Turas go Lár na Cathrach

A trip to the Center of the City

Genitives (such as I could identify — I am sure I missed some) in bold.

• I Ráth Maonais a fuair mé an bus seo, bus a cúig déag A, agus mé ar mo bhealach go lár na cathrach — bhí sé sin tuairim is tri bliana ó shin. Ní cuimhin liom cad é mar a bhí ar dtús. Is dócha: go raibh leabhar liom, mar ba ghnách liom leabhar a léamh i gcónaí ar an bhus.

  In Rathmines I found this bus, bus fifteen A, on my way to the city center – that was about three years ago. I don’t remember how it was at first. Likely I had a book with me, because I used to always read a book on the bus.

  tuairim	opinion; about	f

Léigh tuilleadh

Athair (tuilleadh)

Father (continued)

• D’iompaigh sé thart, ionas go raibh a chúl iomlán leis an range. Chrágáil a bhealach i dtreo bhord na cistine. Chroch mias an bhainne lena dhá lámh gur dhoirt braon amach as síos sa jug nó go raibh ar tí cur thar maoil. Bhí a rostaí ar crith, ag an gcritheán a thagadh ina lámha nuair a bhíodh faoi straidhn ar chlaonadh áirithe. Bhí mé buioch nar shlabáil sé aon bhraon den bhainne ar an mbord: mé réidh le glantóir fliuch a fháil le glanadh suas ina dhiaidh dá mba ghá. Bhí sórt náire orm, i mo shuí síos ag breathnú air ag déanamh na hoibre seo—obair ba ghnách liom féin a dhéanamh… […]

  He turned around, so that his back was completely to the range. He walked awkwardly in the direction of the kitchen table. He held the milk dish with both hands until a drop poured out of it down into the jug or was about to overflow. His wrists were trembling, with the trembling that came in his hands when he was under the strain of a certain inclination. I was thankful that he didn’t spill a drop of milk on the table: I was ready to get a wet cleaner to clean up afterwards if necessary. I was kind of ashamed, sitting down and watching him do this work—work that was customary for me to do myself…

  crágáil	Claw, paw; handle roughly or unskilfully; Walk awkwardly; toil along
  mias	Board, slab; table; dish; …	f
  doirt	pour; spill; shed	v
  maoil	rounded summit; hillock, knoll; Bare, bald, top; tip, crown
  cur thar maoil	brimming over, full to overflowing
  tí	Marked line, track	f
  ar tí	on the track of, in pursuit of; on the point of, about to
  rosta	wrist	m pl rostaí
  crith	Tremble, shiver; tremor, shudder; vibration, quiver	m, v
  straidhn	strain	f
  claonadh	Inclination; tendency, trend	m
  slabáil	(Act of) puddling; sloppy work	f
  gnach	Customary, usual; common, ordinary

Léigh tuilleadh

Athair

Father

• Cén chaoi a mbeadh a fhios agamsa céard a dhéanfainn—th’éis dom é a inseacht dó—mar nach bhfaca mé m’athair ag caoineadh cheana ariamh. Ariamh! Fiú nuair a maraíodh mo mháthair sa timpiste naoi mí roimhe sin, deoir níor chaoin sé, go bhfios domsa. Táim cinnte nár chaoin mar ba mise a tharraing an drochscéal chuige. Is ba mé freisin a bhí ina fhochair i rith an ama ar fad: lnethanta bacacha úd na sochraide. Níor leagadh aon chúram eile ormsa ach amháin fanacht leis. Ba iad a chuid deartháireacha agus deartháireacha mo mháthar—mo chuid uncaileachaí—a d’iompair an chónra agus a rinne na socruithe sochraide. Ba iad comharsana an bhaile, le treoir ó mo chuid deirfiúracha, a choinnigh stiúir éicint ar chúrsaí timpeall an tí, Sórt tuiscint a bhí ann—cé nár dúradh amach díreach é, gur mise ab fhearr fanacht taobh le m’athair, óir ba mé ab óige: an t-aon duine a bhíodh sa mbaile ó cheann ceann na bliana.

  How would I know what to do — after I had told him—as I had never seen my father cry before. Never! Even when my mother was killed in the accident nine months before, he didn’t cry a tear, as far as I know. I’m sure he didn’t cry because I was the one who brought him the bad news. I was also near him during the whole time: those halting days of the funeral. No other responsibilty was laid upon me except to wait for him. His brothers and my mother’s brothers—my uncles—carried the coffin and made the funeral arrangements. It was the neighbors of the town, with guidance from my sisters, who kept some direction on matters around the house, It was sort of an understanding – although it was not said out loud directly, that I was the best to stay with my father, for I was the youngest: the only person who had been at home from the beginning of the year.

  inseacht = insint	Relation, narration, utterance; version	f
  fochair	Nearness, proximity
  bacach	Lame; Halting, imperfect

Léigh tuilleadh

Duinnín i Lios Dúin Bhearna (tuilleadh)

Dineen in Lisdoonvarna (continued)

• Thit tost uirthi agus chuardaigh a súile corp Burr. Bhí sé clúdaithe anois ag ceann de sheolta canbháis stainnín Ghobnait.

  ‘Bhi a fhios agam riamh nach raibh grá buan daingean aige dom. Níor bhain sin lena nádúr. Thuigeas go mbeadh airgead de dhíth air, airgead mór nárbh fhéidir a thuilleamh le scileanna dochtúra, fiú dá mbeidís aige. Thit othar saibhir dá chuid i ngrá leis. Bhí sí cheana féin ar bhruinnibh [dative] an bháis. Mholas do Hildebrandt í a phósadh.’

  ‘Nach mbeifeá féin ag fáil bháis den éad,’ a d’fhiafraigh Gobnait.

  She fell silent and her eyes searched Burr’s body. It was now covered by one of Gobnait’s tin/waxed canvas sails.

  ‘I have always known that he did not have a strong enduring love for me. That was not his nature. You understand he would be in want of money, a lot of money that could not be earned with the skills of a doctor, even if he had them. A wealthy patient of his fell in love with him. She was already on the brink of death. Hildebrandt proposed to marry her.’

  ‘Wouldn’t you yourself be dying from jealousy,’ asked Gobnait.

  buan	Enduring, permanent
  daingean	Fortified, solid; strong, secure

Léigh tuilleadh