大象传媒

Tha an Litir a鈥� fuireach ann an Eilean Chanaigh an t-seachdain seo. Bha mi ag innsedhuibh mun Chorra-dh霉n air cladach an eilein far a bheil seann togalach beag a tha a鈥檛uiteam 脿s a ch猫ile. A r猫ir beul-aithris ch霉m fear de chinn-chinnidh Chloinn Raghnaill a bhean na pr矛osanach ann. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a bh鈥� air a鈥� cheann-chinnidh D貌mhnall Dubh na Cuthaig. Bha e be貌 anns an t-seachdamh linn deug.

Bha gunna m貌r aig D貌mhnall. Tha e coltach, nuair a bha e air a losgadh, gun do rinn an gunna fuaim car coltach ri fuaim na cuthaig. Mar sin 鈥檚 e 鈥渁鈥� chuthag鈥� a bh鈥� aig D貌mhnall fh猫in, agus c脿ch, air a鈥� ghunna. Gu tric anns an t-seann aimsir bhiodh ainmean dhen t-se貌rsa sin aig na G脿idheil air na gunnaichean aca. A r猫ir choltais chan e duine laghach a bh鈥� ann an D貌mhnall idir. Nam biodh cuideigin a鈥� cur dragh air, bhiodh e a鈥� maoidheadh air gun cuireadh e a鈥� chuthag an s脿s na aghaidh.

Chaidh D貌mhnall agus an sagart ann an Canaigh a-mach air a ch猫ile. Tha cuid a鈥檇猫anamh dheth gun do rinn an sagart searmon an aghaidh Dh貌mhnaill, ga ch脿ineadh airson a bhean a chumail anns a鈥� phr矛osan bheag air a鈥� Chorra-dh霉n. Tha cuid eile agr脿dh gun robh an sagart ag iarraidh dhol a dh鈥橴ibhist ach gun robh D貌mhnall agiarraidh stad a chur air.

Co-dhi霉, chaidh D貌mhnall a Chanaigh anns a鈥� bh脿ta aige. Air an t-slighe bha ainmhidh annasach a鈥� leantainn a鈥� bh脿ta. Thathar ag r脿dh gur e muile-mh脿gag mh貌r a bh鈥� ann. Dh鈥檉h脿s i stoirmeil. Bha fairge mh貌r ann. Agus chunnacas an creutair a bhaseo air mullach gach stuaigh. Bha an criutha dhen bheachd gun rachadh am b脿ta fodha.Bha D貌mhnall fh猫in aig an sti霉ir agus dh鈥檌arr e air a鈥� chreutair thighinn air b貌rd. Chaidh e air b貌rd agus r脿inig am b脿ta Canaigh gu s脿bhailte.

Thug D貌mhnall Dubh cl脿r fiodha a-mach 脿s gach b脿ta anns an eilean, gus nach fhaigheadh an sagart air falbh. Ach, latha a bha seo, chunnaic an sagart b脿ta a鈥� dol seachad air Canaigh. Dh鈥檌arr e air a鈥� chriutha thighinn gu t矛r agus rinn e dol-脿s 鈥� ged a bha am b脿ta a鈥� dol don Eilean Sgitheanach, seach a dh 鈥橴ibhist. Fhad 鈥檚 a bha e a鈥� se貌ladh air falbh, dh鈥櫭╥gh an sagart, mar gum biodh, air D貌mhnall Dubh, 鈥渂iodh do dhust an seo gun a bhith air a thiodhlacadh a cheart cho fada 鈥檚 a ch霉m thu mise ann.鈥漀uair a bha D貌mhnall a鈥� b脿sachadh bha e ann an 猫iginn. Chuala e fead taobh amuighan taighe. Dh鈥檉halbh e a-mach ach bha mac banntraich an sin. Chuir esan D貌mhnall Dubh air ais na leabaidh.

Thachair sin d脿rna turas. Chuir mac na banntraich stad air a-rithist. Ach chunnaic iad fear na sheasamh air cnoc mu choinneamh an taighe. Bha am fear sin cho脿rd 鈥檚 gun robh iad a鈥� faicinn Eilein R霉im eadar a chasan. Dh鈥檉halbh am famhair, a鈥� coiseachd air uachdar na mara gu ruige R霉m. Bhon uair sin tha an linne eadar Canaighis R霉m air a bhith air leth garbh.

Nuair a chaochail D貌mhnall Dubh th脿inig droch sh矛de. Bha a dhust glaiste annan Canaigh airson seachd seachdainean 鈥� d矛reach mar a dh鈥檌arr an sagart. Mu dheireadh聽thall, r脿inig a chiste an Tobha M貌r ann an Uibhist far an robh seann chladh Chloinn聽Raghnaill. 鈥橲 iomadh ball de Chloinn Raghnaill a chaidh a thiodhlacadh an sin, agus聽cha b鈥� e D貌mhnall Dubh am fear a b鈥� fhe脿rr dhiubh.

Eilean Chanaigh: the Isle of Canna; An Corra-dh霉n: Coroghan(Castle); D貌mhnall Dubh na Cuthaig: Black Donald of the Cuckoo; fuaim: noise,sound; muile-mh脿gag: toad; mac banntraich: a widow鈥檚 son; famhair: giant.

a鈥� tuiteam 脿s a ch猫ile: falling to pieces; ch霉m fear de chinnchinnidh Chloinn Raghnaill a bhean na pr矛osanach ann: one of the chiefs of Clanranald kept his wife a prisoner there; nam biodh cuideigin a鈥� cur dragh air: if somebody were annoying him; bhiodh e a鈥� maoidheadh air: he would threaten him; gun cuireadh e a鈥檆huthag an s脿s na aghaidh: that he would use the cuckoo against him; chaidh X agus an sagart a-mach air a ch猫ile: X and the priest fell out; bha ainmhidh annasach a鈥� leantainn a鈥� bh脿ta: a strange animal was following the boat; air mullach gach stuaigh: on the crest of each wave; gun rachadh am b脿ta fodha: that the boat would sink; dh鈥檌arr e air a鈥� chreutair thighinn air b貌rd: he asked the creature to come aboard; mu choinneamh an taighe: opposite the house; a鈥� coiseachd air uachdar na mara: walking on the surface ofthe sea; r脿inig a chiste an Tobha M貌r: his coffin reached Howmore; 鈥檚 iomadh ball de X a chaidh a thiodhlacadh an sin: many members of X were buried there; cha b鈥� e X am fear a b鈥� fhe脿rr dhiubh: X was not the best of them.

biodh do dhust an seo gun a bhith air a thiodhlacadh a聽cheart cho fada 鈥檚 a ch霉m thu mise ann: you might not find it easy to locate the word聽dust in a Gaelic dictionary. It is used euphemistically in some dialects for human聽remains or a human body following death. The word corp is acceptable in some places,聽where dust is not used at all. But in other communities you would say dust Dh貌mhnaill聽for 鈥淒onald鈥檚 remains鈥� not corp Dh貌mhnaill. If you live in a traditional Gaelic聽speaking area, find out what people there say. If you don鈥檛, ask your teacher鈥檚 advice.聽The sentence in the Litir means 鈥渓et your body remain here without being buried for as聽long as you kept me [here].鈥�

Thug D貌mhnall Dubh cl脿r fiodha a-mach 脿s gach b脿ta聽anns an eilean: Black Donald took a wooden plank out of every boat on the island. Cl脿r聽has many meanings (perhaps too many!), including several types of flat surface or聽object. Cl脿r fiodha here is a wooden plank in a boat.

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA