大象传媒

Bu mhath leam seann st貌iridh innse dhuibh 鈥� An R矛gh agus an Searrach. A bheil sibh a鈥� tuigsinn an fhacail searrach? Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渆ach 貌g鈥�.

Bha duine ann uaireigin. Chaidh e a-mach air an r矛gh, ged nach eil fhios d猫 rinn e.
Chaochail a bhean agus bha e fh猫in 鈥檚 a nighean a鈥� cumail taighe. Bha a nighean uabhasach se貌lta agus math air a h-uile rud.

Chuir an r矛gh fios air an duine. Chaidh an duine don chaisteal. Agus chuir an r矛gh d霉bhlan ron duine. 鈥淭hig an seo a-m脿ireach,鈥� thuirt an r矛gh, 鈥渁gus inns dhomh d猫 an rudas pailte air an t-saoghal.鈥�

Chaidh an duine dhachaigh. Bha dragh air agus dh鈥檉haighnich a nighean dheth gu d猫 bha a鈥� cur air. Dh鈥檌nns e mar a bha.

鈥淐arson nach do dh鈥檌nns sibh don r矛gh nuair a bha sibh thall a-staigh aige?鈥� thuirt an nighean.

鈥淒猫 dh鈥檌nnsinn dha?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich a h-athair.

鈥淣ach robh s矛on air an t-saoghal cho pailt ris na taobhan,鈥� fhreagair a nighean.

鈥淎 bheil thu fh猫in a鈥� smaoineachadh,鈥� ars esan, 鈥済ur iad na taobhan as pailte?鈥�

鈥淣ach eil fios agaibh gur iad, athair,鈥� ars ise. 鈥淐han eil e gu diofar cia mheud rud a th鈥� air an t-saoghal, tha co-dhi霉 d脿 thaobh aig gach fear aca. An taobh a-staigh 鈥檚 an taobh a-muigh. An taobh 脿rd 鈥檚 an taobh 矛osal. An taobh thall 鈥檚 an taobh a-bhos.鈥�

Bha an duine riaraichte agus air an ath mhadainn chaidh e don chaisteal.

鈥淭ha thu air tighinn,鈥� thuirt an r矛gh.

鈥淭ha, ur Mh貌rachd,鈥� ars an duine.

鈥淯ill, d猫 an rud as pailte air an t-saoghal?鈥�

鈥淐han eil s矛on air an t-saoghal cho pailt ris na taobhan,鈥� ars an duine.

鈥淥, tha mi an d霉il gu bheil,鈥� thuirt an r矛gh.鈥淐han eil, le ur cead,鈥� ars an duine.聽鈥淎ir an lughad, tha co-dhi霉 d脿 thaobh air a h-uile rud. Cho pailt 鈥檚 a tha rud sam bith, tha a thaobhan nas pailte.鈥�

鈥淭ha mi riaraichte,鈥� ars an r矛gh. 鈥淎ch bi an seo a-m脿ireach, agus inns dhomh d猫 an rud as beartaiche air an t-saoghal.鈥�

Dh鈥檉halbh an duine, agus dragh air. Nuair a chunnaic a nighean e, bha fios aice gun robh e ann an droch shunnd. Mh矛nich an duine a鈥� ch霉is dhi.

鈥淐arson nach do dh鈥檌nns sibh don r矛gh nuair a bha sibh thall a-staigh aige?鈥� thuirt an nighean.

鈥淒猫 dh鈥檌nnsinn dha?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich a h-athair.

鈥淣ach robh s矛on air an t-saoghal cho beartach ris a鈥� mhuir,鈥� fhreagair a nighean.

鈥淎 bheil thu fh猫in a鈥� smaoineachadh,鈥� ars esan, 鈥済ur i a鈥� mhuir as beartaiche?鈥�

鈥淣ach eil fios agaibh gur i, athair,鈥� ars ise. 鈥淎inmichidh sibhse rud sam bith airan talamh. Tha a鈥� mhuir fada nas motha na sin. Tha barrachd innte dhen a h-uile rud a th鈥� ann. Leis a sin, nach i as beartaiche air an t-saoghal?鈥�

Bha an duine riaraichte agus air an ath mhadainn chaidh e don chaisteal.

鈥淭ha thu air tighinn,鈥� thuirt an r矛gh.

鈥淭ha, ur Mh貌rachd,鈥� ars an duine.

鈥淯ill, d猫 an rud as beartaiche air an t-saoghal?鈥�

鈥淐han eil s矛on air an t-saoghal cho beartach ris a鈥� mhuir,鈥� ars an duine. Agus mh矛nich e carson. Bha an r矛gh riaraichte ach thuirt e an uair sin, 鈥淭hig air ais an seo a-m脿ireach agus mura h-inns thu dhomh gu d猫 as luaithe a th鈥� air an t-saoghal caillidh thu do cheann.鈥�

Agus c脿ite a bheil an searrach anns an st貌iridh? A, uill, nochdaidh e an ath-sheachdain.

An R矛gh agus an Searrach: The King and the Foal; se貌lta: cunning; a鈥櫬爉huir: the sea; talamh: land; innte: in her.聽

chaidh e a-mach air an r矛gh: he fell out with the king; ged nach eil聽fhios d猫 rinn e: although it鈥檚 not known what he did; chaochail a bhean: his wife died; bha e聽fh猫in 鈥檚 a nighean a鈥� cumail taighe: he and his daughter were keeping house [together]; chuir聽an r矛gh fios air an duine: the king sent for the man; chuir an r矛gh d霉bhlan ron duine: the king聽set the man a challenge; inns dhomh d猫 an rud as pailte air an t-saoghal: tell me what is the聽most plentiful thing in the world; dh鈥檉haighnich a nighean dheth gu d猫 bha a鈥� cur air: his聽daughter asked him what was upsetting him; d猫 dh鈥檌nnsinn dha?: what would I tell him?; cho聽pailt ris na taobhan: as plentiful as the sides; chan eil e gu diofar: it doesn鈥檛 matter; chan eil聽s矛on: there鈥檚 nothing; tha mi an d霉il gu bheil: I reckon there is; le ur cead: by your leave; air聽an lughad: at [the very] least; ann an droch shunnd: in a bad frame of mind; nach i as聽beartaiche air an t-saoghal?: isn鈥檛 she the wealthiest [thing] in the world?; mura h-inns thu聽dhomh gu d猫 as luaithe a th鈥� air an t-saoghal: if you don鈥檛 tell me what is the fastest [thing] in聽the world; caillidh thu do cheann: you鈥檒l lose your head.聽

Carson nach do dh鈥檌nns sibh don r矛gh nuair a bha sibh thall a-staigh aige?: why didn鈥檛 you tell the king when you were over in his [castle]? Do you notice the girl addresses her father with the 鈥渟ibh鈥� (plural, respectful) form of pronoun rather than鈥渢hu鈥�. This shows him respect because of his age and relationship to her. He, on the other hand, addresses her as 鈥渢hu鈥�. The man uses sibh with the king, whereas the king uses thu with the man. This traditional usage is perhaps not as strong as it once was, but it is still important. It is one of the ways we express politeness in our use of language. The Gaelic equivalent for 鈥減lease鈥� 鈥� mas e do thoil e 鈥� is only infrequently used. We don鈥檛 have the鈥渕agic word鈥� in Gaelic but 鈥渕agic phraseology鈥�.

ur Mh貌rachd: your Majesty. Normally ur (bhur) does notlenite the following noun (we say 鈥檚 e do bheatha, but 鈥檚 e ur beatha) but m貌rachd is here inthe vocative case because the king is being addressed.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA