Tomhas na Teanga March-April 2009
Dhá lá i
ndiaidh Lá ‘le Pádraig atá Lá ‘le Iósaef.
The day after St. Patrick’s day is
Nóta gramadaí: Cén fáth nach
séimhítear ‘Pádraig’ sa bhfrása “Lá (fhéi)le Pádraig?” A grammatical note: Why isn’t ‘Pádraig’ lenited in the phrase…
De ghnáth, séimhítear ainm sa tuiseal ginideach – teach Shéamais, mar shampla. Usually a name is lenited in the genitive
case – James’ house, for example (in the Irish). Ach i gcás na naomh, is iondúil nach ndéantar
amhlaidh – mar tá siad ró-naofa, agus ceaptar gur díspeagadh é a n-ainmneacha a
thruailliú le séimhiú! But in the
case of the saints, it is usual not to do so – because they are too holy, and
it is thought disrespectful to corrupt their names with lenition! Go minic, úsáidtear leagan ar leith d’ainm do
naomh: Muire seachas Máire, Eoin seachas
Seán, Iósaef seachas Seosamh, srl. Often,
a special version of a name is used for a saint: x instead of x…etc. Is ainmneacha ón mBíobla iad. They are names from the Bible. Ní thugtar Muire ar aon dúile eile seachas an
Mhaighdean Mhuire. No one except the
Virgin Mary is called… Ach ait go
leor, séimhítear Muire sa bhfrása sin! But
quite strangely, Muire is lenited in that phrase! Ná déan nós agus ná bris nós, mar a deir an
seanfhocal. Don’t start a way and
don’t break a way, as the saying goes. Sin
mar atá, sin uile! That’s how it is,
that’s all!
Tá gá againn le cairde ar neamh,
agus is cabhair mhór dúinn patrún a thógáil leo, freisin. We need friends in heaven, and it is a
great help to us to take them for examples, too. Is iomaí duine atá ina naomh agus roghnaímid
na daoine is ansa linn mar chairde, go díreach mar a dhéanaimid sa saol seo. There are many saints and we choose the
ones we like best for friends, just like we do in this world. Tá na naoimh a bhain lenár sinsir
an-tábhachtach dúinn, Bríd agus Pádraig agus Colm Cille agus Breandán agus iad
uile. The saints that have to do with
our ancestors are very important to us…and all of them. Agus tá baint ag naoimh áirithe le gnéithe
áirithe den saol seo, le slite beatha, le réiteach fadhbanna áirithe, le stair
áirithe, srl. And certain saints
relate to certain aspects of this life, to careers, to solving particular
problems, to a particular history, etc. Is patrúin iad ar na rudaí seo, deirtear. They are said to be patrons of these
things.
Ní thugtar ‘naomh’ ar dhuine mura
bhfuarthas míorúiltí mar fhreagra ar phaidreacha chucu. People are only called saints if miracles
have occurred as an answer to prayers to them. Tugann Dia an deis sin dóibh chun cabhrú
linn. God gives them that opportunity
to help us. Uaireanta tá sé deacair
a thuiscint conas a tharla gur patrún ar rud áirithe é naomh áirithe, ach is
dócha go bhfuarthas cabhair ón naomh sin maidir leis an rud sin, fiú rud nach
raibh ann i saol an naoimh nuair a bhí sé/sí beo sa saol seo. Sometimes it is difficult to understand
how it came about that a particular saint is patron saint of a particular
thing, but I suppose that that saint helped people concerning that thing, even
with things that didn’t exist in the life of the saint when he/she was in this
world.
Is patrún ar an eaglais go léir é
Iósaef. Joseph is the patron saint of
the whole church. Mar a thug sé
cosaint agus cothú d’Íosa, déanann sé amhlaidh anois don Eaglais Chaitliceach. Just like he protected and nurtured Jesus,
he does likewise now for the Catholic Church. Mar a bhíodh Iósaef ina fhear oibre ar an
talamh, tuigeann sé saothar an duine, agus cabhraíonn sé linn mar oibrí. Since Joseph used to be a working man on
Earth, he understands the labor of people, and helps us as workers. Is é an 1ú Bealtaine lá ‘le Iosaef oibrí,
féile eile ina onóir. The first of
May is the feast of Joseph the worker, another feast in his honor. Mar athair d’Íosa, tuigeann sé cúraimí
aithreacha, agus cabhraíonn sé linne. As
father to Jesus, he understands the concerns of fathers, and he helps us. Is iomaí rud eile lena gcabhraíonn sé, agus
b’fhiú dúinn go léir níos mó a léamh faoi.
There are many other things he helps us with, and it would be
worthwhile for us to read more about him.
De réir traidisiúin, fuair sé bás agus Íosa taobh leis, bás sona agus
suaimhneach.
According to tradition, he died
with Jesus beside him, a happy and peaceful death. Tugann Iósaef cabhair dúinn ar uair ár mbáis,
má iarraimid an chabhair sin air. Joseph
helps us at the hour of our death, if we ask him to. Chonaic mé seo le mo shúile féin, mar nuair a
bhí seanmháthair mo mhná céile ag fáil bháis san otharlann, ghuí mé ar Iósaef
ar a son, agus nóiméad ina dhiaidh sin, lig sí a hanáil dheireanach uaithi agus
d’imigh sí uainn, ar dheis Dé go raibh sí.
I saw this with my own eyes, as when my wife’s grandmother was dying
in the hospital, I prayed to Joseph for her, and a moment later, she breathed
her last and left us, God bless her.
Bíonn géarghá le cabhair againn i
gcónaí. We always have great need for
help. Ná déanaimis dearmad dár
gcairde ar neamh. Let us not forget
our friends in heaven.