The Light-Bearer's Daughter (36 page)

The situation was eased by the presence of a third party.

“Gods, devas, fairies, they are all part of life,” was Aradhana’s view. “This can be hard for people to accept if they only think in squares and lines.”

“Are you calling me a blockhead?” Gabriel had protested, but then was mollified with a kiss.

That Aradhana was an indispensable part of the family was obvious to everyone; but it was Dana who had urged Gabriel to ask the young woman to marry him.

“It’s not that I haven’t thought about it,” he admitted. “I can’t stop thinking about it. But all these big changes happening at the same time: you and your mother, Canada, my new job, your new school … could we manage a wife and stepmother on top of all that?”

“Gabe, do you think we could do it without her? Do you
want
to?”

Now Dana leaned across her father to nudge Aradhana, who was reading the airline magazine. Despite the last-minute booking, they had managed to get three seats in a row.

“I promised Suresh I’d take tons of photographs,” Dana told her. “He’s going to put them on the kitchen bulletin board. Beside the ones of India.”

“He’s going to miss you,” Gabriel said guiltily.

“He will see me at the wedding,” Aradhana pointed out. “And he can come and visit whenever he likes. He will have much more money now that he owns the whole restaurant.”

Gabriel took his fiancée’s hand and pressed it to his lips.

“I hope you won’t regret your decision. Your entire life is about to change.”

“You swept me off my feet,” she replied. “Where I come from, that is what suitors are supposed to do.”

Dana went back to her window-gazing. The plane was moving over the Atlantic Ocean. The cold waves rose and fell in slow motion. Life was so strange. Things had not turned out the way she had either hoped or dreamed. A happy ending in real life was very different from a “happily ever after” in a fairy tale. Still, she had to admit she was pleased with how things had turned out.

And, yes, she was happy.

a chroí
(aah kree)—dear heart

a dheirfiúr bhig
(aah greh-fur vigg)—little sister (vocative)

a fhaol bhig
(aah ale vigg)—little wolf (vocative)

a leanbh
(aah laano-iv)—term of endearment. Lit. “child”

anamchara
(aah-num kara)—soul friend

an cuileann
(awn quill-un)—holly

an dair ghaelach
(awn dare yaa-luck)—Irish oak

An fathach mór ’na lui faoi shuan
.
(awn faw-hawk more naah lee fwee hoo-un)—The great giant lies asleep.

an leannán sí faoi shuan
(awn laah-nawn shee fwee hoo-un)—the sleeping muse

An Taisce
(awn tawsh-kuh)—Lit. “store house or treasury.” Ireland’s oldest and most powerful environmental body. Established in 1948. While it is very active in planning and development matters, education, anti-litter programs, protection of heritage and so on, it does not approve of or participate in more radical protest activities such as those of eco-warriors. See www.antaisce.org.

Ard Rí
(aar’d ree)—High King

Ard Solas
(arr’d suh-luss)—Lit. “The High Light.” Term used when addressing the president of Ireland, as in “Your Excellency.”

a stór
(moh store)—Lit. “my treasure.” Used also for “my darling.”

Bean Níghe
(ban knee)—Washerwoman, i.e., a fairy washerwoman

Bean Sídhe
(ban shee)—Banshee (literally, “Woman of the Sídhe,” i.e., woman of the Faerie Folk)

bobodha
(baw-boa)—variant spelling of
badhbh
(bawve), meaning “bogeyman.”

bogach
(baw-gawk)—soft ground

Caoimhín
(quee-veen)—Kevin

Ceol n’eán agus ceol an tsrutháin
(kee-ole nane aw-guss kee-ple awn s’roo-hoyne)—The music of the birds and the music of the stream

Conas atá tú, a mháthair?
(cuun-uss aah-taw too, aah waw-hurr?)—How are you, mother? It is an old and courteous custom to use “mother” or “father” when addressing the elderly.

Dún do bhéal
.
(doon duh vale)—Shut your mouth.

Dún Eadóchais
(doon ade-oh-case)—Fort of Despair

Dún Scáith
(doon scaw)—Fort of the Shades

Éist nóiméad
.
(aysht no-made)—Listen a minute.

Fada an lá go sámh

Fada an oíche gan ghruaim

An ghealach, an ghrian, an ghaoth

Moladh duit, a Dhia
.

(fawdah awn law go sawve

fawdah awn ee-huh gawn ‘hroo-um

awn gya-luck, awn gree-un, awn gwee

muhla dit, ah yee-ah)

Long is the day with peace

Long is the night without gloom

Thou art the moon, the sun, the wind

I praise you, my God.

fado
(faah-doe)—long ago. Note:
Fado fado
is a storytelling phrase best translated as “once upon a time.”

Fáilte romhat
.
(fawl-cheh row’t)—You are welcome. As in English used both to welcome someone and as a response to
go raibh maith agat
(go rev mawh a-gut), i.e., “thank you.”

faol
(fwale)—wolf. Archaic, literary word. In modern Irish, the more common usage for “wolf” is
mactíre
(mock teer-uh), literally “son of the land.”

Faolán
(fwale-on)—a derivative of
faol
, meaning “wolf.” Clan or family name anglicized to Whelan, Whalen, Phelan, Phalen. Also spelled O’Faoláin.

gabha an cheoil
(gou-waah awn kee-ole)—smith of music

girseach
(geer-shuck)—girl

Gleann Dá Loch
(glenn daw lock)—Vale of Two Lakes

Go raibh míle maith a-gat
.
(go rev meela mawh agut)—Thanks a million. (Lit. “May you have a thousand thanks.”)

Imdha toir torudh abla

Imdha airne cen cesa

Imdha dairbre ardmhesa
.
¹

Plentiful in the east the apple fruits,

Plentiful the luxuriant sloes,

Plentiful the noble acorn-bearing oaks.

Is breá an tráthnóna é
.
(iss braw awn traw-no-na ey, as in “hey”)—It’s a fine evening.

Lá Lughnasa or Lá Lúnasa
(law loo-naah-saw)— August first, Lammas. Named after the Irish god Lugh.

Lasair
(lass-eer)—flame, blaze

Lug na Coille
(lew nah kwilla)—Lugh of the Wood

Magh Abhlach
(maw awv’lock)—Plain of the Apple Trees (one of the many names for Faerie)

Má itheann tú ná má ólann tú aon ghreim istigh anseo, ní bhfaighidh tú amach as go bráth arís!
(maw i-hunn too naw maw oh-lunn too ane ‘hryme ish-tig awn-shaw, nee why-hih too aah-mawk awss goe braw aah-reesh)—If you eat or drink anything in this place, you will not get out of here again!

méaracán gorm
(marr-aah-cawn gur-um)—Lit. “blue thimbles.” The same Irish name applies to both harebells and bluebells, though they are different wildflowers.

méiríní sídhe
(mare-eenie shee)—Lit. “fairy fingers,” i.e., foxglove

mo leanbh
(moe laan-uv)—my child

muinchillí glasa
(mwinn-killy glaw-saah)—greensleeves

Na Daoine Uaisle Na Gnoic
(naah deen-uh oose-leh naah guh-nick)—The Gentry or Noble Ones of the Hills

ní
(knee)—abbreviated form of
iníon
(in-kneen), meaning “daughter.” Hence, Dana ní Edane Lasair is “Dana, daughter of Edane Lasair.”

péist
(paysht)—fabulous beast, reptile, snake, worm, monster

Phóg mé ar ais is phóg mé arís tú

Gheill mo chroí don leannán síofrúil
,

Is thug mé cúl do gach aon dílseacht

Nuair a phóg mé do bhéal
.
²

(foe’g may air esh iss foe’g may areesh too

yell moe cree dunn laah-nawn shee-frool

iss huug may cool duh gawk ane deel-shawk’t

noo-ur aah foe’g may doe vale)

I kissed and kissed again

Yielded to the fairy spell

Left behind all love till then

When I kissed your mouth.

pollach
(pawl-awk)—hollow place, from
poll
(pawl), meaning “hole”

scéal
(sh’kale)—story. Note:
sí scéalta
(shee sh’kale-taah) are fairy tales.

’Sea
. (sh’aah)—It is; yes. Abbreviated form of
is ea
(iss ah), meaning “it is.”

Seothó, a thoil, ná goil go fóill

Seothó, a thoil, ná goil aon deoir
,

Seothó, a linbh, a chumainn’s a stóir
.
³

(shaw-hoe aah hoyle nawh goyle goe foyle

shaw-hoe aah hoyle nawh gull ane d’jorr

shaw-hoe aah linn-uv aah huh-munn iss aah storr)

Hush, dear heart, no need to cry,

Hush, dear heart, no need for tears,

Hush, dear child, my love and treasure.

Sídhe na Spéire
(shee naah spare-uh)—The Fairy Folk of the Sky

Sídhe Slua na Sliabh
(shee sloo-aah naah shleeve)—The Fairy Host of the Mountain

Siúil liomsa, a chara dhil, suas fá na hardaín
,

Ar thuras na háilleacht’ is an ghileacht amuigh
,

Le go ndeánfaimid bogán de chreagán a’ tsléibhe
,

Is le páideoga lasfaimid dorchadas oích’
.

Ní laoithe an bhróin a cheolfainnse duitse
,

Ná ní caoineadh donóige nó doghrainn daoi
,

Ach le silleadh a mhillfinnse méala an chumha

Sa phluais sin go maidin ar shliabh na caillí
.
⁴

(shool lumsa a karra yeel, soo-ass faw naah harrjeen

ayre hoorus naah hoy-lawkt iss awn yiil-awkt am-wee

leh goe nane-fee-midge baw-gawn jeh ‘hraa-gawn ahh shliv-uh

iss leh poy-juh-gaah lass-fwee-midge dur-kaadass ee-huh.

knee lee-huh awn vrone a ‘key-ole-fawn-suh duut-suh,

naw knee cween-aah duh-noy-guh know duh-yriin dee,

awk leh shee-laah aah will-finn-suh male-aah awn c’uh-maah

saa fluss shinn goe maw-jinn ayre shleeve naah caah-lee.)

Rise up, my love, and come along with me

On a journey of beauty in nature’s sunlight,

To smooth every stone as we walk on the hillside

And with rush candles light up the dark of the night.

No sighing of sorrow I’d ever sing for you

Nor wild lamentation, or sad foolish song;

With a glance I’d disperse the dark clouds of longing

In the cairn on the mountain, from dusk to dawn.

Sliabh na mBan
(shleeve naah mawn)—The Women’s Mountain

Slua na h’Aeir
(sloo-aah naah h’air)—The Fairy Host of the Air