605: Balgam Mòr (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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Balgam Mòr (3)
Tha mi ag innse na sgeulachd Balgam Mòr. Bha Mac na Banntraich ag iarraidh nighean an Rìgh a phòsadh. Cha robh an Rìgh deònach a nighean a thoirt dha. Thàinig na h-uaislean còmhla airson comhairle a thoirt don Rìgh. Bha iad a’ taobhadh le Mac na Banntraich ach thàinig an Earchlais-Ùrlair. Bha ise nàimhdeil do Mhac na Banntraich. Thuirt i gun robh dòigh aice a’ chùis a dhèanamh air a’ ghille. Dh’fheumadh Mac na Banntraich neach a lorg a bheireadh botal uisge à tobar uaine an iomall tòrra an domhain na bu luaithe na Nighean Dubh na Luideig. Bha i cinnteach gun robh Nighean Dubh na Luideig na bu luaithe na duine sam bhith a lorgadh Mac na Banntraich.
“Tha mi a’ cluinntinn rudeigin,” thuirt Claisneachd Mhath.
“Dè tha thu a’ cluinntinn?” thuirt Mac na Banntraich.
“Gu feum thu botal uisge a thoirt à tobar uaine an iomall tòrra an domhain nas luaithe na Nighean Dubh na Luideig,” thuirt Claisneachd Mhath.
“Rèisidh mise na h-aghaidh,” thuirt Lurga Luath. Agus air falbh a ghabh an dithis. Bha Nighean Dubh na Luideig luath. Ach bha Lurga Luath na bu luaithe. Agus ràinig esan an tobar an toiseach.
An uair sin, dh’fheuch Nighean Dubh na Luideig ris a’ chùis a dhèanamh air Lurga Luath le a teanga. “Dèan suidhe is leig d’ anail is slìobaidh mi do cheann,” thuirt i. Shuidh e sìos, shlìob i a cheann agus thuit e na throm chadal.
Rug i air claigeann each marbh a bha làimh rithe. Chuir i gu socrach fo a cheann e, agus thug i na buinn aiste leis a’ bhotal uisge.
“Tha mi a’ cluinntinn rudeigin,” thuirt Claisneachd Mhath.
“Dè tha thu a’ cluinntinn?” thuirt Mac na Banntraich.
“Tha mi a’ cluinntinn srann Lurga Luaith. Tha Nighean Dubh na Luideig air am botal uisge a thoirt bhuaithe. Tha i a’ tighinn na deann.”
“Nì mise an gnothach ris a sin,” thuirt Cuimse Dhìreach. Loisg e peilear air claigeann an eich a bha fo cheann Lurga Luaith. Dhùisg Lurga Luath agus cha robh e fada ann a bhith a’ dèanamh a’ ghnothaich air Nighean Dubh na Luideig. Spìon e am botal uisge bhuaipe agus dh’fhalbh e dhachaigh na dheann. Thug Mac na Banntraich am botal do nighean an Rìgh agus dh’iarr e oirre a phòsadh.
Ach cha robh an Earchlais-Ùrlair deiseil. Thuirt i, nam biodh Mac na Banntraich ag iarraidh nighean an Rìgh, gu feumadh e torc nimhe, a bha anns a’ choille ubhal, a mharcachd beò, slàn gu doras Lùchairt an Rìgh. “Chan eil duine ann as urrainn sin a dhèanamh,” thuirt i.
“Tha mi a’ cluinntinn rudeigin,” thuirt Claisneachd Mhath.
“Dè tha thu a’ cluinntinn?” thuirt Mac na Banntraich.
“Tha mi a’ cluinntinn – ma tha thu ag iarraidh nighean an Rìgh – gu feum thu torc nimhe a tha sa choille ubhal, a mharcachd beò, slàn gu doras na Lùchairt.”
Dh’fhalbh Lurga Luath agus Tòn Chruaidh còmhla gu ruige a’ choille ubhal. Bha an torc nimhe luath, ach bha Lurga Luath na bu luaithe. Fhuair e grèim air an torc. Bha an torc làidir, ach bha Tòn Chruaidh na bu làidire. Leum esan air an torc agus thug e an torc air ais beò, slàn gu doras na Lùchairt. Agus chì sinn dè thachair nuair a chuireas mi crìoch air an stòiridh an-ath-sheachdain.
Faclan na Litreach: Balgam Mòr: Great Gulp; uaislean: nobles; comhairle: advice; an Earchlais-Ùrlair: the Floor-Mischief; nàimhdeil:hostile; Claisneachd Mhath: Good Hearing; Lurga Luath: Nimble Shanks; srann: snoring; Cuimse Dhìreach: Straight Aim; Tòn Chruaidh: Hard Haunches.
Abairtean na Litreach: a’ taobhadh le Mac na Banntraich: siding with the Widow’s Son; dh’fheumadh X neach a lorg a bheireadh botal uisge:X would have to find a person who would bring a bottle of water; à tobar uaine an iomall tòrra an domhain: from a green well that was situated at the outermost embankments of the world; na bu luaithe na Nighean Dubh na Luideig: more swiftly than the Black-haired Girl of the Ragged Cloth; rèisidh mise na h-aghaidh: I’ll race against her; air falbh a ghabh an dithis: the two [of them] took off; ràinig esan an tobar an toiseach: he reached the well first; dh’fheuch X ris a’ chùis a dhèanamh air Y le a teanga: X tried to defeat Y with her tongue; dèan suidhe is leig d’ anail is slìobaidh mi do cheann: sit down and take a breath and I’ll stroke your head; thuit e na throm chadal: he fell into a deep sleep; rug i air claigeann each marbh a bha làimh rithe: she took hold of the skull of a dead horse that was nearby her; tha X air am botal uisge a thoirt bhuaithe: X has taken the bottle of water from him; a’ tighinn na deann: coming at [her] top speed; loisg e peilear: he fired a bullet; spìon e am botal uisge bhuaipe: he wrenched the bottle of water from her; dh’fhalbh e dhachaigh na dheann:he left for home at [his] top speed; gu feumadh e torc nimhe a mharcachd beò, slàn gu doras Lùchairt an Rìgh: that he would have to ride a wild boar alive and uninjured to the door of the King’s Palace.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: a bha anns a’ choille ubhal: that was in the apple wood . I have taken this from the published form of the original 19th Century manuscript of Iain Òg Ìle (John Francis Campbell). It represents an old grammatical form in which ubhal (the nominative singular form) is the same as the genitive plural form (“of apples”). We tend to use the genitive singular of ubhal today and consider it as a collective eg craobh-ubhail or the more old-fashioned crann-ubhail (apple tree), with ubhal slenderized. Are you worried what you might call an “apple orchard” in Gaelic and how to decline it? You needn’t be! It’s a special word – ubhalghort! The genitive singular is ubhalghoirt and the nominative plural is ubhalghoirtean.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: thug i na buinn aiste: she took to her heels.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 301
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