大象传媒

Th貌isich mi an t-seachdain sa chaidh air an sgeulachd thraidiseanta An Nighean an Reiceadh. Bha an nighean air mionnachadh air f脿inne a鈥� choigrich nach fhaiceadh e tuilleadh i. Agus airson sin, cha mharbhadh esan i. Thilg e am f脿inne air a鈥� mhuir.

Dh鈥檉h脿g iad beannachd aig a ch猫ile. Mu shia uairean feasgar, th脿inig an nighean gu taigh duine-uasail. Dh鈥檉hasdaich an duine-uasal i. Bha i air mhuinntireas aige fad tr矛 bliadhna. Ch貌rd i ris gu math. An ceann nan tr矛 bliadhna c貌 chunnaic i tighinn ach an duine a bh鈥� air a ceannach.

Bha iad ag iasgach bhodach ruadha an oidhche roimhe sin. 鈥橲 e bodach ruadh trosg beag. Bha ise a鈥� sgoltadh nam bodach, is i na c貌caire, agus d猫 leum a-mach 脿 fear dhiubh ach f脿inne! Sheall i air, agus bha ainm-san air. B鈥� e sin f脿inne an duine a cheannaich i! Chuir i mu a meur e.

An l脿rna-mh脿ireach th脿inig esan c貌mhla ris an duine-uasal gu d矛nnear. Dh鈥檃ithnich ise esan gl猫 mhath ach cha do leig i dad oirre. An d猫idh na d矛nnearach, nuair a bha e a鈥� falbh, dh鈥檉h脿g e beannachd aig an duine-uasal eile.

鈥淭robhad an seo, a nighean,鈥� thuirt e. Chaidh i far an robh e aig ceann an taighe.

鈥淪eadh,鈥� ars esan, 鈥渘ach do mhionnaich thusa dh貌mhsa o chionn a leithid seo de bliadhnaichean nach fhaicinn thu gus am faicinn am f脿inne a thilg mi a-mach air a鈥� mhuir?鈥�

鈥淢hionnaich,鈥� ars ise.

鈥淒猫 tha thu ag iarraidh a dh猫anamh ort fh猫in a-nis?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e.

鈥淎 bheil thu a鈥� faicinn an fh脿inne a thilg thu a-mach?鈥� thuirt a鈥� chaileag. Thug i am f脿inne far a me貌ir.

鈥淒猫 mar a fhuair thu am f脿inne?鈥� ars esan. 鈥淐han urrainn dh貌mhsa cur 脿s dhut, tha sin f矛or, ged a dh鈥檉heuch mi. Th猫id thu a-staigh is gheibh thu do ph脿igheadh on duine-uasal. Cha bhi thu nas fhaide aige. P貌saidh mi thu. Sgr矛obhaidh mi litir agus cuiridh mi a Dh霉n 脠ideann thu a chum 鈥檚 gum faigh thu ionnsachadh sgoile.鈥�

Chaidh an nighean a-staigh agus dh鈥檌arr i a tuarastal. Sgr矛obh an coigreach litir gu a bhr脿thair ann an D霉n 脠ideann.

鈥淔albhaidh thu a-nis,鈥� ars esan, 鈥済u ruige D霉n 脠ideann. Tha mo bhr脿thair ann. Bidh thu latha is bliadhna ann an sgoil c貌mhla ris na nigheanan aige fh猫in. An ceann bliadhna, ruigidh mise thu agus p貌saidh mi thu.鈥�

Thug e dhi an litir. Dh鈥檉halbh i leatha. Bha i air an rathad, taobh a-muigh Ghlaschu, nuair a th脿inig an oidhche oirre. Chaidh i gu taigh tuathanaich.

鈥淐貌 脿s a th脿inig a鈥� chaileag nach eil mi ag aithneachadh?鈥� thuirt an tuathanach. 鈥溾�橲 e caileag Gh脿idhealach a th鈥� annamsa,鈥� ars ise.

An d猫idh greis, thuirt an tuathanach, 鈥淒猫 an naidheachd as fhe脿rr a th鈥� aig a鈥� chaileig Gh脿idhealaich dhuinn a-nochd? D猫 dh鈥櫭╥rich dhut a dh鈥檌nnseas tu dhuinn?鈥�

鈥淭ha naidheachdan gu le貌r agam orm fh矛n,鈥� thuirt i, agus dh鈥檌nnis i mar a dh鈥櫭╥rich dhi, o thoiseach gu deireadh.

鈥淎gus 鈥檚 e e fh猫in a chuir an litir leat an-dr脿sta?鈥� ars an tuathanach. 鈥溾�橲 e,鈥� fhreagair i.

鈥淣am biodh tu cho math is a leigeil dhomh a faicinn,鈥� thuirt an tuathanach. Sheall i an litir dha. Dh鈥� iarr e oirre an litir fhosgladh. Agus leugh e i.

Bha ise deimhinne gun robh an coigreach laghach dhi a-nise. Ach an robh? D猫 bha anns an litir? Gheibh sinn a-mach anns an ath Litir againne.

Faclan na Litreach: bodach ruadh: small cod [if you鈥檝e ever caught codling which live among the seaweed off the west coast, you鈥檒l realise what a wonderful name this is!]; D霉n 脠ideann: Edinburgh; tuathanach: farmer.

Abairtean na Litreach: An Nighean an Reiceadh: The Lass who was Sold; air mionnachadh air f脿inne a鈥� choigrich: had sworn on the stranger鈥檚 ring; nach fhaiceadh e tuilleadh i: that he鈥檇 never see her again; cha mharbhadh esan i: he wouldn鈥檛 kill her; dh鈥檉hasdaich an duine-uasal i: the gentleman hired her; air mhuinntireas aige: in domestic service for him; an oidhche roimhe: the previous night; a鈥� sgoltadh X, is i na c貌caire: splitting X open, she being the cook; f脿inne an duine a cheannaich i: the ring of the man who [had] bought her; mu a meur: around her finger; dh鈥檃ithnich ise esan ach cha do leig i dad oirre: she recognised him but she didn鈥檛 reveal that; nach do mhionnaich thusa dh貌mhsa o chionn a leithid seo de bliadhnaichean?: didn鈥檛 you swear to me such and such number of years ago?; nach fhaicinn thu gus am faicinn am f脿inne: that I鈥檇 not see you until I saw the ring; d猫 tha thu ag iarraidh a dh猫anamh ort fh猫in?: what do you want to have done to you?; far a me貌ir: from her finger; chan urrainn dh貌mhsa cur 脿s dhut: I am unable to kill you; gheibh thu do ph脿igheadh: get your wages; p貌saidh mi thu: I鈥檒l marry you; a chum 鈥檚 gum faigh thu ionnsachadh: so that you鈥檒l get an education; nuair a th脿inig an oidhche oirre: when night came upon her; d猫 dh鈥櫭╥rich dhut a dh鈥檌nnseas tu dhuinn?: what has happened to you that you might tell us?; o thoiseach gu deireadh: from start to finish; nam biodh tu cho math is a leigeil dhomh a faicinn: if you鈥檇 be so good as to permit me to see it [fem].

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Trobhad an seo, a nighean: come here, lass. Are you familiar with the fact that the initial 鈥渘鈥� in nighean (vocative singular case) is lenited? We don鈥檛 show lenited n鈥檚 in writing although, had the system been invented differently, it might have been written 鈥渁 nhighean鈥�. If you forget this, think of caileag. We say 鈥渁 chaileag鈥� addressing the girl.

Because it is a feminine noun we lenite it but do not slenderise it cf masculine nouns which are lenited and slenderised in the vocative singular (鈥淎 Dh貌mhnaill!; a bhalaich!) But how are you going to lenite the 鈥渘鈥� in speech? Here鈥檚 a guide: think of the 鈥渘鈥� in the English 鈥渘ew鈥� as being like the unlenited Gaelic 鈥渘鈥�, whereas the 鈥渘鈥� in English 鈥渘o鈥� is like the lenited Gaelic 鈥渘鈥�. It鈥檚 one of the finer points of the language and I鈥檇 advise you to ask your teacher or a fluent, particularly native, speaker to help you.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: Dh鈥檉h脿g iad beannachd aig a ch猫ile: they farewelled each other.