大象传媒

Anns an Fhaoilleach ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1843), chaidh an soitheach an Linnet air na creagan faisg air Cadabol. Tha Cadabol l脿imh ri Baile a鈥� Chnuic ann am Machair Rois. Tha diofar aithrisean ann mu dheidhinn na thachair dhi ach tha na leanas faisg air an fh矛rinn, chanainn.

鈥橲 e b脿ta-se貌laidh a bh鈥� innte, le d脿 chrann. Bha leth-cheud 鈥檚 a tr矛 (53) troigh de dh鈥檉had innte agus cuideam de sheasgad (60) tonna. Bhiodh i a鈥� dol eadar ceann an ear-thuath Shasainn agus puirt an ear-thuath na G脿idhealtachd. Uaireannan bhiodh i a鈥� toirt gual air an t-slighe a-mach, agus a鈥� tilleadh a Shasainn le coirce no e貌rna.

Co-dhi霉, chaidh i air na creagan. Bha i an 矛re mhath air chall. Ach cha robh an t-slige briste. Cheannaich tri霉ir de mhuinntir an 脿ite an t-slige. B鈥� iad dithis iasgairean agus tuathanach. Bha iad a鈥� dol ga c脿radh. Anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach, chuir iad romhpa, le taic bho fheadhainn eile sa choimhearsnachd, an soitheach a thoirt gu b脿gh Bhaile an Todhair.

Chuir iad an Linnet air bhog, le bhith a鈥� cleachdadh bharaillean falamh ceangailte rithe. Th貌isich iad air a tarraing a-null le eathraichean is ge貌laichean. Ach dh鈥檉h脿s am feasgar na bu mhiosa. Bha i gu math stoirmeil. Cha robh acair ceangailte ris an Linnet tuilleadh. Th貌isich i air falbh leis an t-sruth is leis a鈥� ghaoith. Leis nach robh acair aice tuilleadh, cha b鈥� urrainn do na daoine stad a chur oirre.

Bha e a鈥� f脿s dorch. Rinn feadhainn ann an ge貌la air a鈥� chladach ann an cabhaig airson acair fhaighinn. Ach cha robh iad luath gu le貌r. Dh鈥檉halbh an Linnet, le seachdnar air b貌rd, a-steach don dorchadas. Chan e mh脿in nach robh acair aca, ach cha robh sti霉ir air an t-soitheach nas motha.

鈥橲 ann beagan l脿ithean 脿s d猫idh sin a chaidh an long-bhriseadh a lorg. Tha aon aithris ann gun robh i bun-os-cionn air Tr脿igh Bh貌inndidh faisg air Banbh. Tha aithris eile ann gun deach aon chorp a lorg faisg air sin. Chaidh oidhirp a dh猫anamh, ceart gu le貌r, an soitheach a lorg fhad 鈥檚 a bha i fhathast aig muir, ach cha robh e soirbheachail. Chailleadh an seachdnar a bh鈥� air b貌rd 鈥� ceathrar 脿 Baile an Todhair agus tri霉ir 脿 Baile a鈥� Chnuic. Thug an call sin droch bhuaidh dha-r矛ribh air a鈥� choimhearsnachd.

Sgr矛obh fear Artar Ros marbhrann G脿idhlig anns an robh leth-cheud rann鈥檚 a sia 鈥� a chaidh fhoillseachadh ann an Inbhir Nis. Tha e ag innse gu soilleir na thachair, ach chan urrainn dhomh ach criomag dheth a thoirt dhuibh an-dr脿sta:

Tha 鈥檔 duine truagh gach uile l脿

a鈥� dol air thuras dh鈥檌onnsaigh bh脿is,

鈥檚 gun fhios an t-脿m an t猫id e 鈥檔 s脿s 鈥�

tha uair a bh脿is am falach air

Sin an d脿rna rann. Seo a-nis an t-siathamh is an t-seachdamh rann:

Ach dhi霉lt i falbh dhaibh uair no dh脿

is iad ga feuchainn le luchd-ce脿ird;

ach nuair a th脿inig oidhche a鈥� bh脿is,

siud ghabh i an s脿l is dh鈥檌mich i

Is ged bha 脿ireamh mh貌r air b貌rd

ga tarraing suas gu Bail鈥� an Todhair,

dh鈥檉halbh i uath鈥� gun sti霉ir, gun se貌l,

is cha bu de貌in leath鈥� fuireach dhaibh

鈥橲 d貌cha gum feuch mi air cuspair nas aotruime anns an ath Litir! Ach f脿gaibh mi sibh an t-seachdain seo le aon rann chumhachdach eile bhon 鈥淟innet Mh貌r鈥�:

Och, a Bh脿is, b鈥� an-iochdmhor cruaidh

thu ann an siud 鈥檓 measg thonnaibh 鈥檆huain

dar chuir thu ort do chlogaid chruaidh

is thilg gun truas do shaighead annt鈥�.

Faclan na Litreach: Am Faoilleach: January; Cadabol: Cadboll; Baile a鈥� Chnuic: Hilton; Machair Rois: the flat country of Easter Ross; crann: mast; long-bhriseadh: wrecked ship; marbhrann: elegy.

Abairtean na Litreach: tha na leanas faisg air an fh矛rinn, chanainn: what follows is close to the truth, I鈥檇 say; bha X troigh de dh鈥檉had innte agus cuideam de Y tonna: she was X feet long and displaced Y tons; a鈥� tilleadh le coirce no e貌rna: returning with oats or barley; an 矛re mhath air chall: close to being lost; cha robh an t-slige briste: the hull wasn鈥檛 broken; cheannaich tri霉ir de mhuinntir an 脿ite an t-slige: three local people bought the hull; a鈥� dol ga c脿radh: going to repair it; chuir iad romhpa an soitheach a thoirt gu b脿gh Bhaile an Todhair: they decided to take the vessel to Balintore Bay; air bhog: afloat; th貌isich iad air a tarraing a-null le eathraichean is ge貌laichean: they started by pulling her over with boats and dinghies; leis an t-sruth is leis a鈥� ghaoith: with the current and the wind; a鈥� dol air thuras dh鈥檌onnsaigh bh脿is: going on a journey towards death; Tr脿igh Bh貌inndidh faisg air Banbh: Boyndie Bay near Banff; chailleadh an seachdnar: the seven people were lost; leth-cheud rann鈥檚 a sia: 56 verses; tha uair a bh脿is am falach air: the time of his death is hidden from him; ghabh i an s脿l is dh鈥檌mich i: she took to the salt water and she left; cha bu de貌in leatha fuireach dhaibh: she wasn鈥檛 willing to wait for them; a Bh脿is, b鈥� an-iochdmhor cruaidh thu: Death, you are unmerciful and hard; am measg thonnaibh a鈥� chuain: amid the ocean waves (thonnaibh is an old dative plural of tonn). NB: The poem is given in modern orthography, following Se貌samh Watson鈥檚 book 鈥淪aoghal Bana-mharaiche鈥� (Clann Tuirc 2007)

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: dh鈥檉halbh i uath鈥� gun sti霉ir, gun se貌l: she left [from them] without a rudder and without a sail. I imagine that many learners, unless they are familiar with Ross-shire Gaelic, would not recognise uath鈥�. It is uatha, or alternatively bhuatha, ie the third person plural of the prepositional pronoun involving o/bho. It means 鈥渇rom them鈥�. In 鈥渟tandard鈥� Gaelic, and in your text books, it is given as bhuapa/uapa but natives of Ross-shire, west and east, say 鈥渂huatha/uatha鈥�. The emphatic form is bhuathasa (cf bhuapasan in 鈥渟tandard鈥� Gaelic). Another Ross-shire usage (common to other mainland dialects) in the Litir is dar chuir thu ort do chlogaid chruaidh. Dar is a variant of nuair (ie when you put on your hard helmet).

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: Chaidh oidhirp a dh猫anamh, ceart gu le貌r, an soitheach a lorg: an effort was made, certainly, to find the vessel.