大象传媒

F脿ilte oirbh a ch脿irdean. Ruairidh MacIlleathain an seo le Litir eile. Mus lean mi leis an st貌iridh a th貌isich mi an t-seachdain sa chaidh, bu mhath leam taing mh貌r a thoirt don a h-uile duine a th鈥� air sgr矛obhadh thugam no a th鈥� air bruidhinn rium, is taic a thoirt dhomh, thairis air na bliadhnaichean, a thaobh Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh. Th貌isich an Litir o chionn faisg air deich bliadhna agus tha i air n脿dar de chlach-mh矛le a ruigsinn an-diugh oir 鈥檚 e seo an c貌ig ceudamh t猫. Tha e f矛or laghach a bhith a鈥� cluinntinn bho dhaoine air feadh Alba, agus air feadh an t-saoghail, a tha ag 猫isteachd ris na Litrichean. Tha e gu s貌nraichte laghach nuair a chluinneas mi bho dhaoine nach robh fileanta nuair a th貌isich iad air 猫isteachd riutha, agus a tha a-nise a鈥� sgr矛obhadh is a鈥� labhairt na G脿idhlig gu si霉bhlach. Mo bheannachd oirbh.

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mun ch霉-chaorach Fraoch agus a mhaighstir, Fearchar B脿n. Bha Iain Ruadh agus a bhean a-muigh ann am Glac nam Bodach air an oidhche nuair a dh鈥檉hairich iad fuaim eagallach. Ruith iad don taigh a b鈥� fhaisge 鈥� taigh Fhearchair Bh脿in. Bha Fearchar a-staigh, ach cha robh Fraoch.

Bha Fearchar ag 猫isteachd ri bean Iain, agus i ag aithris mun fhuaim a dh鈥檉hairich iad, nuair a rinn c霉 sgi霉gan aig an doras. Dh鈥檉hosgail e an doras agus c貌 bh鈥� ann ach Fraoch.

Ruith an c霉 mar an dealanaich seachad air Fearchar. Chaidh e don 脿ite aige fon leabaidh far an d鈥� rachadh e nuair a gheibheadh e trod. Bha e follaiseach gun robh rudeigin ce脿rr air. Dh鈥檌arr Fearchar air thighinn a-mach agus mu dheireadh thall, th脿inig e. Bhiodh earball air a bhith eadar a chasan deiridh nam biodh gu le貌r dheth ann. Bha m貌ran de dh鈥檈arball Fhraoich a dh矛th.

鈥淏ha e ann an l脿mhan an Fhir as Miosa,鈥� thuirt am boireannach.

鈥淣am biodh a鈥� bhr霉id bhochd air a bhith na l脿mhan-san, bhiodh f脿ileadh d脿thte dheth,鈥� fhreagair Fearchar. Thug e s霉il air a鈥� ch霉. Cha robh f脿ileadh no coltas de dh脿thadh no losgadh air. Bha an gnothach annasach.

Air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach, dh鈥檉halbh Iain is a bhean dhachaigh. Bha Fraoch a-muigh ach bha clobhd dearg air a cheangal ri earball 鈥� no na bh鈥� air fh脿gail de earball. 脌s d猫idh dha t貌rr ceasnachaidh a dh猫anamh, fhuair Fearchar a-mach d猫 d矛reach a thachair.

Bha Fraoch a-muigh an oidhche a bha sin. Bha c矛obairean agus an coin ann c貌mhla agus nochd Fraoch nam measg. Th貌isich Fraoch air sabaid le c霉 eile. Dh鈥櫭╥rich sabaid mh貌r eadar na coin gu l猫ir. Bha fear de na c矛obairean gu math m矛-thoilichte le Fraoch. Mar pheanas, cheangail e coire ri earball Fhraoich. Bhreab e an c霉 agus dh鈥檌arr e air falbh dhachaigh.

Bha Fraoch air an rathad dhachaigh, a鈥� ruith tro fhraoch garbh anns an dorchadas, nuair a dh鈥檉hairich Iain 鈥檚 a bhean e. Bha e a鈥� d猫anamh fuaim leis a鈥� choire ceangailte ri earball. Fuaim a bha eagallach. Mu dheireadh, fhuair e an coire an s脿s eadar d脿 chloich. Cha b鈥� urrainn dha ghluasad. Rinn e sp脿irn mh貌r. Th脿inig p矛os de earball dheth, a鈥� f脿gail a鈥� choire fhathast ceangailte ris. Agus 鈥檚 ann le leth-earbaill a nochd e aig taigh a鈥� mhaighstir.

Uill, a bheil fios agaibh air seo. Chun an latha mu dheireadh de a bheatha, bha Fearchar feargach mu dheidhinn mar a thachair don ch霉 aige. Agus am fear a cheangail an coire ri earball Fhraoich...? Dh鈥檉halbh e agus cha do thill e don ghleann a-chaoidh tuilleadh.

Faclan na Litreach: c霉-chaorach: sheepdog; taigh Fhearchair Bh脿in: Farquhar Ban鈥檚 house; sgi霉gan: whimpering; d脿thadh: singeing; losgadh: burning; clobhd: cloth; c矛obairean: shepherds; bhreab: kicked; feargach: angry.

Abairtean na Litreach: mus lean mi: before I continue; a h-uile duine a th鈥� air sgr矛obhadh thugam: everybody who鈥檚 written to me; tha i air n脿dar de chlach-mh矛le a ruigsinn: it鈥檚 reached a sort of a milestone; seo an c貌ig ceudamh t猫: this is the 500th one; nuair a dh鈥檉hairich iad fuaim eagallach: when they heard a frightful noise; ruith an c霉 mar an dealanaich seachad air: the dog ran like lightning past; far an d鈥� rachadh e nuair a gheibheadh e trod: where he鈥檇 go when he was being scolded; bhiodh earball air a bhith eadar a chasan deiridh: his tail would have been between his hind legs; nam biodh gu le貌r dheth ann: if there had been enough of it left [there]; bha m貌ran de dh鈥檈arball Fhraoich a dh矛th: much of Fraoch鈥檚 tail was missing; nam biodh a鈥� bhr霉id bhochd air a bhith na l脿mhan-san: if the poor brute had been in his hands; bhiodh f脿ileadh d脿thte dheth: he would have a singed smell; 脿s d猫idh dha t貌rr ceasnachaidh a dh猫anamh: after doing much questioning; dh鈥櫭╥rich sabaid mh貌r eadar na coin gu l猫ir: great fighting broke out among all the dogs; mar pheanas, cheangail e coire ri earball Fhraoich: as punishment, he tied a kettle to Fraoch鈥檚 tail; an s脿s eadar d脿 chloich: stuck between two stones; cha b鈥� urrainn dha ghluasad: he couldn鈥檛 move; rinn e sp脿irn mh貌r: he made a great effort; 鈥檚 ann le leth-earbaill a nochd e: it鈥檚 with half a tail he appeared; cha do thill e don ghleann a-chaoidh tuilleadh: he never returned to the glen.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: agus i ag aithris mun fhuaim a dh鈥檉hairich iad: while she was reporting on the noise they heard [see also Litir 100 from April 2001].You will rarely see the verb fairich (a鈥� faireachadh, a鈥� faireachdainn) translated as 鈥渉ear鈥� in the dictionaries. More commonly it is given as 鈥渟ense, feel鈥�. But, in reality, it might commonly be translated as 鈥渉ear鈥� 鈥� when a noise is heard unexpectedly. You鈥檙e not listening for it but suddenly there鈥檚 the sound, hitting your eardrums. You might say 鈥渄h鈥檉hairich mi fuaim鈥� rather than 鈥渃huala mi fuaim鈥�. The English translation would most likely be 鈥淚 heard a noise鈥�.

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: Bha e ann an l脿mhan an Fhir as Miosa: he was in the hands of the Evil One [lit. 鈥渢he worst one鈥� ie the Devil].