1226: Carragh-chuimhne Mhàld 

Anns an dà Litir mu dheireadh, bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu dhà òran co-cheangailte ri ar-a-mach nan Seumasach. ʼS e am fear as ainmeile dhiubh Mo Rùn Geal Òg. Thathar ag ràdh gun robh e air a sgrìobhadh le Cairistiona NicFhearghais, a bhuineadh do Chunndainn. Bha i pòsta aig Uilleam Siosalach a chaill a bheatha aig Blàr Chùil Lodair.

Bhuineadh na Siosalaich do Shrath Ghlais agus na glinn eile faisg air Srath Ghlais. Agus ri taobh drochaid thairis air Abhainn Ghlais tha carragh-cuimhne ann don òran. ʼS e clach-sheasaimh a th’ innte. Tha i sìmplidh gu leòr – caol, rud beag garbh agus mu dhà mheatair a dh’àirde.

Tha seo snaighte air a’ chloich: W.C. & C.F 1746 Mo rùn geal òg. Tha W.C. a’ seasamh airson William Chisholm agus tha C.F. a’ seasamh airson Christina Fergusson. Sgrìobh fear às an sgìre, Alasdair Friseal, cunntas mu dheidhinn na cloiche faisg air deireadh an naoidheamh linn deug. Bha Alasdair a’ dlùthachadh ri ceithir fichead bliadhna a dh’aois. Fhuair e am fiosrachadh bho athair, Seumas Friseal.

Tha Alasdair ag innse dhuinn gur e Mauld Bridge, no Drochaid Mhàld, a tha mar ainm air an sgìre far a bheil a’ charragh-chuimhne. Bha Uilleam agus Cairistìona a’ fuireach anns an sgìre. Air an latha a dh’fhalbh Uilleam airson sabaid aig Cùil Lodair, leig e soraidh le a bhean aig an àite far a bheil a’ chlach.

Ach cò às a thàinig a’ chlach fhèin? Uill, tha sgeul inntinneach co-cheangailte rithe. Bha seanair Alasdair – air an robh Alasdair cuideachd – na thuathanach ann am Màld. Ach bha fearann aige air mhàl ann an Gleann Afraig.

Bha an taigh aige ann am Màld feumach air àrd-doras ùr. Nuair a bha e ann an Gleann Afraig, bha e air clach mhòr fhaicinn a bhiodh freagarrach. Thug e a’ chlach bho Ghleann Afraig gu Màld.

Bha clachair ann an Srath Ghlais – fear Siosalach a bh’ ann. Dh’iarr Alasdair Friseal air a’ chlach a chleachdadh airson àrd-doras ùr a dhèanamh. Ach bha a’ chlach ro thiugh agus trom. Bhris an clachair sliseag mhòr dhith agus chleachd e an còrr airson an àrd-dorais.

Bha am Frisealach an uair sin a’ beachdachadh air na dhèanadh e leis an t-sliseig. Dh’iarr e air a’ chlachair a snaigheadh mar chuimhneachan air Mo Rùn Geal Òg. Chuir am Frisealach suas i far a bheil i fhathast.

Chan urrainn dhomh a ràdh dè a’ bhliadhna a chaidh a’ chlach a chur suas agus an robh Cairistìona fhathast beò. Anns a’ chunntas aige, tha Alasdair Friseal, an t-ogha, ag innse dhuinn mu na chuala e aig caraid dha. Bha e mu dheidhinn Cairistìona anns na làithean an dèidh Blàr Chùil Lodair. Bha i fhathast an dòchas nach robh an naidheachd mu bhàs an duine aice fìor.

Latha a bha seo, ge-tà, thàinig luchd-siubhail don bhaile aice. Dh’aithnich i an obair snìomha agus an obair fighe aice fhèin anns na buill-aodaich aca. Thuig i nach tilleadh an duine aice dhachaigh a-chaoidh.

Faclan na Litreach: carragh-cuimhne: memorial; snaighte: carved; Friseal: Fraser; Màld: Mauld (Strathglass); àrd-doras: lintel (for above a door); an t-ogha: the grandson.

Abairtean na Litreach: a bhuineadh do Chunndainn: who belonged to Contin; pòsta aig Uilleam Siosalach: married to William Chishom; glinn faisg air Srath Ghlais: glens near Strathglass; leig e soraidh le a bhean: he bade farewell to his wife; tha sgeul inntinneach co-cheangailte rithe: there is an interesting story attached to it; bha fearann aige air mhàl ann an Gleann Afraig: he rented land in Glen Affric; bhris an clachair sliseag mhòr dhith: the stonemason broke a large slice from it; chleachd e an còrr airson an àrd-dorais: he used the remainder for the lintel; bha am Frisealach an uair sin a’ beachdachadh air na dhèanadh e: Fraser was then considering what he would do; dh’iarr e air a’ chlachair a snaigheadh mar chuimhneachan air: he asked the stonemason to carve it in memory of; chan urrainn dhomh a ràdh dè a’ bhliadhna a chaidh a’ chlach a chur suas: I can’t say what year the stone was erected; mu na chuala e aig caraid dha: about what he heard from a friend of his; bha i fhathast an dòchas nach robh an naidheachd mu bhàs an duine aice fìor: she was still hoping that the news about her husband’s death was not true; latha a bha seo, ge-tà: one day, however; thàinig luchd-siubhail don bhaile aice: travelling people came to her village; dh’aithnich i an obair snìomha agus an obair fighe aice fhèin anns na buill-aodaich aca: she recognised her sewing and weaving in their items of clothing; nach tilleadh an duine aice dhachaigh a-chaoidh: that her husband would never again return home.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Bha clachair ann an Srath Ghlais – fear Siosalach a bh’ ann: There was a stonemason in Strathglass – he was a Chisholm. Properly speaking, the grammar would require me to say ʼs e fear Siosalach a bh’ ann but I have omitted the ʼs e because that omission often occurs in speech. It is understood by both parties and would be answered, or agreed to, with ʼs e or chan e. For example, if somebody says to you ‘Bàrd air leth a th’ ann am Pàdraig’ (Peter is an exceptional poet), you might reply simply ‘ʼs e, gu dearbh’.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Bha Alasdair a’ dlùthachadh ri ceithir fichead bliadhna a dh’aois: Alasdair was approaching eighty years of age.

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

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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh

This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 922

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