大象传媒

Bha Iain Dubh Le貌dhasach, an Se貌ladair na cheannard air na robairean. Dh鈥檌arr e air narobairean falbh a-mach. Dh鈥檉huirich e fh猫in aig an taigh, ge-t脿. Lorg e iuchraichean.Chaidh e timcheall an taighe agus dh鈥檉hosgail e a h-uile doras-se貌mair leis na hiuchraichean,聽ach aonan. Dhi霉lt am boireannach, a bha a鈥� fuireach san taigh, an iuchairsin a thoirt dha. Ach thuirt Iain rithe gum b鈥� esan an ceannard agus gu feumadh i aniuchair a thoirt dha. Rinn i sin.

Dh鈥檉hosgail Iain doras an t-se貌mair uaignich. Chunnaic e roimhe boireannach cho b貌idheach 鈥檚 a choinnich ri s霉il fir riamh. Ach bha i crochte air a falt ri croman air mullach an t-se貌mair. Bha b脿rr a h-貌rdagan a鈥� beantainn air 猫iginn don 霉rlar. Leum Iain dha h-ionnsaigh agus leig e s矛os i. Bha coltas oirre gun robh i marbh.

Bha i greis ann an neul, ach th脿inig i thuige. Dh鈥檌nnis i dha mar a thachair dhi. B鈥檌 nighean R矛gh na Sp脿inne. Chaidh dithis de na robairean a ghlacadh aig Caisteal an R矛gh. Chuir an R矛gh gu b脿s iad. B鈥� e an d矛oghaltas a rinn c脿ch a bhith a鈥� glacadh nigheanan R矛gh. Ghlac iad i, agus leig iad crochte i mar a fhuair Iain Dubh i.

A dh猫anamh a鈥� chuid seo dhen sgeul goirid, theich Iain agus an nighean 脿 taigh nan robairean. Thug iad leotha rudan luachmhor mar 貌r. Ghabh iad gach rathad a b鈥檜aigniche na ch猫ile gus an t脿inig an ciaradh. Chunnaic iad bothan-脿irigh agus rinn iad air.

Bha iad am broinn a鈥� bhothain airson greis nuair a chuala iad guthan fann air an taobh a-muigh. Dh鈥檉hosgail Iain an doras agus thug an sealladh clisgeadh air. Bha tr矛 colainnean nan seasamh air a bheulaibh, len cinn eadar an l脿mhan. 鈥淎 dhaoine c貌ire,鈥漚rs Iain, 鈥渄猫 tha sibh ag iarraidh?鈥�

鈥淚s sinne,鈥� fhreagair iad, 鈥渁thair agus a dhithis mhac a chaidh a mharbhadh anns a鈥� bhothan seo le robairean. Thiodhlaic iad sinn air c霉l a鈥� bhothain. Ach cha do chuir iad gach ceann maille ri cholainn fh猫in. Mar sin, chan eil fois againn. Ma chuireas tusa ar cinn far am bu ch貌ir dhaibh a bhith, theagamh gun d猫an sinn uidhir air do shon fhathast.聽
鈥漅inn Iain na dh鈥檌arr an tri霉ir. Nuair a bha gach n矛 seachad, chaidh an tri霉ir 脿s an tsealladh.An ath latha, dh鈥檉h脿g Iain agus nighean an R矛gh am bothan. Cha do stad iad gusan do r脿inig iad am baile-puirt a b鈥� fhaisge orra. Ph貌s iad an sin agus cheannaich iadtaigh-貌sta leis an 貌r a thug iad bho thaigh nan robairean. Bha iad sona agus soirbheachail.

Latha a bha seo, th脿inig long a-staigh don acarsaid. Air b貌rd bha 脿rd-cheannard cabhlach na Sp脿inne. Bha e a鈥� sireadh nighean an R矛gh gus gum faigheadh e fh猫in i mar聽bhean, agus leth na r矛oghachd a bharrachd. B鈥� e sin an duais a gheall an R矛gh don duine a聽bheireadh a nighean dhachaigh s脿bhailte.

Th脿inig an t-脿rd-cheannard air t矛r c貌mhla ri oifigeach eile, agus c脿ite an do thadhail iad ach ann an taigh Iain Duibh. Chuir iad e貌las air Iain agus a bhean. Dh鈥檃ithnich iad gum b鈥� ise nighean R矛gh na Sp脿inne. Ach cha do ghabh iad sin orra. Mus do dh鈥檉halbh iad, thug iad cuireadh c脿irdeil do dh鈥橧ain is a bhean a dhol a-mach an ath latha, agus an long fhaicinn.

D猫 bha a鈥� dol a thachairt do dh鈥橧ain Dubh? Ch矛 sinn an ath-sheachdain nuair a chuireas mi cr矛och air an st貌iridh seo.

dhi霉lt: refused; bothan-脿irigh: shieling bothy; fann: weak; baile puirt: harbour town; taigh-貌sta: hotel; acarsaid: anchorage; dh鈥檃ithnich: recognised.

gu feumadh i an iuchair a thoirt dha: that she had to give him the key; cho b貌idheach 鈥檚 a choinnich ri s霉il fir riamh: as beautiful as ever met a man鈥檚eye; crochte air a falt ri croman: hung by her hair on a crook; bha b脿rr a h-貌rdagan a鈥� beantainn air 猫iginn don 霉rlar: the end of her toes were almost touching the floor; ann an neul: in a swoon; b鈥� e an d矛oghaltas a rinn c脿ch a bhith a鈥� glacadh nighean an R矛gh: the others鈥� revenge was to capture the King鈥檚 daughter; a dh猫anamh a鈥� chuid seo dhen sgeul聽goirid: to shorten this part of the story; thug an sealladh clisgeadh air: the view startled聽him; tr矛 colainnean len cinn eadar an l脿mhan: three bodies with their heads between their聽hands; a dhaoine c貌ire: gentlemen; athair agus a dhithis mhac: a father and his two sons;聽gach ceann maille ri cholainn fh猫in: each head with its own body; chan eil fois againn:聽we have no peace; chaidh an tri霉ir 脿s an t-sealladh: the three men disappeared; 脿rd cheannard聽cabhlach na Sp脿inne: the head of the Spanish navy; leth na r矛oghachd a聽bharrachd: half of the kingdom in addition; cha do ghabh iad sin orra: they didn鈥檛 let that be known.

Ghabh iad gach rathad a b鈥� uaigniche na ch猫ile gus an聽t脿inig an ciaradh: they followed the most unfrequented paths until dusk arrived. I can鈥檛聽emphasise enough how wonderful some of the language is in our old stories 鈥� if you聽want to speak good, rich idiomatic Gaelic, then immersing yourself in old stories can聽only be of benefit. Here is an attractive idiom which means literally 鈥渢hey took each聽road which was remoter than the others鈥� ie they were getting more and more remote.聽Why not, as a learning exercise, pick a phrase out of an old story and use it as the base聽for writing your own short story, employing that phrase several times? Then try your聽story out on your teacher, a fluent speaker or a friend who is also learning Gaelic. If you聽can commit it to memory, all the better. Uaigneach is also used for 鈥渟ecret鈥� in the Litir,聽in doras an t-se貌mair uaignich (the door of the secret room).

theagamh gun d猫an sinn uidhir air do shon fhathast:聽perhaps we鈥檒l do a lot for you yet.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA