大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, dh鈥檌nnis mi dhuibh mu Chonlaoch, an seann treun-laoch Albannach a bha na mhac don ghaisgeach Ultach, C霉 Chulainn. Dh鈥檃inmich mi Conall, a bha na oide do Ch霉 Chulainn. Uill, bha Conall cuideachd c脿irdeach do Ch霉 Chulainn, a r猫ir beul-aithris. Mar a chanadh na seann daoine: B鈥� e Conall agus C霉 Chulainn clann an dithis pheathraichean. Tha sin gan d猫anamh nan co-oghaichean.

Dh鈥檌onnsaich iad c貌mhla san aon oilthigh. Dh鈥檉h脿s iad dl霉th ri ch猫ile. Nuair a bha iad a鈥� dealachadh bho ch猫ile, thug Conall mionnan. Thuirt e 鈥� a鈥� chiad duine a bheireadh naidheachd b脿s Ch霉 Chulainn dha, gum biodh e marbh sa mhionaid.

An latha a thuit C霉 Chulainn air bl脿r a鈥� bhatail, thuirt e ri a chompanach Laoghaire, 鈥淔albh a-nis agus inns do Chonall sgeul mo bh脿is. Ach inns dha ann an dubh-fhacal no bidh thu fh猫in ann an cunnart.鈥�

Dh鈥檉halbh Laoghaire agus r脿inig e Conall. Dh鈥檉h脿iltich Conall e. Thuirt Conall, 鈥淐iamar a tha mo charaid, C霉 Chulainn?鈥�

鈥淭ha gu math,鈥� arsa Laoghaire, ged as e breug a bh鈥� ann. 鈥淭ha e a-nise air taigh 霉r a dh猫anamh.鈥�

Cha robh Conall ro thoilichte mun naidheachd. Bha deagh chuimhne aige air seann taigh Ch霉 Chulainn. Bu mhotha a ch貌rd an t-脿ite ris.

鈥淐han eil anns an taigh 霉r,鈥� thuirt Laoghaire, 鈥渁ch taigh 矛osal cumhang. Nuair a sh矛neas e a chasan, ruigidh a cheann uachdar an taighe, ruigidh a chasan 矛ochdar an taighe, agus ruigidh a shr貌n mullach an taighe.鈥�

Thuig Conall an teachdaireachd. 鈥�An e sin ri r脿dh,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥� gu bheil mo dheagh charaid marbh?鈥�

鈥淚s tu fh猫in a thug iomradh air a bh脿s, seach mise,鈥� fhreagair Laoghaire. Bha e a-nise s脿bhailte.

鈥淟ean thusa ormsa,鈥� thuirt Conall, 鈥渁gus a h-uile ceann nas motha na ch猫ile a bha an aghaidh Ch霉 Chulainn, bheir mi a-mach iad.鈥�

Chaidh iad tron choille. Shn矛omh Conall seachd gadan agus thug e do Laoghaire iad. Chomharraich Laoghaire a h-uile teaghlach a bha na n脿mhaid do Ch霉 Chulainn. Chaidh Conall a-steach do na dachaighean aca agus thug e a-mach an cinn. Chuir Laoghaire na cinn air na gadan aige. Bha eagal air a h-uile teaghlach anns an t矛r romhpa. Lean an dithis orra len obair gus an robh na seachd gadan l脿n cheann.

R脿inig iad baile far an robh nighean 貌g uasal a鈥� fuireach. Bha eagal air na daoine. Ach cha robh air an nighinn. 鈥淣a bithibh fo eagal,鈥� ars ise. 鈥淐han eil annamsa ach boireannach; cuiridh mi Conall gu s矛th.鈥� Thug i cuireadh do Chonall is Laoghaire thighinn gu d矛nnear. Nuair a bha an d矛nnear seachad, chaidh a h-uile duine a-mach. Thug iad s霉il air na gadan. Ach thug iad an creidsinn nach robh eagal orra.

鈥淭hoir leat na cinn,鈥� thuirt Conall ri Laoghaire. 鈥淢a tha tuilleadh a dh矛th ort, gheibh thu iad.鈥� D猫 bha Conall a鈥� ciallachadh? Lean e air. 鈥淎 Laoghaire,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥渢ha do cheann-sa a dh矛th air a鈥� ghad. Sin no mo cheann-sa fh猫in.鈥�

鈥淐ha leig sinn a leas,鈥� fhreagair Laoghaire. 鈥淏u bheag leamsa tuiteam le do l脿imh ann an 猫irig Ch霉 Chulainn.鈥�

鈥淎gus bu bheag leamsa tuiteam le do l脿imh-sa ann an 猫irig Ch霉 Chulainn,鈥� fhreagair Conall.

Agus tha an eachdraidh ag innse dhuinn nach do thuit fear seach fear dhiubh, eadhon nuair a bha na seachd gadan l脿n cheann.

an seann treun-laoch a bha na mhac don ghaisgeach Ultach: the old champion who was a son of the Ulster hero; san aon oilthigh: in the same university; a鈥� dealachadh bho ch猫ile: parting from each other; thug Conall mionnan: Conall took a vow; a鈥� chiad duine a bheireadh naidheachd b脿s X dha: the first person to give him news of X鈥檚 death; bl脿r a鈥� bhatail: the battlefield; sgeul mo bh脿is: the story of my death; ged as e breug a bh鈥� ann: although it was a lie; bha deagh chuimhne aige air seann taigh X: he well remembered X鈥檚 old house; bu mhotha a ch貌rd an t-脿ite ris: he really enjoyed the place; taigh 矛osal cumhang: a low narrow house; thuig X an teachdaireachd: X understood the message; is tu fh猫in a thug iomradh air a bh脿s, seach mise: it鈥檚 yourself that reported his death, rather than me; lean thusa ormsa: follow me; a h-uile ceann nas motha na ch猫ile a bha an aghaidh Ch霉 Chulainn, bheir mi a-mach iad: every head bigger than the next that was against Cuchullin, I鈥檒l bring them out; shn矛omh X seachd gadan: X twisted seven withes; bha eagal air a h-uile teaghlach romhpa: every family was afraid of them; gus an robh na seachd gadan l脿n cheann: until the seven withes were full of heads; na bithibh fo eagal: don鈥檛 be afraid; chan eil annamsa ach boireannach: I鈥檓 only a woman; thug iad an creidsinn: they pretended; ma tha tuilleadh a dh矛th ort, gheibh thu iad: if you need more you鈥檒l get them; cha leig sinn a leas: we don鈥檛 need to; bu bheag leamsa tuiteam le do l脿imh ann an 猫irig Ch霉 Chulainn: I wouldn鈥檛 like to fall to your hand in Cuchullin鈥檚 reparation.

An e sin ri r脿dh gu bheil mo dheagh charaid marbh?: is that to say my good friend is dead?

听

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