Reading Number 3
This is the first part of a short play for children called "Cúchulainn", about how the legendary Irish hero earned his name. It is by Máire Uí Cheallaigh and taken from a book called "33 Drámaí Gaeilge do Ghasúir Scoile" (33 Irish Plays for Schoolchildren) published by Cló Iar- Chonnachta (West Connaught Press).
The scene in this part is a hurling field; Conchúr, the King of Ulster, is standing with two men watching children playing hurley. One of the children, the object of their special attention, is young Setanta. Stage directions are in square brackets, and the names of the speakers are abbreviated after their first appearance. Translation in English follows.
RADHARC 1
(radharc [m.], "scene", "spectacle")
| FEAR 1: Is docha go bhfuil an cluiche beagnach críochnaithe. | (is docha, "perhaps") (cluiche [m.], "game") (beagnach, "almost") (críochnaithe, "finished") |
| CONCHÚR: Fanfaimid tamall beag ag féachaint air. | (tamall [m.], "a while") |
| FEAR 1: Tá go maith. Taithíonn cluiche iománaíochta go mór liomsa. | (taithíonn... le, "pleases") (iománaíochta, "of hurling") |
| [Cloistear na gártha ón bpáirc imeartha] | (na gártha [f.pl.], "the shouts") (páirc imeartha [f.], "playing field") |
| CONCHÚR: Féach air sin! Maith thú! Maith thú [ag bualadh bos] An bhfaca sibh é sin? Chuir sé an sliotar díreach isteach faoin trasnán. |
(ag bualadh bos, "clapping") (an bhfaca sibh...? "did you see...?") (sliotar [m.], "ball") (díreach, "straight") (isteach, "in") (trasnán [m.], "crossbar") |
| FEAR 2: Cé hé an buachaill sin a bhuail an liathróid isteach? | (liathróid [f.], "ball") |
| CONCHÚR: Is é sin Setanta. Mise a uncail. | (mise = is mise) (uncail [m.], "uncle") |
| FEAR 2: Tá sé ar fheabhas. Is féidir leis rith ar nós na gaoithe. | (ar fheabhas, "excellent") (rith, "run") (ar nós na, "like the") (gaoth [f.], "wind") |
| FEAR 1: Féach ar na cosa láidre atá faoi. | (cosa láidre, "strong legs") |
| FEAR 2: Ní fhaca mé riamh iománaí chomh tapaidh leis. | (ní fhaca, "didn't see") (riamh, "ever") (iománaí [m.], "hurler") (tapaidh, "quick") (chomh...leis, "as... him") |
| CONCHÚR: Agus ní fheicfidh tú a leithéid arís. [Cloistear gártha]. Ar aghaidh leat, a Shetanta. Buail é, buail é. Hurrá! Sin cúl eile. Mo ghrá thú, a Shetanta. Maith an fear! |
(ní fheicfidh, "won't see") (leithéid, [f.], "like, equal, counterpart") (ar aghaidh, "forward") (buail, "strike, hit") (cúl [m.], "goal") (eile, "another") |
| FEAR 1: Sin é an deireadh, is dóigh liom. Tá sé chomh maith dúinn imeacht. | (deireadh [m.], "end, conclusion") (is dóigh liom, "I think") (chomh maith do, "as well for") |
| FEAR 2: Níl an cluiche críochnaithe fós. Sos atá ann anois. | (fós, "yet") (sos [m.], "pause, break") |
| CONCHÚR: Fanaígí nóiméad. Seo chugainn Setanta. | (nóiméad [m.], "a moment") (chugainn, "towards us") |
| SETANTA: Dia duit, a uncail. | |
| CONCHÚR: Dia is Muire duit, a Shetanta. Cén chaoi a bhfuil an cluiche ag dul? | |
| SETANTA: Go han-mhaith. Tá trí chúl agus cúig chúilín ag ár bhfoireann. | (trí, "three") (cúig, "five") (cúilín [m.], "a point" (in sports)) (foireann [f.], "team") |
| FEAR 1: Agus céard faoin bhfoireann eile? | |
| SETANTA: Níl ach ceithre chúilín ar fad acu. | (ar fad, "altogether") |
| CONCHÚR: Ba mhaith liom fanacht go deireadh an chluiche ach caithfimid dul chuig an féasta i gcaisleán Chulainn. | (caithfimid, "we must") (chuig, "to") (féasta [m.], "feast, party") (caisleán [m.], "castle") (Chulainn, "of Culann") |
| SETANTA: Tá go maith. Rachaidh mise ar ball. Slán go fóill. | (rachaidh, "will go") (ar ball, "later") (slán go fóill, "so long", "see you later"; literally: "health still") |
| CONCHÚR: Slán. Go n-éirí an t-ádh libh. | (go... libh, "good luck"; literally, "may luck rise with you") |
Translation: Scene 1
Man 1: Perhaps the game is almost finished.
Conchur: We will stay a little while watching it.
Man 1: That's good. A game of hurling pleases me greatly.
[Shouts are heard from the playing field].
Conchur: Look at that! Good for you! Good for
you!
[clapping]
Did you see that? He put the ball directly under
the crossbar.
Man 2: Who is that boy that hit the ball in?
Conchur: That's Setanta. I'm his uncle.
Man 2: He's excellent. He can run like the wind.
Man 1: Look at the strong legs that are under him.
Man 2: I've never seen a hurler as quick as him.
Conchur: And you won't see his equal again.
[Shouts are
heard].
Forward, Setanta. Hit it, hit it. Hurray! That's another goal.
You're my darling, Setanta. Good man!
Man 1: That's the end, I think. It's as well for us to go.
Man 2: The game isn't finished yet. There's a pause now.
Conchur: Stay a moment. This is Setanta (coming) to us.
Setanta: God with you, uncle.
Conchur: God and Mary with you, Setanta. How is the game going?
Setanta: Very well. Our team has three goals and five points.
Man 1: And what about the other team?
Setanta: They only have four points altogether.
Conchur: I'd like to stay until the end of the game but we have to go to the feast at Culann's castle.
Setanta: That's fine. I'll go myself later. Goodbye.
Conchur: Goodbye. Good luck.
