大象传媒

Bu mhath leam st貌iridh innse dhuibh air a bheil B脿s a鈥� Bhaigeir no The Beggar鈥檚 Death. Tha e 脿 Siorrachd Pheairt. Tha e a鈥� tachairt taobh Loch Tatha anns an taigh aig fear Donncha MacPh脿rlain. Oidhche a bha seo, bha Donncha a鈥� leughadh a鈥� Bh矛obaill. Bha e na shuidhe aig an teine. Bha a bhean san leabaidh.

Th脿inig neul dorch, dubh a-steach air an doras. Thuit d脿 chathair don l脿r. Dh鈥櫭╥gh a bhean, 鈥淥 Dhonncha, tha cudrom uabhasach orm.鈥� Stad an gleoc. Thuit an gleoc don 霉rlar. Bha e annasach. Bha e eagallach. Ach d猫 bha e a鈥� ciallachadh?

Beagan l脿ithean an d猫idh sin, fhuair duine b脿s anns an taigh. 鈥橲 e feasgar samhraidh a bha ann. Bha am baigear bochd a bha seo anns an sg矛re. Bha daoine e貌lach air. Ach, an latha a bha seo, cha robh e gu math. Bha coltas a鈥� bh脿is air.

Chaidh e gu taigh Dhonncha. Bha anail na uchd. Bha e aig an doras. Airson 霉ine cha b鈥� urrainn dha bruidhinn. Choimhead Donncha air a鈥� bhaigear bhochd. Bha fios aige nach robh an truaghan gu bhith fada be貌. Ach 鈥檚 e duine c貌ir a bha ann an Donncha. Dh鈥檉hosgail e an doras.

鈥淭hig a-steach,鈥� thuirt e. Chaidh am bodach a-steach. Ach, mar a bha d霉il, chaochail e air an oidhche sin. Nuair a dh鈥檉h脿g e an taigh, bha e ann an ciste.

Bha ciallachadh nan nithean a thachair an oidhche eile a-nise soilleir. Bha Donncha a鈥� tuigsinn carson a stad an gleoc is carson a thuit an gleoc. Oir fhuair e a-mach rudeigin inntinneach mun bhaigear. 鈥橲 e uaireadairiche a bha ann. 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. 鈥橲 e uaireadairiche a bha anns an duine mharbh. Bha Donncha cinnteach gur e rabhadh a bh脿is a fhuair e air an oidhche roimhe.

Faclan is abairtean: Siorrachd Pheairt: Perthshire; Donncha MacPh脿rlain: Duncan MacFarlane; bha Donncha a鈥� leughadh a鈥� Bh矛obaill: Duncan was reading the Bible; na shuidhe aig an teine: sitting by the fire; bha a bhean san leabaidh: his wife was in bed; neul dorch: a dark cloud; a-steach air an doras: in through the door; thuit d脿 chathair don l脿r: two chairs fell onto the floor; dh鈥櫭╥gh: shouted; tha cudrom uabhasach orm: there is a terrible burden upon me; stad an gleoc: the clock stopped; eagallach: frightening; d猫 bha e a鈥� ciallachadh?: what was it meaning?; beagan l脿ithean an d猫idh sin: a few days after that; fhuair duine b脿s anns an taigh: a man died in the house; baigear bochd: a poor beggar; bha coltas a鈥� bh脿is air: the look of death was upon him; bha anail na uchd: he was out of breath; cha b鈥� urrainn dha bruidhinn: he couldn鈥檛 speak; nach robh an truaghan gu bhith fada be貌: that the poor man wasn鈥檛 going to be alive long; 鈥檚 e duine c貌ir a bha ann an Donncha: Duncan was a good man; mar a bha d霉il, chaochail e air an oidhche sin: as was expected, he died that night; nuair a dh鈥檉h脿g e an taigh, bha e ann an ciste: when he left the house, he was in a coffin; ciallachadh nan nithean a thachair an oidhche eile: the meaning of the things that happened the other night; fhuair e a-mach rudeigin inntinneach mun bhaigear: he found out an interesting thing about the beggar; 鈥檚 e uaireadairiche a bha ann: he was a watchmaker/clockmaker; gur e rabhadh a bh脿is a fhuair e: that it was a warning of his death he had; air an oidhche roimhe: [on] the other/previous night.