593: Bilidh (3)
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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Bilidh (3)
Tha mi a’ dol a chur crìoch air an stòiridh thraidiseanta, Bilidh, a chaidh a chruinneachadh ann am Barraigh anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Tha cuid de na faclan anns an stòiridh rud beag seann-fhasanta. Bha am fear òg seo, Bilidh, uabhasach measail air mèirle. Bha e air stuth a ghoid air an duine uasal a bha a’ fuireach faisg air. Dh’iarr an duine uasal air a dhol a dh’ionnsachadh na mèirle gu ceart. Feumaidh gun robh plana aige airson Bilidh.
Co-dhiù, bha Bilidh air mèirle ionnsachadh, ceart gu leòr, ach bha an duine uasal airson aon deuchainn a bharrachd a chur air.
“Bidh claidheamh agam air a’ bhòrd,” thuirt e, “agus daga làn urchair. Mura toir thu leat an lìon anart – no siota – fo dhruim mo mhnà, cha bhi tuilleadh saoghail agad.”
“Gu dearbh,” arsa Bilidh, “tha e a cheart cho math dhuibh mo mharbhadh far a bheil sinn.”
“Mura dèan thu siud,” thuirt an duine uasal a-rithist, “cha bhi mòran saoghail agad.”
“’S e seo an rud a bu dorra a chaidh mu mo choinneimh riamh,” arsa Bilidh. Ach dh’fhalbh e air an oidhche sin fhèin agus chaidh e don chladh. Thog e corp a bh’ air ùr-thiodhlacadh ann is chuir e aodach air. Thug e an corp leis. Bha ròp aige. Ràinig e taigh an duine uasail is chaidh e suas air a’ mhullach. Leig e an corp sìos an similear air an ròp.
Dh’fhairich an duine uasal fuaim. Dh’èirich e agus las e solas. Chunnaic e casan a’ tighinn sìos an similear.
“Mac an fhir ud!” smaoinich e (bha e dhen bheachd gur e Bilidh a bh’ ann). “Bheir mise air nach bi tuilleadh saoghail aige. Cha loisg mi air a chasan. Ach nuair a nochdas a chorp ’s ann an uair sin a loisgeas mi air.”
Nuair a thàinig an corp a-nuas, loisg an duine uasal air. “Sin e!” thuirt e. “Fàgaidh mi an sin e gus an tig an latha.”
“Air gaol Dhè, na fàg!” ars a bhean. “Thalla leis agus tiodhlaic e, mus adhbharaich e do bhàs fhèin.”
Chuir an duine uasal an corp air a ghualainn. Ghabh e a-mach leis. Nuair a mhothaich Bilidh gun robh an duine uasal air falbh leis a’ chorp, a-staigh a ghabh e. Anns an dorchadas thug e a chreidsinn do bhean an duine uasail gum b’ esan an duine aice. “Tha e cho trom,” thuirt e ann an guth uasal, “’s nach urrainn dhomh falbh leis an-dràsta.”
Agus chaidh Bilidh don leabaidh le bean an duine uasail. Beag air bheag, dh’obraich e an lìon anart don taobh aigesan. Nuair a bha e aige, dh’èirich e is dh’fhalbh e a-mach.
Thàinig an duine uasal às dèidh dha an corp a thiodhlacadh. “Tha mi sgìth agus air mo shàrachadh,” thuirt e.
“Dè, a ghràidh, a dh’fhàgadh sgìth thu?” dh’fhaighnich a bhean. “Chan eil dà mhionaid on a dh’fhàg thu mi anns an leabaidh.”
Sheall an duine uasal air an leabaidh. Mhothaich e gun robh an lìon anart a dhìth. Bha Bilidh air a’ chùis a dhèanamh air. “Biodh e fhèin agad cuideachd,” thuirt an duine uasal ri a bhean. Dh’fhalbh an duine uasal agus bha an taigh agus bean aige aig Bilidh. Tha mi cinnteach nach robh dragh air Bilidh tuilleadh mu bhith ri mèirle.
Faclan na Litreach: Bilidh: Billy; seann-fhasanta: old-fashioned; claidheamh: sword; cladh: cemetery; a dhìth: missing.
Abairtean na Litreach: measail air mèirle: keen on thieving; bha an duine uasal airson aon deuchainn a bharrachd a chur air: the gentleman wanted to set him another test; daga làn urchair: a pistol full of shot; mura toir thu leat an lìon anart: if you don’t take with you the sheet; fo dhruim mo mhnà: under my wife’s back; tha e a cheart cho math dhuibh mo mharbhadh: it’s as well for you to kill me; an rud a bu dorra a chaidh mu mo choinneimh riamh: the most difficult thing that ever faced me; thog e corp a bh’ air ùr-thiodhlacadh: he raised a body that had been newly buried; sìos an similear: down the chimney; dh’fhairich X fuaim: X heard a noise; nuair a nochdas a chorp ’s ann an uair sin a loisgeas mi air: when his body appears, it’s then that I’ll fire at [on] it; gus an tig an latha: until the day[light] comes; air gaol Dhè, na fàg!: for the love of God, don’t [leave it]!; thalla leis agus tiodhlaic e: go with it and bury it; mus adhbharaich e do bhàs fhèin: before it causes your own death; a-staigh a ghabh e: in he went; thug e a chreidsinn do bhean an duine uasail gum b’ esan an duine aice: he pretended to the gentleman’s wife that he was her husband; cho trom ’s nach urrainn dhomh falbh leis: so heavy that I can’t leave with it; beag air bheag: little by little; dh’obraich e an lìon anart don taobh aigesan: he worked the sheet to his sìde; às dèidh dha an corp a thiodhlacadh: after he had buried the body; air mo shàrachadh: harrassed; dè, a ghràidh, a dh’fhàgadh sgìth thu?: what, dear, would leave you tired?; biodh e fhèin agad: let him be yours.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Bheir mise air nach bi tuilleadh saoghail aige: I’ll make sure he doesn’t live long. This is a traditional usage. Although we tend to think of saoghal as meaning “world” – eg muinntir an t-saoghail (the people of the world), dè air an t-saoghal mhòr a tha a’ dol? (what on Earth is happening?), it can also mean “life”. Here are some examples of usage: tha mi an dòchas gum bi saoghal fada agad (I hope you have a long life), tha i faisg air deireadh a saoghail, tha eagal orm (she is close to the end of her life, I’m afraid), ma gheibh mi saoghal, nì mi mo dhìcheall a bhith nam dhuine math (if I survive, I’ll try to be a good person).
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Mac an fhir ud!: that fiend! [lit. the son of that man].
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 289
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