Duinnín agus na Beacha

Saite, a swarm (of bees, {et cetera})… MacShaithe, a second swarm
cráin beiche, a female bee
máthair áil, mother of a brood, a prolific mother, a queen-bee
céir bheach, bees wax, honey in the comb
fig. what is choice or perfect; c. bheach is péarla na Muimhneach, the choice and pearl of the men of Munster; but (iron.) Tá sé ‘na céir bheach agat

• Bhí an tAthair Pádraig istigh sa Leabharlann Náisiúnta, falla foclóirí[gpl] thart air, píosaí páipéir le focail luachmhara breactha orthu ag titim ina gconfetti ar an urlár thart air. Taobh leis bhí East Lynne le Mrs. Henry Woods [Diolann Amazon an leabhar sin]. Bhí dhá chairéad, duileasc agus úll leagtha amach go néata ar an leabhar seo. Léifadh sé Mrs. Henry ag am lóin chun a intinn a fhuaradh. Go dtí sin, choinneodh sí na cairéidí amach ón dúch.

  Father Dineen was in the National Library, a wall of dictionaries around him, pieces of paper with valuable words written on them falling like confetti on the floor around him. Beside him was East Lynne by Mrs. Henry Woods. There were two carrots, dulse[a seaweed] and an apple were neatly laid out on this book. He would read Mrs. Henry at lunchtime to cool his mind. Until then, she would keep the carrots out of the ink.

  falla = balla	wall	m
  luachmhar	Valuable, costly, precious
  breactha	speckled, dappled; written
  cairéad	carrot	m
  duileasc	dulse[a seaweed]

  
  

• ‘Saithe … saithe óg …’ ar seisean leis féin, ‘chuala mé leagan níos fearr ná san … ní fheadar cá háit?’
  
  D’fhéach sé thart air…. Ar an dea-uair, thagadh freagra chuige ó na leabhair faoi mar a fhreagraíonn uisce faoi thalamh don tslat choill i láimh draíodóra. Tada.
  
  ‘Saithe beach … saithe . . .’ ar seisean ag brú ar a chuimhne agus ag féachaint ar dhúradáin deannaigh i nga gréine.
  
  ‘Gleann na Smól!’ ar seisean ar deireadh. ‘Bhí focal éigin ar leith ag Peadar Ó Sé don dara nó don tríú saithe a fhágann an choirceog.’

  
  ‘Swarm … a young swarm …’ he said to himself. ‘I’ve heard a better version than that … I wonder where?’
  
  He looked around…. Sometines, an answer comes from the books like underground water answers the hazel rod in the hand of a magician. Nothing[??].
  
  ‘Swarm of bees… swarm …’ he said pressing on his memory and looking at specks of dust in a sunbeam.
  
  ‘Valley of the Ember’ he finally said. ‘Peadar Ó Sé had a special word for the second or third swarm that leaves the hive.’

  feadair	Know, knew	def. only with negative or interrogative
  brú	Press, crush	m
  dúradán	mote, speck	m
  dúradán deannaigh	speck of dust
  ga	spear, dart; sting; ray
  smól	live coal, ember
  smól = smólach	thrush	m
  ar leith	in particular
  coirceog	hive	f

  
  

• Bhí an uain fábharach: boinn agus sála nua faoina bhróga, an hata ard ba shine dá raibh aige ar a cheann – rud a d’fhág go mba chuma leis báisteach. Chuir sé a lón ina phóca agus as go brách leis ar thóir an fhocail. Ba bheachaire é Peadar Ó Sé, duine de na cainteoirí dúchais deiridh i nGleann na Smól. Ba sprionlóir é freisin. Choinneodh sé a stór focal mar a choinnigh sé a chuid airgid … slán gan ídiú.

  The time was favorable: new soles and heels under his shoes, the oldest tall hat he had on his head – it did not matter that it was raining. He put his lunch in his pocket and off he went in search of the word. Peadar Ó Sé was a bee-keeper, one of the last native speakers in the Valley of the Ember. He was a miser as well. He would keep his vocabulary like he kept his money … safe without wear.

  uain	Opportune time, free time; occasion; opportunity; interval of time; space, respite; Turn, spell; Weather, season	f
  fábharach = fabhrach	favorable, partial
  bonn	sole	m
  sáil	heel	f nplsála
  go brách	forever
  as go brách leis	off he went
  sprionlóir	miser, skinflint	m
  ídiú	Consumption, wear; abuse, destruction	m

  
  

• D’ith an Duinníneach slám duilisc agus é ag cur de trí Fhaiche Stiofáin. Chuaigh sé suas Sráid Fhearchair, thar Dhroichead Phortobello chomh fada leis na ceapacha i Ráth Maonais áit ar thug sé ceacht beag ar an gcopail ‘is’ do gharraíodóir, mac léinn Gaeilge dá chuid, mar mhalairt ar lán póca de phíseanna agus scailliúin, a lóín bóthair.

  Dineen ate a handful of dulse as he went through Stephen’s Green. He went up Harcourt Street, over Portobello Bridge as far as the plots at Rathmines where he gave a little lesson on the copula ‘is’ for a gardener, an Irish student of his, in exchange for a pocketful of peas and scallions, his road lunch.

  slám	lock, tuft, handful	m
  Faiche	lawn, green	f
  ceapach	tillage, plot, bed
  garraíodóir	gardener	m
  malairt	change, alternative; exchange	f

  
  

• Ní túisce an chathair fágtha ina dhiaidh aige ná gur thóg sé Mrs. Henry Woods amach as póca eile agus léigh se ar a shuaimhneas agus é ag siúl.
  
  Shroich sé an Gleann agus an ghrian ag buíochan agus chas sé isteach sa bhóithrín a thabharfadh chuig teach Uí Shé é.
  
  Chuir Cáit Uí Odhráin, comharsa Pheadair, spéic air. Bhí éadaí á scaradh aici ar na tomóga aitinn le taobh a tí.
  
  ‘A Athair, a chroí,’ ar sise, ‘tí[?] an citeal ar fiuchadh agus na fataí ar an mbord. Buail isteach tamall.’
  
  ‘Nár laga Dia thú.’
  
  Níor thug sí an drochscéal dó go raibh béile ite aige, é ag ól tae agus ag cur cainte ar Shéamas, Eoin agus Neans, leanaí an tí.
  
  ‘Cailleadh Peadar bocht coicíos ó shin, go ndéanaí Dia trócaire air.’

  No sooner had he left the city than he took Mrs. Henry Woods out of another pocket and read peacefully while walking.
  
  He reached the Valley with the sun mellowing[yellowing] and turned into the country lane that would take him to O’Shea’s house.
  
  Cáit Uí Odhráin, Peadar’s neighbor, accosted him. She was spreading clothes on the gorse bushes by the side of her house
  
  ‘Father, dear,’ she said, ‘the kettle is on the point of boiling and the potatoes are on the table. Drop in for a while.
  
  ‘God did not weaken you ‘
  
  She did not get from him the bad news that he had already eaten a meal, drinking tea and talking with James, John and Nance, the children of the house.
  
  ‘Poor Peter died two weeks ago, may God have mercy on him. “

  túisce	Sooner, rather; first
  suaimhneas	Peace, tranquillity; quietness, rest	m
  buíochan	yellowing, mellowing	f
  spéic	speech
  scaradh	separation	m
  tomóg	small bush	f
  aiteann	gorse	m gs aitinn
  fiuchadh	boiling, boil	m
  tí	Marked line, track

  
  

• ‘Go bhfóire Dia orainn. Cad a bhain dó?
  
  ‘A bheacha féin, Dia ár sábháil, a mharaigh é. Cuireadh coiste cróinéara air. Tháinig saineolaí éigin i láthair a dúirt gur bhailigh beacha Pheadair nimh ó na ródaideandróin. D’aimsigh an saineolaí nimh ródaideandróin i gcillíní druidte sa mhil chíre. Na beacha a bhailigh é gan dabht ar bith, ar seisean. Timpist. Tharla a leithéid cheana. Hannibal, a dúirt sé. Scriosadh a arm siúd nuair a d’ith na saighdiúirí mil nimhe a rinne beacha a bhí ag diúl ródaideandróin.’

  ‘God save us. What took him?
  
  ‘His own bees, God our salvation, killed him. A coroner’s jury was put on it. Some expert was presented who said that Peter’s bees collected poison from the rhododendrons. The poison expert found rhododendron in closed cells in the honey comb. The bees collected it without a doubt, he said. The like has happened before. Hannibal, he said. His army was destroyed when the soldiers ate poisoned honey made by bees sucking rhododendrons. [Actually Xenophon or Pompey]

  saineolaí	expert	m
  aimsigh	aim, find, attempt
  cillín	cell	m
  druidte	closed, shut
  mil	honey	f
  cíor	comb	círe
  Timipiste	accident
  scrios	scrape, tear off; Scratch out, erase, delete
  arm	weapon	m
  diúl	suck	vn diúl

  
  

• ‘Ach a Cháit, a chroí, an bhfaca tusa riamh beach bhaile ag diúl róslabhrais,’ arsa an Duinníneach agus iontas air.
  
  `Ní fhaca. Bíonn bumhóga ag gabháilt de ach ní fhaca mé beach mheala riamh ar rosydander.’
  
  ‘Ná mise, ná mise. Ar mharaigh an mhil nimhe na beacha?’
  
  ‘Ní mharódh neachtar ar bith na beacha. Nach faoina gcomhair a cruthaíodh é?’
  
  Chuir Cáit cíor mheala ar an mbord os a chomhair taobh le cáca baile agus mias ime.
  
  ‘Níor éirigh sibh as a bheith ag ithe meala’?’

  ‘But Cait, dear, have you even seeh a hive bee sucking rhododendrons?’
  
  ‘No. Bumblebees take from it but I have never seen a honey bee on rosydander.’
  
  ‘Nor I, nor I. Did the poison honey kill the bees?’
  
  ‘No nectar would kill the bees. Wasn’t it created for them?’
  
  Cait placed a honey comb on the table in front of her beside homemade cake and a butter dish.
  
  ‘Didn’t you stop eating honey? ‘

  róslabhras	rose laurel	m
  gabháil	Catch, seizure, capture
  Faoi chomhair, i gcomhair	for, intended for
  mias	dish; Board, slab; table

  
  

• ‘Tá an bheachlann s’againne i ngiorracht céad slat do cheann Pheadair ach bhíomar á ithe i gcaitheamh an ama gan díobháil. Níor éirigh Tom as a bheith á ithe in aon chor. Choinníos ó na leanaí é tamall. Ach is searbh é an saol gan é. Féach ar an gcíor mheala sin romhat … mil earraigh. Tá sceach agus úll agus luifearnach an ghleanna ann. Is é is dóichí ná go raibh beacha Pheadair stiúgtha agus gur óladar an drochrud dá bharr san. Níor chaith sé go maith leo.’

  ‘Our beehive is within a hundred yards of Peter’s but we were eating all the time unharmed. Tom never stopped eating in any case. I kept it away from the children for a while. But life is bitter without him/it. Look at that honey comb in front of you … spring honey. There are thorn bushes and apples and weed in the valley. It is likely that Peter’s bees perished as a result of when they drank a bad thing. He did not treat them well.

  beachlann	apiary	f
  giorracht	Shortness, brevity	f
  díobháil	Loss, deprivation, want; Injury, harm, damage	f
  cor	Turn, turning movement
  searbh	Bitter, sour, acid
  sceach	thorn bush
  luifearnach	weeds	f
  dóicha	Likely, probable	comp dóichí
  stiúg	expire, perish
  óladar	they drank

  
  

• Chuir an Duinníneach slaod meala anuas ar lochán leáite ime ar chanta aráin agus d’ith sé le fonn é.
  
  ‘Cé leis ar fhág Peadar an talamh?’
  
  ‘Níor dhein sé uacht. Gheobhaidh Nóra, neacht Pheadair, é agus is maith sin. Tá sí ag druidim leis an dá scór, í ag siúl amach leis an gcúntóir siopa sin aici le deich mbliana agus gan aon chaoi acu pósadh, cheal maoine.’
  
  ‘An dtagadh sí ar cuairt go minic?’
  
  ‘O am go chéile.’

  Dineen put a layer of honey down on the puddle of melted butter on the chunk of bread and ate it eagerly.
  
  ‘To whom did Peter leave the land?’
  
  ‘He did not make a will. Nora, Peter’s niece, will get it and that’s good. She is nearly 40, she has been dating the shop assistant for ten years and they have no way of getting married, lacking property.’
  
  ‘Did she visit often?’
  
  ‘Occasionally’

  slaod	Swath, layer; Flowing mass; Prostration, stupefaction; float, raft	m
  lochán	Small lake, pond; puddle
  leáigh	melt
  canta	chunk	m
  fonn	Desire, wish, inclination, urge	m
  uacht	will, testament	f
  druid	Close, shut; approach, draw near
  cúntóir	Helper, assistant	m
  ceal	Want, lack; absence of	m
  maoin	Gift, benefit; Property, wealth	f

  
  

• ‘ ‘Raibh sí anseo le gairid?’
  
  ‘Mí an Mheithimh. Tá’s agam é mar gur chuir Peadar chugainn í chun árthach na mbeach a fháil ar iasacht ó Tom.’
  
  ‘Cad é sin, a thaisce, árthach na mbeach?’
  
  ‘Gléas chun siúicre leáite a thabhairt dóibh nuair a bhíonn earrach mall ann agus gan dóthain meala fágtha acu … Ar ndóigh, chuaigh Tom sna tríthí[???] ag gáirí … a leithéid de sheafóid … siúicre a thahhairt do na beacha agus fómhar an earraigh faoi lán tseoil. Faoi Mheitheamh ba chóir go mbeadh gach coirceog ar mire beochta.’

  ‘Was she here recently?’
  
  June. I have it because Peter sent her to us to borrow the vessel of bees from Tom.
  
  ‘What is that, dear, the vessel of bees?’
  
  ‘A device for giving them melted sugar when there is a slow spring and they do not have enough honey left … Of course, Tom went laughing through it.[???]… Such nonsense … give sugar to the bees and spring harvest is in full swing. By June every hive should be in a frenzy of life.’

  gairid	short
  le gairid	recently
  árthach	Vessel, ship, boat; container, earthenware vessel	m
  iasacht	Lending, borrowing; loan	f
  taisce	Store, treasure, hoard	f
  Gléas	gloss, polish; order, arrangement; instrument, apparatus	m
  leáite	melted
  mall	slow
  dóthain	Enough, sufficiency.	f
  seol	sail; course	m
  coirceog	hive	f
  mire	Quickness, rapidity; spiritedness, ardour; Madness, frenzy.	f
  beocht	Life, animation	f

  
  

• ‘Ach is i mí an Mheithimh a thug Peadar bia dá bheacha?’
  
  ‘Is dócha nár fhág Peadar dóthain meala ag na créatúirí anuraidh agus nár thángadar chucu féin i mhliana dá bharr.’
  
  ‘Nóra a tháinig faoina choinne?’
  
  ‘Nóra, agus b’í a thug ar ais chugainn é freisin agus milseáin aici do na leanaí. B’shin an uair dheireanach ar thug sí cuairt ar a huncail. D’éirigh eatarthu.’
  
  ‘Cén chúis spairne a bhí acu?’

  ‘But it was in June that Peter fed his bees?’
  
  ‘Peter probably didn’t leave enough honey for the creatures last year and they had not come back this year as a result.
  
  ‘Nora came [appointed???] for him?
  
  ‘Nora, and she also brought it back to us and had sweets for the children. That was the last time she visited her uncle. They quarreled.’
  
  ‘What was the cause of the fight they had?’/p>

  anuraidh	last year
  spairn	Fight, contention, struggle	f

  
  

• ‘Fuadar pósta a tháinig ar Pheadar. Shíl sé go bpósfadh Molly Barnwall é. Is le Molly an gabháltas atá ar thaobh an chnoic dá cheann féin. Nóisean a bhuail é – go bpósfaidís agus go ndéanfaí aon fheirm amháin den dá cheann … Ach tá páirc luachra idir an dá fhearann agus is le Nóra an pháirc luachra, stráice caol talún a fuair sí óna máthair. Ní raibh airgead riamh ag muintir Nóra chun teach a thógáil air. Scraith móna ar charraig. Ní fhásfadh aitinn ná raithneach air. Chuaigh Peadar bog agus cruaidh ar Nóra é a ghéilleadh dó.’
  
  ‘Ní ghéillfeadh Nóra dó é?’

  ‘A rush to get married came on Peter. He thought that Molly Barnewall would marry him. Molly has a holding on his own side of the hill. A notion struck him – that they would marry and would make one farm of the two… But there is a rush field between the two domains and the rush field belongs to Nora, a narrow stretch of land she got from her mother. Nora’s people never had money to build a house on it. Strip of peat on rock. Gorse or fern would not grow on it. Peter went soft and hard for Nora to yield to him.
  
  ‘Nora wouldn’t yield to him?’

  fuadar	rush, hurry	m
  gabháltas	holding	m
  luachair	rushes
  fearann	Land, territory, domain; field, farm, grounds; portion
  stráice	striop
  géill	yield, submit
  móin	Turf, peat	f gs móna
  aitieann	Furze, gorse, whin	m gs aitinn
  raithneach	fern, bracken	f

  
  

• ‘Ní raibh sé sásta é a cheannach ar a luach. D’éirigh Nóra teasaí agus dúirt sí nach raibh ann ach spanlóir ag speabhraíd agus nach bpósfadh Molly é dá mba leis [ownership] an gleann. Bhí an ceart ag Nóra. Baintreach óg í Molly, tigh agus feirm theolaí aici agus a rogha féin de bhaitsiléirí an cheantair. Ach bhí Peadar le ceangal. Shíl Tom s’agamsa go ndéanfadh sé uacht ag fágáil a raibh aige, le teann spídiúlachta, don Eaglais … Gaibh mo leithscéal, a Athair. Mar a tharla, níor dhein sé uacht sular cailleadh é agus gheobhaidh Nóra a cuid. Nil éinne den mhuintir fágtha ach í.’

  ‘He was not willing to buy it for its value. Nora got hot and said that nothing was there but delusions of a Spindle-legged person and that Molly would not marry him if the valley belonged to him. Nora was right. Molly is a young widow, she has a cozy house and farm and her own choice of the local bachelors. But Peter was fit to be tied. Tom and I thought he would make a will leaving what he had, out of sheer miserlyness, to the Church … excuse me, Father. As it happened, he had not made a will before he died and Nora will get her share. None of his people are left but her.’

  luach	value
  spanlóir	Spindle-legged person
  speabhraíd	Hallucination; (pl.) illusions, fantasies, ravings	f
  Baintreach	widow
  teolaí	Warm, cosy, comfortable
  baitsiléir	Bachelor	m
  teann	strength, force
  spídiúlacht	Disparagement, vituperativeness, abusiveness; Harsh treatment

  
  

• ‘Pósfaidh sí a buachaill bán agus tiocfaidh siad anseo ag feirmeoireacht?’
  
  Ní raihh aon lúcháir ar an Duinníneach agus é á rá. Bhí tinneas croí air.
  
  ‘Siopa atá uathu. Rún é go fóill, a Athair, ach tá Tom s’agamsa agus Nóra ag seafteáil[???]. Tá an talamh s’againne ag bordáil ar fhearann Pheadair, taohh an ghleanna de. Dá bhféadfáimis é a cheannach … thar tréimhse, ar ndóigh … triúr clainne . . . soláthar a dhéanamh dóibh . . .’

  ‘Will she marry her fair-haired boy and come farming here?
  
  Dineen took no joy in saying it. A sickness was on his heart.
  
  ‘They want a shop. It’s still a secret, Father, but Tom and I and Nora ????. Our land borders Peter’s plot, at the side of the valley. If only we could buy it… over time, of course … three children. . . provide for them…

  lúcháir	Welcoming joy, gladness, exultation	f
  tréimhse	period, term
  soláthar	Collection, procurement; supply, provision

  
  

• Ghearr Cáit slios eile den cháca don Duinníneach. Leath sé mil go tiubh air agus chogain sé go mall agus é ag cuimhneamh.
  
  Inis dom, a Cháit, an bhféadfádh go gcuirfeadh beacha siúicre leáite sa chíor, seachas é a ithe?’
  
  `B’fhéidir, dá mbeadh farasbarr neachtair ag teacht isteach ó na páirceanna. Ach ní thabharfá siúicre dóibh agus iad ag saothrú na mbláth.’
  
  ‘A Cháit, a chroí, rachaidh mé siar tigh Pheadair agus cuirfidh mé paidir lena anam.’

  Cait cut another slice of cake for Dineen. He spread honey thickly on it and chewed slowly as he remembered.
  
  ‘Tell me, Cait, could bees put melted sugar in the comb, instead of eating it?’
  
  ‘Perhaps, if an excess of nectar were coming in from the fields. But you wouldn’t give them sugar while they were cultivating flowers.
  
  ‘I’ll go back to Peter’s house and I will pray for his soul.’

  leath	spread	v
  tiubh	thick
  cogain	chew
  leáigh	melt
  cíor	comb	f
  seachas	besides, other than, rather than; compared to
  farasbarr	Excess, surplus	m
  saothrú	cultivation of land, of plants; Earnings, wages	m
  paidir	paternoster

  
  

• ‘Gheobhaidh tú an eochair faoi leac an dorais, ar dheis.’
  
  ‘Mo bhuíochas as an tae, a Cháit. Tá leigheas ann. Ar thug sibh tae riamh do na beacha?
  
  ‘Tae do na beacha? Mh’anam nár thug!’ ar sise agus i ag gáirí fáoi.

  ‘You will find the key under the doorstep, on the right.’
  
  ‘My thanks for the tea, Cait. It is a cure. Did you ever give tea to the bees?’
  
  ‘Tea for the bees? Upon my soul I did not’ she said laughing about it.

  
  

• ‘Ach d’fhéadfaí siúicre a leá le tae, nach bhféadfaí?’
  
  ‘D’fhéadfaí, is dócha … ach, a Athair, a chroí, tuige go dtabharfá tae do na beacha? An gcuirfeá bainne ann freisin?’
  
  Lean Cáit ag gáirí ach bhí scáil ar aghaidh an Duinnínigh agus é ag fágáil an tí.

  ‘But sugar could be melted with tea, couldn’t it?’
  
  ‘Maybe, probably … but, Father, dear, do you understand that you would give the bees tea? Would you put milk there too?’
  
  Cáit continued to laugh but there was a shadow on Dineen’s face when he was leaving the house.

  leá	melting
  scáil	shadow	f

  
  

• Ní isteach i dteach Pheadair a chuaigh sé ach thart ar a chúl, chun na beachlainne. Seanbhoscaí ime a bhí ag feidhmiú mar choirceoga. Chuaigh an Duinníneach ó cheann go ceann ag éisteacht le foghar na mbeach istigh. Bhí trí cinn gan anam, gan chrónán. I gceann acu, bhí mar a bheadh siansa ceoil agus beacha ag brostú isteach is amach as, iad trom le pailín. D’fhan sé i bhfad ag éisteacht leis an gcéad choirceog eile sa tsraith. Bhí sí ciúin go maith ach, thar ghlár shéimh na mbeach, chuala sé mar a bheadh píobaire sí i bhfad i gcéin agus ceol draíochta á sheinnt aige.

  He did not go into Peter’s house but around to its back, to the beehives. Old butter boxes functioned as hives. Dineen went from one end to the other listening for the sound of the bees inside. Three were without life, without humming. In one of them, it was like a melody of music and bees hurrying in and out, heavy with pollen. He waited a long time listening to the next hive in the series. It was quite quiet, but over the gentle hum of the bees, he heard something like a fairy piper in the distance playing magic music.

  feidhmiú	Act of functioning; execution, enforcement, operation, application.
  foghar	sound	m
  crónán	.(Act of) humming; hum, murmur, drone, purr	m
  siansa	Strain, melody
  brostaigh	Hasten, urge; hurry
  trom	Weight; burden, oppression; heavy
  páilín	pollen	m
  glár	silt
  séimh	Thin, slender; fine, smooth; tenuous, subtle
  cian	Length of time, age	f ds céin
  seinn	play [music]

  
  

• D’éist an Duinníneach. Bhí a fhios aige cén ceol a bhí ann cé nár chuala sé riamh cheana é. Banríon óg nua-shaolaithe a bhí ag tabhairt dúshláin dá deirfiúracha, na ríonta óga eile. Thabharfaidís freagra uirthi agus mharódh sí ar an bpointe iad lena claíomh ríona. Ní bheadh trócaire i gcroí na maighdine seo agus í ag marú a deirfiúracha le go mbeadh seilbh na coirceoige, eitilt bhainise, tógáil chlainne i ndán di féin.

  Dineen listened. He knew what the music was even though he had never heard it before. A young newborn queen was challenging her sisters, the other young queens. They would respond to her and she would kill them instantly with her queen’s sword. There would be no mercy in the heart of this maiden as she killed her sisters for the possession of the hive, the wedding flight, and the raising of children destined for herself.

  saolaigh	be born	[aut]
  dúshlán	Challenge, defiance	m
  claíomh	sword	m
  trócaire	Mercy; clemency, leniency, compassion	f
  maighdean	maiden
  seilbh	Occupancy, possession	f
  bainis	wedding, wedding-feast	f
  i ndán	fated, in store (for)

  
  

• Chuimhnigh sé ar Nóra, í ag druidim leis an daichcad, í ag siúl amach lena cléireach siopa le deich mbliana. Nach mbeadh eitilt bhainise, siopa, teach, páistí uaithi? Chuaigh an Duinníneach ag póirseáil sa ghairdín. Faoi dheireadh, caite faoin gclaí – mar smug róin ar shnáth mara – d’aimsigh sé an rud fuafar a bhí á lorg aige: praiseach tiubh corcardhonn de bhláthanna ródaideandróin beirithe. Dhún sé a shúile agus ghuigh sé ar son an dúnmharfóra.

  He remembered Nora, approaching forty, stepping out with her shop clerk for ten years. Wouldn’t she want a wedding flight, a shop, a house, children? Dineen went rummaging in the garden. Eventually, thrown under the wall, like a jelly-fish at the high water mark – he found the hideous thing he was looking for: a thick purple-brown mess of boiled rhododendron flowers. He closed his eyes and prayed for the murderer.

  póirseáil	(Act of) rummaging, searching, groping	f
  claí	Dike, wall; fence	m
  fuafar	Hateful, hideous, odious
  aimsigh	aim	v
  praiseach	Pottage; (thin) porridge, gruel	f
  tiubh	thick
  corcardhonn	brown [?] [flower]
  beirigh	boil
  guigh	pary
  dúnmharfóir	murderer	m