大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh dh鈥檉h脿g sinn Naomh P貌l 鈥� fear ris an canar ann am Fraingis Saint Pol de Leon 鈥� air eilean far costa na Breatainne Bige. Bha e d矛reach air cur 脿s don nathair mh貌ir. Leis gun do sh脿bhail e an t-eilean air a bheil Batz, no L鈥橧sle de Batz, chaidh an t-eilean gu l猫ir a thoirt dha. Chaidh p脿irtean de th矛r-m貌r faisg air an eilean a thoirt dha cuideachd. Thog P貌l manachainn mh貌r anns an eilean.

Chaidh iarraidh air a bhith na easbaig. Ach thug e an aon fhreagairt 鈥檚 a thug e do r矛gh na Cuimrigh nuair a bha e 貌g (oir 鈥檚 e Cuimreach a bh鈥� ann): 鈥淏鈥� fhe脿rr leam an sg矛re seo fh脿gail.鈥�

Bha pl貌igh aig riaghladair na sg矛re, ge-t脿. Dh鈥檌arr e air P貌l dhol a thadhal air an r矛gh 鈥� R矛gh na Frainge 鈥� le litir sheulaichte. Anns an litir, dh鈥檌arr an riaghladair air an r矛gh P貌l a dh猫anamh na easbaig. Thug an r矛gh a chreidsinn gun robh e feargach le P貌l airson a bhith a鈥� di霉ltadh na t脿lantan aige a chur gu feum gu maith an t-sluaigh. Thuirt P貌l gun d猫anadh e rud sam bith a bha an r矛gh ag iarraidh air. Cha b鈥� urrainn dha a dhi霉ltadh an uair sin agus rinneadh easbaig dheth.

Thill P貌l gu Batz ach chuir e a chathair-eaglais air chois air t矛r-m貌r aig 脿ite ris an canar ann am Fraingis Saint Pol-de-Leon. Chuir e taigh easbaig air d貌igh ann an seann tobhta far an robh tairbh-allaidh agus mathain a鈥� fuireach. Thug P貌l 貌rdugh do na beathaichean falbh air ais don choille. Ach bha aon chr脿in tuirc ann agus bha a h-uirceanan a鈥� deoghal aice. Dhi霉lt ise falbh. Bhuail P貌l air a ceann i agus dh鈥檉h脿s i solt sa bhad. Dh鈥檉huirich i gu s脿mhach s矛theil anns an fhail-mhuc. Agus aiste th脿inig se貌rsa de mhuc sh貌nraichte ris an canar 鈥渕ucan r矛oghail鈥�.

Bha P貌l gu math sean nuair a chaochail e. Tha cuid ag r脿dh gun do r脿inig e aois ceud is ceathrad (140) bliadhna. A r猫ir aithris, bha e air f脿s cho tana 鈥檚 gun gabhadh solas faicinn tro a l脿mhan.

Chaochail e ann an cealla a bh鈥� air a togail dha faisg air a鈥� mhanachainn anns an eilean. Bha muinntir an eilein ag iarraidh gum biodh e air a thiodhlacadh an sin. Ach bha muinntir Saint Pol-de-Leon airson 鈥檚 gum biodh e air a thiodhlacadh anns a鈥� chathair-eaglais. Ciamar a bha iad a鈥� dol a thighinn gu r猫ite?

Uill, chaidh d脿 chairt ullachadh, agus d脿 dhamh a鈥� tarraing gach t猫. Bha iad air an cur letheach-slighe eadar an t-eilean agus a鈥� chathair-eaglais. Bha aon phaidhir dhamh a鈥� coimhead a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na mara, is bha am paidhir eile a鈥� coimhead a dh鈥檌onnsaigh a鈥� bhaile. Chaidh a鈥� chiste-laighe a chur air na dh脿, leth dhith air gach cairt. Bhiodh e an urra ris an naomh fh猫in c脿ite an rachadh e don uaigh.

A r猫ir beul-aithris, nuair a th貌isich na daimh air gluasad, chaidh a鈥� chiste 脿 fianais. Bha i do-fhaicsinneach. Cha robh fios aig an t-sluagh d猫 an taobh a bha i a鈥� dol.

鈥橲 ann d矛reach nuair a r脿inig na cairtean an cinn-uidhe a bha fios aig an t-sluagh d猫 bh鈥� air tachairt. Bha briseadh-d霉il air na h-eileanaich oir bha a鈥� chairt acasan falamh. Bha muinntir a鈥� bhaile a鈥� d猫anamh g脿irdeachas oir bha a鈥� chiste air a鈥� chairt acasan. Agus bha Naomh P貌l, Saint Pol de Le貌n, air a thiodhlacadh sa chathair-eaglais anns a鈥� bhaile a tha a鈥� gi霉lain ainm fhathast.

Faclan na Litreach: manachainn: monastery; seulaichte: sealed; cathair-eaglais: cathedral; solt: placid; letheach-slighe: halfway; paidhir: pair; ciste-laighe: coffin; do-fhaicsinneach: invisible.

Abairtean na Litreach: far costa na Breatainne Bige: off the coast of Brittany; bha e d矛reach air cur 脿s don nathair mh貌ir: he had just killed the big serpent: chaidh an t-eilean gu l猫ir a thoirt dha: the entire island was given to him; thug e an aon fhreagairt: he gave the same answer; 鈥檚 e Cuimreach a bh鈥� ann: he was a Welshman; bha pl貌igh aig riaghladair na sg矛re: the area鈥檚 governor had a ruse; dh鈥檌arr X air an r矛gh P貌l a dh猫anamh na easbaig: X asked the king to make Paul a governor; thug X a chreidsinn gun robh e feargach: X pretended he was angry; a鈥� di霉ltadh na t脿lantan aige a chur gu feum gu maith an t-sluaigh: refusing to use his talents for the good of the people; gun d猫anadh e rud sam bith: that he would do anything; rinneadh easbaig dheth: he was made a bishop [a bishop was made of him]; seann tobhta far an robh tairbh-allaidh agus mathain a鈥� fuireach: an old r霉in where buffaloes and bears lived; bha aon chr脿in tuirc ann: there was one wild boar sow; bha a h-uirceanan a鈥� deoghal aice: her young [piglets] were suckling her; dh鈥檉h脿s i solt sa bhad: she became placid immediately; aiste th脿inig se貌rsa de mhuc sh貌nraichte: from her came a special type of pig; cho tana 鈥檚 gun gabhadh solas faicinn tro a l脿mhan: so thin that light could be seen through his hands; gum biodh e air a thiodhlacadh: that he would be buried; ciamar a bha iad a鈥� dol a thighinn gu r猫ite?: how were they going to come to an agreement?: d脿 dhamh a鈥� tarraing gach t猫: two oxen pulling each one; a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na mara: towards the sea; leth dhith air gach cairt: half of her on each cart; an urra ris an naomh fh猫in: up to the saint himself; c脿ite an rachadh e don uaigh: where he would go to the grave; an cinn-uidhe: their destinations; a tha a鈥� gi霉lain ainm: which carries his name.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Dh鈥檉huirich i gu s脿mhach s矛theil anns an fhail-mhuc: she lived quietly and peacefully in the pigsty. Fail-mhuc is an interesting word. It is a compound noun in which the second element is in the genitive plural. Literally it means 鈥渟ty of pigs鈥�. It therefore behaves grammatically just like taigh-chearc (鈥渉enhouse/house of hens鈥�). Because the second element is a genitive plural without the article it is always lenited and is never otherwise inflected ie it remains 鈥渕huc鈥� in all cases. Thus we get doras na fail-mhuc (the door of the pigsty), na failean-mhuc (the pigsties), dorsan nam failean-mhuc (the doors of the pigsties). Here鈥檚 a question for you (I鈥檒l give you the answer next week): what鈥檚 the Gaelic for 鈥渋n the dog-kennel鈥�, 鈥渋n the dog-kennels鈥� and 鈥渢he doors of the dog-kennels鈥�?

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: chaidh a鈥� chiste 脿 fianais: the coffin disappeared.