Amadán Mháire Rua - Red-Haired Mary's Foolish Son

Seán battles the Monster once again ... Episode 7.


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o b'éigin do'n mháistir imeacht agus nuair a fuair Seán imithe é, chomáin sé leis na ba isteach sa choill arís. Dhein sé dithneas maith go ndeachaidh sé go cúirt na n-athach. Fuair sé culaidh airm agus eadaigh an tarna hathaigh agus do chuir sé uime iad. Chomáin sé leis go dtí an stábla agus fuair sé capall an athaigh cheanna agus rug sé ar a cleith ansan. Tháinig sé i n-áirde ar an gcapall agus rug sé ar a chleith ansan agus bhí imeacht neamh-chotianta fé. Bhí malairt datha ar an gcapall agus malairt datha ar a chulaith airm agus eadaigh ná raibh inné roimhe sin. Thug sé aghaidh a chapall ar an gcnoc agus fé dhein an chuain agus ba ró-gheárr an mhoill air dá shroisint. Bhí na háird go léir, timcheall an chuain, dubh le daoinibh agus bhí an bhean óg ceangailte san áit ceanna roimis go raibh sí inné. Dhein Seán ceann ar aghaidh isteach ag triall uirthi agus d'fhiafraigh sé dhi cad é an chúis go raibh sí ansan. D'innis sí dho mar d'innis sí do'n ghaiscioch inne roimhe sin agus duirt sí gur tháinig gaiscioch inne do shabháil í agus go raibh súil aici go dtiocfaidh sé inniu agus go sabhalfadh sí arís í.

47. The master had to go and when Seán found him absent, he drove the cows into the forest again.
He made good speed until he came to the giant's castle and he got the suit of armour belonging to the second giant and he put it on. He carried on until he came to the stable and he got the horse which belonged to that giant, grabbed his club then mounted and set off at a great speed. His horse was a different colour from the day before as was his armour and he turned his horse's head towards the hill and the little harbour and it wasn't long before he got there. The whole hillside around the harbour was packed with people and the young lady was tied in the same place that she had been the day before. Seán rode straight over to her and asked her why she was tied there like that and she explained the situation to him, as she had told the hero of the previous day, and then she told how a brave young man had come to save her and that she had great hopes that he would come again today.

48. "Má thigeann an fear inné," ars' an gaiscioch, "leigfaidh mé do féinig agus do'n pheist a chéile a throid agus mara dtiocfaidh, deanfaidh mé féin mo dhicheall duit." "Dealruigheann tú a ghaiscigh," ars' ise, " go bhfuileann tú cortha agus tar anuas ded' chapall agus ceangail do'n chrann san thall í agus leig do cheann im' ucht mar tá uair an chloig fós sar a dtiocfaidh an phiast." Le linn é teacht anuas d'á chapall anuas, chonnaic sí an chleith agus d'aithin sí gur bh'é an fear céanna é do shabháil inne í agus bhí ana-athas uirthe. Nuair a bhí an chapall ceangailte aige, leig sé a cheann 'n-a hucht agus leig sé air titim 'na shámh-chodladh. Do thóg sí an hata d'á cheann agus chonnaic sí ionad an loca gruaige do bhain sí as inné roimhe sin. Fuair sí deimheas beag agus bhain sí loca eile dhe agus chuir sí chúiche go daingeann i gcoimeád é. Nuair a bhí an uair suas, ghlaoch sí ar an ngaiscioch agus duirt sí leis eirigh 'n-a shuí go raibh an aimsir caithte agus gur cheart do'n phéist bheith anseo anois.

48. "If the man who came yesterday comes," the hero said, "I'll leave them alone to fight together but if he doesn't come, I myself will do my best for you." "You must be tired after your journey. Why don't you get down off your horse and tie it to the post then come and lay your head on my breast, because there is an hour yet before the monster is due to come." Whilst he was getting down off his horse, she saw his club and she recognised that he was the same man from yesterday and she as delighted. When he had tethered his horse, he laid his head on her breast and let on that he had fallen fast asleep. She lifted his hat and saw the place where she had cut off the lock of hair the previous day. She got the little scissors and cut another lock off and hid it safely. When the hour was up, she called him and told him that he should get up to his feet because the time was gone and the monster should be coming any time now.

49. D'eirigh sé agus d'imigh sé go dtí bruach na fairrge agus ní fheacaidh sé an phiast ag teacht. I gcionn suim aimsire thug sé fé ndeara an fhairrge ag corriu acht ní raibh sí leath comh garbh a's bhí sí inné roimhe sin. I gcionn beagáin aimsire, thug sé fé ndeara an phiast ag teacht agus ná raibh sí leath comh laidir a's bhí sí inné. Nuair a chonnaic sé comh lag í dhruid sé leath-taoibh uaithe agus leig sé d'á leath teacht amach as an bport. Le n-a linn sin, do bhuail sé buille d'á chleith uirthe. Bhí uain aige an tarna buille do bheith buailte aige sar ar shrois léi titim isteach sa bhfairrge - agus is í bhí go lag ana-bhfáinneach ag imeacht.. D'fhan sé 'n-a sheasamh ansan go raibh deimhneach ná tiocfadh an phiast a thuilleadh an lá san. Ansan, d'iompaigh sé amach agus ghearr sé na córdai do bhí ag ceangal na mná óige agus duirt sé léi dul abhaile. D'iompaigh sé f'ein i dtreo a chapaill agus nuair a chonnaic sí ag imeacht é duirt sí leis gan imeacht uaithe agus dul i n-einfheacht léi féin agus le n-a hathair abhaile i gcomhair na hoiche le heagla go gcoimeádfadh aon ní amáireach é gan teacht.

49. He got up and went to the water's edge but he couldn't see the monster coming. After a while,
he noticed that the sea was disturbed but it wasn't half as rough as it had been the previous day. In a short while he noticed the monster coming but she wasn't half as strong as it had been the day before. When he saw how weak the monster was, he half turned away and lifted himself up to his full height then he hit her with his club. He wanted to hit her a second time before she was able to come out of the sea and while she was weak and retreating. He stayed standing there until he was certain that the monster wasn't going to return that day. Then he he turned and cut the cords that were fastening the young lady and told her to go home. He turned and went to his horse then, and when she saw him going she pleaded with him not to leave her but to come with her to her father and to spend the night there, for fear that something might prevent him from coming back the next day.
50. "ó ní raghad abhaile i n-aon chor libh," a duirt an gaiscioch, ag eirí de leim ó'n dtalamh agus ag dul ar dhrom a chapall. Thug sé a aghaidh ar an gncoc arís agus as go brach leis go dtáinig sé
go cúirt na n-athach. Chuir sé a chapall isteach i stabla agus bhain sé dhe féin a chulaidh airm agus eadaigh. Chuir sé uime na seana-eadaigh a bhíodh i gcomhnui air agus chomáin sé leis abhaile na ba. Bhí sé ana-dhéanach nuair a tháinig an máistir abhaile an oiche sin. Bhí ochras a dhóthain ar Sheán tar éis an lae agus é ag feitheamh leis chun a shuipéir a thabhairt do. Chrom an máistir ar chursaí an lae innsint do Sheán ar an obair a dhein an gascioch agus ar an gcuma gur throid sé an phiast thar cheann ingine an rí. "éist do bheal," arsa Seán,"Is cuma liom-sa mar gheall ar do ghaiscioch ná ar t'inion an rí, acht tabhair dhom mo shuipéir - agus táim ag tabhairt furáilimh duit gan bheith comh déanach aon oiche eile uaim." Fuair Seán a shuipéir agus chuaidh sé a chodla.

50. "Oh, I won't go home with you at all," said the hero, jumping staight off the ground and onto his horse's back. He faced for the hill again and off with him until heme to the Giant's court. He put the horse in the stable and took off the weapons and armour, then he put on his old clothes that he always wore and he went off driving the cows home. It was very late when the master came home that night and Seán was hungry enough after the day waiting for his supper. The master began to tell of the great work the hero had done and how he had fought the monster because of the king's daughter. "Shut up," said Se/.an, " I'm just not interested in your hero or your king's daughter, but give me my supper - and I'm warning you not to be as late for me on any other night." Seán got his supper and then he went to bed.
51. Ar maidin amáireach, nuair do bhí na ba crúite, scaoil Seán amach iad agus seo 'n-a dhiadh an máistir ag iarraidh é bhreith ag feachaint ar chath an lae sin. Má is eadh, beagán toradh thug Seán air acht a bha a chomáint leis agus nuair a fuair sé an máistir imithe, scaoil sé isteach sa choill arís iad. D'imigh sé air go dtí cuirt na n-athach. Chuir sé air culaidh airm agus eadaigh na seana-mhná agus fuair an t-each caol bán a bhí aici. Do bhí an t-each agus an chulaidh airm ar aon dath amháin agus do bhí an t-each san comh mear agus go mbearfadh sí ar an ngaoith a bhí roimpe agus ní bhearfadh an ghaoth a bhí 'na diadh uirrthe. Phreab Seán i n-airde ar an each agus níor bh'é a dhearmhad a chleith a bhreith leis mar ba ghnath. Thug sé a aghaidh ar an gcnoch arís agus as go brach leis go ndeachaidh sé go dtí an cuan. Nuair a chonnaic na daoine go leir a bhí bailighthe mór-thimpeall an chuan é, shileadar gur duine ó'n tsaol eile é. D'fhoscluigheadar casán tríotha isteach chun gur dheachaidh sé go dtí an bhean óg a bhí ceangailte do'n chrann.

51. Next morning, when the cows had been milked, Seán turned them loose and immediately, out came the master wanting to take him with him to see the battle that day.
Well, if he did, it's small profit he got for his pains from Seán. When he got the master gone, he drove the cows down and into the forest again. He went then to the giants' court and dressed himself with the armour and weapons of the old woman and got her slim, white horse. Horse and equipment were all of the same colour and the horse was so swift that it could catch up with the wind that was in front of it and the wind behind wouldn't be able to catch up with it. Seán sprang up onto the steed and he didn't forget to bring his club with him as usual. He turned his face towards the hill and set off for the harbour. When all the people who were gathered all around the harbour saw him, they thought that he must be from another world. They opened a path through for him so that he could go to the young lady who was tied to the post.

52. Comh luath a's do sheas sé 'n-a fianaise, d'fheach sí ar gach aon phioc de agus b'fhada i n-aon chor gur aithin sí é. Nior aithin go dtí go bhfeacaidh sí an chleith agus nior leig sí pioc uirthe. D'fhiafraigh sé dhi cad do bhí deanta as an slí aici gur ceangluigheadh ansan í. Thainig sí i dtosach a scéil agus d'innis sí dho e trid síos agus duirt sí gur tháinig gaiscioc inné agus gascioch arú inné a dhéin í cosaint ar an bpéist agus go raibh súil aici mara dtiocfadh aoinne aca san inniu go ndeanfadh sé sin í coisaint. "Deanfaidh mé mo dhicheall duit," ars' an gaiscioc, "mara dtiocfaidh aoinne eile." "B'fhéidir go bhfuilann tú cortha," ars' ise, "agus tar anuas ded' chapall agus ceangail do'n chrann san thall é agus leig do cheann im' ucht, mar is fada fós go dtiocfaidh an phiast." Do tháinig agus dhein sé mar a duirt sí leis. Leig sé a cheann 'n-a h-ucht agus leig sé air titim 'n-a dhubh-codladh. Nuair a shamhlaigh an bhean og go raibh sé titithe 'na chodladh, thóg sí suas an hata d'á cheann agus chonnaic sí an dá locha do bhí bainte as a cheann roimhe sin aice. D'aimsigh sí a deimheas ar'is agus bhain sí an triu loca as agus chuir sí chúiche i gcoimead é.

52. As soon as he came into her presence, she looked over every bit of him and it was long before she recognised him at all. Indeed she didn't recognise him until she saw his club and she didn't let on at all. He enquired as to what she had done that she was tied there. She began to go through her story then she told him that a hero had come yesterday and another the day before yesterday to protect her from the monster and that she hoped that he would come again today to protect her. "I will do my best for you," said the hero, "unless anyone else comes." "Perhaps you are worn out, tired," she said, "Come down from your horse and tie it to that post and lay your head on my breast, because it is a long time yet before the monster is due to come." He got down and did as she said to him and laid his head on her breast and he let on that he was fast asleep. When the young lady thought that he had fallen asleep, she lifted the hat from his head and she saw the two places where she had cut the locks from his head previously. She got the little scissors again and cut a third lock and hid it secretly.

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53. Nuair a bhí an aimsir suas chun na péiste do theacht, ghlaoch an bhean óg ar an ngaiscioch. D'eirigh sé 'na shui de phreib agus, mar ná raibh an phiast abalta comh ar theacht comh laidir agus
do thigeadh an dá lá roimhe sin, dhirigh sé ar shiúil síos agus suas ar an draigh ar feadh leath- uaire a' chloig. Fe dheire, chonnaic sé ag teacht í, go mall mí-thapaidh agus d'iompaigh sé leath- taoibh uaithe. Scaoil sé thairis amach í ar an dtrá agus a beal ar leathadh ag iarraidh dul go dtí an bhean óg chun í shlugadh isteach 'n-a craos. Tháinig an gascioch idir í agus an fhairrge agus bhuail sé í le n-a chleith - agus bhuail, agus bhuail chun gur mharbh sé í. D'aimsigh sé a chlaíomh a bhí ar sileadh leis agus bhain sé an ceann de'n phéist. Scoilt sé tríthi siar í, ó mhuineal go heirball. Bhuail sé buille eile crosta trí n-a lár agus d'fhag sé ansan í 'na chúig chuid.

53. When the time for the monster to come was up, she called the hero and he jumped up immediately. Because the monster wasn't able to come with such speed as it had come on the two previous days, he began to march up and down the beach for half an hour. At last he saw it coming, very slowly and painfully. Sean turned sideways on to it and let it go past him onto the shore. It's mouth was open as it tried to reach the young lady and swallow her down into its throat. The hero came between it and the sea and he struck it with his club - and he hit it and he hit it until it was dead.. He drew his sword which was hanging by his side and he slashed off the monster's head. Then he split it right the way down from neck to tail and he gave it another cut right across the middle and he left it lying there in five pieces.

54. Nuair a bhí an méid sin déanta ag an ngascioch, ghearr sé na téadta do bhí ag ceangail na mná óige agus duirt sé lei dul abhaile. Sar a raibh uain aice labhairt, bhí sé ar dhroim a chapaill. Le na linn sin, do líon na daoine go léir 'n-a choinnibh isteach ar an dtráigh chun beirthe air, bhíodar comh buioch san de. As go brách leis nuair a chonnaic sé ag deanamh air iad agus le mire agus meisneamhlacht a chapaill, chaitheadar an áit fhoscailt do, d'á leonta féin, chun gur scuaib sé tríotha amach. D'imigh Seán de dhruim an chnoic as radharc agus níor fhás puinn féir fé chosaibh a chapaill chun go dtáinig sé go cúirt na n-athac. Chuir sé a chapall sa stabla, d'athraigh a chuid éadaigh mar a dheineadh i gcomhnui agus chomáin sé leis abhaile a bha. Nuair a tháinig sé abhaile bhí ochras mór air ach bhí sé mall go leor insan oiche nuair a tháinig an máistir abhaile. Bhi an t-athas go leir air sin agus do luidh sé ar insint do Sheán go raibh inion as rí slán sábháilte taréis na dtrí lá. "Cuma liom cia aca tá nó ná fuil," arsa Seán. "Is mithid dom mo shuipéir fháil." "An amhlaidh nar bhfuarais fós é ?" a duirt an máistir. Fuair an máistir a shuipéir do agus d'ith sé é agus chuaidh sé a chodladh gan aon mhoill.

54. When he had accomplished that much, the hero cut the ropes that were binding the young lady and he told her she could go home. Before she had a chance to say anything, he had leapt up onto his horse's back. While this is happening, all the people began rushing towards him on the beach to carry him off shoulder high, they were so grateful to him. When he saw them coming, he galloped off with all the speed and spirit of his steed so that they had to make way for him all together so that he swept out through them. Sean went out of sight over the hill and no grass grew under the hooves of his steed before he arrived back at the court of the giants. He put the horse into the stable and changed his clothes as usual then drove the cows home again. He had to wait patiently and hungry, until late when the master came home at last. The master was most joyful and he had to tell Seán all about how the king's
daughter had been saved during the three days. "It's all the same to me whether she was saved or not, I just want my supper and I must have it" said Seán. "Oh, haven't you had any supper yet Seán ?" said the master. He got the supper and Seán ate it and went straight to bed.

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.

Courtesy of Jack & Vivian, IrishPage.com April 2024
Ar mbuiochas le Caoimhghín Ó Brolcháin
ar son a chabhair leis an nGaedhilge

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