955: Sguaban nam Bana-bhuidseach (2)
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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Sguaban nam Bana-bhuidseach (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu na bràithrean Ailig is Eairdsidh agus mar a bha Eairdsidh a’ tòiseachadh air sguaban fraoich a dhèanamh. Tharraing e fraoch – tuilleadh ʼs a chòir dheth – agus chaidh e dhachaigh leis. Rinn e sguab ach – mo chreach – bha i cho mòr is trom ʼs gur gann gun robh comas aige a togail.
‘Cha cheannaich duine sin bhuat,’ thuirt Ailig. ‘Tha i ro mhòr is trom.’
‘Chan eil fhios a’m,’ fhreagair Eairdsidh. ‘Bha am fear-siubhail a’ faighinn bonn-a-sia air gach sguaib. ʼS dòcha gum faigh mise tastan airson na tè seo.’
Bha e na b’ fhasa a ràdh seach a dhèanamh. Chaidh Eairdsidh bho chroit gu croit is bho thaigh-tuathanaich gu taigh-tuathanaich, ach cha cheannaicheadh duine an sguab. Bha i dìreach ro mhòr. Bha i a’ fàs trom air a ghualainn ach bha Eairdsidh deimhinne gun robh e a’ dol ga reic ro dhol fodha na grèine. Gu fortanach dha, ʼs e an samhradh a bh’ ann agus bha an latha fada.
Mu dheireadh, ràinig e àite anns nach robh e air a bhith roimhe. Bha taigh geal air mullach cnuic pìos mòr far an rathaid. Chaidh Eairdsidh ann agus ghnog e air an doras. Thàinig boireannach. Agus – Shìorraidh – bha i reamhar. Bha i cho mòr na leud ʼs a bha i na h-àird. ‘Feasgar math,’ thuirt i. ‘Dè nì mi dhuibh?’
‘Bu mhath leam sguab a reic dhuibh,’ ars esan.
‘O, sguab,’ ars ise. ‘Tha mi a’ coimhead airson tè mhòr. A bheil an tè agaibhse mòr gu leòr dhomh?’
‘Seo an sguab as motha a chì sibh,’ thuirt Eairdsidh. Agus leig e an sguab far a ghuailne.
‘Tha i sgoinneil,’ thuirt an tè reamhar, a’ coimhead oirre gu dlùth. ‘Dè chosgas i?’
‘Bonn-a-sia,’ ars Eairdsidh. Leis an fhìrinn innse, bha e air a bhith toilichte faighinn cuidhteas i air prìs na bu shaoire na sin.
Thog an tè reamhar bonn-a-sia a-mach à pòcaid agus thuirt i, ‘Seo agaibh bonn draoidheil. Gach turas a chosgas tu e bidh e a’ nochdadh às ùr. Cha bhi thu bochd tuilleadh.’
Bha Eairdsidh cho sona ris an rìgh. Chaidh e dhachaigh leis a’ bhonn draoidheil na phòcaid, agus tha e a’ falbh às mo chunntas.
Ach Magaidh Reamhar – oir b’ e sin ainm na tè – uill, tuigidh sibh gur e bana-bhuidseach a bh’ innte. Bha i air a bhith glaiste a-staigh oir cha robh sguab mòr gu leòr aice airson a bhith a’ siubhal. Bha na bana-bhuidsich eile toilichte mu dheidhinn sin oir cha robh iad measail air Magaidh Reamhar. ʼS e burraidh a bh’ innte.
An ath latha, bha na bana-bhuidsich a’ coinneachadh ann an innis ann an coille-bheithe. Bha iad a’ smaoineachadh nach biodh Magaidh Reamhar ann oir cha robh sguab aice a bheireadh i ann. Gu h-obann, ge-tà, nochd Magaidh air an sguaib ùir aice.
‘Ha ha!’ thuirt i, ‘tha mi ann a-nise agus nì sibh uile na tha mi ag iarraidh oirbh. A bharrachd air sin, ʼs e mi fhìn an aon duine a dh’itealaicheas dhachaigh an dèidh làimhe.’ Le sin, chaidh i timcheall a h-uile bana-bhuidseach eile. Thog i sguab a h-uile tè agus thilg i iad suas a dhuilleach nan craobhan-beithe. Agus chì sibh iad an sin fhathast – sguaban bhana-bhuidseach – a’ cur nar cuimhne mar a thilg Magaidh Reamhar iad ann o chionn fhada.
Faclan na Litreach: tastan: shilling; air a ghualainn: on his shoulder; bonn-a-sia: sixpence; bonn draoidheil: a magic coin; Magaidh Reamhar: Fat Maggie; bana-bhuidseach: witch; glaiste: locked; burraidh: bully.
Abairtean na Litreach : mar a bha Eairdsidh a’ tòiseachadh air sguaban fraoich a dhèanamh: how Archie was starting to make heather brooms; cha cheannaich duine sin bhuat: nobody will buy that from you; bha am fear-siubhail a’ faighinn bonn-a-sia air gach sguaib: the travelling man was getting sixpence for each broom; na b’ fhasa a ràdh seach a dhèanamh: easier to say than to do; cha cheannaicheadh duine an sguab: nobody would buy the broom; bha Eairdsidh deimhinne gun robh e a’ dol ga reic ro dhol fodha na grèine: Archie was determined that he was going to sell it before sundown; ʼs e an samhradh a bh’ ann: it was summer; anns nach robh e air a bhith roimhe: in which he had never been; Shìorraidh – bha i reamhar: my goodness – she was fat; cho mòr na leud ʼs a bha i na h-àird: as broad as she was tall; seo an sguab as motha a chì sibh: this is the biggest broom you’ll see; bha e air a bhith toilichte faighinn cuidhteas i air prìs na bu shaoire: he would have been pleased to get rid of it at a cheaper price; far a ghuailne: off his shoulder; gach turas a chosgas tu e bidh e a’ nochdadh às ùr: every time you spend it, it will reappear anew; tha e a’ falbh às mo chunntas: he leaves my account; ann an innis ann an coille-bheithe: in a clearing in a birch wood; an aon duine a dh’itealaicheas dhachaigh: the one person who flies home; thilg i iad suas a dhuilleach nan craobhan-beithe: she threw them up into the foliage of the birch trees.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: bha i cho mòr is trom ʼs gur gann gun robh comas aige a togail: it was so big and heavy that he hardly had the ability to lift it. Do you understand why it is togail and not thogail ? The possessive article is present and refers to a feminine noun ( sguab ); the feminine possessive is not lenited. If it had referred to a masculine noun (which does cause lenition), it would have been a thogail. Here are a couple of other examples: ʼs gann gun robh comas aige do thogail ‘he could hardly lift you’; ʼs gann gun robh comas aige mo thogail ‘he could hardly lift me’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: tuilleadh ʼs a chòir dheth : heaps of it.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 651
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