大象传媒

Bu mhath leam st貌iridh eile innse dhuibh an t-seachdain seo 脿 Braghad Albainn. Dh鈥檌nnis mi dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu Dhonnchadh M貌r Ruadh na Feusaig 脿 Gleann L貌chaidh faisg air Cill Fhinn. An t-seachdain sa, tha mi airson st貌iridh innse dhuibh air a bheil B脿s a鈥� Bhaigeir no The Beggar鈥檚 Death. Feuchaidh mi ri cumail, cho fad 鈥檚 as urrainn dhomh, ris a鈥� Gh脿idhlig anns an deach an st貌iridh innse bho th霉s 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin G脿idhlig Siorrachd Pheairt.

Tha e a鈥� tachairt taobh Loch Tatha anns an taigh aig fear air an robh Donncha MacPh脿rlain. Sin mar a chaidh ainm a sgr矛obhadh 鈥� 鈥淒onncha鈥�, seachd 鈥淒onnchadh鈥�. Co-dhi霉, oidhche a bha siud, bha Donncha a-staigh a鈥� leughadh a鈥� Bh矛obaill. Sheinn e salm agus rinn e 霉rnaigh. Shuidh e mu choinneamh an teine, a鈥� smuaineachadh air an n矛 a leugh e. Chaidh a bhean a laighe san leabaidh a bha sa che脿rn.

B鈥� iongantach an rud a thachair an uair sin. Th脿inig neul dorch, dubh a-staigh air an doras. Aig a鈥� cheart 脿m thuit d脿 chathair air an l脿r agus ghlaodh a bhean, 鈥淥 Dhonncha, d猫an gr猫im orm oir tha cudrom uabhasach ga chur orm.鈥� Cha b鈥� e sin uile, ach stad an t-uaireadair-cluig agus thuit an crochadan air an 霉rlar le gleadhraich eagallach. Cha robh m貌ran fois no cadail am f脿rdach Dhonncha air an oidhche sin.

Dh鈥檉he貌raich iad de ch猫ile ciod bu chiall do na nithean oillteil sin. Cha robh e fada mun d鈥� fhuair iad freagairt. Beagan l脿ithean an d猫idh sin, fhuair duine bochd b脿s san taigh.

Feasgar samhraidh a bha seo chunnaic clann a bha a鈥� dol dhachaigh o sgoil am baigear a bha seo. Bha iad e貌lach air. 鈥橲 ann tric a bhiodh e ag iarraidh d猫irc bho mhuinntir an 脿ite. Bha e air an oidhche a chur seachad aig taigh Dhonncha mu thr脿th. Ach, an latha seo, cha robh e gu math. Bha coltas an eug air a ghn霉is.

Le str矛 mh貌r agus le sp脿irn chruaidh, chaidh e ris a鈥� bhruthach. 鈥橲 iomadh anail a ghabh e mun d鈥� r脿inig e taigh Dhonncha. Aig doras Dhonncha leig e a chudrom air a bhata. Car 霉ine cha b鈥� urrainn dha bruidhinn ri Donncha.

Ged a bha Donncha na dhuine coibhneil, truacanta, bha e san tomhartaich mun duine bochd a ghleidheadh r猫 na h-oidhche. Bha e follaiseach da sh霉ilean nach biodh an truaghan fada be貌. Thuig an creutair mar a bha a鈥� ch霉is, agus thuirt e, 鈥淢ur toir Dia a bheannachd dhut airson do choibhneas, chan eil e na mo chomas-sa airgead no 貌r a thoirt dhut.鈥�

鈥淪eadh, seadh, thig a-staigh. Feumaidh sinn do ghl猫idheadh car oidhche co-dhi霉,鈥� thuirt Donncha. Chaidh an de貌ra truagh a-staigh, agus a-mach cha t脿inig e gus an deachaidh a ghi霉lan air falbh airson adhlacadh beagan l脿ithean an d猫idh sin.

Bha ciallachadh nan nithean m矛orbhaileach a thachair a-nise soilleir gu le貌r do Dhonncha, agus cha robh feum air innseadh dha carson a thuit crochadan an uaireadair. Bu uaireadairiche an duine marbh. A bheil sibh e貌lach air an fhacal sin 鈥� uaireadairiche? Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh fear a bhios a鈥� d猫anamh uaireadairean 鈥� a watchmaker or clockmaker. Bu uaireadairiche an duine marbh agus bu chinnteach Donncha gur e rabhadh b脿is an uaireadairiche a bha anns gach n矛 dhiubh sin. Ciod bu fhreagarraiche na gun tuiteadh an crochadan agus gun stadadh an t-uaireadair ro bh脿s an uaireadairiche?

Faclan na Litreach: Braghad Albainn: Breadalbane; Siorrachd Pheairt: Perthshire; Loch Tatha: Loch Tay; Donncha MacPh脿rlain: Duncan MacFarlane; neul: cloud; sp脿irn: struggle; de貌ra: stranger.

Abairtean na Litreach: a鈥� leughadh a鈥� Bh矛obaill: reading the Bible; sheinn e salm agus rinn e 霉rnaigh: he sang a psalm and he made a prayer: mu choinneamh an teine: in front of the fire; sa che脿rn: in the corner; b鈥� iongantach an rud a thachair an uair sin: the next thing that happened was amazing; thuit d脿 chathair: two chairs fell over; d猫an gr猫im orm oir tha cudrom uabhasach ga chur orm: hold me because there is a terrible burden come upon me; stad an t-uaireadair-cluig: the clock stopped; thuit an crochadan: the pendulum fell; gleadhraich eagallach: a frightful clang; cha robh m貌ran fois no cadal am f脿rdach Dhonncha: there wasn鈥檛 much rest or sleep in Duncan鈥檚 house; dh鈥檉he貌raich iad de ch猫ile: they asked each other; ciod bu chiall do na nithean oillteil: what the terrible things meant; 鈥檚 ann tric a bhiodh e ag iarraidh d猫irc: he would often seek alms; coltas an eug air a ghn霉is: the look of death on his countenance; 鈥檚 iomadh anail a ghabh e: he took many breaths; leig e a chudrom air a bhata: he put his weight on his stick; car 霉ine: for a while; ged a bha X na dhuine coibhneil, truacanta: although X was a kind and compassionate man; bha e san tomhartaich: he hesitated; mun duine bochd a ghleidheadh r猫 na h-oidhche: about keeping the poor man through the night; da sh霉ilean: to his eyes; nach biodh an truaghan fada be貌: the poor wretch wouldn鈥檛 live long; chan eil e na mo chomas-sa airgead no 貌r a thoirt dhut: it鈥檚 not in my ability to give you silver or gold; cha robh feum air innseadh dha carson: there was no need to tell him why; bu uaireadairiche an duine marbh: the dead man was a clockmaker; rabhadh b脿is: a warning of [impending] death.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: gus an deachaidh a ghi霉lan air falbh airson adhlacadh beagan l脿ithean an d猫idh sin: until he was carried away for his funeral a few days later. There are three words in common usage for 鈥渇uneral鈥� in different places: tiodhlacadh, adhlacadh and t貌rradh. If you live in a Gaelic-speaking community, ask your Gaelic-speaking friends what they use [if it鈥檚 in Ness, it鈥檒l be adhlacadh; if it鈥檚 in South Uist it will be t貌rradh]. If you don鈥檛 have a connection with any particular G脿idhealtachd location, I鈥檇 recommend you use tiodhlacadh 鈥� it鈥檚 understood everywhere.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: chaidh e ris a鈥� bhruthach: he went uphill/up the slope. I hope you remembered this from just a few weeks ago (Litir 437, 16.11.07)! Where bruthach is masculine it will be ris a鈥� bhruthach but in areas where it is feminine it is slenderised in the dative singular ie ris a鈥� bhruthaich 鈥� so you鈥檒l hear both.