Black crow flying from Séadna's roof.
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In this fifth chapter Séadna is at home looking at the clock and waiting to
confront the dark man when he arrives. Séadna has a trap ready for him in
order to gain more time. Wait and see what Séadna has up his sleeve.
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hí an aimsir ag imeacht ar cosa in áirde agus bhí Séadna
ag feitheamh ar an bhFear nDubh. In a aigne féin cheap sé go dtiochfaidh
sé i dtrátha an mheán oiche ar an lá deireanach i gceann
trí mbliana ndéag agus sin mar do thárla. Inniu atá sé
le teacht gan amhras! a dúirt sé in a aigne féin.Tiochfaidh sé
chomh luath agus a bheadh na trí bliana déag caithte...Tá
sparán an mhí-ádh agam fós agus é comh teann is a
bhí ar an gcéad lá... Níor usáideas aon pingin as
ó'n la ar ghoideadh uaim é i lár an aonaigh!... Tabharfadh an leabhar
ná raibh thár trí huaire an chloig ó chonnaic mé an
duine gránna ar an mbóthar go Mhágh Chruma , lá an aonaigh
fadó... Bhí Séadna ina shuí in aice na tine nuair do chualla
sé torann uabhásach, toirneach, le bholadh bréan agus, mar caor
thine, bhí an Fear Dubh ina sheasamh i lár an urláir os a chomair
amach. AH Á Á-Á Á! scread sé os árd. Is od'
iarraidh 'seadh tháinig mé ! Tár liom anois a chladhaire gan mhaith...
Tá an aimsir caithte ! agus bhí sé á nochtadh a chuid
fhíacla ghéara, bhuí.
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36. The time was passing at a gallop and he was waiting for the Dark Man. In his own mind,
Séadna was thinking that he would come about midnight on the last day of the
thirteen years and that's how it turned out. Today he'll come without a doubt! he said in
his own mind. He'll come as soon as the thirteen years are up... The bad luck purse I have
still and it's as full as on the first day... I never used a penny out of it from when it
was stolen from me on the fair day !... I'd swear that it wasn't more than three hours
since I first saw that ugly fellow on the road to Macroom, on the fair day long ago.
Séadna was sitting near the fire when he heard a terrible noise, thunder with an
awful smell and like a thunderbolt, the Dark Man stood on the floor in front of him.
AHAA-AA! he roared loudly. I have come for you, you worthless wretch... THE TIME IS UP !
and he bared his sharp yellow teeth.
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37. Á fán go fóill a bhuachaill Fán go fóill ! Níl
an aimsir imighthe fos ! Nar cuimhin leat nach raibh an sparán agam le cúpla
uair a chloig ? Bhi sé goidithe uaim ag an aonach... Tá am agam fós
!... Ach caithfidh túirse an mór bheith ort tar éis an túras
fada...Cad na thaobh nach léigeann tú do scíth sa cathaoir seo go
cheann tamaill.. Glach do shuaimhneas ! Mhuise, tá'n cheart agat. Táimse
túirseach gan aon agó... Ní miste mo scíth a léigint
agus gráinín den mín bhuí sin sa mhála úd
'tá chrochta ar an bhfalla agat a cogaint...
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37. Ah, wait a bit boy... Wait a bit ! The time isn't up yet ! Don't you remember that I didn't
have the purse for a couple of hours? It was stolen from me at the fair... I have time
yet !... But you must be very weary after your long journey...Why don't you take your ease
in the chair for a while...Take your ease ! Wisha, you are right... I AM tired
certainly... I don't mind taking my ease and chewing a grain of your meal in that bag which
you have hanging on the wall there...
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38. Shuí sé síos sa chathaoir agus,
ag an am céanna,
shín sé a lámh amach agus thóg greim míne...ach
ní raibh fhéidir leis a lámh a tharraingt amach as an mhála !
D'iarr sé éirígh ach theip ar teacht saor ón gcathaoir ach
cómh bheag... Ba greannmhar an radharc é. Bhí lámh
amháin dó suas insan mhála agus a thóin greamaithe leis an
gcathaoir aige. Bhí Séadna ag titeamh as a sheasamh le neart gháire.
Lig uait amach mé! Lig uait amach mé! scread an Fear Dubh agus fearg
mór air. Bhí sé mar a bhéadh eascú ar lic the é
i gcruachas. Thosnaigh sé ag bualadh a choise ar an dtalamh. Bhí an meigeall
ar crith agus ar luascadh. Bhí an da adhairc ar bogadh agus iad ag titimh anonn is
anall ar a cheann. Bhí an t-eireaball siar síos uaidh, sínte amach
agus anuas ar an dtalamh. Níor dhéin Séadna faic. D'fhán
sé go foighneach ag fánacht go raibh saghas ciúineas ann.
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38. He sat down in the chair and, at the same time, stretched out his hand and took a fistful of meal... but he couldn't get his hand out of the bag !... He tried to rise, but he had no more success in getting free of the chair...It was a comical sight. He had one hand stuck up in the bag and his backside was glued to the chair. Séadna was falling about laughing. Let me out ! Let me out ! screeched the Dark Man with great anger. He was like an eel on a hot flagstone he was in a fix. He began stamping his feet on the ground. His beard was wagging and his horns were wobbling back and forth. The tail was hanging down on the ground. Séadna did nothing. He stayed waiting patiently until there was some kind of quietness. |
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39. Sheas sé ar aghaidh an Fhir Dhuibh amach ag féachaint air Seadh a
phreabaire! Ní deirim ach go bhfuil greim agam ort! Nuair a bhéas ullamh,
beidh margadh le déanamh eadrainn... Da mba mhaith liomsa thú a choimead
ansan choíche - ní thiocfadh deireadh na haimsire choíche ! ar
seisean...Cad ta uait ?” arsa an Fear Dubh.Á... níl morán uaim chor ar
bith... a dúirt Séadna... B'fhéidir... breis agus trí bliana
déag..Cad is dóigh leat? Tar éis tamall fada ag machtnamh,
d'fhéach an Fear Dubh go géarr ar Shéadna agus dúirt go
feargach, Maith go leór !
Bíodh sé 'na mhargadh...! Dar bhrí na mionn ? arsa Séadna. Da
bhrí na mionn!... Breis agus trí bliana déag... ach féach, a
Shéadna ní bhíodh cleas mar sin le himirt ach uair amhain orm.
Ní thiocfaidh mé isteach i leithéid de cró na muc mar seo
arís ! Beidh tú ag teacht liom an chéad uair eile gan teip,
geallaimse duit! Chaith Séadna lán cupáin uisce coisricthe air agus
d'imthig an Fear Dubh go díreach suas agus is beag nar thóg sé an
ceann tuí den teach in aon bhladhm amhain, deatach ag teacht as agus tine creasa...
Bhí poll mór tríd dhion an tí agus ni raibh le feiscint ach
preachán dubh, granna ag eitilt soir treasna na spéire.
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39. He stood in front of the Dark Man, looking at him. Now my fine fellow ! I have you in a
fix...When you're ready, there's a bargain to be made between us...If I wished, I could
keep you there for ever. he said. What do you want ? asked the Dark Man. Oo-ooh, nothing
much at all... replied Séadna, Maybe...another thirteen years... What do you think ?
After a long while, the Dark Man looked sharply at Séadna. Very well...It's a
bargain ! Do you swear it ? asked Séadna. I swear it ! ... Another thirteen years..
but look Séadna... you will only be able to play this trick once on me. I won't
even come into this pigsty of yours again! You will be coming with me next time, without
fail. I promise you ! Séadna threw a cupful of holy water over him and the Dark Man
went straight upwards and he almost took the roof with him in a flash of fire, emitting
smoke and sparks... There was a big hole through the roof of the house and nothing could be
seen but an ugly black crow flying eastwards across the sky.
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40. Lá ar na mháirach, bhí an baile go léir ag cainnt fén
dtorramh i lár na h-oiche.. Ba ghearr gur bhuaileadar na comharsan uime.
Airiú, a Shéadna, cad d'imthig oiche aréir ort ? Cheapamar go
léir gurb amhlaidh a thit caor ar do thígh agus go rabhais loiscithe id
bheathaidh. Níor airíos riamh a léitheid de thoirnigh. “Tá an
éagóir agat, arsa duine eile, Níor thoirneach é ach
búireach mar geimneach thairbh. Éist do bhéal, arsa an triúr
duine,Cá bhfuil an tarbh a d'fhéadfadh an bhúir úd do chur
as ? Bhíos-sa amach ar mhullach an tsléibh thall agus bhí radharc
agam ar an dtigh agus d'airíos an fothram go léir. D'fhéacas anonn
agus chonnac chíordhubh phréachán ag éirí in airde sa
spéir agus bhí iúnadh orm a rá go bhféadaigh a
leithéid d'fhothram a dhéanamh. Thiomáineadar leo ar an gcuma san, ag
caint agus ag áiteamh agus ag cur trí cheile, ach níor labhair
Séadna focal. Ní raibh dúil ar bith i gcaint.
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40. Next day, the whole village was talking about the noise in the middle of the night. It
wasn't long till they gathered round him. Good heavens, &Seacute;adna ! What happened to
you last night ? We all thought that a thunderbolt had fallen on your house and that you
were burned alive. Such thunder was never heard before. You are mistaken, said another
man, It wasn't thunder but the roaring of a bull. Shut up, said a third person, Where is
the bull that could let such a roar out of him ? I was on the hillside over there and I
had a good view of the house and I heard all the noise. I looked over, and I saw a jet
black crow rising into the sky and I wondered that it could make such a row.
They kept on discussing like that, but Séadna never said a word. He had no desire
at all for talk.
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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 Jan. 15, 2024
Broadband Users Link below
Ar mbuiochas le Caoimhghín Ó Brolcháin
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