, cimeád, all used.
- ↑ This appears to be=tiuġ, thick, but is always used = fast.
- ↑ ait also = maiṫ; hence, is ait liom = I like. In West Connacht, is ait an capall é = a good horse. In Waterford, ait usually = strange, regrettable.
- ↑ In Connacht, níor ’uḃaras.
- ↑ This use of tá is idiomatic, e.g., Cad í an cúis dó a leiṫéid a ḋéanaṁ?' Tá, é ḃeiṫ gan ċiall. Why does he do such things. (The reason is that) he is without sense. The ellipsis might be supplied thus: Tá caint ann naċ Gaeḋilge, Beurla. Tá ċúis ann, ioḋon, é ḃeiṫ gan ċiall.
- ↑ Lit., ’tis how it is. Equivalent phrases are: ní fearr ḃeiṫ ag caint aip, aċt ... Is é a ḃun ar a ḃárr agat, go . . .
- ↑ This conveys the idea of a swarming, undulating mullitude.
- ↑ Puinn, poinn (older poind, French, point) = a jot, any, with negative or interrogative. In the west, dada.
- ↑ Níor ċuiris an glas ar an ndorus. Stó, ní raiḃ an eoċair agam. Why (well, but) I had not the key. Often stón, at end of sentences; seaḋ, stón, yes, but; yes, though.
- ↑ Information and reason for the story.
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