828: An Tèine Mòr (4)
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.
An Tèine Mòr (4)
Rinn an gobha bochd bargan leis an Droch Fhear. Bha tòrr airgid aige. Ach bhiodh aige ri falbh còmhla ris an Droch Fhear an ceann latha is bliadhna. Ciamar a bha e a’ dol a mhìneachadh sin do a bhean? Dh’fhan e gus an robh a’ chlann air a dhol a laighe. Chan e an fhìrinn ghlan a dh’inns e.
‘Bha mi ag obair anns a’ cheàrdaich,’ thuirt an gobha ri a bhean, ‘nuair a thàinig duine àrd a-steach. Bha sinn a’ còmhradh mun bhochdainn anns an rìoghachd – agus nar dachaigh fhèin. Dh’inns an coigreach dhomh gun robh pailteas òir is airgid air a thiodhlacadh fo ùrlar na ceàrdaich. ‘Cladhaich fon innean,’ thuirt e, ‘agus gheibh thu pailteas. A h-uile uair a bhios èis ort, thoir leat dhachaigh làn do phòcaidean de dh’òr is de dh’airgead.’
Mar dhearbhadh gu robh e ag innse na fìrinn, thug an gobha làn a dhà chròige dhen òr ’s dhen airgead às a phòcaidean, agus thug e do a bhean e. Cha robh fios aig a bhean gu dè chanadh i. Chan fhaca i uibhir de dh’òr ’s de dh’airgead mu choinneimh a dà shùl riamh roimhe.
Thog an gobha taighean ùra. Bha crodh is eich is caoraich aige. Bha airgead pailt na phòcaid. Ach cha b’ urrainn duine beò a dhèanamh a mach ciamar a bha e a’ tighinn cho math air adhart. Bha an sluagh ag ràdh gun robh an gobha ann an co-bhuinn ris an Droch Fhear.
Bha an gobha gu nàdarra na dhuine fialaidh. Latha a bha seo, bha e a’ tighinn dhachaigh bho cheann eile na dùthcha. Faisg air an taigh aige, thachair seann duine liath ris. Chuir an gobha fàilte chridheil air an t-seann duine, agus dh’iarr e air a dhol chun an taighe maille ris. Thug an gobha agus a bhean cuid na h-oidhche dha.
An làrna-mhàireach, nuair a bha an seann duine a’ falbh, chaidh an gobha maille ris gus a chur thairis air an allt faisg air an taigh. Nuair a bha an gobha a’ dealachadh ris, thuirt an seann duine, ‘Airson cho coibhneil ’s a bha thu rium, bheir mi dhut trì nithean sam bith a dh’iarras tu.’
‘ ’S e mo chiad iarrtas,’ ars an gobha, ‘gun lean làmhan fir sam bith a bheireas air an òrd mhòr ri cas an ùird, gun lean an t-òrd ris an innean agus gun lean an t-innean ris an ùrlar. ’S e mo dhàrna iarrtas gun lean fear sam bith a shuidheas air a’ chathair anns an t-seòmar ris a’ chathair, agus gun lean a’ chathair ris an ùrlar. Agus ’s e mo threas iarrtas, bonn airgid sam bith a chuireas mi dham sporan, nach tig e às gu bràth gus an toir mi fhèin às le mo làimh fhèin e.’
‘Ud, ud,’ ars an seann duine, ‘is bochd mar a dh’iarr thu. Carson nach do dh’iarr thu nèamh?’ Ghabh an seann duine roimhe air a thuras agus thill an gobha dhachaigh.
Nuair a bha an latha is bliadhna seachad, thàinig an Droch Fhear. Bha an gobha anns a’ cheàrdaich.
‘Ceart, ma-thà,’ ars an Droch Fhear, ‘dèan deiseil ’s falbh còmhla rium.’ Agus chì sinn dè rinn an gobha an-ath-sheachdain.
Faclan na Litreach: ceàrdach: smiddy; bochdainn: poverty; maille ri: along with; cuid na h-oidhche: a night’s lodging.
Abairtean na Litreach: Rinn an gobha bochd bargan leis an Droch Fhear: the poor blacksmith made a pact with the Devil; ciamar a bha e a’ dol a mhìneachadh sin do a bhean?: how was he going to explain that to his wife?; dh’fhan e gus an robh a’ chlann air a dhol a laighe:he waited until the children had gone to bed; gun robh pailteas òir is airgid air a thiodhlacadh fo ùrlar na ceàrdaich: that plenty of gold and silver was buried under the floor of the smiddy; cladhaich fon innean: dig under the anvil; a h-uile uair a bhios èis ort: every time you are in need; ann an co-bhuinn ris an Droch Fhear: in league with the Devil; bha X gu nàdarra na dhuine fialaidh:X was naturally a generous man; seann duine liath: an old grey-haired man; gus a chur thairis air an allt:to help [put] him over the burn; gun lean làmhan fir sam bith a bheireas air an òrd mhòr ri cas an ùird:that the hands of any man who picks up the sledgehammer will stick to the hammer’s handle; gun lean a’ chathair ris an ùrlar: that the chair will stick to the floor; nach tig e às gu bràth: that it will never come out; gus an toir mi fhèin às le mo làimh fhèin e: until I myself take it out with my own hand; carson nach do dh’iarr thu nèamh?: why didn’t you ask for heaven?; ghabh X roimhe air a thuras: X continued on his journey; dèan deiseil ’s falbh còmhla rium: get [make] ready and come with me.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: chan fhaca i uibhir de dh’òr ’s de dh’airgead mu choinneimh a dà shùl riamh roimhe:she had never seen as much gold and silver in front of her two eyes. Mu choinneimh is a compound preposition which commands a noun in the genitive. The genitive plural of sùil ‘eye’ is sùl (with a broad ‘l’). Dà is not lenited because it is commanded by the third person feminine possessive article/pronoun.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: thug an gobha làn a dhà chròige dhen òr 's dhen airgead às a phòcaidean: the blacksmith took two handfuls of the gold and the silver from his pockets.
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
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 524
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