(le Róislín)

Here, faoi dheireadh, is the last cuid (installment) of the translation of the dogs’ dialogue, welcoming Lennox bocht to Droichead an Tuar Ceatha.  The original version, as you may have seen, was at https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/failte-na-madrai-roimh-lennox-the-dogs-welcome-to-lennox/).  The translation is fairly literal but with some liberties taken for stíl and gluaiseacht insinte.

This installment is the last portion, with the first segment (Maida, 19) a repeat from the second section, le haghaidh leanúnachais (as I did with cuid a dó).  As with the revised cuid a dó, I decided not to try colúin this time, since they didn’t line up very well.  So this text just proceeds downward, Irish (in bold), English, Irish (in bold), English, etc.

I hope you find this úsáideach, agus b’fhéidir, catairseach.  SGF – Róislín

 

Fáilte na Madraí roimh Lennox, le Róislín (cuid 3) / The Dogs’ Welcome to Lennox, by Róislín (pt. 3)

19) Maida: Amannaí ní mhothaíonn.  Agus cogar, an bhfuil a fhios agat, cé go bhfuil mé anseo tá dealbh díom, bhuel, dhá dhealbh, leis an fhírinne a rá, ag ceann amháin acu atá i gceist agam anois.  An ceann ag Abbotsford, an áit a raibh mo dhuine, Sir Walter Scott, ina chónaí ann.  Agus tá véarsa beag scríofa ansin.  Ar mhaith leat é a chloisteáil?

19) Maida: Sometimes nothing is felt.  And listen, do you know, even though I’m here, there is a statue of me in the other world, that former world, well, two statues, to tell the truth, but I’m only referring to one of them now.  The one at Abbotsford, the place where my human, Sir Walter Scott lived.  And there is a short verse written there.  Would you like to hear it?
20) Lennox: Ba … ba … ba mhaith.  Is fada ó bhí mé ag smaoineamh faoi fhilíocht.  Ach abair é, le do thoil.

20) Lennox: Y-y-yes, I would.  It’s been a long time since I thought about poetry.  But recite it, please.

 

21) Maida: Seo é, “Maidae marmorea dormis sub imagine; Maida ad ianuam domini sit tibi terra levis.”

21) Maida: Here it is, “Maidae marmorea dormis sub imagine; Maida ad ianuam domini sit tibi terra levis.”

 

22) Lennox:  An Laidin í sin?

22) Lennox: Is that Latin?

 

23) Maida: ‘Sea, is Laidin í.  Scríobh John Gibson Lockhart, cliamhain Sir Walter é.  Seo an Béarla a thug Sir Walter air, ar an toirt, chomh luath is a chuala sé é: “Beneath the sculptured form which late you wore, Sleep soundly, Maida, at your master’s door.”  Focal ar fhocal, ciallaíonn an chuid dheireanach, “Go raibh an talamh éadrom ort.”

23) Maida: Yes, it’s Latin.  John Gibson Lockhart, Sir Walter’s son-in-law, wrote it.  Sir Walter translated it right away, as soon as he heard it in Latin.  Here’s how it goes: “Beneath the sculptured form which late you wore, Sleep soundly, Maida, at your master’s door.”  Word for word, the last bit means “May the earth rest lightly on you.”

23) note: very literally: be – to you – earth – light

 

24) Lennox: Ó, tá sin go hálainn.  Ach níl muid inár gcodladh, an bhfuil?  Feicim thú agus cloisim thú.

24) Lennox: Oh, that’s beautiful.  But we’re not asleep, are we?  I see you and I hear you.

 

25) Maida: Bhuel, tá agus níl.  Síleann daoine go bhfuil muid inár gcodladh ar bhealach.  Ach go bhfuil muid inár ndúiseacht freisin.  Tá a fhios agat mar atá sé san amhrán “Old Blue” le Cisco Houston.  “Old Blue’s gone where the good dogs go.”  Sin an áit a bhfuil muide.

25) Maida: Well, yes and no.  People think that, in a way, we are asleep.  But that we’re also awake.  You know, like it is in the song, “Old Blue,” by Cisco Houston.  “Old Blue’s gone where the good dogs go.”  That’s where we are.

 

26) Lennox: An féidir leat Gaeilge a chur ar na línte sin? Is í Gaeilge atá á labhairt againn anois.

26) Lennox: Can you translate that into Irish since we’re speaking Irish now?

 

27) Maida: Déanfaidh mé iarracht: “Ina luí anois faoin marmar atá mo Maida dílis, ach chomh héadrom atá talamh air, go bhfuil an t-aer chomh húr, chomh milis.”  Bhuel, níl sin focal ar fhocal.  Ach ní bhíonn filíocht mar sin.  Tá sé cineál aisteach é a rá fúm féin, an bhfuil a fhios agat?

27) Maida: I’ll try.  “Beneath the marble now does my faithful Maida rest, the air so sweet above him, and the earth lies lightly on his breast.”  Well, that’s not exactly word for word.  But poetry is like that.  It’s kind of strange to say it about myself, you know.

 

28) Lennox: Tá a fhios, ach tuigim na línte níos fearr anois.

28) Lennox: I know, but I do understand the lines better now.

 

29) Maida: Agus éist, a Lennox.  Níl tú faoi mharmar agus níl tú faoin talamh, trom nó éadrom.  Tá a fhios agat, ar ais ar an domhan ábhartha, de ghnáth scaipeann daoine cuid denár luaith, amanna an t-iomlán díobh.  Ansin ní hé an “sit tibi terra levis” atá i gceist.  Tá muide ar dhromchla an domhain agus sa ghaoth agus san aer agus gach áit a mbíonn ár ndaoine.  Is mar a gcéanna muide agus ábhar an tsaoil.

29) Maida: And listen, Lennox.  You’re not underneath the marble and you’re not underneath the ground, heavy or light.  You know, back in the material world, usually people scatter some of our ashes, sometimes all of them.  Then it’s not a matter of “sit tibi terra levis.”  We are on the surface of the earth and in the wind and in the air and everywhere our people are.  We are one and the same with the world itself.

 

30) Lennox: An ea? Mothaím beagán níos fearr.

30) Lennox: Is it so? I feel a little better now.

 

31) Maida: Go maith!  Anois, ar mhaith leat teacht liomsa anois?  Tá madraí eile ann, cuid acu cáiliúil agus cuid acu ina “home-bodies” ceart.  Fan go bhfeicfidh tú Lassie!

31) Maida: Good!  Now, would you like to come with me.  There are other dogs, some of them famous, some of them just home-bodies.  Wait till you see Lassie!

 

32) Lennox: Ó, ‘sea, Lassie.  Go deas.

32) Lennox: Oh, yes, Lassie.  Nice.

 

33) Maida: Abair slán le Bran agus Sceolaing agus Gelert, mura mhiste leat.  Tá a fhios agat go mbíonn siadsan ag fanacht anseo ag ceann an droichid, chun madraí nua a fháiltiú.

33) Maida: Say goodbye to Bran and Sceolaing and Gelert, if you don’t mind.  You know they wait here at the end of the bridge to welcome new dogs.

 

34) Lennox: Slán, a Bhrain!  Slán, a Sceolaing!  Hwyl fawr, a Gelert.  Um, errr, ar labhair mé Breatnais ansin?  Meas tú?

34) Lennox: Goodbye, Bran!  Goodbye, Sceolaing!  Goodbye, Gelert!  Um, err, did I speak Welsh just then?  Do you suppose?

 

35) Bran, Sceolaing, agus Gelert: Slán, a Lennox.  Tóg go bog é.  Ffarwél! (a deir Gelert)

35) Bran, Sceolaing, Gelert: G’bye, Lennox. Take it easy. Farewell (says Gelert).

 

36) Maida: Is cuma cén teanga a labhraíonn tú anseo.  Tuigtear gach rud.  Anois, téana liom, tá a lán le déanamh againn …

36) Maida: It doesn’t matter what language you speak here.  Everything is understood.  Now, come with me, there’s a lot to do …

 

(Agus amach leo thar bharr an chnoic, luas agus lúfar ina gcosa agus an méid lúchaire orthu agus is féidir a bheith ag madra gan a dhuine, Lennox ag smaoineamh fós faoina theaghlach, an teaghlach Barnes, go mór mór an iníon Brooke … ach lá den tsaol, cibé sórt saoil é atá againn …).

(And off they go, over the hill, light and fleet of foot, and as happy as a dog without its person can be, Lennox still thinking about his family, the Barnes family, especially the daughter Brooke … but some day of the world, whatever sort of world this is that we have …).

An Deireadh / Finis

Fonóta (for anyone who’s just starting this blog’s 6-blog tribute to Lennox, mostly a repeat of the original introduction): The comhrá itself is imaginary but I’ve tried to make the language as natural as possible, with phrases that might also be useful i saol na ndaoine.  As I worked on this, I was also listening ar líne to Beautiful Joe (1893), a novel written in “first canine” (just as Black Beauty was written in “first equine”).  Like Black Beauty, it’s a heartbreaker in parts, but unlike Lennox bocht, the story of “Beautiful Joe” has a reasonably happy ending.  Though permanently mutilated, Beautiful Joe does go to a happy home where is loved by both human and animal companions.  Mholfainn é, as long as you can get past codanna beaga nach bhfuil de réir na dtuairimí ‘cearta’ poiblí, and, like many books of its day, said codanna are very much “i d’aghaidh.”  Ba Cheanadach í an t-údar, Margaret Marshall Saunders (1861-1947), a scríobh an leabhar do chomórtas an American Humane Education Society (bunaíodh i 1889).  Tuilleadh eolais faoin leabhar ag http://www.beautifuljoe.org/

Gluais don alt sin: bocht, poor; comhrá, conversation; comórtas, competition, cuid, share, portion, installment (pl: codanna); de réir na dtuairimí “cearta” poiblí, politically “correct;” mholfainn, I’d recommend; saol, life, world; tuairim, opinion

Fonóta 2 (faoin ainm “Maida”): madra fireann a bhí ann; tháinig a ainm ó Chath Maida, 4 Iúil 1806, san Iodáil.