1195: An Long a Chaidh a dh’Ameireagaidh (2)

Tha mi ag aithris na sgeulachd ‘An Long a Chaidh a dh’Ameireagaidh’. Cha robh an cupall an dùil clann a bhith aca. Ach rugadh leanabh-gille dhaibh. Chuir iad ‘Iain’ air mar ainm. Bha iad fhathast a’ fuireach leotha fhèin air cùl a’ chladaich. Thug iad fhèin sgoil don ghille.

Bha seachd bliadhna air a dhol seachad on a thug an duine an gealltanas don bhodach. Thuirt e ri a bhean, ‘Tha mi a’ falbh an-diugh a thoirt a’ bhalaich seachad a chionn ʼs gur e sin a gheall mi airson na tubhailt.’ Bidh cuimhne agaibh gun d’ fhuair an duine tubhailt dhraoidheil bhon bhodach. Mar sin, bha biadh an-còmhnaidh aca.

Thòisich a bhean air caoineadh. ‘Chan eil cothrom air,’ thuirt an duine aice. ‘Feumaidh mi a dhèanamh.’ Dh’fhalbh an duine ʼs am balachan agus an ceann ùine ràinig iad am bothan aig bonn na beinne. Cha robh sgeul air an t-seann duine liath ach bha am bòrd ann mar a bha roimhe, le botal fìona agus lof arain air. Ghabh an duine agus an gille balgam às a’ bhotal agus crioman às an lof.

Aig a’ mhionaid sin, cò thàinig a-steach ach am bodach. ‘Thàinig thu mar a gheall thu,’ thuirt e.

‘Thàinig,’ dh’aontaich am fear eile.

‘Dè an t-ainm baistidh air a’ bhalachan?’

‘Iain,’ thuirt athair.

‘Gum meal e ainm,’ ars am bodach. ‘A bheil sgoil aige?’

‘Bha mi fhìn a’ toirt beagan sgoile dha,’ fhreagair am fear eile.

‘Bheir mise deagh sgoil dha,’ ars am bodach. ‘Nì mi mar gum bu mhac dhomh fhìn e. Nì mi duine fortanach dheth fhathast.’

Dh’fhan athair an oidhche sin aig bonn na beinne. An làrna-mhàireach, dh’fhàg e beannachd aig a’ bhalachan agus thill e dhachaigh. Bha a bhean brònach, muladach mu chall a mic.

Air ais aig bonn na beinne, dh’fhàs am balachan na ghille mòr, gasta. Bha e còrr is fichead bliadhna còmhla ris a’ bhodach agus fhuair e deagh sgoil bhuaithe. Latha a bha seo, dh’iarr am bodach air a dhol còmhla ris gu mullach na beinne. Thuirt e gun robh srian eich os cionn an dorais agus dh’iarr e air a toirt leis.

Ràinig iad mullach na beinne. Thuirt an seann duine ri Iain, ‘Crath an t-srian rium. Bidh mis’ a’ tionndadh nam each. Leum air mo mhuin an uair sin.’

Rinn Iain sin. Thionndaidh am bodach na each agus leum Iain air a mhuin. Dh’fhalbh an t-each aig astar. Chùm e a dol fad an latha gus an do ràinig e leathad uabhasach cas – ri taobh loch. ‘Thig far mo mhuin, Iain,’ thuirt an t-each ris.

Thàinig Iain far an eich, agus thuirt an t-each ris, ‘Thalla suas gu uamh an sin. Gheibh thu trì famhairean nan sìneadh. Tha iad a’ dol bàs leis an acras. Seall a-steach nam chluais.’

Thug Iain sùil na chluais agus chunnaic e botal fìona agus trì lofan arain. ‘Thoir lof an duine do na famhairean,’ ars an t-each, ‘agus roinn am botal eatarra.’

Rinn Iain sin agus bha na famhairean air leth toilichte. ‘Bidh cuimhne againn air seo,’ thuirt iad.

Thill Iain don t-seann duine a bha fhathast ann an riochd eich. Agus leanaidh an sgeul an-ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: draoidheil: magic; an-còmhnaidh: always; caoineadh: weeping; balachan: wee boy; brònach, muladach: sad, grief-stricken; uamh: cave.

Abairtean na Litreach: An Long a Chaidh a dh’Ameireagaidh: The Ship that Went to America; cha robh an cupall an dùil clann a bhith aca: the couple were not expecting to have children; rugadh leanabh-gille dhaibh: a baby son was born to them; thug iad fhèin sgoil don ghille: they educated the lad themselves; bha seachd bliadhna air a dhol seachad on a thug an duine an gealltanas: seven years had elapsed since the man gave the promise; a chionn ʼs gur e sin a gheall mi airson na tubhailt: because that’s what I promised for the tablecloth; chan eil cothrom air: it can’t be helped; balgam às a’ bhotal agus crioman às an lof: a gulp from the bottle and a bite from the loaf; thàinig thu mar a gheall thu: you came as you promised; bheir mise deagh sgoil dha: I’ll give him a good education; nì mi duine fortanach dheth: I shall make a fortunate man of him; dh’fhan athair an oidhche: his father stayed the night; an làrna-mhàireach, dh’fhàg e beannachd aig a’ bhalachan: next day, he farewelled the boy; thuirt e gun robh srian eich os cionn an dorais: he said that there was a horse’s bridle above the door; dh’iarr e air a toirt leis: he asked him to bring it with him; crath an t-srian rium: shake the bridle to [in front of] me; bidh mis’ a’ tionndadh nam each: I shall turn into a horse; leum air mo mhuin: jump on my back; trì famhairean nan sìneadh: three giants stretched out; tha iad a’ dol bàs leis an acras: they are dying of hunger; seall a-steach nam chluais: look into my ear; thoir lof an duine do: give a loaf to each man; ann an riochd eich: in the form of a horse.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Nì mi mar gum bu mhac dhomh fhìn e: I’ll make him like he was [born] my own son. This is rather old-fashioned, but elegant, Gaelic. It uses bu, the past tense of the assertive verb is. Is mac dhomh fhìn e ‘he is my own son’; bu mhac dhomh fhìn e ‘he was my own son’. Notice the lenition of mac following bu. Note also that dialectally fhìn is used instead of fhèin with the first person singular – dhomh fhìn but dhut fhèin, dha fhèin.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Gum meal e ainm: may he enjoy his name.

Tha “Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh” air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA

PDF

Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:

Download File

PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.

Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh

This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 891

Podcast

BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn