大象传媒

Tha mi ag innse na sgeulachd Balgam M貌r. Bha Mac na Banntraich ag iarraidh nighean an R矛gh a ph貌sadh. Cha robh an R矛gh de貌nach a nighean a thoirt dha. Th脿inig na h-uaislean c貌mhla airson comhairle a thoirt don R矛gh. Bha iad a鈥� taobhadh le Mac na Banntraich ach th脿inig an Earchlais-脵rlair. Bha ise n脿imhdeil do Mhac na Banntraich. Thuirt i gun robh d貌igh aice a鈥� ch霉is a dh猫anamh air a鈥� ghille. Dh鈥檉heumadh Mac na Banntraich neach a lorg a bheireadh botal uisge 脿 tobar uaine an iomall t貌rra an domhain na bu luaithe na Nighean Dubh na Luideig. Bha i cinnteach gun robh Nighean Dubh na Luideig na bu luaithe na duine sam bhith a lorgadh Mac na Banntraich.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha mi a鈥� cluinntinn rudeigin,鈥� thuirt Claisneachd Mhath.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淒猫 tha thu a鈥� cluinntinn?鈥� thuirt Mac na Banntraich.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淕u feum thu botal uisge a thoirt 脿 tobar uaine an iomall t貌rra an domhain nas luaithe na Nighean Dubh na Luideig,鈥� thuirt Claisneachd Mhath.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淩猫isidh mise na h-aghaidh,鈥� thuirt Lurga Luath. Agus air falbh a ghabh an dithis. Bha Nighean Dubh na Luideig luath. Ach bha Lurga Luath na bu luaithe. Agus r脿inig esan an tobar an toiseach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 An uair sin, dh鈥檉heuch Nighean Dubh na Luideig ris a鈥� ch霉is a dh猫anamh air Lurga Luath le a teanga. 鈥淒猫an suidhe is leig d鈥� anail is sl矛obaidh mi do cheann,鈥� thuirt i. Shuidh e s矛os, shl矛ob i a cheann agus thuit e na throm chadal.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Rug i air claigeann each marbh a bha l脿imh rithe. Chuir i gu socrach fo a cheann e, agus thug i na buinn aiste leis a鈥� bhotal uisge.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha mi a鈥� cluinntinn rudeigin,鈥� thuirt Claisneachd Mhath.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淒猫 tha thu a鈥� cluinntinn?鈥� thuirt Mac na Banntraich.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha mi a鈥� cluinntinn srann Lurga Luaith. Tha Nighean Dubh na Luideig air am botal uisge a thoirt bhuaithe. Tha i a鈥� tighinn na deann.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淣矛 mise an gnothach ris a sin,鈥� thuirt Cuimse Dh矛reach. Loisg e peilear air claigeann an eich a bha fo cheann Lurga Luaith. Dh霉isg Lurga Luath agus cha robh e fada ann a bhith a鈥� d猫anamh a鈥� ghnothaich air Nighean Dubh na Luideig. Sp矛on e am botal uisge bhuaipe agus dh鈥檉halbh e dhachaigh na dheann. Thug Mac na Banntraich am botal do nighean an R矛gh agus dh鈥檌arr e oirre a ph貌sadh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach cha robh an Earchlais-脵rlair deiseil. Thuirt i, nam biodh Mac na Banntraich ag iarraidh nighean an R矛gh, gu feumadh e torc nimhe, a bha anns a鈥� choille ubhal, a mharcachd be貌, sl脿n gu doras L霉chairt an R矛gh. 鈥淐han eil duine ann as urrainn sin a dh猫anamh,鈥� thuirt i.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha mi a鈥� cluinntinn rudeigin,鈥� thuirt Claisneachd Mhath.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淒猫 tha thu a鈥� cluinntinn?鈥� thuirt Mac na Banntraich.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha mi a鈥� cluinntinn 鈥� ma tha thu ag iarraidh nighean an R矛gh 鈥� gu feum thu torc nimhe a tha sa choille ubhal, a mharcachd be貌, sl脿n gu doras na L霉chairt.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥檉halbh Lurga Luath agus T貌n Chruaidh c貌mhla gu ruige a鈥� choille ubhal. Bha an torc nimhe luath, ach bha Lurga Luath na bu luaithe. Fhuair e gr猫im air an torc. Bha an torc l脿idir, ach bha T貌n Chruaidh na bu l脿idire. Leum esan air an torc agus thug e an torc air ais be貌, sl脿n gu doras na L霉chairt. Agus ch矛 sinn d猫 thachair nuair a chuireas mi cr矛och air an st貌iridh an-ath-sheachdain.

a鈥� taobhadh le Mac na Banntraich: siding with the Widow鈥檚 Son; dh鈥檉heumadh X neach a lorg a bheireadh botal uisge: X would have to find a person who would bring a bottle of water; 脿 tobar uaine an iomall t貌rra an domhain: from a green well that was situated at the outermost embankments of the world; na bu luaithe na Nighean Dubh na Luideig: more swiftly than the Black-haired Girl of the Ragged Cloth; r猫isidh mise na h-aghaidh: I鈥檒l race against her; air falbh a ghabh an dithis: the two [of them] took off; r脿inig esan an tobar an toiseach: he reached the well first; dh鈥檉heuch X ris a鈥� ch霉is a dh猫anamh air Y le a teanga: X tried to defeat Y with her tongue; d猫an suidhe is leig d鈥� anail is sl矛obaidh mi do cheann: sit down and take a breath and I鈥檒l stroke your head; thuit e na throm chadal: he fell into a deep sleep; rug i air claigeann each marbh a bha l脿imh rithe: she took hold of the skull of a dead horse that was nearby her; tha X air am botal uisge a thoirt bhuaithe: X has taken the bottle of water from him; a鈥� tighinn na deann: coming at [her] top speed; loisg e peilear: he fired a bullet; sp矛on e am botal uisge bhuaipe: he wrenched the bottle of water from her; dh鈥檉halbh e dhachaigh na dheann: he left for home at [his] top speed; gu feumadh e torc nimhe a mharcachd be貌, sl脿n gu doras L霉chairt an R矛gh: that he would have to ride a wild boar alive and uninjured to the door of the King鈥檚 Palace.

a bha anns a鈥� choille ubhal: that was in the apple wood. I have taken this from the published form of the original 19th Century manuscript of Iain 脪g 脤le (John Francis Campbell). It represents an old grammatical form in which ubhal (the nominative singular form) is the same as the genitive plural form (鈥渙f apples鈥�). We tend to use the genitive singular of ubhal today and consider it as a collective eg craobh-ubhail or the more old-fashioned crann-ubhail (apple tree), with ubhal slenderized. Are you worried what you might call an 鈥渁pple orchard鈥� in Gaelic and how to decline it? You needn鈥檛 be! It鈥檚 a special word 鈥� ubhalghort! The genitive singular is ubhalghoirt and the nominative plural is ubhalghoirtean.

thug i na buinn aiste: she took to her heels.

听

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