685: Coinneach Odhar Fiosaiche (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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Coinneach Odhar Fiosaiche (3)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mar a fhuair Coinneach Odhar Fiosaiche an dà-shealladh. A rèir beul-aithris, bha clach aige, le toll innte. Nuair a bheireadh e sùil tron toll, chitheadh e sealladh. Ach dè thachair don chloich sin an dèidh bàs Choinnich? A bheil i ann fhathast? Seo na thachair dhi, a rèir beul-aithris.
Bha cruinneachadh mòr de dh’uaislean ann an Caisteal Bhrathainn. Bha an t-uabhas de chloinn ann. Chuala Coinneach cuideigin ag ràdh nach ann tric a chite uiread de chloinn uasal còmhla anns an aon àite.
Cha robh Coinneach cho measail air uaisleachd. Thuirt e seo: Is motha a th’ ann do chlann ghillean-bùird agus do chlann ghillean-stàbaill na th’ ann do chlann dhaoin’ uaisle. Cha b’ fhada gus an cuala a’ Bhean-uasal Sìophort na thuirt e. Bha i feargach. Dh’iarr i gum biodh Coinneach air a chur an grèim agus air a thoirt thuice.
An dèidh greis, chuireadh an grèim e. Nuair a bha e ann an làthaireachd na Mna-uasail, thug e a-mach a chlach shònraichte, agus thug e sùil troimhpe.
“Tha mi a’ faicinn anns an ùine romhainn,” thuirt e, “gun tig na Sìophortaich gu ceann ann am bròn mus bi cus ghinealach air a dhol seachad. Tha mi a’ faicinn ceann-cinnidh, am fear mu dheireadh dhiubh, a bhios bodhar is balbh. Bidh ceathrar mhac bàn aige agus gheibh iad uile bàs mus fhaigh e fhèin bàs. Bidh esan brònach oir bidh fios aige nach bi ceann-cinnidh aig Cloinn ’ic Coinnich ann tuilleadh ann am Brathann no Cinn Tàile.”
Lean Coinneach le a chuid fàidheadaireachd. Bhiodh fios aige nach biodh e beò fada. “Nuair a gheibh an ceann-cinnidh mu dheireadh bàs,” thuirt e, “gheibh boireannach bàn-churracach às an taobh sear oighreachd, agus marbhaidh ise a piuthar. Mar chomharra gu bheil na rudan seo a’ tighinn gu bith, bidh ceathrar uachdaran mòra ann ri linn an t-Sìophortaich mu dheireadh – MacCoinnich Gheàrrloch, an Siosalach, an Granndach agus MacLeòid Ratharsair.
Bidh fear dhiubh sgòr-fhiaclach, bidh fear beàrn-mhìolach, bidh fear leth-chiallach agus bidh am fear mu dheireadh mabach. Nuair a bheir ceann-cinnidh nan Sìophortach sùil timcheall air, agus nuair a chì e na daoine sin, bidh fios aige gum faigh na mic gu lèir aige bàs roimhe, gum faigh coigrich grèim air an fhearann aige, agus gun tèid a chinneadh à bith.”
Uill, cha robh fada aig Coinneach anns an t-saoghal seo. Chaidh a chur gu bàs le teine ann an baraille tearra aig Gob na Cananaich. Ach dè thachair don chloich aige?
Thathar ag ràdh, às dèidh dha a shealladh innse, gun do thilg e a’ chlach a-steach do tholl a chaidh a dhèanamh le ladhar bà. Thuirt e gum beirte leanabh le dà imleig, a lorgadh a’ chlach am broinn geadais. Bhiodh an dà-shealladh aigesan mar a bh’ aig Coinneach fhèin.
Nuair a thilg Coinneach a’ chlach air falbh, rùraich feadhainn anns an lorg-coise bà. Ach bha uisge a’ drùchdadh às an talamh, agus cha do lorg iad a’ chlach. Agus cha do sguir an t-uisge. An ceann greis, bha glumag ann. An ceann greis eile, bha loch ann. B’ e sin Loch Ùsaidh.
Tha e coltach gu bheil a’ chlach fo uisgeachan an locha fhathast. Cò àige tha fios cuin a nochdas i a-rithist.
Faclan na Litreach: dà-shealladh: second sight; bodhar: deaf; balbh: dumb; Cinn Tàile: Kintail; sgòr-fhiaclach: buck-toothed; beàrn-mhìolach: hare-lipped; leth-chiallach: half-witted; mabach: apt to stammer; glumag: puddle; Loch Ùsaidh: Loch Ussie.
Abairtean na Litreach: dè thachair don chloich an dèidh bàs Choinnich?: what happened to the stone after Coinneach’s death?; cruinneachadh mòr de dh’uaislean ann an Caisteal Bhrathainn: a large collection of gentry in Brahan Castle; nach ann tric a chite uiread de chloinn uasal còmhla:not often would there be so many children of gentry [gathered] together; cho measail air uaisleachd:so [particularly] respectful of nobility; is motha a th’ ann do chlann ghillean-bùird agus do chlann ghillean-stàbaill: children of footmen and grooms matter more; gus an cuala a’ Bhean-uasal Sìophort na thuirt e: until Lady Seaforth heard what he had said; air a thoirt thuice: brought to her; ann an làthaireachd na Mna-uasail: in the presence of the Lady; thug e sùil troimhpe:he looked through it; gheibh iad uile bàs mus fhaigh e fhèin bàs: they will all predecease him; le a chuid fàidheadaireachd:with his prophesying; gheibh boireannach bàn-churracach às an taobh sear oighreachd:a white-hooded woman from the east will inherit his estate; gum faigh coigrich grèim air an fhearann aige: that strangers will gain control of his land; gun tèid a chinneadh à bith: that his race will come to an end; ann an baraille tearra aig Gob na Cananaich: in a barrel of tar at Chanonry Point; a lorgadh a’ chlach am broinn geadais:who would find the stone inside a pike [fish]; rùraich feadhainn anns an lorg-coise bà: some people rummaged around in the cow’s footprint.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Nuair a bheireadh e sùil tron toll, chitheadh e sealladh: when he looked through the hole he would see a vision. Are you comfortable with the useage of bheireadh e sùil “he would look” and chitheadh e “he would see” here? These are the verbs thoir and faic in the (active) conditional/past habitual. We use these forms when we want to express actions in the past that were done repeatedly over a period. The English translation “he looked” makes the verb appear as if it is simple past tense (a direct translation would be “he would look”), but that would be thug, rather than bheireadh (thoir is an irregular verb). If I’d said nuair a thug e sùil tron toll, chunnaic e sealladh , I would be referring to one incident in the past, rather than Coinneach’s repeated (habitual) behaviour of looking through the hole.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: gum beirte leanabh le dà imleig: that a child would be born with two navels.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 381
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