大象传媒

Chan e Calum Cille an aon duine a cheanglas Alba ri Gleann Cholm Cille ann an ceann an iar-thuath na h-脠ireann. Tha cuid dhen bheachd gu robh fear ann san ochdamh linn deug air an robh Se谩rlas 脫g ann an Gaeilge. 鈥橲 e sin Te脿rlach 脪g Sti霉bhart 鈥� no Bonny Prince Charlie. Uill, a bheil e f矛or? An robh e ann?

Tha an st貌iridh a鈥� dol air ais don t-samhradh seachd ceud deug ceathrad 鈥檚 a sia (1746), beagan mh矛osan 脿s d猫idh Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair, far an do chaill na Seumasaich gu dubh. Tha muinntir na h-Alba dhen bheachd gun robh Te脿rlach 脪g air seachran airson 霉ine 脿s d猫idh Ch霉il Lodair air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd againne. Aig a鈥� cheann thall, th脿inig long-chogaidh Fhrangach air a shon agus she貌l e gu ruige an Fhraing.

Ach tha beul-aithris ann an Gleann Cholm Cille a鈥� cur gleans eile air an st貌iridh. As t-samhradh seachd ceud deug ceathrad 鈥檚 a sia (1746) th脿inig srainnsear 脿rd eireachdail don sg矛re. Bha searbhant c貌mhla ris. Bha iad a鈥� fuireach an toiseach ann am baile beag iomallach ris an canar Gleann Locha.

Ach cha do dh鈥檉huirich iad an sin fada. Ghluais iad gu taigh eile ann am baile eile. An uair sin ghluais iad gu taigh eile ann am baile eile a-rithist. An-diugh, innsidh muinntir an 脿ite gu d猫 na taighean don deach iad agus c貌 na daoine leis an robh iad a鈥� fuireach.

Tha e an 矛re mhath cinnteach gur e Seumasach a bh鈥� anns an duin-uasal. Gach latha bhiodh e fh猫in is a shearbhant a鈥� dol a-mach gu rubha far am faigheadh iad sealladh math air a鈥� mhuir. Gach latha bhiodh iad a鈥� tilleadh dhachaigh gun sealladh air an luing a bha a鈥� dol gan toirt air falbh.

脌s d猫idh beagan seachdainean ann am baile ris an canar M谩lainn Mh贸ir dh鈥櫭╥rich an dithis latha a bha seo. Dh鈥檌nnis iad don teaghlach a bh鈥� air 脿ite-fuirich a thoirt dhaibh gun robh iad a鈥� falbh. Thug iad sporan de dh鈥櫭瞨 don teaghlach agus chaidh iad gu baile eile airson na h-oidhche. Air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach rinn iad mocheirigh agus chaidh iad s矛os gu Poll an Uisce 鈥� 脿ite air a鈥� chladach. Tha Poll an Uisce furasta aithneachadh bhon mhuir oir tha stac mara 鈥� ris an canar an Tor M贸r 鈥� faisg air l脿imh. Th脿inig long a-steach agus chaidh an dithis air b貌rd. Dh鈥檉halbh iad a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na Frainge.

Uill, c貌 bha anns an t-srainnsear? A-r猫ir beul-aithris, 鈥檚 e Te脿rlach 脪g fh猫in a bh鈥� ann. An robh cuideigin eile, ma-th脿, air a dhol na riochd ann an Alba? An robhar a鈥� toirt a鈥� chreidsinn don arm dhearg gun robh am Prionnsa fhathast ann an Alba 鈥� nuair a bha e ann an dha-r矛ribh ann an 脠irinn?!

鈥橲 e deagh st貌iridh a th鈥� ann, agus chan urrainn dhomh a r脿dh co-dhi霉 tha susbaint mh貌r sam bith ann. Ma dh鈥檉haodte gur e d矛reach fear de dh鈥櫭爎d-urrachan nan Seumasach a bh鈥� anns an t-srainnsear. Ach tha 貌ran a bhuineas don sg矛re air a bheil L谩 Chois Cuain. 鈥橲 e 貌ran gaoil a th鈥� ann. Anns an 貌ran tha fear a鈥� feitheamh fad 霉ine ri long a bheir e fh猫in is a leannan c貌mhla. Agus tha feadhainn ag r脿dh fhathast gu bheil an t-貌ran a鈥� d猫anamh tuairisgeul air Te脿rlach 脪g fh猫in, a bha am falach ann an Gleann Cholm Cille 脿s d猫idh Ch霉il Lodair.

Abairtean na Litreach: beagan mh矛osan 脿s d猫idh Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair: a few months after the Battle of Culloden; far an do chaill na Seumasaich gu dubh: where the Jacobites suffered a terrible loss; air seachran airson 霉ine: wandering for a time; air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd againne: in our [ie not the Irish] Gaidhealtachd; th脿inig long-chogaidh Fhrangach air a shon: a French warship came for him; she貌l e gu ruige an Fhraing: he sailed to France; gleans eile air an st貌iridh: another sheen on the story; srainnsear 脿rd eireachdail: a tall handsome stranger; ris an canar Gleann Locha: called Gleann Locha; cha do dh鈥檉huirich iad an sin fada: they didn鈥檛 stay there long; ghluais iad gu taigh eile: they moved to another house; gur e Seumasach a bh鈥� anns an duin-uasal: that the gentleman was a Jacobite; gu rubha far am faigheadh iad sealladh math air a鈥� mhuir: to a promontory where they would get a good view of the sea; bhiodh iad a鈥� tilleadh dhachaigh: they would come [be coming] home; dh鈥櫭╥rich an dithis latha a bha seo: the two men rose this particular day; a bh鈥� air 脿ite-fuirich a thoirt dhaibh: who had given them a place to stay; sporan de dh鈥櫭瞨: a purse of gold; air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach rinn iad mocheirigh: the next day they rose early; furasta aithneachadh bhon mhuir: easy to recognise from the sea; an robh cuideigin eile air a dhol na riochd?: had somebody else impersonated him?; an robhar a鈥� toirt a鈥� chreidsinn don arm dhearg gun robh am Prionnsa fhathast ann an Alba?: were they pretending to the British army [red army] that the Prince was still in Scotland?; co-dhi霉 tha susbaint mh貌r sam bith ann: whether or not it has any great substance; fear de dh鈥櫭爎d-urrachan nan Seumasach: one of the Jacobite leaders; a bheir e fh猫in is a leannan c貌mhla: which will bring him and his sweetheart together; a鈥� d猫anamh tuairisgeul air Te脿rlach 脪g fh猫in: describing Bonny Prince Charlie himself.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: gun sealladh air an luing a bha a鈥� dol gan toirt air falbh: without a view of [on] the ship that was going to take them away. Although ship is in the genitive in the English idiom [a view of the ship], note that the Gaelic preposition air puts long [ship] in the dative case. The same would be the case had I said gun sealladh dhen luing. If I had said gun sealladh na luinge 鈥� then long would be in the genitive. And why is long slenderised to luing in the dative singular (at least in traditional usage)? Because it is a feminine noun. This is a grammatical rule (but not always observed today) attested by the traditional children鈥檚 rhyme 鈥淎ir an Luing 脠ireannaich鈥� [鈥淥n the Irish Ship鈥漖.