Turas Siar 192 - Pádraig Ó Raghallaigh, Oiligh

D'fhiafraigh sé dó an bhfaca sé an dath coirce ariamh ina shaol a bhí chomh maith leis.

He asked him if he had ever seen the colour of oats in his life that was as good as it.

Dúirt an buachaill go bhfaca agus coirce bhí míle uair níos fearr ná é.

The boy said that oats were a thousand times better than him.

Nuair a bhí mise óg, ar seisean, bhí Éire Mhór agus Éire Bheag curtha faoi choirce agam féin agus ag m'athair.

When I was young, he said, I myself and my father had Great Ireland and Little Ireland sown with oats.

Agus ní raibh cúnamh ar bith againn ach mé féin agus m'athair agus mo bhean agus mo mháthair.

And we had no help at all but myself and my father and my wife and my mother.

Nuair a chuir muid an grán

When we sowed the corn.

Ar fad, ar seisean, bhí muid gearr timpeall cloch choirce.

Altogether, he said, we were short around an oatstone.

Agus ní raibh sé le fáil agam in áit ar bith ar thalamh na hÉireann.

And I could not find it anywhere on the land of Ireland.

Agus b'éigean dom a dhul go hAlbain le tuilleadh coirce a fháil.

And I had to go to Scotland to get more oats.

Thug mé liom, adeir sé, seanghearán bán a bhí agam.

I took with me, he says, a slender white horse that I had.

Ná go dtéinn go hAlbain.

That I would not go to Scotland..

Agus fuair mé go dtí an fharraige atá idir Éire agus Albain, agus nuair a fuair mé go dtí sin chuir mé an gearán bán insa tsnámh.

And I got to the sea that is between Ireland and Scotland, and when I got there I put the white complaint into the swim.

Ach nuair a tháinig mé i dtír thall in Albain bhí crú scoite ag an ngearán.

But when I landed over in Scotland, the complaint had a torn hoof.

Agus bhí bradán tógtha aige ar a 'chuile thairne.

And he had a salmon caught on every hook.

Agus nuair a fosclaíofar na bradáin céard a bhí istigh iontu ach dosaen a bheadh an lachain istigh ina 'chuile bhradán.

And when the salmon would be opened, what was inside them but a dozen of what the duck would have inside in every salmon.

Cheannaigh mé de lá dhá chloch choirce thall in Albain ansin, ar seisean.

I bought two oatcakes over in Scotland then, he said.