Duinnín agus na Bollain

bullan, A round hollow in a stone, a bowl.

tuathal … cursing stones (clocha breaca) at Inishmurray, Sligo, are turned to
the left to effect a curse…

• Bhí an oíche caite ag an Duinnineach i nDrom Gabhar le
  muintir Magee. Tar éis bricfeasta, rinne páistí an teaghlaigh é a
  chomóradh go Tír Sheanacháin go bhfaigheadh sé radharc ar an
  Sionnainn agus go bhfeicfeadh sé an áit as ar shnámh Daideo
  Magee Béal na Sionna. Bhi an lá bioranta fuar, an ghaoth ag
  saighdeadh as gach aird faoi seach agus nimh inti. Rith an bheirt
  bhuachaillí thart ar an Duinníneach go meidhreach gan aon
  aird acu ar an bhfuacht ach shiúil Hanna taobh leis go modhúil.
  

  Dineen spent the night in Drumgour with the Magee people. After breakfast the children of the family as an to Tiershanaghan so he would get a view of the Shannon and would see the place where Grandpa Magee swam the mouth of the Shannon. It was a piercingly cold day, the wind blowing from all directions with poisonous sting in it. The two boys ran around Dineen merrily with no regard for the cold but Hanna walked beside him politely.

  comóradh	gathering, assembly; celebration	m
  radharc	sight	m
  lá bioranta fuar	piercingly cold day
  bioranta	sharp
  saighdeadh	inciting, provoking	m
  aird	direction; attention	f
  faoi seach	in turn; occasionally; respectively; in confusion
  nimh	poison	f
  meidhreach	Mirthful, merry, gay; frisky, sportive
  fuacht	cold
  modhúil	Well-behaved, mannerly; mild, gentle, modest

Léigh tuilleadh

Duinnín agus na Beacha (tuilleadh)

• Bhí Cáit ag súil go gcaithfeadh sé an oíche ar an settle sa chistin acu siúd ach bhí a chroí rólán chuige. D’éalaigh sé amach bealach an chnoic trí pháirceanna Mholly – thíos uaidh sa ghleann, páistí Cháit ag spraoi … dhá fholt fionn agus folt donn . . . gáire ard caol leanaí. Chuala sé glór Cháit ag insint dó go soilbhir, faoi dhiscréid, go mbeadh a céile, Tom, ag ceannach na talún ó Nóra … soláthar don triúr leanbh … íoc thar thréimhse … iasacht an árthaigh … siúicre san earrach … siopa … bainis . . spanlóir de sprionlóir ar shlí na fírinne … deis a thabhairt don óige … úsc nimhneach ó na ródaideandróin a chur sa siúicre … seans go n-oibreodh sé, seans nach n-oibreodh. Dá n-oihreodh, bheadh feirm Uí Shé le díol / le ceannach – ar phraghas insroichte / réasúnta … thar thréimhse.

  Kate was hoping he would spend the night on the settle they had in the kitchen, but his heart was too full to him. He escaped out the way of the hill through Molly’s fields. Below him in the valley Kate’s children were playing … two blond heads and a brown head … the high thin laugh of children. He heard Kate’s voice telling him clearly, discretely, that her husband, Tom, would be buying the land from Nora … provide for three children … pay over time … lending the container … sugar in spring … shop … wedding … Spindle-legged person of a miser to his eternal reward … giving the youth an opportunity … put poisonous extract from the rhododendrons in the sugar … chance it would work, chance it would not. If it worked, O’Shea’s farm would be for sale/purchase – at an affordable/reasonable price … over time.

  rólán	too full
  folt	Hair (of head); (pl.) locks, tresses	m
  soilbhir	Pleasant, cheerful; jovial, merry; ready of speech, well-spoken
  discréid	discretion	f
  iasacht	Lending, borrowing; loan	f
  árthach	Vessel, ship, boat; container	m gs árthaigh
  bainis	weddijng
  spanlóir	Spindle-legged person
  sprionlóir	Mean, miserly, person; miser, skinflint	m
  ar shlí na fírinne	to his/her/their eternal reward
  deis	opportunity [here]	f
  úsc	fat, grease; extract	m
  insroichteacht	insroichteacht

  
  
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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]

  
  
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Duinnín agus an Bhean nár tugadh Nimh di (tuilleadh)

• ‘Bhí sailéid[veriant] ag Miss Montague. Ubh beirithe a bhí agam féin.’
  ‘Cad a bhí sa sailéid?’
  ‘Bradán stánaithe, leitís, tráta agus prátaí beirithe.’
  D’ith an Duinníneach slaimice aráin agus d’ól sé muigín tae, gan focal as [3rd pers sing prep pronoun]. D’ól Minnie deora beaga tae ón mhuigín aici siúd go béasach agus chogain sí grabhóga aráin lena fiacla tosaigh mar dhéanfadh coinín.

  ‘Miss Montague had a salad. I myself had a boiled egg.’
  ‘What was in the salad?’
  ‘Canned salmon, lettuce, a tomato, and boiled potatoes.’
  Dineen ate a chunk of bread and drank a little mug of tea, without a word out of him. Minnie drank small drops of tea from her little mug there politely and she chewed bread crumbs with her front teeth like a rabbit would.

  sailéad	salad	m gs npl sailéid
  Bradán	salmon
  stánaithe	canned
  muga	mug	m
  deoir	drop	f npl deora
  béasach	Well-behaved; mannerly, polite
  cogain	chew
  grabhróg	crumb	f npl grabhróga
  tosaigh	begin, start
  tosach	beginning, front	m gs tosaigh

  
  
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Duinnín agus an Bhean nár tugadh Nimh di

There is a slightly different version of the story at Feasta.

Neimh, ­e, f., poison venom, virulence, pus. . . neimh na ndúl i ngrúg na gaoithe, all the venom of Nature in the fury of the wind (Kea.). . . Tá neimh na meanadh ar an snáthaid, the poison of the awl is on the needle (of inherited qualities); domlas dragúin agus neimh thríd suaidhte go mbadh é deoch do shuain é ar uair do bháis.. . .

• Bhí an bhean bheag liath roimhe[?] ina pharlús nuair a d’fhill an tAthair Pádraig Ó Duinnín ón leabharlann Náisiúnta go dtí an bungaló i bPort Mhearnóg mar a mbíodh cónaí air. Ní raibh tine ar lasadh ann agus bhí taise an fhómhair agus taise an tsáile sa pharlús. Bhí an beanín, cuachta ina cóta liath, suite ar imeall cathaoireach. Ainneoin an fhuachta, bhí péacáin allais ar a héadan. D’éirigh sí go scáfar nuair tháinig sé isteach.

  The little gray woman was in his parlor before Father Patrick Dineen returneed from the National Library to the bungalow in Portmarnock where he lived. There was no fire lit and the dampness of the autumn and the moisture of the sea were in the parlor. The little woman, wrapped in a gray coat, was seated on the edge of a chair. In spite of the cold, there were drops of sweat on her face/forehead. She rose up timidly when he came in.

  taise	Dampness, moistness, humidity; softness, smoothness, tenderness; mildness, gentleness; kindness, compassion; Fetch, wraith	f
  sáile	Sea-water, sea; Ease, comfort	f
  cuachta	bundled, wrapped
  imeall	Border, edge, rim, margin	m
  Ainneoin	notwithstanding, in spite of
  péacán	Sprout, shoot, plumule	m
  éadan	face	m
  scáfar	Fearful; Frightful, dreadful; Timid, apprehensive

  
  
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Duinnín agus an Cat (tuilleadh)

• ‘Tá an gloine briste i ndoras uimhir a 33,’ arsa Eleanór, ‘díreach mar a bheadh i ndoras Mharia murach gur imir tú cleas ar an nglas.’
  ‘Féach an sneachta os comhair an dorais [g],’ ar sise. ‘B’é go raibh cruinniú poiblí ar an táirseach?’
  ‘Dráma, seachas cruinniú, déarfainn,’ arsa an Duinníneach. ‘An rian is tábhachtaí ná an ceann sin ar clé ar fad.’
  ‘Is geall le rian coise eilifint é.’

  ‘The glass is broken in door number 33,’ Eleanor said , ‘just like it would be in Maria’s door if you hadn’t played a trick on the lock.’
  ‘Look at the snow in front of the door,’ she said. Was there a public meeting on the threshhold?’
  ‘Drama, rather than a meeting, I would say,’ said Dineen. ‘The most important track is that one on the far left. It is like an elephant’s footprint.’
  

  cruinniú	Gathering, Meeting	m
  poiblí	publie
  táirseach	threshhold
  rian	Course, path; Mark, trace, track; Power of movement, vigor	m
  geall	Pledge, security; Wager, bet; promise	m
  Is geall le	It is like

  
  

• ‘Cuimhnigh go raibh bróga tí á gcaitheamh ag Maria. Faoin am seo, bheidís báite fliuch agus éadach na n-uachtar ag sliobarnaíl thar na boinn. Tá na coiscéimeanna eile anuas ar na cinn aici siúd.’
  ‘An méid atá iontu!’ arsa Eleanor go himníoch. ‘Fiú agus méadú le linn leá a chur san áireamh! . . . Feicim fathaigh, abominable snowmen, dosaen garraíodóir ar thóir Mharia.’
  ‘Siúil anseo i lár an chosáin mar a bhfuil an sneachta leáite.’
  ‘Fuil!’ arsa Eleanór agus uafás uirthi.
  ‘Braonta ar fud na háite,’ a d’aontaigh an Duinníneach.
  Chuir sé lámh trín bpoll agus d’oscail sé an doras.

  Remember Maria was wearing house shoes. By this time, they would be drenched wet and the cloth on top drooping over the soles. The other footsteps are on top of hers.
  ‘The size of them!’ said Eleanor anxiously. ‘Even considering the increase during melting! . . . I see giants, abominable snowmen, a dozen gardeners in search of Maria.’
  ‘Walk here in the middle of the path where the snow has melted.’
  ‘Blood!’ said Eleanor in horror.
  ‘Drops all over the place,’ agreed Dineen.
  He put his hand through the hole and opened the door.

  báite	drowned
  éadach	cloth	m
  uachtar	top, upper part; cream	m
  ag sliobarna = ag liobarna	hanging loose, drooping
  bonn	sole	m
  méadú	increase	m
  leá	melting, dissolution	m
  áireamh	counting, reckonning
  fathach	giant	m
  ar thóir	in search of
  cosán	Path; Footway, track; Way, passage; direction	m
  fuil	blood	f
  uafás	Horror, terror	m
  aontaigh	unite; agree

  
  
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Duinnín agus an Cat

Féirín . . . a reward, a present, a keepsake . . . in a bad sense, a lasting complaint, an affliction ; f. Nodlag, a Christmas box.

Deireadh an scéil
End of the story

Oíche Lae Nollag atá ann. Tá an tAthair Pádraig Ó Duinnín ar an traein dheireanach ó Shráid Amiens ar a shlí abhaile go dtí an bungaló beag cois farraige i bPort Mearnóg mar a bhfuil cónaí air. Tá a hata ard dubh síoda leagtha béal in airde ar a ghlúine mar a mbíonn lámhscríbhinn éigin de ghnáth. Tá sé ag cáitheadh sneachta. Ó am go chéile ardaíonn an Duinníneach an nuachtán atá leagtha ar an hata aige agus féachann sé arís ar an bpiscín cait atá ina chodladh istigh. Agus é ag druidim le stáisiún Phort Mearnóg, crochann sé an ruidín beag dubh san aer le súil go mbeadh cat ó dhuine éigin. Ní fhéachann ceachtar den bheirt eile sa charráiste air féin ná ar an bpiscín. Ligeann sé osna agus cuireann sé síos ina phóca é. Póca doimhin é a shíneann go bun a chóta – maintín, a bhfuil sé cairdiúil léi, a réitigh an póca seo, in aisce, dó – le gur féidir leis rudaí ilghnéitheacha a iompar thart go discréideach. Sháigh an piscín ingne ina láimh agus é á stiúrú isteach go cneasta. ‘Féirín!’ arsa an Duinníneach go grod.

It is Christmas Eve. Pádraig Ó Duinnín on the last train from Amiens Street on his way home to the small seaside bungalow in Portmarnock where he lives. His tall black silk hat is set mouth-high on his knees where some manuscript is usually. It is snowing [lit. “throwing snow”]. Occasionally Dineen raises the newspaper set on his hat and he looks again at the kitten who is sleeping inside. Approaching Portmarnock station, he lifts the little black thing in the air with the hope it be someone’s cat. Neither of the other two in the carriage looks at him or the kitten. He lets out a sigh and puts it down in his pocket. It is a deep pocket that stretches to the bottom of his coat, – a seamstress, with whom he is a friend, made this pocket, for nothing, for him – so that he can carry various things around discreetly. The kitten pushed a claw into his hand while while he was politely steering it in. ‘Gift!’ Said Dineen abruptly.

Tus an scéil
Beginning of the story