1051: An Oidhche a bha i a’ Sileadh na Lite

Bu toigh leam naidheachd à Ceap Breatainn innse dhuibh. Tha i a’ tighinn bhon chruinneachadh Sgeul gu Latha le Iain Seathach. B’ e an sgeulaiche Eòs Nìll Bhig nach maireann agus fhuair esan i bho thè, Bean Mhìcheil ʼic’Illeain. ʼS e an t-ainm oirre ‘An Oidhche a bha i a’ Sileadh na Lite’. Nì mi beagan nas giorra agus nas sìmplidh’ i.

Bha banntrach ann agus cha robh aice ach aon mhac. ʼS e seòrsa de leth-ghloic a bh’ ann, ach bha e mòr is làidir. Chuir a mhàthair air falbh e gu margaidh le mart air ceann ròpa.

Thachair e ri fear aig a’ mhargaidh. ‘Dè tha thu ag iarraidh air a’ mhart?’ thuirt am fear eile.

‘O,’ ars an gille, ‘tha mi ag iarraidh rudeigin.’

‘Fosgail do làmh, ma-thà,’ ars am fear eile. Thilg e smugaid na làimh. ‘Seo rudeigin,’ thuirt e.

‘Agus seo am mart,’ fhreagair an leth-ghloic. Thug e ceann an ròpa don duine eile. Chùm e a dhòrn dùinte oir ʼs ann an sin a bha an ‘rudeigin’ a fhuair e.

Air an rathad dhachaigh, bha a’ dol tarsainn allt nuair a shleamhnaich e. Nuair a thuit e don uisge, dh’fhosgail e a làmh agus dh’fhalbh an smugaid. Thòisich an gille air rùrach anns an allt, feuch am faigheadh e i. Aig an dearbh mhionaid thàinig ceannaiche-paca, no mar a chanadh iad ann am Beurla, peddlar.

‘Dè tha thu a’ dèanamh?’ thuirt am peddlar.

‘Tha mi a’ coimhead airson rudeigin,’ ars an gille.

Dh’fheuch am peddlar ri faighinn a-null agus shleamhnaich esan cuideachd. ‘O, seo rudeigin,’ thuirt e gu h-aotrom.

‘Lorg thu mo rudeigin?’ thuirt an gille.

‘Cha do lorg,’ fhreagair am peddlar.

Bha an gille deimhinne gun do lorg am peddlar an ‘rudeigin’ aige. Ghabh iad am bad a chèile agus mharbh an gille am peddlar. Thiodhlaic an gille a chorp. Thill e dhachaigh. Fhuair a mhàthair a-mach dè bh’ air tachairt agus far an robh corp a’ cheannaiche. Dh’iarr i air a mac norrag a ghabhail. Fhad ʼs a bha e na chadal, rinn i lite thana. Chrath i an lite air an talamh taobh a-muigh an taighe.

Nuair a dh’èirich an gille, chaidh e mach. ‘Tha i a’ sileadh lite,’ thuirt e ri a mhàthair. ‘Tha lite air an talamh.’

‘A bheil?’ ars ise. ‘Coma leat mu dheidhinn.’

Nise, bha reithe aice. ʼS e ‘Peddlar’ an t-ainm a bh’ air oir bhiodh e falbh air feadh na sgìre aig amannan. Thug i an reithe don t-sloc far an robh corp a’ cheannaiche. Mharbh i an reithe. Chuir i a chlosach anns an t-sloc, agus ghluais i corp an duine gu àite eile.

Goirid an dèidh sin, thàinig dithis phoileas don taigh. Dh’fhaighnich iad dhen ghille am fac’ e ‘peddlar’.

‘O,’ ars an leth-ghloic, ‘mharbh mi e.’

‘Cuin a bha sin?’ dh’fhaighnich poileas.

‘An oidhche a bha i a’ sileadh na lite,’ fhreagair an gille. Agus mhìnich e far an robh corp a’ pheddlar.

Bha na poilis dhen bheachd nach robh sa ghille ach fear gòrach. Ach thug iad sùil air an àite-thiodhlacaidh. Lorg iad reithe. ‘Nach tuirt mi riut gun robh e gun toinisg?’ thuirt fear de na poilis. ‘An oidhche a bha a’ sileadh na lite! Sin am “peddlar” a mharbh e.’ Agus sin agaibh mo naidheachd. Beannachd leibh.

Faclan na Litreach: Ceap Breatainn: Cape Breton [Island, Nova Scotia]; banntrach:widow; rudeigin: something; shleamhnaich:slipped; lite thana: thin porridge; mhìnich: explained; gòrach: foolish.

Abairtean na Litreach: An Oidhche a bha i a’ Sileadh na Lite: the night it rained porridge; nì mi beagan nas giorra agus nas sìmplidh’ i: I’ll make it a bit shorter and simpler; ʼs e seòrsa de leth-ghloic a bh’ ann: he was a sort of half-wit; le mart air ceann ròpa: with a cow at the end of a rope; dè tha thu ag iarraidh air a’ mhart?: what do you want for the cow?; thilg e smugaid na làimh: he spat in his hand; chùm e a dhòrn dùinte oir ʼs ann an sin a bha an ‘rudeigin’ a fhuair e: he kept his fist closed because that was where the ‘something’ was that he got; thòisich an gille air rùrach anns an allt, feuch am faigheadh e i: the lad started to search in the burn to see if he could find it; aig an dearbh mhionaid thàinig ceannaiche-paca: at that very moment a pack-merchant came; ‘O, seo rudeigin,’ thuirt e gu h-aotrom: ‘Oh, here’s something,’ he said lightly; ghabh iad am bad a chèile: they went at each other [fought]; dh’iarr i air a mac norrag a ghabhail: she asked her son to take a nap; chrath i an lite air an talamh taobh a-muigh an taighe: she shook the porridge on the ground outside the house; bhiodh e falbh air feadh na sgìre aig amannan:he would go wandering at times; chuir i a chlosach anns an t-sloc: she put its carcase in the pit; ghluais i corp an duine gu àite eile: she moved the man’s body to another place; nach tuirt mi riut gun robh e gun toinisg?: didn’t I tell you he was without sense?.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: bho thè, Bean Mhìcheil ʼic’Illeain: from a woman, the wife of Michael Maclean. This is an old way of naming a married woman which is disappearing today; it appears to have been retained more strongly on Cape Breton Island than in Scotland.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Coma leat mu dheidhinn : don’t worry about it.

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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh

This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 747

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