Mearbhall (tuilleadh)
Bewilderment (continued)

• 
  “Á! A dheartháirín!” adeir sé. “Ná tóg orm é. Tá mé leathmharbh le uaigneas ó d’imigh mo dheirfiúr dhá bhliain ó shoin.”

  “Tuigim,” adeir mé. “In ainm Dé, ná tog ormsa ach an oiread an drochfhocal a labhair mé.”

  “Ní thógfad a stór,” adúirt an fear. “Tá’s agam nach le oilbhéas a ghearr tú amach an focal taodach.”

  “Go deimhin, ní hea,” adeir mé féin, “is iomaí uair a sciorann cúpla focal mímhúinte thar an teanga i nganfhios don intinn.”
  

  “Oh! little brother!“ he said, “Don’t take it out on me. I’ve been half dead with loneliness since my sister left two years ago.”

  “I understand,” I said. “In God’s name, don’t hold any of the bad words I said against me either.”

  “I wouldn’t take it, my dear,” said the man. “I know it was not from viciousness that you cut out the word ‘impulsive’.”

  “Indeed, no,” I said myself, “many times a few rude words slip over the tongue without the mind knowing.”

  uaigneas	Loneliness, solitude	m
  oilbhéas	Evil habit; mischievousness, unruliness; crossness, viciousness	m
  taodach = taghdach	Fitful, impulsive, quick-tempered; changeable, capricious
  iomaí	many
  sciorr	Slip, slide, slither, skid
  mímhúinte	Unmannerly, rude, ill-bred

• 
  “Is iomaí muis, a dhílis,’ adeir an fear. “Tá mé féin amhlaidh le gairid. Is deacair speir a chur ar an teanga nuair atá an croí ar buile le dúbhrón. Is olc an aicíd é an t-uaigneas.”

  “D’imigh an deirfiúr?” arsa mise.

  “D’imigh a chuisle,” adeir sé. “D’imigh Cáit go Meireaca. Bhí sí dha bhliain imithe faoi fhéil’ Bride seo caite. Dia á réiteach ! Ba é sin an buille gan cosaint. An buille marfa!”

  “Sea?” adeir mé. ”Ni raibh ann ach an bheirt agaibh?”
  

  “There are many indeed, my dear,” the man said. “I’ve been like that myself recently. It is hard to put a hoe on your tongue when your heart is mad with sorrow. Loneliness is a bad disease.“

  “The sister left?” I asked.

  “His pulse went away,” he said. “Cáit went to America. She had been gone for two years
  last St. Bridget’s day. God arranged it! That was the unguarded blow. The fatal blow!”

  “Yes?” I asked. “It was just the two of you?”

  defense, protection

  mús	mouse	m gs npl múis
  amhlaidh	thus, so
  speir	Hough {hoe, adz)	f
  buile	Madness, frenzy	f
  aicíd	Disease; pestilence	f
  cuisle	vein, pulse	f
  cosaint		f

• 
  “Ni raibh,” adeir sé, “ó cailleadh mo mháthair, go ndéana Dia grást’ ar a hanam. San am sin bhí Nora imithe go Meireaca agus Cáit curtha chun bealaigh ar scoil i mBleá Cliath. Agam féin fágadh an áit agus tháinig Cáit ar ais le haire a thabhairt dom, ós rud é nach rabhas an-láidir im shláinte. Tháinig an créatúr abhaile ceart go leor agus d’fhan sí ansin seacht mbliain déag. D’fhan muis, an créatúr. Cailín chomh staidéarach agus d’fhéadfá castáil léi. Maidir le fonn oibre! Bhí [d.l. 59 ] sin uirthi. Á! A dheartháir ! Naomh críochnaithe bhí inti. Ní raibh máthair níos cineálta ná Cáit ag aon fhear riamh. Bhí an bheirt againn go deas teolaí anseo sa siopa, bia agus deoch agus foscadh againn mar d’ordaigh Dia, gan gá dhúinn gabháil taobh amuigh de dhoras ag soláthar an ruainne ime ná an builín aráin cruithneachta ná an greim feola ná an gráinne tae. An teach pobail ag tóin na sráide. Daoine muinteartha ag bualadh isteach. Corr-bhlogam le n~ól lá aonaigh. Á! A Thiarna! Ba é sin an saol. Cáit chomh ceanúil macánta réidh!”
  

  “Not since my mother died,” he said, “may God have mercy on her soul. At that time Nora had gone to America and Cáit had been sent off to school in Dublin. I myself left the place and Cáit came back to take care of me, since I was not very strong in health. The creature came home okay and stayed there for seventeen years. the creature, remained. As sensible a girl as you could meet. As for the desire to work! She had that. Oh! Brother! She was a complete saint. No man ever had a kinder mother than Cáit. We were both nicely warm here in the shop, with food and drink and shelter as God had commanded, without having to go out the door to get the scrap of butter or the loaf of wheat bread or the bite of meat or the grain of tea. The public house at the bottom of the street. Family members meeting in it. The odd mouthful of drink on a fair day. Oh! Lord! That was the life. Cáit so loving, gentle, and mild!”

  grásta	Grace	m
  staidéarach	Studious; Steady, level-headed, sensible
  cineálta	kind
  foscadh	shelter	m
  gá	Need, requirement	m
  soláthar	Collection, procurement; supply, provision	m
  builín	loaf	m
  cruithneacht	wheat	f
  blogam = bolgam	mouthful
  ceanúil	Loving, affectionate
  macánta	Childlike; gentle, meek, mild; honest
  réidh	Smooth, level, easy to traverse; mild; ready, prepared; finished

• 
  Bhuail sprocht an fear bocht agus bhris an deor faoina shúil. D’iompaigh sé uaim agus chuaigh sé anonn go dtí an fhuinneog, áit ar sheas sé agus a lámha ag oibriú a chéile taobh thiar de lag a dhroma. Bhí glothar ina scornach. Dar fia! Ghoill a bhrón orm.

  “Céard d’éirigh dhi?” adúirt mé go réidh.

  Sadness hit the poor man and a tear appeared under his eye. He turned away from me and went over to the window, where he stood with his hands held together behind the small of his back. There was a rattle in his throat. By heaven! His sorrow afflicted me.

  “What happened to her?” I said gently.

  sprocht	Sadness, dejection	m
  glothar	Rattle (in throat), gurgle	m
  goill	Grieve, pain; afflict, distress; vex, hurt	v

• 
  Agus a dhroim iompaithe liom, leag sé siar arís leath uachtarach a choirp agus thug sé aghaidh suas ar cheann an tí. Bhí a dhrad nochtaithe le díocas agus lasracha ina shúile.

  “Pictiúirí Mheireaca,” adeir sé. “Mo mhallacht orthu.”

  “Sea?” arsa mise.“ Cé an sórt pictiúiri ? Scannáin an ea?”
  

  And with his back turned to me, he set the upper half of his body back again and and turned his face up to the top of the house. His mouth was bared with eagerness and flames in his eyes.

  “American pictures,” he says. “My curse on them.”

  “Yes?” I said. “What kind of pictures? Movies, right?“

  draid	Mouth (showing teeth); grin, grimace	f
  ceann-nochta	bareheaded
  díocas	Eagerness, keenness	m

• 
  “Pictiuri, adeirini leat,” arsa seisean. “Pictiúiri an diabhail, go maithe Dia dhom é. Tháinig siad anseo ar an mbaile againn cúig bliana ó shoin. Iódach as Bleá Cliath thug ann iad. Uair sa tseachtain bhídís á dtaispeáint ar dtús aige agus ní bhíodh ag gabháil ag [d.l. 60] breathnú orthu ach dailtíní óga agus iad ag caitheamh dairteacha agus ag béiciú agus ag pléaráca, nó gur labhair an sagart ón altóir. Nuair a labhair, tugadh ómós don Íúdach san áit agus thosnaigh daoine fiúntacha ag gabháil ag na pictiúiri, go speisialta na mná. Is gearr go raibh taispeáint ann trí uaire sa tseachtain agus an teach lán gach uile bhabhta. Lán le mná, idir sean agus óg. Cogar mé seo leat. Siad na mná té ciontach le gach uile shalachar gallda a ligtear isteach sa tír naofa seo. Mná! Bhí droch-cháil riamh ar ghabhar, maidir le caidéis. Má ligtear go doras í, gabhfaidh sí go haltóir. Ach deirimse leat go bhfuil bean níos caidéisí ná gabhar. Tá sí toilteach leis an bpeaca agus ní foláir smacht a choinneáil uirthi. Tá éirí in airde inti ón gcliabhán, á gléasadh agus á cóiriú féin i gcomhair an ragúis.”
  

  “Pictures, I said to you,” he said. “Pictures of the devil, may God bless it for me. They came here to our town five years ago. A Jew from Dublin brought them there. Once a week he would first show them and only young children would take a look at them [d.l. 60] while they threw darts and shouted and played, until the priest spoke from the altar. When he spoke, the Jews in the place were honored and worthy people began tolerating the pictures, especially the women. Soon there were three shows a week and the house was full every time. Full of women, both old and young. I whisper this to you. They are the women who are guilty of all the foreign filth that is allowed into this holy land. Women! Goats have always had a bad reputation as regards Inquisitiveness. If she is allowed to the door, she will go to the altar.But I tell you that a woman is more inquisitive than a goat. She is willing to sin and must be kept under control. She is getting up from the cradle, grooming and dressing herself for the urge/desire.”

  pléaráca	Revelry, boisterous merrymaking, high jinks	m
  béic	Yell, shout	v, f
  ómós	Homage; reverence, respect	m
  fiúntach	Worthy; decent, respectable; generous
  babhta	Bout; Spell, turn; Time, occasion	m
  ciontach	guilty
  salachar	dirt; ordure; Sordidness; impurity, obscenity; scurrilousness.	m
  gallda	foreign
  cáil	reputation	f
  caidéis	Inquisitiveness	f
  maidir	As for, as regards
  toilteach	Willing, voluntary
  smacht	Rule, regulation, ordinance; Control, restraint, discipline
  Ní foláir	It is necessary
  cliabhán	cradle	m
  gléasadh	Adjustment, equipment, preparation; Get-up, attire
  cóiriú	Arrangement, dressing	m
  i gcomhair	for, intended for; to get
  ragús	Urge, (sensual) desire; fit	m

• 
  “Ná tóg ar na créatúir a nádúir,” adúirt mé leis. “Tádar mar chruthaigh Dia iad.”

  “Thosnaigh Cáit ag gabháil ann,” adeir seisean, “agus tá sé ar mo choinsias nach ndearna mé aon iarracht ar í a bhacadh. Céard d’fhéadfainn a dhéanamh agus an sagart mor, bail ó Dhia air; tar éis fógairt ón altóir nach raibh sé Críostúil bheith ag cur as do Iúdach agus gur cheart ligean dó a bheatha a shaothrú?””
  

  blame creatures for
  “Don’t take their nature from creatures,” I told him. “They are as God created them.”
  
  “Cáit started to accept it,” he says, “and it is on my conscience that I made no attempt to hinder her. What could I do with the high priest, God bless him; after announcing from the altar that it was unchristian to harass a Jew and that he should be allowed to earn his living?”

  ciur as	Put out of; deprive of

• 
  D’iompaigh sé orm go tobann agus d’ardaigh sé a dhá chrúb suas os coinne a éadain. Bhí a shúile ar mire.

  “Dá mbeadh an tIúdach sin agam anois idir lámha,” adeir sé agus díocas ar a ghlór, “ dhéanfainn smúdar dá chnámha.”
  

  He suddenly turned to me and raised both of his hands up in front of his face. His eyes were crazy.

  “If only I had that Jew in my hands now,” he said with eagerness in his voice, “I would make dust of his bones.”

  crúb	claw, hoof	f
  mire	Quickness, rapidity; spiritedness, ardour; Madness, frenzy	f
  díocas	Eagerness, keenness	m
  smúdar	Mouldered, powdered, matter; dust, grit. ~	m

• 
  Dhruid mé sall le taobh an chuntair nó gur rug mé [d.l. 61 ] ar mo ghloine. D’ardaigh mé é le láimh a bhí craitheach go leor agus shloig mé gach a raibh fágtha den leann. Dar mo choinsias! Bionn an-fhaitíos orm roimh dhaoine go mbíonn mearbhall orthu. Nuair a bhí an braon deireannach ólta agam bhreathnaigh mé tharm ar mo dhuine. Istigh sa bpóirín a bhí a cheann sáite arís aige, a chosa scartha agus na méaracha ag ceansú a chéile taobh thiar dá chaoldroim. Bhí sé ag bog-chaoineachán.
  

  I moved across the counter until I took my glass. I picked it up with hands that was quite shaky and I swallowed all that was left of the ale. By my conscience! I am very afraid of people who are confused. When I had drunk the last drop, I looked around me at my person. He had pushed his head back into the alcove, his legs apart and his fingers restrained together behind the small of his back. He was softly crying.

  druid	close, shut	v
  druid le	move close to, draw near, approach
  sall	To the far side, over, across.
  crothach	Shaking, rocking; Wavy, curling
  slog	swallow	v
  faitíos	Fear, apprehension	m
  mearbhall	Bewilderment, confusion, wandering	m
  sáigh	Thrust; stab; push, press; dart, lunge	v
  scar	Part, separate	v
  ceansú	Appeasement, pacification; control, restraint	m
  caoldroim	Small of back	m
  caoineachán	(Act of) crying, mewling; lamentation	m
  bog	soft

• “B’thearr dhom imeacht as seo,“ adúirt mé liom féin. “Is mímhúinte an rud bheith ag breathnú ar anam nochtaithe á shníomh le dúbhrón agus cumha.”

  Bhíos ag sleamhnú liom ar bharr coise go dtí an doras nuair a thosnaigh an fear cráite ag cur dhe arís agus a ghlór briste ag an racht caoineacháin. Sheas mé ansin, ar eagla go gceapfadh sé gur easpa nádúire a chuir chun bealaigh mé.
  

  “I should leave this,” I said to myself. “It is rude to watch an exposed soul writhing in dark sorrow and longing.”

  I was sliding on tiptoe to the door when the tormented man began again, his voice broken by the outpouring of crying. I stood there, for fear he would think a lack of character sent me away.

  mímhúinte	Unmannerly, rude, ill-bred
  sníomh	Spinning; Twisting, twining; Struggle; strain, wrench
  cumha	Loneliness, homesickness, parting sorrow	m
  sleamhnú	Slide, slip, slither
  cráite	Agonized, tormented, grieved
  caoineachán	(Act of) crying, mewling; lamentation	m
  cuir de	Put off; remove from; Get done, accomplished
  racht	Pent-up, violent, emotion; paroxysm, fit; outburst	m
  eagla	fear	f
  easpa	Lack, want; loss, absence; deficiency, defect	f
  nádúr	Nature; Essential qualities, innate character	m

• 
  “Mo léan géar!” a chaoin sé, “is gearr a bhí na pictiúiri salacha á hathrú. Sórt eagla a chuireadar ar dtús uirthi. Thiocfadh sí abhaile tar éis iad fheiscint agus scanradh ina súile. Bhíodh tromluí uirthi nuair a théadh sé chun codlata, mar bheadh an diabhal ag gabháil i dteannta léi agus é ag iarraidh greim marfa d’fháil ar a hanam. I gceann míosa bhí an anachain déanta. Chuaigh sí go dtí an baile mór 1á amháin agus nuair a tháinig sí abhaile ar an mbus in ard tráthnóna, is ar éigin d’aithin mé í. Dia á réiteach! Bhí a gruaig gearrtha aici agus gach a raibh fágtha de casta sa bhfaisiún gallda agus fliuchta le ola mhílis na drúise. Nuair d’áitigh mé uirthi, is é an chaoi thosnaigh sí ag gáiri agus a lámha dúnta ar a gorúin aici. Ag magadh fúm ! As sin amach, ghlacamar [d.l. 62] fuath dá chéile.
  

  “My bitter sorrow!” he cried. “Soon the dirty pictures were being changed. They sort of scared her at first. She would come home after seeing them with fright in her eyes. She would have a nightmare when he went to sleep, She would have nightmares when he went to sleep, as the devil would go along with her, trying to get a fatal grip on her soul. At the end of a month the calamity was over. She went to town one day and when she came home on the bus in the late afternoon, I barely recognized her. God save her! Her hair was cut and what was left of it was twisted in the froeigh fashion and moistened with sweet oil of lust. When I argued with her, she started laughing, her hands closed over her hips. Mocking me. From then on, we hated each other.

  léan	Deep affliction; grief, anguish, woe	m
  scanradh	Rout; scattering, dispersal; Fright
  tromluí	Nightmare	m
  teannta	Strait, difficulty, predicament	m
  gabh ina dteannta	go along with them
  anachain	Mischance, calamity, disaster; loss	f
  i gceann	At the end of
  gallda	foreign
  áitigh	Occupy (premises, etc.); settle (i, in); Settle down to.; Submit, argue.
  gorún	hip	m gs nplgorúin
  glac	Take, accept

• 
  Ní raibh eadrainn, ó lá go lá, ach casaoid agus achrann; í ag iarraidh airgid orm, le n-aghaidh seo agus siúd, ó mhaidin go hoiche agus í ag déanamh gearáin faoin mbealach a raibh a saol caite ag obair dhom agus gan faic na ngrásta da bharr aici. A Thiarna Dia! Go maitear dhom ar lá an bhreithiúnais an chaoi a lig mé léi, nuair ba cheart dom deatach a bhaint as a craiceann le slat shailí. Ligeas, muis. Lig mé léi, ar eagla go mbuailfeadh sí bóthar agus go bhfágfadh sí aonraic mé. Shín mé aici gach ar iarr sí orm, gan bacadh lena chomhaireamh, airgead a saothradh go cruaidh.
  

  There was nothing between us, from day to day, but complaints and quarrelling; she demanding money from me, for this and that, from morning to night, complaining about the way she had spent her life working for me and nothing whatever for her. Lord God! May I be forgiven on the day of judgment for the way I abandoned her, when I should have removed smoke from her skin with a willow stick. Let, indeed. I let her go, for fear she would hit the road and leave me alone. I handed her everything she asked me to, without balking at the reckoning, hard-earned money.

  casaoid	complaint	f
  achrann	Tangled growth; tangle, entanglement; quarrelling, strife
  iarraidh	Request, demand	f
  gearán	Complaint; Grievance, accusation	m gs nplgearáin
  faic	whack, (with negative) nothing	f
  grásta	Grace	m
  Faic na ngrást	nothing whatever
  deatach	smoke	m
  aonraic	Solitary; alone
  bacadh	Balk, hindrance	m
  comhaireamh	Count; calculation, reckoning	m

• 
  Airgead! Bhi sé á scaoileadh le gaoith aici; ag ceannach éadaigh ghalánta agus á deisiú féin mar beadh stríopach ; na hingne daite aici agus a héadan lofa le púdar ; gléas ceoil as Sasana ina seomra; gach uile shaghas beadaíocht ag bord; ag imeacht i ngluaisteáin in éineacht le dailtíní agus ag rince ar fuaid an chontae. A! Go deimhin! Bhainfeadh sí deor as an gcloch. Cailin chomh caoidhiúil agus chonaic sí riamh sul mé chuir pictiúirí Mheireaca an diabhal uirthi. Ar deireadh, thug sí a haghaidh ar an ól. Cuimhneod go brách ar an oíche tháinig sí abhaile i ngluaisteán agus gan cois fúithi, beirt fhear in éineacht léi agus iad á coinneáil ina seasamh os comhair an dorais nuair a tháinig mé amach i mo léine.

  Money! It was being released by her with the wind; buying fancy clothes and mending them yourself like a harlot; her nails colored and her face rotten with powder; a musical instrument from England in her room; all kinds of fastidiousness at a table; going out in cars together with children and dancing all over the county. Oh! Really! She would get a tear from a stone. A girl so pleasant and she had never seen before, pictures of America put the devil in her. Finally, she turned to drink. I will forever remember the night she came home in a car and unable to walk her, two men together with her and holding her standing in front of the door when I came out in my shirt.

  galánta	gallant, fine; grand, beautiful
  deisiú	Repairing, repair; Dressing down, scolding
  stríopach = striapach	harlot	f
  lobh	Rot, decay	v va lofa
  gléas	Order, adjustment, arrangement; Instrument, appliance, apparatus, outfit; …	m
  beadaíocht	Fastidiousness (about food); Dainties; Conceit	f
  go brach
  caoithiúil	Convenient, opportune; Pleasant, kindly

• 
  Thosnaigh an triúr acu ag gáirí nuair a chonaic siad mé i mo sheasamh ansin agus gan orm ach mo léine ag an tró a chlog ar maidin agus na súile leata i mo cheann le scanradh. Ba é sin mo dhóthain. Dhún mé an doras uirthi agus dúirt mé léi fanacht uaim as sin amach. Nior leag mé súil uirthi ó shoin. I gceann dhá lá tháinig duine muintearach [d.l. 63] i gcoinne a cuid éadaigh.
  

  The three of them started laughing when they saw me standing there with only my shirt on at three o’clock in the morning and my eyes wide with fright. That was enough for me. I closed the door on her and told her to stay away from me from then on. I have not laid eyes on her since. In two days a relative came for her clothes.

  leata	spread; wide
  scanradh	Rout; scattering, dispersal; Fright
  dóthain	Enough, sufficiency	f

• 
  Chuir mé aici iad, in éineacht le leath gach a raibh d’airgead sa mbanc agam. D’imigh léi go Sasana agus sé mhí ina dhiaidh sin thug Nóra go Meireaca í. Sin é an áit a bhfuil sí anois, thall i Meireaca agus mise liom féin. Aonraic! Ag lobhadh leis an uaigneas! An croí briste ionam! Is ormsa anois atá an tromluí i ndorchadas na hoíche agus an diabhal ag magadh fúm. An diabhal ag déanamh gaisce faoin gcleas a d’imir sé ar mhaighdean a bhí gléigeal os comhair Dé. D’oíche is de ló tá cogar i mo chluais, drochfhocal nach dtuigim agus gleo i bhfad ar siúl ag na mílte duine tá ag bagairt orm.”
  

  I sent them to her, along with half of all the money I had in the bank. She left for England and six months after that Nora took her to America. That’s where she is now, over in America and I’m by myself. Alone! Rotting with loneliness! My heart is broken! The nightmare is now upon me in the darkness of the night and the devil is mocking me. The devil boasting about the trick he played on a virgin who was pure before God. Day and night there is a whisper in my ear, a bad word I don’t understand and a distant noise going on by thousands of people threatening me.”

  aonraic	Solitary; alone
  lobh	rot, decay	v
  uaigneas	Loneliness, solitude	m
  gaisce	Arms, weapons; martial equipment; Boasting, bravado; showing off, swank
  gléigeal	Pure white, brilliant, transparently clear
  ló = lá	day
  gleo	Fight, combat, battle; Noise, clamour, uproar, tumult	m

• 
  Choinnigh sé air ag caint ar feadh tamaill eile, cé nach raibh mé i ndon é thuiscint agus an neart ag imeacht as a ghlór do réir a chéile, ar nós gaoithe bheadh ag dul i léic. Ar deireadh níor tháinig uaidh ach gnúsacht bheag thruamhéileach agus osnaíl.

  He kept talking for a while longer, although I was unable to understand him and the strength gradually left his voice, like wind decaying. Finally, only a small piteous grunt and a sigh came out of him.

  réir	Will, wish; command	f
  do réir a chéile	gradually
  léig	Decay, neglect	f
  gnúsacht	grunt	f
  truamhéalach	Piteous, plaintive; pathetic

• 
  “B’thearr dhom imeacht as seo,” adeir mé liom féin aris. ”Teach faoistine na ngealt!”

  Ina dhiaidh sin, níor mhaith liom imeacht gan focal beag nádúrach éigin a labhairt leis.

  “Cogar a stór,” adeir mé. “Cé an fath nach gcuireann tú fios uirthi: B’théidir go dtiocfadh sí ar ais dá bhfaigheadh sí an tugthacht.”

  “I should leave here,” I said to myself again. “The confessional of the insane!”

  After that, I would not like to leave without saying a few natural words to him.

  “Whisper, my dear,” I said. “Why don’t you call her: She might come back if she would get the inclination.”

  faoistin	confession	f
  gealt	Crazy person, lunatic	f
  tugthacht	Inclination, tendency	f

• 
  Ní raibh cor ná giog as ar feadh leathnóiméide. “Cáit?” adeir sé faoi dheireadh.

  “Sea,” adeir mé. “Cáit.”

  Tharraing sé amach a cheann go righin as an bpóirin agus thug sé aghaidh orm. A Thiarna! Ni fhacas riamh aon éadan chomh cráite. [d.l. 64]
  

  There was no movement or sound for half a minute. “Cáit?” he finally said.

  “Yes,” I said. “Cáit.”

  He pulled his head stiffly out of the alcove and faced me. Lord! Never before has a face so tormented been seen.

  cor	Turn, turning movement	m
  Níl gog as	there is not a sound out of hi
  righin	Tough; tenacious; unyielding, stubborn
  cráite	Agonized, tormented, grieved

• 
  Tá sí pósta thall le leathbhliain,” adeir sé go réidh.

  “Mar sin é?” adeir mé.
  

  “She’s been married for half a year,” he said mildly.

  “So that’s it?” I said.

  <

• 
  Chuaigh sé anonn tharm gan freagairt, taobh thiar chuntar, a cheannaghaidh iompaithe uaim, ag éaló ar bharr coise agus a lámha i dteannta a chéile os comhair a imleacáin ar nós guidheadóra. Isteach leis sa gcistin. D’iompaigh sé taobh istigh den doras agus bhreathnaigh sé amach orm as an dorchadas.
  

  He went over to the my other side without answering, behind the counter, his head turned away from me, escaping on tiptoe with his hands together in front of his navel like a petitioner. He went into the kitchen. He turned inside the door and looked out at me from the darkness.

  anonn	Over, to the other side
  ceannaghaidh	feature (of face)	f
  teannta	Strait, difficulty, predicament	m
  gabh ina dteannta	go along with them
  imleacán	navel	m
  guíodóir	Prayer, petitioner	m

• 
  Chreathnaigh mé arís nuair a chonaic mé an cheannaghaidh bhuí crochta gan fostú ar an aer dorcha; ach gur trua a bhí anois i leaba na heagla.
  

  I trembled again when I saw the yellow face hanging without attachment in the dark air, but it is a pity it was now in the place of fear.

  <

  creathnaigh	Tremble (with fear), quake; take fright, flinch	v
  ceannaghaidh	feature (of face)	f

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