1306: Caisteal a’ Bhreabadair (4)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
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Caisteal a’ Bhreabadair (4)
Bha Iain MacNèill, mac a’ bhreabadair, ann an Lunnainn. Bha e am measg sheann mharaichean. Dh’inns fear dhiubh do chàch mar a mharbh e spùinneadair ainmeil agus a thriùir mhac. B’ iad na spùinneadairean a bu chunnartaiche anns na h-Eileanan an Iar. Bha fios aig Iain, a bha a-nise na chaiptean air soitheach-mara, gun robh am fear eile a’ bruidhinn air athair agus a bhràithrean. Bha Iain air gealltainn gun dèanadh e dìoghaltas air an duine a mharbh iad ann an Èirisgeigh nuair a bha e òg.
Chaidh Iain a-null a bhruidhinn ris an duine. Thug e taing dha airson a bhith cho treun. Thug am fear eile cuireadh do dh’Iain biadh a ghabhail cuide ris aig an taigh aige an ath latha. Thuirt e le moit gun robh fuil a’ bhreabadair fhathast air a chlaidheamh. Cha do thuig e gum b’ e Iain MacNèill am mac a b’ òige aig a’ bhreabadair. Bha iomadh bliadhna air a dhol seachad on uair sin.
An ath latha nochd Iain aig taigh an fhir eile. Bha biadh is deoch deiseil. Ach thuirt Iain nach gabhadh e càil ri ithe no òl gus am fac’ e an claidheamh a chleachd am fear eile airson an spùinneadair a mharbhadh.
Thug am bodach Iain a-steach gu seòmar eile. Dh’fhosgail e preas agus thug e an claidheamh a-mach. Bha fuil a’ bhreabadair fhathast air an lann. Thàinig e a-steach air Iain gum faodadh e an claidheamh a chleachdadh airson an duine a mharbhadh. Ach dh’atharraich e a bheachd. Thug e dòrn dha na chluais agus thuit am bodach marbh. B’ e sin an dìoghaltas a bha mac a’ bhreabadair air gealltainn.
Ach cha b’ urrainn dha fuireach ann an Lunnainn tuilleadh. B’ fheudar dha teicheadh. Dh’fhàg e an soitheach aige, agus a carago, ann an Lunnainn agus chaidh e am falach ann an Uibhist. Bha e air a bhith air falbh on taigh cho fada ’s gun robh e an dùil nach biodh duine ga aithneachadh.
Agus bha sin fìor. Nuair a ràinig e taigh a mhàthar, bha seann bhoireannach na suidhe a-muigh. ’S e latha brèagha samhraidh a bh’ ann. Bha Iain an dùil gum b’ e sin a mhàthair – ged nach robh e ga h-aithneachadh gu furasta.
Cha robh ise ga aithneachadh-san idir. Nuair a thàinig e faisg air an taigh, thuirt i ris, ‘An e seòladair a th’ annad? An do thachair thu riamh ris a’ ghille agam – Iain MacNèill?’
Chaidh Iain a-null agus thug e pòg do a mhàthair. Bha uiread de dh’iongnadh oirre ’s nach robh comas labhairt aice airson greis.
Chan eil fhios agam an do mhìnich Iain do a mhàthair mar a rinn e dìoghaltas às leth athar ’s a bhràithrean. Saoilidh mi gun do mhìnich oir nuair a dh’fhàg e an taigh bliadhnaichean roimhe, thuirt e gur e sin a bha fa-near dha.
A rèir an sgeòil, mar a dh’aithris an Codaidh e ann an ‘Tales from Barra’, dh’fhuirich Iain ann an taigh a mhàthar ann an Uibhist airson còrr is dà bhliadhna. Nuair a bha dhen bheachd gun robh e sàbhailte dha, fhuair e obair mar mharaiche a-mach à Liverpool. Chan eil fhios agam an do ghabh e ainm ùr air fhèin, ach thathar ag ràdh gu bheil a shliochd fhathast a’ fuireach anns a’ phort-mhara sin.
Faclan na Litreach: Iain MacNèill: John MacNeil; soitheach-mara: maritime vessel; treun: brave; cuireadh: invitation; preas: cupboard.
Abairtean na Litreach: am measg sheann mharaichean: among old mariners; dh’inns fear dhiubh do chàch: one of them told the others; mar a mharbh e spùinneadair ainmeil agus a thriùir mhac: how he killed a famous pirate and his three sons; b’ iad na spùinneadairean a bu chunnartaiche anns na h-Eileanan an Iar: they were the most dangerous pirates in the Western Isles; gun robh am fear eile a’ bruidhinn air athair agus a bhràithrean: that the other man was speaking about his father and brothers; gun dèanadh e dìoghaltas: that he would get revenge; thuirt e le moit gun robh fuil a’ bhreabadair fhathast air a chlaidheamh: he said with pride that the weaver’s blood was still on his sword; am mac a b’ òige: the youngest son; thug e dòrn dha na chluais agus thuit am bodach marbh: he punched him in the ear and the old man fell dead; b’ e sin an dìoghaltas a bha mac a’ bhreabadair air gealltainn: that was the revenge that the son of the weaver had promised; cha b’ urrainn dha fuireach ann an Lunnainn tuilleadh: he couldn’t stay any longer in London; cha robh ise ga aithneachadh-san idir: she wasn’t recognising him at all; an do thachair thu riamh ris a’ ghille agam?: did you ever meet my son?; bha uiread de dh’iongnadh oirre ’s nach robh comas labhairt aice airson greis: she was so surprised that she couldn’t speak for a while; thuirt e gur e sin a bha fa-near dha: he said that that was his intention; an do ghabh e ainm ùr air fhèin: if he took a new name; gu bheil a shliochd fhathast a’ fuireach anns a’ phort-mhara sin: that his descendants still live in that maritime port.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Chaidh Iain a-null a bhruidhinn ris an duine: John went over to speak to the man. A-null (dialectally a-nunn) is an adverb that we use when expressing movement away from the speaker. It does not express a static state and should be used with a verb of motion. Dh’fhalbh i a-null a Chanada ‘she went over to Canada’. We express movement towards the speaker with a-nall e.g. thàinig iad a-nall a dh’Alba ‘they came over to Scotland’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: thuirt Iain nach gabhadh e càil ri ithe no òl: John said he wouldn’t take anything to eat or drink.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 1002
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