大象传媒

Tha mi a鈥� leantainn leis an st貌iridh An R矛gh agus an Searrach. Thuirt an r矛gh ris an duine,聽鈥淭hig air ais an seo a-m脿ireach. Mura h-inns thu dhomh gu d猫 as luaithe a th鈥� air an t-saoghal,聽caillidh thu do cheann.鈥澛犅�

Chaidh an duine dhachaigh. Bha dragh air. Dh鈥檉haighnich a nighean dheth gu d猫 bha a鈥櫬燾ur air. Dh鈥檌nns e mar a bha.聽聽

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

聽鈥淣ach robh sian air an t-saoghal cho luath ris an smaoineachadh,鈥� fhreagair a nighean.聽聽

鈥淎 bheil thu fh猫in dhen bheachd,鈥� ars esan, 鈥済u bheil smaoineachadh cho luath sin?鈥澛犅�

鈥淣ach eil fios agaibh gu bheil, athair,鈥� ars ise.聽

鈥淔aodaidh sibh a bhith an seo agus聽faodaidh ur smuaintean a dhol sa mhionaid gu taobh thall an t-saoghail. Chan eil eun no聽creutair eile a rachadh gu taobh thall an t-saoghail cho luath sin.鈥澛犅�


鈥淭ha sin f矛or,鈥� ars an duine. Air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach, dh鈥檉halbh e don chaisteal.聽聽

鈥淭h脿inig thu,鈥� thuirt an r矛gh.聽聽

鈥淭h脿inig, ur Mh貌rachd,鈥� ars an duine.聽聽鈥淎gus d猫 an rud as luaithe air an t-saoghal?鈥澛犅�

鈥淐han eil n矛 air an t-saoghal cho luath ri smaoineachadh.鈥澛犅�

鈥淭ha an t-each agam nas luaithe na sin,鈥� thuirt an r矛gh.聽

鈥淐han eil, le ur cead,鈥� ars an duine.聽
鈥淔aodaidh ur smuaintean a bhith air taobh thall na聽r矛oghachd ann an tiotan. Chan eil each sam bith cho luath sin.鈥澛�

鈥淎,鈥� ars an r矛gh, 鈥渢ha mi riaraichte le sin. Ach tha mi a鈥� dol a chur ceist eile ort. C貌 tha聽a鈥� fuireach c貌mhla riut?鈥澛�

鈥淭ha mo nighean a鈥� fuireach c貌mhla rium,鈥� fhreagair an duine.聽

鈥淪eadh,鈥� ars an r矛gh. 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh do nighean a ph貌sadh.鈥澛�

鈥淔aodaidh sibh sin,鈥� thuirt an duine. 鈥淭ha e aig a toil fh猫in. Chan iarr mise oirre ur聽p貌sadh, 鈥檚 cha mhotha a bhacas mi i.鈥澛�

鈥淭ha sin math gu le貌r dhomh,鈥� thuirt an r矛gh. 鈥淕abhaidh mi ris a sin.鈥澛�

Choinnich an r矛gh ris an nighinn. Dh鈥檃ontaich i a ph貌sadh. Ach thuirt an r矛gh gun robh聽e a鈥� dol a chur c霉mhnant air a鈥� ph貌sadh.

鈥淐eart, ma-th脿,鈥� ars an nighean. 鈥淐luinneam an c霉mhnant.鈥澛�

鈥淯ill, seo an c霉mhnant,鈥� ars an r矛gh. 鈥淢a thig s矛on eadarainn, feumaidh tu an caisteal聽fh脿gail.鈥澛�

鈥淭ha sin math gu le貌r,鈥� ars ise. 鈥淎ch feumaidh mise c霉mhnant a dh猫anamh聽cuideachd.鈥�

鈥淪eadh,鈥� ars esan, 鈥渢ha sin iomchaidh gu le貌r.鈥澛�

鈥淢a thig s矛on eadarainn,鈥� thuirt i, 鈥渇脿gaidh mi an caisteal ach faodaidh mi tr矛 eallaich a聽thoirt leam a-mach 脿s a鈥� chaisteal.鈥澛�

鈥淭ha sin math gu le貌r,鈥� ars an r矛gh. Agus ph貌s iad. An ceann greis rugadh leanabh gille聽dhaibh. Chaidh bliadhna seachad.聽

Bha tuathanach a鈥� fuireach faisg air l脿imh. Bha l脿ir aige, agus bha searrach aig an l脿ir.聽鈥橲 e searrach l脿idir a bh鈥� ann. Latha a bha seo, chaidh an l脿ir agus an searrach don bheinn. Bha聽eich aig an r矛gh air a鈥� bheinn. Bha, agus gearran cuideachd. Le 鈥済earran鈥� tha mi a鈥� ciallachadh聽鈥渆ach fireann a bh鈥� air a spothadh鈥�. Agus, air adhbhar air choreigin, chaidh an searrach air ais聽a dh鈥檌onnsaigh st脿ball a鈥� chaisteil leis a鈥� ghearran.聽

Thuirt an r矛gh gur ann leis-san a bha an searrach. Cha b鈥� urrainn don tuathanach聽fhaighinn air ais. D猫 bha a鈥� dol a thachairt? Cuiridh mi cr矛och air an sgeulachd an ath-sheachdain.

An R矛gh agus an Searrach: The King and the Foal; an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: the聽next day; ur Mh貌rachd: your Majesty; riaraichte: satisfied; tuathanach: farmer; l脿ir: mare; gearran:聽gelding.聽

mura h-inns thu dhomh gu d猫 as luaithe a th鈥� air an t-saoghal: if you don鈥檛聽tell me what is the fastest [thing] in the world; caillidh thu do cheann: you鈥檒l lose your head; bha聽dragh air: he was upset; dh鈥檉haighnich a nighean dheth gu d猫 bha a鈥� cur air: his daughter asked him聽what was upsetting him; d猫 dh鈥檌nnsinn dha?: what would I tell him?; cho luath ris an聽smaoineachadh: as swift as [the] thinking; faodaidh ur smuaintean a dhol sa mhionaid: your聽thoughts can go instantaneously; chan eil eun no creutair eile a rachadh: there is no bird or other聽creature that would go; le ur cead: by your leave; air taobh thall na r矛oghachd ann an tiotan: at the聽other side of the kingdom in an instant; tha mi ag iarraidh do nighean a ph貌sadh: I want to marry聽your daughter; faodaidh sibh sin: you can [do] that; aig a toil fh猫in: up to her; gabhaidh mi ris a聽sin: I鈥檒l accept that; a鈥� dol a chur c霉mhnant air a鈥� ph貌sadh: going to impose a condition on the聽marriage; ma thig s矛on eadarainn: if anything comes between us; feumaidh tu an caisteal fh脿gail:聽you must leave the castle; iomchaidh gu le貌r: fair enough; rugadh leanabh gille dhaibh: a baby boy聽was born to them; each fireann a bh鈥� air a spothadh: a stallion that has been castrated; a聽dh鈥檌onnsaigh st脿ball a鈥� chaisteil: to the castle鈥檚 stable; gur ann leis-san a bha X: that X belonged to聽him.

Cluinneam an c霉mhnant: let me hear the condition. Cluinneam is an聽example (rarely met with in speech) of the first person singular imperative of a verb (in this case聽cluinn); to form it, we add -(e)am to the root of the verb. It incorporates the personal pronoun so聽there is no need for a pronoun. There is not properly a first person singular imperative in English聽but we can create a phrase which fulfils the same function ie 鈥渓et me鈥� eg cuiream tuath e, cuiream聽deas e (let me send him north, let me send him south); bitheam gach latha agus oidhche ri luaidh ort聽(let me each day and night be praising thee); na cluinneam a leithid seo de chainnt (don鈥檛 let me聽hear this sort of talk).聽

Chan iarr mise oirre ur p貌sadh, 鈥檚 cha mhotha a bhacas mi i: I聽won鈥檛 ask her to marry you, and neither will I stand in her way.聽聽

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