An Bhean Gheanmnaí a Raibh Drochbhéal Uirthi

 Fainic! Tá an obair seo idir lámha fós. 

An baoite ar dtús, an rud a tharraing m’aire: 

Scríobh Edward Gwynn an nóta sin sa bhliain 1905 faoi théacs sa lámhscríbhinn Liber Flavus Fergusiorum. Tá an chéad líne den téacs ar leathanach amháin. Tosaíonn an scéal ansin mar a scriobh Gwynn, ach le focal amháin eile ann: theangadh.

Tá an chuid eile den scéal ar an gcéad leathanach eile:

Rinne mé tras-scríobh de, cé nach bhfuil chuile chuid de cinnte: 

Bannscala maith dobi na hoighe sa domun toir. Theangadh madh furri corbu measa 7 budh ighuire 7 budh iscri do radh doní gilla sraitti 7 gach gillanraidh con ab- sisi sin 7 gir maith hi 7 gir geamnaidh fuair si bas iardain 7 do hadhlacadh hi a reilg coisrica an baile 7 do cuireadh hi a farradh chaith [= cháich] daran [= etarann?] gus an oidhchi dachum a cuirp 7 do roinneadh ar no [= dó] he  7 do cuireadh ona cris suas assin reilic amach cidh ma ndernadh sin ar in seanoir reis na seanoruibh .ee.i. [= eile .i.] reis na naemhuibh (am-?) hail arna naemhughadh. ni leath rob olc don corp 7 doní glor dimhain do breith isin reilicc.

Is maith limm immorro an leath geanmaidh sobhesach .i. an leath tis a farradh ar taisadh 7 ata a hanminn ar neimh 7 is ansin is follus gu nach cora do duine ball de seacha a ceile da ballauibh do cengul re crabhadh ach iad leath ar leath srl.  .f. i. n. i. d. a. mh.  

Agus ansin thug mé iarracht ar Nua-Ghaeilge a thabhairt air: 

Banscál mhaith a bhí ina hógh sa domhan thoir. Teanga, maidir leis an gceann uirthi, bhí (an rud) is measa agus is íoghaire (=  crosta) agus eascarthaí den rá a dhéanann giolla sráide agus gach giollanra, go n-abradh sise sin, agus cé gur mhaith agus gur gheanmnaí í, fuair sí bás. Agus adhlacadh í i reilig choisricthe an bhaile. Agus cuireadh í i bhfarradh cáich eadarainn (?) go dtí an oíche [a chuathas?] chun a coirp agus roinneadh ar dó (= ina dhá chuid) é agus cuireadh óna crios suas amach as an reilig mar a rinneadh sin ar an seanóir leis na seanóirí eile, is é sin, leis na naoimh amhail (?) iar a naomhú. Gan an leath olc den chorp a dhéanann glór díomhaoin a bhreith sa reilig. 

Is maith liom, áfach, an leath geanmnaí sobhéasach .i. an leath thíos (a bheith) i bhfarradh ár dtaisí, agus a hanam ar neamh. Agus is ansin is follas nach cóir do dhuine ball de (féin) seachas a chéile dá chuid baill a cheangal le crábhadh ach iad leath agus leath. 

Is dóigh liom gur aimsigh foinse an scéil sna Dialogi  (4.51) a scríobh an Pápa Gréagóir sa seachtú haois: 

Vir namque vitae venerabilis Felix, Portuensis episcopus, in Sabinensi provincia ortus atque nutritus est. Qui quamdam sanctimonialem feminam in loco eodem fuisse testatur, quae carnis quidem continentiam habuit, sed linguae procacitatem atque stultiloquium non declinavit. Haec igitur defuncta, atque in ecclesia sepulta est. Eadem autem nocte custos ejusdem ecclesiae per revelationem vidit quia deducta ante sacrum altare per medium secabatur, et pars una illius igne cremabatur, et pars altera intacta remanebat. Cumque hoc surgens mane fratribus narrasset, et locum vellet ostendere in quo fuerat igne consumpta, ipsa flammae combustio ita ante altare in marmoribus apparuit, ac si illic eadem femina igne corporeo fuisset concremata. Qua ex re aperte datur intelligi quia hi quibus peccata dimissa non fuerint, ad evitandum judicium sacris locis post mortem non valeant adjuvari. 

Felix, Bishop of Portua, a man of holy life, who was born and brought up in the province of Sabina, saith that there lived in that place a certain Nun, which, though she were chaste of her body, yet had she an ungracious and foolish tongue: which departing this life, was buried in the church: the keeper whereof, the night following, saw her by revelation brought before the holy altar, where she was cut in two pieces, and the one half was burnt in the fire, and the other was not touched at all. Rising up in the morning, he told unto others what a strange vision he had seen, and shewed them the very place in which she was burnt, the marble whereof appeared with the very marks and signs of a fire upon it, as though that woman had been there burnt in very deed with corporal fire. By which we may plainly see, that such as have not their sins pardoned, can reap small benefit by having their bodies after death buried in holy places.