大象传媒

Bu mhath leam seann st貌iridh innse dhuibh an t-seachdain seo. Chan eil mi buileach cinnteach c貌 脿s a tha e. Siorrachd Pheairt 鈥檚 d貌cha. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air C霉 Fhearchair Bh脿in.

Bha c霉 math aig Fearchar B脿n. 鈥橲 e c霉-chaorach a bh鈥� ann, agus 鈥檚 e Fraoch an t-ainm a bh鈥� air. Bha a h-uile c矛obair eile anns a鈥� ghleann farmadach. Cha robh na coin acasan cho math ri Fraoch. Chan e a-mh脿in gun robh Fraoch a鈥� coimhead math, le casan l脿idir agus earball fada snasail, ach gu robh e f矛or mhath leis na caoraich.

Abair an d貌igh 鈥檚 a bhiodh e a鈥� cruinneachadh nan caorach gu h-脿rd anns na coireachan ce貌thach no air na creagan casa. Bha e anabarrach sgileil. Leanadh e fead a mhaighstir gu c霉ramach. Ach, uaireannan, bhiodh e a鈥� trusadh nan caorach leis fh猫in, ro fhad鈥� air falbh airson fead Fhearchair a chluinntinn.

Ach 鈥檚 ann aigesan a bha am fradharc. Mura robh e cinnteach d猫 dh猫anadh e, rachadh e gu creag far am faiceadh Fearchar e. Thogadh Fearchar am bat鈥� aige ann an d貌igh 脿raidh. Bha sin a鈥� ciallachadh rudeigin don ch霉. Uaireannan chuireadh an c矛obair a bhonaid ghorm air ceann a bhata. Bhiodh sin a鈥� ciallachadh rudeigin eile do Fhraoch.

Agus mar a bhiodh d霉il, 鈥檚 e c霉 G脿idhealach a bh鈥� ann. Cha do thuig e a鈥� Bheurla idir. Cha bhruidhneadh Fearchar ris ach ann an G脿idhlig. Gu dearbh, chan eil mi buileach cinnteach an robh Beurla aig Fearchar fh猫in. Co-dhi霉, bha fear Gallta a鈥� fuireach anns a鈥� ghleann, fear ris an canadh iad 鈥淛ock鈥�. Latha a bha seo, a r猫ir aithris, thuirt e ri fear eile, 鈥淢on, that鈥檚 a gran鈥� dog o鈥� Farquhar鈥檚. I鈥檇 gie eicht punds for him masel鈥� if he kent braid Scotch.鈥� Eadhon nan tuigeadh Fearchar am bargan, cha reiceadh e Fraoch ri duine.

Ge-t脿, cha robh Fraoch uile-gu-l猫ir foirfe. Uill, c貌 nar measg aig nach eil laigse air choreigin? Agus 鈥檚 ann mar sin a bha e don ch霉 seo oir, nuair a thigeadh 脿m an r霉sgaidh, nuair a bhiodh c矛obairean is coin cruinn c貌mhla, dh鈥檉halbhadh Fraoch air an oidhche airson ... uill ... beagan sp貌rs. Cha robh Fearchar ro thoilichte mu dheidhinn agus bhiodh e a鈥� c脿ineadh Fhraoich, agus a鈥� toirt iomradh air buadhan a mh脿thar nach robh buileach modhail.

Oidhche a bha seo aig 脿m an r霉sgaidh bha fear Iain Ruadh agus a bhean a鈥� coiseachd anns a鈥� ghleann faisg air taigh Fhearchair. Bha iad air an rathad dhachaigh bhon Ghalltachd. Aig 脿ite ris an canar Glac nam Bodach, chuala iad fuaim annasach.

鈥淒猫 am fuaim a tha sin, Iain?鈥� thuirt a鈥� bhean.

鈥淣a f猫idh am measg nan clach,鈥� fhreagair Iain.

鈥淐han e, no f猫idh,鈥� thuirt a bhean. 鈥淭ha uisge-beatha nad cheann fhathast.鈥�

鈥淐aoraich am measg nan clach, ma-th脿,鈥� thuirt an duine aice.

鈥淐han e, no caoraich,鈥� fhreagair a bhean. 鈥淭ha uisge-beatha nad cheann fhathast.鈥�

Th脿inig fuaim 脿s 霉r a-mach 脿s an dorchadas. Mar ghliongadh meatailt.

鈥淎 Dhia, bi mun cuairt dhuinn,鈥� dh鈥櫭╥gh a鈥� bhean, 鈥� 鈥檚 e am Fear as Miosa fh猫in a th鈥� ann!鈥�

Bha Iain a鈥� f脿s s貌barra gu luath. 鈥淭ha am fuaim gu dearbh coltach gi gliongadh shlabhraidhean!鈥� thuirt e. Tuigidh sibh gun robh iad dhen bheachd gun robh an S脿tan fh猫in a鈥� d猫anamh orra!

Theich Iain Ruadh 鈥檚 a鈥� bhean aige don taigh a b鈥� fhaisge. B鈥� e sin taigh Fhearchair. Bha Fearchar a-staigh. Ach c脿ite an robh Fraoch? Uill, innsidh mi sin dhuibh an ath sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Siorrachd Pheairt: Perthshire; C霉 Fhearchair Bh脿in: Farquhar Ban鈥檚 dog; c霉-chaorach: sheepdog; c矛obair: shepherd; farmadach: envious; anabarrach sgileil: exceptionally skilful; bonaid: bonnet; s貌barra: sober; gliongadh shlabhraidhean: clinking of chains.

Abairtean na Litreach: chan e a-mh脿in gun robh Fraoch a鈥� coimhead math: not only did Fraoch look good; earball fada snasail: a long elegant tail; abair an d貌igh 鈥檚 a bhiodh e a鈥� cruinneachadh nan caorach: what a magnificent way in which he鈥檇 gather the sheep; anns na coireachan ce貌thach no air na creagan casa: in the misty corries or on the steep crags; leanadh e fead a mhaighstir gu c霉ramach: he鈥檇 diligently obey his master鈥檚 whistle; bhiodh e a鈥� trusadh nan caorach leis fh猫in: he鈥檇 gather the sheep on his own; rachadh e gu creag: he鈥檇 go to a crag; thogadh Fearchar am bat鈥� aige ann an d貌igh 脿raidh: Farquhar would lift his stick in a particular way; cha bhruidhneadh X ris ach ann an G脿idhlig: X would only speak to him in Gaelic; uile-gu-l猫ir foirfe: entirely perfect; c貌 nar measg aig nach eil laigse air choreigin?: who among us does not have some weakness or other?; 脿m an r霉sgaidh: shearing time; cruinn c貌mhla: together; bhiodh e a鈥� c脿ineadh Fhraoich: he would criticize Fraoch; a鈥� toirt iomradh air buadhan a mh脿thar nach robh buileach modhail: casting aspersions on his mother which were not entirely polite; tha uisge-beatha nad cheann: you鈥檙e under the influence [lit. there is whisky in your head]; 鈥檚 e am Fear as Miosa fh猫in a th鈥� ann: it鈥檚 the Evil One himself.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Chan e, no f猫idh: literally, 鈥渋t鈥檚 not, or deer鈥�, idiomatically 鈥渋t鈥檚 not deer at all鈥�. I want to make the point about the use of 鈥淐han e鈥� here. She is answering her husband鈥檚 statement 鈥淣a f猫idh am measg nan clach鈥� (the deer among the stones). This is a phrase without a verb. We always say 鈥渁nswer with the verb in the question or statement鈥� but there is no verb. In this situation, the assertive verb is understood, although not expressed. In other words he is saying 鈥淚s e na f猫idh...鈥� That鈥檚 why his wife answered, 鈥淐han e鈥�. Here is another example. Person A: 鈥淟atha math a th鈥� ann an-diugh鈥�. There is no verb at the beginning of the sentence but 鈥淚s e latha math ...鈥� is understood. Person B therefore replies, 鈥淚s e. Latha math dha-r矛ribh...鈥�

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: 鈥檚 ann aigesan a bha am fradharc: he had fantastic eyesight [lit. it鈥檚 at him that the eyesight was].