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Séadna - Cobbler with 3 Shillings II.

Séadna - Cobbler Story... Chapter 2.

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I don't know if it is still so, but for my generation the grandest story for Irish children ever to be made available to us at school was, without doubt, 'Séadna by Canon Peadar Ó Laoire. It had all the ingredients for capturing and holding the attention of the young. 'A good tale, well told' .,, it moved breathlessly onwards carrying us to a nail-biting conclusion. ...Caoimhghín Ó Brolcháin

éadna in this second chapter is rewarded for his kindness to those who came to him in need. He ran out of the leather he uses to make shoes, and went off to buy more. On the way, 3 people beg alms from him, and he gives to each, finally giving away the last of his money . For this he incurs the wrath of the Fear Dubh.

9. Shuí Séadna bocht síos ar thaobh an bhóthair agus thochais sé a cheann...ní raibh fhéidir leis a chréidúint mar do thuit gach ní amach- (nó ar tharla siad chor ar bith?)....ach, nuair a chuardaigh sé a phócai, bhain a chóta de agus thosnaigh é a chroitheadh agus fiú an taobh contráilte den a shean cáibín a chuireadh amach, ní raibh amhras ar bith ann ach go raibh na trí scilleacha imithe ! Tharla gach rud gan dabht...ní raibh sé ag brionglóidigh in aon chor ! Cad a dhéanfaidh sé anois gan leathar ? Ní bheadh sé ar a chumas brógaí ar bith a dhéanamh gan abhar. )

9. Well poor Séadna sat down at the side of the road and scratched his head...he couldn't believe what he had seen and heard that morning... but when he searched his pockets, took off and shook his old coat and even turned his old 'caubeen' (hat) inside out, there was no doubt about it - the three shillings were gone! It must have all happened - he hadn't been dreaming! What could he do now for leather - and how could he make boots without it ?

10. (I ndéire na dála dhéin sé a aigne suas go mbuailfidh sé isteach sa baile agus ghlaoch ar a shean chara Diarmaid Uí Marlaigh an tsiopa leathair...Beidh leathair le fáil on bhfear machánta sin ar iasacht go dtí go mbeadh brógaí déanta agus díolta aige..Sin é! Seift iontach dob eadh é! Mar sin, d'éirigh sé, chuir a shean cáibín briste bruite ar a cheann arís agus cheangal sé a shean chóta gioblach timcheall air féin leis an giota téid gruaigheach a bhí aige don jab sin agus bhuail sé síos an bhóthair arís eile.)

10. At last he decided to go on into town and call in to his old friend Diarmaid Marley who kept the leather shop... he would let him have some leather until he had made and sold some boots and could pay him back... That's what he would do... It was a grand plan ! So he picked himself up, put his battered old 'caubeen' back on his head, fastened his old raggedy coat around him with the bit of hairy rope he had for that purpose and set off once more down the road.

11. O Ní raibh ach cúpla coiscéim thugtha aige nuair a chonnaic sé, agus é faoi dubh-íontas, aingeal álainn go hard san aer os chionn sceach agus thit sé síos ar a dhá ghlúin... agus bhain sé an cáibín ón a cheann. Thosnaigh an t-aingeal ag cainnt leis i nGaeilge agus duirt os ard, A Shéadna! Dia's Muire dhuit! O....O-oo-oo-oh...Dia's Muire dhuit is Pádraig...!- bheannaigh Séadna thar nais le guth creathánach. Tá Dia baoch duit. Aingeal iseadh mise. Anois, tá trí trí ghuí agat le fáil ó Dhia na Glóire. Iar ar Dhia aon trí ghuí is toil leat agus gheobhair.Ach tá aon chomhairle amhain agamsa le thabhairt duit. Ná déan dearmad ar an Trócaire! Guí go mbeidh leaba i measg na naomh agat nuair a gheobhair bás ! O O Agus an ndeirir liom go bhfaighead mo ghuí? O arsa Séadna. O Deirim, gan amhras, - arsa an t-aingeal.)

11. He hadn't gone more than a few steps when he saw, to his amazement... up in the air floating over a hawthorn 'sceach'(bush)...a beautiful angel...and he fell to his knees, snatching the 'caubeen' from his head. -O-oo-oo-oh!� said Séadna...and he was terrified...The angel spoke to him in Irish and said in a loud voice, O A Shéadna ! Dia's Muire dhuit! O (God and Mary be with you Séadna!)... O O-ooo-oh...Dia's...Muire dhuit.... is... Pádraig...! O (God and Mary...and... Saint Patrick... be with you .. ! said Séadna,.. giving the correct reply... in a quavering voice. - God is pleased with you... I am an angel. Now, you can have three wishes from the God of Glory. Ask of God any three wishes you want to and you will get them. But one piece of advice I have for you...Do not forget to ask for mercy.... Let one of those wishes be that you can go to Heaven when you die! - O And do you tell me that I will get my wishes ? - said Seadna. O I do, of course ! - said the angel.

12. (Bhí ionadh mór ar Shéadna...agus b'fhada sar a b' fhéidir leis aon freagra a thabhairt. O Aon tri rudai AR BITH ? - d'fhíafraigh sé - ach níor thug an t-aingeal freagra in aon chor ach d'fhán sé thuas san aer os chionn an tsean sceach, ag feitheamh ina thost agus Séadna ag smaoineamh ar cén rogha ab fhearr a bhaint astu. Sa deireadh, bhí aigne Shéadna déanta suas aige agus labhair sé os ard go misnúil. -Bhuel, tá sean cathaoir shúgáin bheag dheas agam sa bhaile agus um tráthnóna agus mo chuid oibre déanta agam, is breá liom bheith 'mo shuí ann os comhair an tine amach agus bionn néal codalta agam ar mo shuaimhneas dom féin. Ach tagann gach bligeárd sa pharóiste isteach agus ní foláir leis suí inti ag léigint a scíth agus níl áit ar bith domsa ! AN CHÉAD DUINE EILE, A SHUÍFIDH INTI ACH MÉ FÉIN - GO gCeangla SÉ INTI ! - ... O-OO-OOH... Fáire, fáire a Shéadna !... Sin guí breá imithe gan tairbhe.Tá dhá cheann eile agat, agus na dearmhaid an Trócaire !... IARR AR DIA GO MBEIDH ÁIT AR NEAMH AGAT NUAIR A GHEOBHAIR BÁS !!)

12. Seadna was amazed...and it was some time before he could think of a reply... - ANY THREE THINGS ? O he queried...but the angel didn't answer him...he simply waited for Seadna to make up his mind and remained floating over the thorny old 'sceach'... At last, Séadna, having thought about the matter, took courage and spoke up. O Well now...At home, I have a nice little old rocking chair O the 'cathaoir sugáin' ... and every evening, after work, I like to sit in it in front of the fire and have a snooze for myself... Every blackguard in the parish thinks he can call in...sit himself in my chair and take his ease... and I have no place to sit ! THE NEXT PERSON WHO SITS IN THAT CHAIR EXCEPT MYSELF... MAY HE STICK TO IT!-... O OO-OOH Seadna, shame on you ! That was one fine wish wasted... You have two more and don't forget the mercy! ASK GOD THAT YOU MAY HAVE A PLACE IN HEAVEN WHEN YOU DIE !

13. (Ní raibh aon fonn ar Shéadna bheith ag éisteacht le h-aoinne - ba cuma leis aingeal nó diabhal bheith ann. - Ó, seadh ! Is beag na rinné me dearmad air...Tá mealbhóigín mine agam sa bhaile agus an uile bligeard a thagann isteach, ní foláir dó a dhorn a shá inti. AN CHÉAD DUINE EILE A CHUIRFIDH LÁMH SA MEALBHÓIGÍN SIN, ACH MÉ FÉIN...GO GCEANGLA SÉ INTI ! )

13. Seadna was in no mood to listen to anyone's advice - whether it be angel or divil that was there ! -Oh yes... I nearly forgot ! At home I have a bag of oatmeal - the 'Mála Míne' hanging on the wall - and every blackguard in the parish who comes in ,thinks he can just stick his fist down into it and take a big fistful of oatmeal... Very soon there's nothing left for myself ! THE NEXT PERSON WHO STICKS HIS HAND INTO THAT BAG... EXCEPT MYSELF...MAY HE STICK TO IT !-

14. (D'fhéac an t-aingeal go han-bhrónach ar Shéadna le tamaill fada. - OO-OO-OOH A SHÉADNA! NACH TUSA AN t-Amadán IS MÓ ! DHÁ GHUÍ IMITHE GAN TAIRBHE ! NÍL AGAT ACH AON GHUÍ AMHAIN EILE... IAR TRÓCAIRE Dé DOT ANAM ! - Is beag nar dhéin me dearmad air! Tá crann beag úll agam i leataoibh mo dhorais agus an uile bhligeárd a thagann cugam , ní folair leis a lámh a chur in airde agus úll a bhreith leis. An chéad duine eile, ach mé fein, a chuirfidh lámh sa chrann san, go gceangla sé ann! Ó, a dhaoine, - ar seisean, ag sceartadh ar gháiri,nach agam a bheidh an spórt orthu ! - D'fheac an t-aingeal go brónach ar Shéadna aon uair amhain eile agus d'imthig sé as radharc.)

14. The angel looked very sorrowfully at Seadna for a long while...-OO-OOO-OOH SÉADNA!! TWO GREAT WISHES GONE...YOU FOOLISH MAN! ... YOU HAVE ONE WISH LEFT... DON'T FORGET TO ASK FOR HEAVEN FOR YOUR SOUL! - - Oh yes, - said Séadna, - I remembered just in time ! At home I have the 'Crann úll' - the Apple Tree...with the finest apples in the whole of Ireland!... Every blackguard in the parish thinks he can just climb up in my tree and help himself to my apples THE NEXT PERSON ... EXCEPT MYSELF... WHO CLIMBS UP IN THAT TREE... MAY HE STICK TO IT! - The angel looked sorrowfully at Séadna once more and then vanished.

15. (D'fhuair Séadna sé é féin ar thaobh an bhóthair ar a aonar agus a shean cáibín brúite briste in a dhá lámh... thóg sé tamaillín sar a dhúisigh sé. Is ansan thuig sé an méid amadántaoicht a bhí déanta aige. - Oo-oo-ooh! Nach mise an t-amadán is mó in Éireann !... Cad na thaobh nar iarr mé airgead ?... Níl pingin agam!... no capall féin... Seo ag siúil mé ar mo dhá sheana cosaibh an bóthair fada go dtí an baile....nó bó!... agus biodh mé ag crú dhá uair sa ló... agus b'fhéidir go mbéadh blúire ime agam anois is arís !) 15. Séadna found himself standing alone by the roadside clutching his battered old 'Caubeen' in his hands... and it was a while before he came out of his daze... Then he realized the extent of his foolishness...-Oo-oo-ooh! What an 'amadawn' (fool) I am !!...I could have asked for money... I haven't a penny!... I could have asked for a horse!... and here I am having to walk into town on my own two poor ould feet...I could have asked for a cow!...and I could have milked her twice a day...and maybe made a bit of a bit of butter for myself...! -

16. (Fé dhéire thuig sé nach raibh an dára rogha aige ach dul isteach go dtí shean Uí Marlaigh agus iarr beagáinín leathair uaidh ar iasacht...chuir sé a shean cáibín ar a cheann arís eile, cheangal sé an téad timcheall a shean chóta ghiobalach agus bhuail sé an bóthar arís go dtí Mágh Chruma.)

16. At last he realized that he still had to go into town and ask ould Marley for the loan of enough leather to make a pair of boots...so he crammed his ould 'caubeen' back on his head, fastened his raggedy old coat round him with the bit of hairy rope he kept for that purpose and set off once more for Macroom....

17. (Ní raibh fhaid a chois súilte aige gur chualla sé torann uabhásach mór agus chonnaic sé splanc thintrí ...agus bhí boladh bréan san aer agus neal deatach dubh...agus go díreach os a chomhair amach bhí radharc uathbhásach ar fad...Fear fada caol dubh... adharca gabhair ar a cheann... dhá cosa tairbh fé...eirball tsionnaigh crochta taobh thiar dó! D'dhéach sé go nimhneach ar Shéadna bocht agus mheilt sé a chuid fiachaill buí uafásacha le chéile le neart fhearga...Tháinig tinecreasa as a dha shúil... - HAA-AAGH A SHÉADNA!! INNIU TÁ TRÍ BEART DÉANTA AGAT I gCOINNE MISE !! - agus chuir sé dranntán as.)
(Beídh níos mó agaíbh an chead uaír eíle !)

17. He hadn't gone the length of his foot before he heard an awful bang and saw a blinding flash...and there was a terrible stink in the air...and there was a cloud of black smoke...and there, in the road in front of him stood a dreadful looking figure...A tall dark man...the horns of a goat on his head...the two feet of a bull under him...the tail of a fox hanging down behind him! He glared at Séadna and began to grind his terrible yellow teeth in a rage...and sparks flew out of his eyes..- HAA-AAGH SÉADNA ! THIS DAY YOU HAVE DONE THREE TERRIBLE THINGS AGAINST ME! - he growled...

to be continued...

 
We would like to acknowledge that, because of unavoidable condensing, necessary for fitting this tale into the space available, some alteration in plot has had to be made. We have, however, tried to use An tAth Peadar's own beautiful West Cork Gaelic as far as possible.

Courtesy of Jack & Vivian, IrishPage.com Dec. 2009
Click here for Séadna Chapter 1
Click here for Séadna Chapter 2
Replay background music: Dawning of the Day...
Sequenced by Barry Taylor.
Ar mbuiochas le Caoimhghín Ó Brolcháin
ar son a chabhair leis an nGaedhilge


Filleadh go clár scéalta
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