Eachtraí na hÓige: II (1954)

Áralt Ó Tnúthail, composed in Toronto, Ontario

“Lá amháin san Samhradh seo thart bhí na buachaillí ag imirt amach faoin spéir ghorm agus mé féin ag obair chomh dian dícheallach le casúr is siléar claíoch a thógailt timpeall an ghairdín. An lá roimhe sin tháinig an luaidheadóir agus thóg sé amach an fhuinneog stoirme a bhí ar ceann des na fuinneoga siléair, agus ní raibh sí curtha thar n-ais leis an fear macánta céanna.

Tá gluaisteán ag Seán ar nós rothar, ‘dtuigeann tú, agus bhí sé ag gluaiseacht suas síos an gairdín. Ní raibh sé ró-fhada sara thit a shúile ar an fuinneog ainnis úd.

‘Há,’ a deir sé leis féin, ‘fuinneog siopa. Do bhris mo ghluaisteán trí fuinneog an siopa agus táim gortaithe tinn.’

Níor tháinig an smaoineadh nár a bhí an drochghníomh déanta aige. Chuaigh mé dearg leis an fearg mór a tháinig orm.

‘An tusa an drochdhuine óg a dhéin an gníomh sin?’ a d’fhiafraigh mé.

‘Ar chonaic tú mé á dhéanamh?’ ar Seán Óg.

‘Níor chonaic mé ach chuala mé é,’ d’fhreagair mise.

‘Bhuel, Dad,’ agus is fuar ciúineas a tháinig an freagra, ‘muna chífeá mé níor dhéanas é.’”

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“One day in this past Summer the boys were playing out under the blue sky and I myself was working as hard and diligently with a hammer to make a cellar wall in the yard. The previous day the mover had come and he took out the storm window that was on one of the cellar windows, and it hadn’t been put back by that same honest man.

Seán has a car similar to a bike, you understand, and he was driving up all around the garden. It wasn’t too long until his eyes fell on that poor window.

‘Ha,’ he said to himself, ‘a shop window. My car broke through the shop window and I’m wounded and sore.

I hadn’t thought that he had done the awful deed. I went red with the great anger that came on me.

‘Are you the terrible young person that did that deed?’ I asked.

‘Did you see me doing it?’ said Young Seán.

‘No but I heard it,’ I answered.

‘Well, Dad,’ and it’s cold and quiet the answer came, ‘if you didn’t see me then I didn’t do it.’”

Adapted from: Ó Tnúthail, Áralt. 1954. “Eachtra na hÓige.” Irisleabhar Ceilteach. 2.2. Cló Chluain Tairbh: Toronto.

For citation, please use: Ó Tnúthail, Áralt. 1954. “Eachtra na hÓige: II.” Ó Dubhghaill, Dónall. 2024. Na Gaeil san Áit Ró-Fhuar. Gaeltacht an Oileáin Úir: www.gaeilge.ca