Man Recovered From the Fairies - A Story

 

I was recently asked on my Patreon by one of my patrons if I could translate a modern Irish piece from the school's collection at Duchas.ie. I'm not fluent in modern Irish but offered to give it a try as it is one of the school's pieces that was recorded only as Gaeilge. Its also a very interesting piece, recounting the abduction of a newly married man by the Daoine Maithe and his subsequent recovery by a wise woman and her daughter. 

I am including the original Irish story here as well as my attempt at a translation of it, for anyone else who may find it interesting or useful:

Bhí fear ann fadó agus an lá a phós sé, bhí sé féin agus a bean ag teacht abhaile agus do fuaduigheadh é. Do cuaidh sí ghá lorg agus dubhairt gach aoinne sa deire gur guid na daoine Maithe é.Bhí bean taobh thiar de'n nDaingean go nglaodhís Móirín uirthi agus cuaidh sí siar agus dubhairt Móirín go raibh sí féin ró críonna agus nár bhfhéidir léi siubhal ach go gcuirfeadh sí a h-inghean an aonfacht léi.
Cuaidh inghean Mhóirín an aonfacht léi agus cuardaighdeadar gach lios in Éirinn. Thosnuigheadar ar an gceann badh shia uatha go dtí go dthánghadar go dtí an lios seo go nglaodhtar Lios na Daighche air. Is amhlaidh a bhí an bhean sa lios go raibh an fear aici.Bhí sí ag cíoradh a gruaige nuair a connaiceadar í. Cuir inghean Móirín dhá láimh ar a súile agus cuir sí na ceisteanna seo uirthe.
A Clíona a Clíona,
A bean bínn beasac,
Go mbeannuigidh na
Naoimh duit is Aon Mach Dé,
Is fada an stáirseo do thángna id fheachaint,
Feachaint conus ata agat Seán'ac Séamuis.
No bhfuil ar t-eolus aon oig bhean réidh leis.
Dubhairt Clíona.
An tu Móirín ó iarthar Eireann.
Dubhairt inghean Móirín.
Ní mé, ar sise,ach inghean righ iseadh mé.
Dubhairt Clíona.
Dá mbadh inghean rígh thu do bheadh fáinne óir ar gach méar leat
Dubhairt inghean Móirín.
Caithfidh a tú seacht gcéad sean a fuigheach bhleinfionn.
Agus seacht gcéad gabhar agus iad go léir ar aon dath
Agus seacht gcéad bairlle d'airgead réalach.
Ní raibh sí ábalta ar na seacht gcéad bairlle d'airgead réalach a thabhairt dí agus fuaireadar an fear agus thógadar leó abhaile é.
- source Duchas.ie page 559 found here https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4678409/4678231

There was a man long ago and the day he got married, he and his wife were coming home and he was kidnapped. She went to look for him and everyone said in the end that he was stolen by the Good People. There was a woman in Daingean that they would call, Móirín, and she went back and Móirín said that she was too old and that she couldn't travel alone she would go with her daughter if she was agreeable. Móirín's daughter agreed and they searched every lios [fairy fort] in Ireland. They started at the head of the bay until they came to this lios, which is called Lios na Daighche. The woman in the courtyard was supposed to have the man. She was combing her hair when they saw her. Móirín's daughter placed two hands over her eyes and asked her these questions. "Oh Clíona, oh Clíona, A sweet, beautiful woman, Blessing of the Saints to you and of the One Son of God, It's been a long time since you came to see, See how you have with you Seán son of Séamuis. Or is any young woman known to be ready for it." Clíona said "Are you Móirín from the west of Ireland?" Móirín's daughter said. "I am not," she said, "but the daughter of a king". Clíona said. "If you were a king's daughter you would have a gold ring on each finger" Móirín's daughter said. "You must have yourself seven hundred old-fashioned white wigs (?). And seven hundred goats and all of them of one color And seven hundred barrels of real money." She was unable to give her the seven hundred barrels of real money and they found the man and took him home.