912: Nant Gwrtheyrn (1)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Nant Gwrtheyrn (1)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh gun robh mi sa Chuimrigh as t-fhoghar. Bha mi ag ionnsachadh beagan Cuimris. Bha mi ann an ionad-cànain air a bheil Nant Gwrtheyrn. ʼS e cuaraidh a bh’ ann uaireigin agus chaidh seann bhaile an luchd-obrach ùrachadh airson àiteachan-fuirich a dhèanamh do dh’oileanaich na Cuimris. ʼS e àite brèagha a th’ ann, a-mach à sealladh air cùl nan cnoc, os cionn mol agus cladach fosgailte.
Tha seann eachdraidh aig Nant Gwrtheyrn, co-dhiù a rèir beul-aithris. Tha i a’ tòiseachadh ann an Sasainn, no far a bheil Sasainn an-diugh. Tha nant a’ ciallachadh ‘allt’ no ‘mòr-chlais’ agus b’ e Gwrtheyrn seann rìgh Breatannach. Bha e beò ann an Ceant, ann an ceann an ear-dheas Bhreatainn, anns a’ chòigeamh linn. ʼS e fear lag, meata a bh’ ann. Chleachd e saighdearan Sagsannach airson smachd a chumail air a nàimhdean.
Bha fear dhiubh, air an robh Hengist mar ainm, air leth brùideil. Rinn e a’ chùis air nàimhdean Ghwrtheyrn. Bha Gwrtheyrn toilichte agus thug e Eilean Thanet do Hengist mar dhuais. Ged a tha Thanet ceangailte ri tìr-mòr Cheant an-diugh, ʼs e eilean ceart a bh’ ann aig an àm sin.
Thug na Sagsannaich an teaghlaichean leotha. Cha b’ fhada gus an robh iad air tòiseachadh air fearann a ghabhail thairis air tìr-mòr. Bha Gwrtheyrn a-nise a’ tuigsinn gun robh e air mearachd a dhèanamh. Airson a rìoghachd a dhìon, rinn e tairgse-phòsaidh do nighean Hengist. Dh’aontaich Hengist ris an aonadh agus chaidh cuirm mhòr a chumail. Bha na Breatannaich agus na Sagsannaich nan suidhe còmhla.
Gu h-obann, dh’èirich na Sagsannaich don casan agus tharraing iad am biodagan. Thòisich iad air na Breatannaich a mhurt. Theich Gwrtheyrn agus a dhraoidhean lem beatha. Chuir iad seachad bliadhnaichean air allaban, a’ coimhead airson àite iomallach far am biodh iad sàbhailte. Mu dheireadh thall, lorg iad an t-àite air a bheil Nant Gwrtheyrn an-diugh.
Ged a bha am fearann car cas, bha e torrach gu leòr agus bha a’ mhuir làn èisg. Airson timcheall air ceud bliadhna, bha sluagh a’ fuireach ann agus bha iad dòigheil gu leòr. Bha an seann chreideamh aca fhathast, ach latha a bha seo, nochd triùir mhanach Crìosdaidh. Bha iad air an uamhasachadh gun robh teampall pàganach aig muinntir Nant Gwrtheyrn fhathast. Dh’iarr iad air na daoine eaglais Chrìosdail a thogail na àite. Ach dhiùlt na daoine agus thilg iad clachan air na manaich.
Rinn na manaich mallachd. Thuirt a’ chiad fhear, ‘Tha an talamh seo mì-naomha. Cha tèid duine a thiodhlacadh ann.’
Thuirt an dàrna fear, ‘Cha phòs fir Nant Gwrtheyrn mnathan Nant Gwrtheyrn a-chaoidh.’
‘Tha am baile seo damnaichte,’ dh’èigh an treas manach. ‘Thèid a sgrios trì tursan. Agus an dèidh an treas turais, cha till daoine ann!’
An ath mhadainn, chaidh fir a’ bhaile gu muir nan cuid eathraichean. Dh’èirich stoirm mhòr. Chaidh na fir gu lèir a bhàthadh. Às aonais nam fear, cha robh taghadh aig na boireannaich ach Nant Gwrtheyrn fhàgail agus am beatha a thòiseachadh às ùr ann an àite eile. Bha am baile an uair sin falamh airson ùine mhòr. Agus innsidh mi dhuibh tuilleadh mu eachdraidh an àite anns an ath Litir.
Faclan na Litreach: mòr-chlais: ravine; Ceant: Kent; Sagsannach: Saxon; brùideil: brutal; cas: steep; mallachd: curse; mì-naomha: unholy; cha phòs: will not marry; damnaichte: damned.
Abairtean na Litreach: ʼS e cuaraidh a bh’ ann uaireigin: it was a quarry at one time; chaidh seann bhaile an luchd-obrach ùrachadh airson àiteachan-fuirich a dhèanamh: the old workers’ village was renovated to create accommodation; a-mach à sealladh air cùl nan cnoc: out of sight behind the hills; os cionn mol agus cladach fosgailte: above a shingle beach and open shore; ʼs e fear lag, meata a bh’ ann: he was a weak and timid man; airson smachd a chumail air a nàimhdean: to control his enemies; ʼs e eilean ceart a bh’ ann aig an àm sin: it was a proper island at that time; thug na Sagsannaich an teaghlaichean leotha:the Saxons brought their families with them; cha b’ fhada gus an robh iad air tòiseachadh air fearann a ghabhail thairis air tìr-mòr:it wasn’t long until they had begun to take over land on the mainland; airson a rìoghachd a dhìon, rinn e tairgse-phòsaidh:to protect his kingdom, he made a proposal of marriage; chaidh cuirm mhòr a chumail: a great feast was held; tharraing iad am biodagan: they drew their dirks; bliadhnaichean air allaban, a’ coimhead airson àite iomallach: years wandering, looking for a remote place; bha e torrach gu leòr agus bha a’ mhuir làn èisg: it was fertile enough and the sea was full of fish; bha an seann chreideamh aca fhathast: they still upheld the old religion; nochd triùir mhanach Crìosdaidh: three Christian monks appeared; bha iad air an uamhasachadh gun robh teampall pàganach aig X fhathast: they were horrified that X still had a pagan temple; an dèidh an treas turais, cha till daoine ann:after the third time, people will not return; gu muir nan cuid eathraichean: to sea in their boats; chaidh na fir gu lèir a bhàthadh: all the men were drowned.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: dh’èirich na Sagsannaich don casan: the Saxons rose to their feet. Don is here a combined form of the preposition ‘do’ and the possessive article ‘an’ meaning ‘their’. An equivalent form would be ‘dhan’. Another example is below – lem beatha, where lem is a combination of ‘le’ – ‘with’ – and ‘am’ – ‘their’. ‘Am’ here replaces ‘an’ as it precedes a labial consonant (‘b’) and it’s easier to say than ‘an beatha’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Theich Gwrtheyrn agus a dhraoidhean lem beatha : Gwrtheyrn and his druids escaped with their lives.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 608
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