大象传媒

Ann an ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1843), chaidh an soitheach an Linnet air na creagan. Bha sin faisg air Cadabol. Tha Cadabol faisg air Baile a鈥� Chnuic ann am Machair Rois.

鈥橲 e b脿ta-se貌laidh a bha innte. Chaidh i air na creagan. Ach cha robh an t-slige aice briste. Bha feadhainn ag iarraidh a toirt gu Baile an Todhair. Chuir iad an Linnet air bhog. Tharraing iad i le eathraichean. Ach bha droch sh矛de ann. 鈥橲 e feasgar geamhraidh a bha ann. Bha i stoirmeil.

Dh鈥檉halbh an Linnet leis a鈥� ghaoith. Bha seachdnar air b貌rd. Bha i a鈥� f脿s dorch. Cha robh acair air b貌rd. Agus cha robh sti霉ir aca.

Beagan l脿ithean 脿s d猫idh sin, chaidh an long-bhriseadh a lorg. Chaill an seachdnar a bha air b貌rd am beatha. Bha ceathrar aca 脿 Baile an Todhair agus bha an tri霉ir eile 脿 Baile a鈥� Chnuic. 鈥橲 e call uabhasach a bha ann.

Sgr矛obh fear Artar Ros marbhrann G脿idhlig mu dheidhinn.

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 bi cuspair nas aotruime agam anns an ath Litir! Ach f脿gaibh mi sibh an t-seachdain seo le rann 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 is abairtean: chaidh an soitheach an Linnet air na creagan: the vessel, the Linnet, went on the rocks; tha Cadabol faisg air Baile a鈥� Chnuic ann am Machair Rois: Cadboll is near Hilton on the flat lands of Easter Ross (鈥渢he Seaboard Villages鈥�); 鈥檚 e b脿ta-se貌laidh a bha innte: she was a sailing boat; cha robh an t-slige aice briste: her hull wasn鈥檛 broken; ag iarraidh a toirt gu Baile an Todhair: wanted to take her to Balintore (a neighbouring village); air bhog: afloat; tharraing iad i le eathraichean: they pulled her with boats; droch sh矛de: bad weather; feasgar geamhraidh: a winter鈥檚 afternoon; leis a鈥� ghaoith: with the wind; bha seachdnar air b貌rd: there were seven people on board; acair; anchor; cha robh sti霉ir aca: they had no rudder; beagan l脿ithean 脿s d猫idh sin: a few days after that; chaidh an long-bhriseadh a lorg: the wrecked ship was found; 鈥檚 e call uabhasach a bha ann: it was a terrible loss; marbhrann: elegy; tha an duine truagh gach uile l脿: the poor man each and every day; a鈥� dol air thuras dh鈥檌onnsaigh bh脿is: going on a journey towards death; gun fhios an t-脿m an t猫id e 鈥檔 s脿s: without knowing the time he will be taken [by death]; an d脿rna rann: the second verse; tha uair a bh脿is am falach air: the time of his death is hidden from him; dhi霉lt i falbh dhaibh uair no dh脿: she refused to leave [afloat] once or twice; is iad ga feuchainn le luchd-ce脿ird: with them trying [to float her] with tradesmen/engineers; nuair a th脿inig oidhche a鈥� bh脿is: when the night of death came; she took to the salt water and she left; ged bha 脿ireamh mh貌r air b貌rd: although there was a large number [of people] on board; ga tarraing suas gu Bail鈥� an Todhair: dragging her up to Balintore; dh鈥檉halbh i uatha gun sti霉ir, gun se貌l:she went from them without a rudder, without a sail [uatha is a Ross-shire variant of bhuapa 鈥� it means 鈥渇rom them鈥漖; cha bu de貌in leatha fuireach dhaibh: she wasn鈥檛 willing to wait for them; 鈥檚 d貌cha gum bi cuspair nas aotruime agam: perhaps I鈥檒l have a lighter subject; f脿gaibh mi sibh: I鈥檒l leave you; 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); dar chuir thu ort do chlogaid chruaidh: when you put on your hard helmet (dar is a variant of nuair, meaning 鈥渨hen鈥�) thilg gun truas do shaighead annta: [you] fired your arrow into them.