大象传媒

Bu mhath leam st貌iridh innse dhuibh an t-seachdain seo 鈥� seann st貌iridh 脿 beul-aithris. 鈥橲 e聽an t-ainm air Iain Dubh Le貌dhasach, an Se貌ladair.

B鈥� e mac iasgair a bh鈥� ann an Iain Dubh. Nuair a bha e na bhalach beag, bh脿thadh athair. An d猫idh sin, thogadh e le br脿thair athar. Bha iad a鈥� fuireach faisg air an Acarsaid Mh貌ir ann an Le貌dhas. 鈥橲 e Cala Ste貌rnabhaigh a chanas sinn ris an 脿ite an-diugh. Air feasgar 脿raidh chunnaic Iain long bhr猫agha a鈥� tighinn fo aodach sl脿n a-staigh don chala. Chan fhac鈥� e riamh sealladh cho b貌idheach. Leum e a-staigh na bh脿t鈥�-iasgaich聽fh猫in agus, mus do r脿inig acair na luinge an grunnd, bha e air b貌rd oirre. Dh鈥檉he貌raich an聽sgiobair dheth am bu mhath leis a bhith na she貌ladair. Fhreagair Iain Dubh nach robh n矛 air聽bith air an t-saoghal a b鈥� fhe脿rr leis.

鈥淭halla dhachaigh, ma-t脿,鈥� ars鈥� an sgiobair, 鈥渁gus faigh cead d鈥� athar. Thigibh le ch猫ile an seo a-m脿ireach.鈥� Bha an sgiobair de貌nach leigeil le Iain se貌ladaireachd ionnsachadh bhuaithe. Thuirt Iain nach robh athair be貌 ach gun iarradh e cead br脿thair athar.

Thill e moch an ath latha. Dh鈥檌nnis e don sgiobair gun d鈥� fhuair e cead o bhr脿thair athar falbh leis an luing.

鈥淎gus an tuirt e dad riut mu mhuinntireas a ghabhail?鈥� ars鈥� an sgiobair. 鈥淥,thubhairt,鈥� fhreagair Iain Dubh. 鈥淭ha agam ri bhith air b貌rd na luinge fad c貌ig bliadhna airson se貌ladaireachd ionnsachadh.鈥� 鈥淎gus d猫 thuirt e riut mu thuarastal?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich an sgiobair.鈥淭huirt gun robh agam ri bonn-a-sia fhaighinn aig ceann a鈥� chiad mh矛os agus d脿bhonn-a-sia aig ceann an dara m矛os, a鈥� d霉blachadh mar sin gach m矛os gu deireadh nan c貌ig聽bliadhna.鈥�

Rinn an sgiobair g脿ire. Gun smaoineachadh air a鈥� bhargan, thuirt e, 鈥淕heibh thu sin,a laochain.鈥� Agus chaidh Iain a cheangal ris an luing le bann-ce脿irde. Air an ath latha, she貌l an long a-mach 脿s a鈥� phort. Chaidh i air turas-cuain do dh霉thchannan fad鈥� air falbh.

Aig ceann ceithir bliadhna thill i a Shasainn. R脿inig i am port dham buineadh i. Th脿inig an fheadhainn leis an robh an long air b貌rd. Chuir iad f脿ilte air an sgiobair, agus thug iad s霉il air an luing. Bha Iain Dubh air f脿s na ghille gasta agus na she貌ladair air聽leth. Ach fhathast cha d鈥� fhuair e sgillinn de a thuarastal, ach a-mh脿in tastan no dh脿 airson聽cosg anns na puirt san robh e a鈥� tadhal. Agus cha do rinn an sgiobair an t-s霉im a dh鈥檉heumadh e p脿igheadh aig deireadh nan c貌ig bliadhna.

Dh鈥檉haighnich fear dhen fheadhainn leis an robh an long c脿鈥� d鈥� fhuair iad an se貌ladair 貌g a bha cho math air obair. 鈥淔huair ann an Eilean Le貌dhais,鈥� fhreagair an sgiobair.

鈥淔eumaidh gu bheil thu a鈥� toirt tuarastal math dha,鈥� thuirt a鈥� chiad fhear, 鈥渙ir 鈥檚 e se貌ladair cho tapaidh 鈥檚 a chunnaic mi riamh.鈥� 鈥淯ill,鈥� ars鈥� an sgiobair, 鈥渃ha tug mi tuarastal sam bith dha fhathast. Dh鈥� iarr e fh猫in gum biodh e ceangailte c貌ig bliadhna, agus gum faigheadh e bonn-a-sia aig ceann a鈥� chiad mh矛os agus d脿 bhonn-a-sia aig ceann an dara m矛os, a鈥� d霉blachadh mar sin gach m矛os.鈥濃�淎n do smaoinich thu riamh d猫 rinn thu?鈥� thuirt am fear leis an robh an long.鈥淕heall thu don ghille tuilleadh nas fhiach an long fh猫in agus na choisinn i on chiad latha a聽chaidh i gu muir!鈥�
Chunnaic an sgiobair gun robh sin f矛or. D猫 bha a鈥� dol a thachairt do dh鈥橧ain Dubh? Tha an st貌iridh a鈥� leantainn an ath-sheachdain.

An Acarsaid Mh貌r: the great anchorage; Cala Ste貌rnabhaigh:聽Stornoway Harbour; se貌ladaireachd: seamanship; sgiobair: captain; tuarastal: wages.

Iain Dubh Le貌dhasach, an Se貌ladair: Black-haired John of Lewis, the Sailor; thogadh e le br脿thair athar: he was brought up by his father鈥檚 brother; mus dor脿inig acair na luinge an grunnd: before the ship鈥檚 anchor struck the bottom; nach robh n矛air bith air an t-saoghal a b鈥� fhe脿rr leis: that there was nothing in the world he鈥檇 like better; faigh cead d鈥� athar: get your father鈥檚 permission; an tuirt e dad riut mu mhuinntireas a ghabhail?: did he say anything to you about taking an engagement?; tha agam ri bhith air b貌rd na luinge fad c貌ig bliadhna: I have to be on board the ship for five years; d脿 bhonn-a-sia聽aig ceann an dara m矛os: two halfpennies at the end of the second month; a鈥� d霉blachadh聽mar sin gach m矛os: doubling like that every month; gheibh thu sin, a laochain: you鈥檒l get聽that, lad; chaidh Iain a cheangal ris an luing le bann-ce脿irde: John was bound to the ship聽by a deed of indenture; am port dham buineadh i: the port to which she belonged; an聽fheadhainn leis an robh X: the ones who owned X; bha X air f脿s na ghille gasta: X had聽grown to be a fine lad; gheall thu tuilleadh nas fhiach X: you promised more than X is聽worth; na choisinn i: than she [has] earned.

long bhr猫agha a鈥� tighinn fo aodach sl脿n a-staigh don chala.聽a beautiful ship, under full sail, coming into the harbour. I imagine some of you will not聽have heard this use of the word aodach. It usually refers to clothing (eg aodach oidhche),聽but can be garments of any sort, including bed coverings (aodach leapa). It can also refer聽to cloth. So the Gaelic expression here is an equivalent to the English 鈥渦nder full canvas鈥�.聽Although we have a word canabhas (which derives from English, the English term in turn聽having originated in French), the traditional way of referring to a sail is with se貌l (plural聽si霉il) or, when speaking in general of the sails being carried, aodach. Although the聽common Gaelic word for a reef in a sail is the same as the English (riof, plural riofachan),聽a yacht carrying a reefed sail would be described as 鈥渇o aodach 矛osal鈥�.

bh脿thadh athair: his father was drowned. This is a passive verbal form.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA