大象传媒

Tha mi air a bhith ag innse dhuibh an t-seann st貌iridh Iain Dubh Le貌dhasach, an Se貌ladair. Tha mi a鈥� dol ga thoirt gu cr矛ch an-diugh. Bidh cuimhne agaibh gun do thogadh Iain Dubh ann an Ste貌rnabhagh ach gun do dh鈥檉halbh e air long fad c貌ig bliadhna airson se貌ladaireachd ionnsachadh. Chaidh a chur gu muir ann an r脿th ach lorg聽e t矛r agus chaidh e an s脿s le tr矛 robairean.

Sh脿bhail e beatha nighean R矛gh na Sp脿inne. Theich iad bho thaigh nan robairean agus ph貌s iad. Air an rathad chuidich Iain tri霉ir fhear aig bothan-脿irigh. Bha iad air am murt leis na robairean ach cha robh an cinn leis na colainnean ceart. Chuir Iain an cinnsan 脿ite cheart agus gheall an tri霉ir gum faigheadh e duais airson sin. Bha ceannard cabhlach na Sp脿inne air nochdadh anns a鈥� phort san robh Iain agus a bhean a鈥� fuireach. Bha an ceannard ag iarraidh nighean an R矛gh a thoirt air ais do a h-athair聽鈥� agus a p貌sadh. Cha robh fios aig Iain no a bhean gun robh an ceannard air a h-aithneachadh.

Thug an ceannard cuireadh don dithis dhol a-mach a choimhead air an luing. Ghabh iad ris a鈥� chuireadh. Ach nuair a bha iad air b貌rd, chaidh na si霉il an 脿irde, agus dh鈥檉halbh an long. Nuair a bha an long a-mach 脿 sealladh na t矛re, dh鈥� fh脿gadh Iain Dubh bochd aig muir leis fh猫in ann am b脿ta beag gun r脿mh 鈥檚 gun se貌l.

Bha Iain ann an cruaidh-ch脿s. Bha e br貌nach fad an latha. Ach, aig ciaradh an fheasgair, mhothaich e do rudeigin a thug misneachd dha. Bha am b脿ta a鈥� cumail a toisich anns an aon 脿ird, agus falbh math oirre.

An uair sin, chunnaic Iain botal deoch l脿idir ann an toiseach a鈥� bh脿ta. Ghabh e deoch 脿s agus thuit e na chadal. Nuair a dh霉isg e an ath mhadainn, sheall e gach rathad,聽ach cha robh t矛r sam bith anns an t-sealladh. Ge-t脿, bha am b脿ta a鈥� falbh fhathast le聽sgr矛ob l脿idir agus a鈥� cumail a cinn san aon 脿ird. Thug seo tuilleadh misneachd dha.聽

Nuair聽a th脿inig an d脿rna oidhche, ghabh e deoch eile bhon bhotal agus thuit e na chadal. Air an treas madainn, sheall e roimhe agus chunnaic e t矛r fad 脿s, agus am b脿ta a鈥� d猫anamh d矛reach oirre. Bha an r貌pa toisich a-mach roimhpe, agus tarraing chruaidh air. Ach c貌 bha a鈥� tarraing a鈥� bh脿ta leis an r貌pa? Cha robh c脿il a dh鈥檉hios aig Iain. Bha e ne貌nach dha-r矛ribh.

Nuair a r脿inig am b脿ta an cladach, chaidh tri霉ir fhear a-mach 脿s an uisge roimhpe. Bha iad a鈥� tarraing an r貌pa thoisich. B鈥� iad sin an tri霉ir dhaoine aig a鈥� bhothan-脿irigh.Gheall iad aig an 脿m gun toireadh iad duais do dh鈥橧ain. B鈥� e seo a dhuais.Tharraing an tri霉ir am bata gu br脿igh a鈥� chladaich, os cionn ti霉rr na mara. Cho luath 鈥檚 a chunnaic iad cas Iain air t矛r, chaidh iad 脿s an t-sealladh.

Faodar an c貌rr dhen sgeul innse ann am beagan fhaclan. Cha ph貌sadh nighean an R矛gh an ceannard gus am biodh gach saighdear is se貌ladair san r矛oghachd air a dhol seachad fo uinneag a se貌mair ann an caisteal a h-athar. Chaidh cha mh貌r gach fear seachad air a h-uinneig agus cha robh sgeul air Iain Dubh Le貌dhasach. Ach mu dheireadh, 脿s d猫idh dha dhol tro iomadh cruaidh-ch脿s, r脿inig Iain an caisteal. Bha e air dheireadh air c脿ch uile.

Gu fortanach, dh鈥檃ithnich nighean an R矛gh e. Ph貌s iad a-rithist agus, ma tha iad fhathast be貌, tha mi an d霉il gu bheil iad sona.

se貌ladaireachd: seamanship; cabhlach: navy, fleet; dh鈥檉h脿gadh:was left; cruaidh-ch脿s: extreme predicament; dh鈥檃ithnich: recognised

tha mi a鈥� dol ga thoirt gu cr矛ch: I鈥檓 going to finish it; chaidh a聽chur gu muir ann an r脿th: he was put to sea in a raft; chaidh e an s脿s le tr矛 robairean: he聽got involved with three robbers; cha robh an cinn leis na colainnean ceart: their heads聽weren鈥檛 with the correct bodies; gheall an tri霉ir gum faigheadh e duais: the three men聽promised that he would get a reward; gun robh an ceannard air a h-aithneachadh: that聽the commander had recognised her; chaidh na si霉il an 脿irde: the sails went up; a-mach 脿聽sealladh na t矛re: out of sight of land; gun r脿mh 鈥檚 gun se貌l: without an oar or a sail;聽mhothaich e do rudeigin a thug misneachd dha: he noticed something that encouraged聽him; a鈥� falbh le sgr矛ob l脿idir: moving at considerable speed; fad 脿s: far away; os cionn聽ti霉rr na mara: above the high tide mark; chaidh iad 脿s an t-sealladh: they disappeared;聽faodar an c貌rr dhen sgeul innse: the rest of the story can be told; cha ph貌sadh nighean an聽R矛gh: the King鈥檚 daughter wouldn鈥檛 marry; fo uinneag a se貌mair ann an caisteal a h-athar:聽under the window of her room in her father鈥檚 castle; air dheireadh air c脿ch uile:after every single other person; tha mi an d霉il gu bheil iad sona: I reckon they鈥檙e happy.

Bha am b脿ta a鈥� cumail a toisich anns an aon 脿ird: the聽boat was keeping a constant heading (she was keeping her bow in the one direction). In聽a previous Litir I mentioned the use of toiseach for the front of something and it鈥檚 worth聽reiterating it here (the genitive form is toisich 鈥� which is used here following the verbal聽noun a鈥� cumail). The front seat of a car is a suidheachan toisich (to ask a child to sit in聽the front [of the car], you might say 鈥渟uidh anns an toiseach鈥� or 鈥渄猫an suidhe ann an聽toiseach a鈥� ch脿ir鈥�), the front legs of a ceithir-chasach (quadruped) are casan toisich (the聽rear legs are casan deiridh), and the bow of a boat is a toiseach. So the painter of a boat聽is a r貌pa toisich or ball-toisich (literally 鈥渂ow rope鈥�) and the front thwart is a tobhta聽thoisich.

agus falbh math oirre: with her making good headway.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA