Monday, August 11, 2008


Mo Mhaidin an Teaghlaigh

Nuair nílim ag dul ar an áit ag obair, cé a déanamh liom féin? Bhuel, insíonn mo bhean a tí ní bhíonn gach rud ar bith. Mar sin féin, níor aontaim leí. Inseoidh mé futhú lá leis rudaí ar mo theaghlaigh agaibh.

Dúisíonn mé níos luath le déanaí. Mar sin caitheann mé ag dúiseacht le moch na maidine nuair imíonn ag dul ag muinim, mochóir maith ab ea mé. Tosaíonn mé leis ag siúl ar an muilleann coise. Siúlaim mile go tapaidh ceann go leath. Léann mé seanchóip na h-iris 'An Nua-Eabhracach' de gnáth. Tá sé is fusa a léamh seo leis mo lamh amháin ar feadh mo choiscéim.

Suím uaire dhá céad agus leathan. Lúbaim mé céad uair. Níonn mé féin. Bruith mé uisce. Tarraingíonn mé cupán tae láidir. Ólann mé seo leis bainne agus milsiú. Bím ag bhruith sútha tálun fuar nó sílíní go hiondúil. Bácálaim mé úll anois agus aríst. Cuirim yoghurt torthaí seo leo.

Ansin, bím ag suí chun mo bhoird go coitianta. Tá mé ag spléachadh a thabhairt ar an bpáipéar Na Amanna na gCathair na hÁingeal. Itheann mo bhricfeasta. Beidh mé na gréithe a ní. Scuabfaidh mé fiacla agam. Bheinn ag tosú ag scríobh agaibh, as Béarla nó as Gaeilge, anseo ar an méarchlár de réir gnáis ar ball.

My Morning at Home

When I am not going to my place of work, what do I do with myself? Well, the woman of the house proclaims that'd be nothing at all. Nevertheless, I don't agree with her. I'll tell about a day with the things in my domestic (life) to you all.

I get up earlier lately. Because I must rise early in the morning when I go off to teach, I am an early bird. I start with walking on the treadmill. I walk vigorously for a mile and a half. I read an old copy of the magazine "The New Yorker" usually. It is easiest to read this with only one hand during my tread.

I sit up two and a half hundred times. I bend a hundred times. I wash myself. I brew water. I "draw" a cup of strong tea. I drink this with milk and sweetener. I ordinarily boil cold strawberries or cherries. I bake an apple now and then. I add yogurt to these fruits.

Then, I customarily sit down at my table. I scan the newspaper "The Los Angeles Times." I eat my breakfast. I will wash the dishes. I will brush my teeth. I habitually will start writing to you all, in English or Irish, here at the keyboard as a rule, presently.

Iómhá /Illustration: Staidéar Cailín/Study of a Girl le/by Maxwell Gordon Lightfoot, 1927.

4 comments:

Layne said...

I suppose I should write this in Irish and translate it back into English in order to be consistant in tone but all I have at my command is some very bad Spanish so this will be an English only comment. My beloved fails to note the part of his morning ritual which is most endearing to me. I rise a bit earlier and go downstairs and the dogs seldom so much as look up from their slumber. If Himself delays too long in the bed though, they begin to stick their snouts under the door and snort for his attention. When he goes downstairs it is a dog fun fest and while I am largely ignored, when Himself appears they frolic and romp and cavort. The corgi even allows Himself to brush him but would probably chomp the fist off of anyone else attempting such a feat. So, while my beloved may not be much of a people person, he is worshipped by the canine trio. And neither of us really trust anyone who doesn't like dogs.

John L. Murphy / "Fionnchú" said...

Thanks, but that's only because I give them a treat after I brush them that they're so excited to see me! The only way I tamed the fearsome Corgi...xxx from one of those irascible folks who gets along with nearly any dog better than nearly any bipeds, me

Bo said...

250 SIT UPS!!!???

John L. Murphy / "Fionnchú" said...

That's only on my good days, when I have time. Also, my version of a sit-up, taken from my son's PE class, may not match a Marine's regimen. And, I cannot do push-ups!