大象传媒

Th貌isich mi an t-seachdain sa chaidh air an sgeulachd 脿 beul-aithris Iain Dubh Le貌dhasach,聽an Se貌ladair. Bha Iain air long fad c貌ig bliadhna. Bha e a鈥� dol a dh鈥檉haighinn bonn-a-sia aig聽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聽gach m矛os. Ach cha do thuig an sgiobair gun robh e air fortan a ghealltainn dha. 鈥淕heall thu聽tuilleadh nas fhiach an long fh猫in,鈥� thuirt fear leis an robh an long. 鈥淒猫 n矛 sinn?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich an sgiobair. 鈥淎ir an latha mu dheireadh de mhuinntireas a鈥� ghille, 鈥� thuirt am fear eile, 鈥渃霉m airfalbh bho th矛r. Bheir sinne dhut na th鈥� againn de dh鈥檃irgead ann an tr矛 pocannan. Can ris a鈥櫬爂hille gu bheil a thuarastal anns na pocannan agus gum faigh e e ma dh鈥檉h脿gas e an long an聽sin. Ach mura f脿g, gum p脿igh thu dha s霉im a thoilicheas tu fh猫in.鈥�

Th脿inig an latha mu dheireadh de mhuinntireas Iain Duibh. Mus t脿inig an long ann an sealladh na t矛re, thairg an sgiobair a thuarastal don ghille 鈥� nam f脿gadh e an long sa mhionaid.

鈥淢a gheibh mi mo thuarastal, f脿gaidh mi,鈥� ars an gille. 鈥淎ch an toir sibh dhomh d脿 uair a th矛de de dh鈥檕bair an t-saoir, airson r脿th a thogail air mo shon?鈥濃�淕heibh thu sin, agus am fiodh cuideachd,鈥� fhreagair an sgiobair. Bha e duilich dealachadh ri Iain, agus toilichte a chuideachadh.

Nuair a bha an r脿th deiseil, chaidh a leigeil s矛os thar taobh na luinge. Fhuair Iain na tr矛 pocannan 鈥� fear l脿n 貌ir, fear l脿n airgid agus fear l脿n copair. Thug e leis cuideachd poca bhriosgaidean agus searrag uisge. Chuir Iain tr矛 latha seachad air an r脿th. Mu dheireadh r脿inig e t矛r. Cha robh sgeul air duine. Thug e na pocannan leis gu br脿igh a鈥� chladaich agus chuir e am falach iad anns a鈥櫬爂hainmhich. An uair sin, dh鈥檉halbh e don choille. Choisich e fad na h-oidhche ach chanfhaca e taigh no duine. Aig beul an latha r脿inig e togalach m貌r dubh a bha coltach ri seann聽mhuileann. Choisich e a-steach.

Bha boireannach dreachmhor na suidhe aig an teine. Ghabh i eagal an toiseach ach thuirt Iain rithe nach robh ann ach se貌ladair bochd a bh鈥� air sn脿mh gu t矛r bho long a chaidh聽fodha. Thug am boireannach biadh is deoch dha, ach dh鈥檌arr i air falbh gu sgiobalta.

鈥淐arson?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Iain Dubh. 鈥淭ha seachd robairean a鈥� fuireach anns an taigh,鈥� fhreagair i, 鈥渁gus bidh iad air aisann am mionaid.鈥� 鈥淭higeadh iad,鈥� 聽thuirt an se貌ladair. 鈥淐han fhalbh mi gus am faigh mi beagan cadail.鈥滷huair e greis cadail ach dh霉isg na robairean e. 鈥溾�橲 e robairean a th鈥� annainn,鈥� thuirtfear dhiubh, 鈥渁gus cha leig sinn 脿s thu be貌.鈥濃�淣ach mi a tha toilichte,鈥� fhreagair Iain Dubh. 鈥淏鈥� e robaireachd mo che脿ird fh猫ingus an robh agam ri teicheadh. Ma leigeas sibh leam siubhal cuide ribh, bidh mi cho d矛leas聽鈥檚 a ghabhas.鈥濃�淐eart gu le貌r,鈥� arsa fear de na robairean. 鈥淕abhaidh sinn latha fois. An uair singabhaidh gach fear dhinn a rathad fh猫in. Am fear as motha a bheir dhachaigh de chreach聽thar tr矛 oidhcheannan, 鈥檚 e a bhios na cheannard air c脿ch.鈥滳hunnaic Iain Dubh a chothrom. Air a鈥� chiad oidhche thill e le poca l脿n copair. Airan d脿rna oidhche, thill e le poca l脿n airgid. Air an treas oidhche thill e le poca l脿n 貌ir.聽

Ch霉m聽na robairean rin gealladh agus rinn iad Iain Dubh na cheannard air c脿ch. Ach cha do r脿inig聽sinn deireadh na sge貌il fhathast...

bonn-a-sia: a halfpenny; dara/d脿rna: second (the terms are聽interchangeable); a鈥� d霉blachadh: doubling; muinntireas: engagement; r脿th: raft;聽dreachmhor: good-looking; robairean: robbers; d矛leas: loyal.

Iain Dubh Le貌dhasach, an Se貌ladair: Black-haired John of Lewis, the Sailor; gun robh e air fortan a ghealltainn dha: that he had promised him a fortune; d猫 n矛聽sinn?: what shall we do?; bheir sinne dhut na th鈥� againn de dh鈥檃irgead: we鈥檒l give you what聽you have of money; gum p脿igh thu dha s霉im a thoilicheas tu fh猫in: that you鈥檒l pay him an聽amount of your own choosing; d脿 uair a th矛de de dh鈥檕bair an t-saoir: two hours of the聽carpenter鈥檚 time; poca bhriosgaidean agus searrag uisge: a bag of biscuits and a leather聽bottle of water; anns a鈥� ghainmhich: in the sand; beul an latha: daybreak; se貌ladair bochd a聽bh鈥� air sn脿mh gu t矛r bho long a chaidh fodha: a poor sailor who鈥檇 swum to shore from a聽ship that went down; dh鈥檌arr i air falbh gu sgiobalta: she asked him to leave quickly;聽thigeadh iad: let them come; cha leig sinn 脿s thu be貌: we鈥檒l not let you leave alive; b鈥� e聽robaireachd mo che脿ird fh猫in: robbing was my own trade; am fear as motha a bheir聽dhachaigh creach: the man who brings home the most plunder; ch霉m X rin gealladh: X kept聽to their promise; rinn iad Y na cheannard air c脿ch: they made Y the leader of the rest.

Thug e na pocannan leis gu br脿igh a鈥� chladaich: he took the聽bags [with him] to the upper part of the shore. The word br脿igh seems to be less frequently聽used than in former times, and many people might say 鈥渃eann shuas a鈥� chladaich鈥� today.聽But it鈥檚 a nice word and worth retaining. Its original meaning is 鈥渘eck鈥� or 鈥渢hroat鈥�; its聽genitive form is br脿ghad which you might know in losgadh-br脿ghad (heartburn), but br脿ghad聽has become a noun in its own right and is well known in the area name Br脿ghad Albainn,聽the upper part of Alban (Scotland), anglicized Breadalbane. Br脿igh in topographical terms聽means 鈥渢he upper part of鈥� and br脿igheach is a term for a mountaineer or inhabitant of the聽mountains, particularly the Highlands and most particularly Brae Lochaber (Br脿igh Loch聽Abar), the upper part of that beautiful region of the G脿idhealtachd.

nam f脿gadh e an long sa mhionaid. if he left the ship聽immediately. Note also bidh iad air ais ann am mionaid: they鈥檒l be back in a minute,presently.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA