51: Sgeulachd a Ghille Charaich
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.
Sgeulachd a Ghille Charaich
An t-seachdain ’s a chaidh, gheall mi dhuibh gun innsinn dhuibh criomag de sheann sgeulachd an t-seachdain-sa. ’S e an t-ainm a th’ oirre Sgeulachd a’ Ghille Charaich, Mac na Banntraich. Agus seo am pàirt far a bheil an gille carach a’ dèanamh a’ chùis air a’ bhuachaille. Aig toiseach ghnothaich, bu chòir dhomh mìneachadh gu robh an gille carach air a chur roimhe a bhith na mhèirleach agus gu robh e a’ fuireach còmhla ri fear a bha a’ teagasg na sgilean sin dha – an gadaiche dubh.
Co-dhiù, bha fear beartach anns a’ bhaile a fhuair cuireadh dhol gu banais agus dh’iarr e air a’ bhuachaille aige falbh don mhonadh airson caora a thoirt dhachaigh mar phrèasant-bainnse. Nise, bha an gille carach a’ cumail sùil air a’ bhuachaille, agus thuirt e ris a’ ghadaiche dubh, “Cuiridh mi geall gun goid mi a’ chaora sin mus ruig am buachaille an taigh aige.” Agus dh’fhalbh e a-mach. Bha aig a’ bhuachaille ri dhol tro choille agus ruith an gille carach air thoiseach air. Shalaich e tè de na brògan aige agus dh’fhàg e ann am meadhan an rathaid i. An uairsin chaidh e am falach.
Nuair a ràinig am buachaille a’ bhròg, thuirt e, “Nam biodh do leth-bhreac ann, thogainn thu is ghlanainn thu.” Ach cha robh aon bhròg gu mòran feum dha, gu h-àraidh leis gu robh i salach, agus chaidh e seachad oirre.
Bha an gille carach air a h-uile facal dheth sin a chluinntinn. Thog e a’ bhròg shalach, is ruith e mar a’ pheilear tron choille gus am faigheadh e air thoiseach air a’ bhuachaille a-rithist. An uairsin, chuir e a bhròg eile ann am meadhan an rathaid. Nuair a ràinig am buachaille an t-àite, thuirt e ris fhèin, “’s e seo leth-bhreac na bròige salaich.” Dh’fhag e a’ chaora ann a sin, agus ruith e air ais airson a’ bhròg shalach a thogail gus am biodh paidhir aige.
Agus fhad ’s a bha e air falbh, ruith an gille carach a-mach às a’ choille, thog e an darna bròg agus a’ chaora agus theich e dhachaigh gu luath.
Uill, cha robh an duine beartach ro thoilichte, ach dh’iarr e air a’ bhuachaille dhol a-mach don mhonadh a-rithist airson gobhar fhaighinn. Agus nuair a chunnaic an gille carach am buachaille, thuirt e ris a’ ghadaiche dubh, “Cuiridh mi geall gun tèid agam air an gobhar a ghoid bhuaithe mus ruig e an taigh aige.”
A-rithist, b’ fheudar don bhuachaille dhol tron choille agus ruith an gille carach air thoiseach air. Chaidh e am falach agus, nuair a bha am buachaille faisg air, thòisich e air mèilich, a’ dèanamh fuaim mar a bhios caora. “O,” ars’ am buachaille ris fhèin, “’s e sin a’ chaora a chaill mi an-dè.” Cheangail e an gobhar ri craobh, agus dh’fhalbh e a lorg na caorach.
Agus fhad ’s a bha e air falbh, ghoid an gille carach an gobhar agus chaidh e dhachaigh leis. ‘S e a bha carach, seòlta gun teagamh!
Tha an sgeulachd a’ leantainn, leis a’ ghille carach a’ dèanamh a’ chùis air mòran eile. Ach bha a mhàthair air a bhith ri fàidhearachd mu dheidhinn a bhàis bho bha e na bhalach òg, nan cumadh e a’ dol mar mhèirleach. Thuirt i gun d’ rachadh a chrochadh ann an Eirinn. Agus, anns an sgeulachd, tha an gille carach a’ dol a dh’Eirinn. Ach dè thachras dha mu dheireadh? Uill, mholainn gun leugh sibh an sgeulachd fhèin ann am Popular Tales of the West Highlands, Leabhar a h-aon. Tha i an dà chuid ann am Beurla is Gàidhlig agus chan eil rian nach còrd i ribh.
Faclan na Litreach: gadaiche: thief, robber; banais: weeding; buachaille: herdsman; shalaich e: he dirtied; theich e: he fled.
Abairtean na Litreach: Sgeulachd a’ Ghille Charaich, Mac na Bantraich: the Story of the Shifty Lad, the Widow’s Son; far a bheil X a’ dèanamh a’ chùis air Y: where X gets the better of Y; mus ruig am buachaille an taigh aige: before the herdsman reaches his house; bha aig a’ bhuachaille ri dhol tro choille: the herdsman had to go through a wood; ruith X air thoiseach air: X ran ahead of him; chaidh e am falach: he hid; nam biodh do leth-bhreac ann, thogainn thu is ghlanainn thu: if the other one of your pair was here, I would pick you up and clean you; gu mòran feum dha: of much use to him; ruith e mar a’ pheilear: he ran like the wind (lit. like the bullet); thòisich e air mèilich:he started to bleat; ’s e sin a’ chaora a chaill mi an-dè: that’s the sheep I lost yesterday; ’s e a bha carach, seòlta gun teagamh:it’s him that was shifty and cunning without doubt; bha a mhàthair air a bhith ri fàidhearachd mu dheidhinn a bhàis: his mother had been prophesying about his death; gun d’ rachadh a chrochadh ann an Eirinn: that he would be hanged in Ireland; chan eil rian nach còrd i ribh: there is no way you will not enjoy it.
Puing ghràmair na Litreach: bu chòir dhomh mìneachadh gu robh an gille carach air a chur roimhe a bhith na mhèirleach: I should explain that the shifty lad had determined on being a robber. If we look at this expression in the past tense, it is chuir e roimhe – he put in front of him. It is an idiomatic Gaelic equivalent to “he made up his mind to..” and should be employed rather than the English-influenced rinn e suas inntinn which is not a Gaelic idiom. To employ this phrase you must have a good grasp of the phases of the prepositional pronouns associated with ro (before) – ie romham, romhad, roimhe, roimhpe, romhainn, romhaibh and romhpa. Here are some other examples: Chuir mi romham a bhith nam fhiaclair (I decided to become a dentist); Chuir i roimhpe cuideam a chall (she decided to lose weight); chuir iad romhpa a bhith modhail (they decided to be polite). How would you say in Gaelic “when did you decide to go in for the ministry?”?
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: cuiridh mi geall gun goid mi a’ chaora: I bet I’ll steal the sheep. This is the best idiomatic way of saying “I bet” or “I’ll wager”. Chuir i geall gum buannaicheadh i (she bet she would win). Cuiridh mi geall gun tèid agam air an gobhar a ghoid (I bet I’ll manage to steal the goat).
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