大象传媒

Tha mi ag innse na seann sgeulachd Na h-Amhaisgean no Na Tr矛 Saighdearan. Fhuair am boireannach a-mach 脿s a鈥� chaisteal, air falbh bho na h-Amhaisgean. Chaidh i dhachaigh do a h-athair a bha na R矛gh ann an R矛oghachd na Fuarachd. Gheall i don t-saighdear gun tilleadh i le maighdeannan coimheadach airson a ph貌sadh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥檉h脿g an saighdear an caisteal cuideachd. Chaidh e don taigh a b鈥� fhaisge air. 鈥橲 ann le bean-sh矛th a bha an taigh. Latha a bha seo, bha e a鈥� tarraing uisge 脿s an tobar. Chunnaic a鈥� bhean-sh矛th an R矛gh, a nighean agus na maighdeannan coimheadach a鈥� tighinn dhan ionnsaigh. Th脿inig i air c霉laibh an t-saighdeir gun fhiosta dha agus chuir i pr矛ne draoidheachd ann an c霉l a chinn.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nuair a r脿inig an R矛gh e, bha an saighdear na throm shuain. Mar a bu mhotha a chrathadh an R矛gh e, 鈥檚 ann a bu truime a chaidleadh e.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐han eil fhios a鈥檓 d猫 an se貌rsa duine a tha seo,鈥� ars an R矛gh, 鈥渘uair nach gabh e d霉sgadh idir.鈥� Dh鈥檉halbh an R矛gh dhachaigh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 An uair sin, sp矛on a鈥� bhean-sh矛th am pr矛ne draoidheachd agus dh霉isg an saighdear. Chaidh e don chaisteal agus lorg e a chompanaich, an dithis shaighdearan eile.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎 bheil sibh a鈥� tighinn c貌mhla rium a R矛oghachd na Fuarachd?鈥� thuirt e.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐han eil,鈥� ars iadsan, 鈥渢ha sinn math gu le貌r far a bheil sinn.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus leig e an sin iad. Choimhead e timcheall agus lorg e tr矛 c矛rean-eich. Thug e na c矛rean leis agus dh鈥檉halbh e air an rathad a dh鈥檌onnsaigh R矛oghachd na Fuarachd. Stad e mu dheireadh aig bothan ri taobh an rathaid. Bha bodach liath ann. Bha e a鈥� c矛readh fheusaig le badan fraoich.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淣ach garbh a鈥� ch矛r a th鈥� agad!鈥� thuirt an saighdear.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐han eil nas m矛ne agam,鈥� fhreagair am bodach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥溾�橲 cinnteach gu bheil nas fhe脿rr agam fh矛n,鈥� thuirt an saighdear. Agus thug e t猫 de na c矛rean-eich aige don bhodach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥溾�橲 aithne dhomh f脿th do thurais,鈥� thuirt am bodach. 鈥淭ha thu air t貌ir do leannain, nighean an R矛gh, ann an R矛oghachd na Fuarachd. Cuiridh tu seachad an oidhche a-nochd cuide rium agus cha mhiste do thuras a-m脿ireach e.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Rinn e sin agus, an l脿rna-mh脿ireach, nuair a bha e a鈥� d猫anamh deiseil airson falbh, thuirt am bodach liath ris, 鈥溾�橲 e mo bhr脿thair as fhe脿rr a chuireas air do thuras thu. Tha e aig astar latha is bliadhna 脿s a seo, ach bheir mise dhut paidhir bhr貌gan is bheir iad ann thu ann an aon latha. Nuair a ruigeas tu taigh mo bhr脿thar, thoirt dh矛ot na br貌gan, tionndaidh iad an rathad seo agus bidh iad air ais agam ro dhol-fodha na gr猫ine.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥檉halbh an saighdear agus, aig ciaradh an fheasgair, chunnaic e bothan ri taobh an rathaid. Thug an saighdear na br貌gan dheth. Thionndaidh e iad agus dh鈥檉halbh iad leotha fh猫in air an rathad dhachaigh. Nuair a bha iad a-mach 脿 sealladh, chaidh an saighdear a-steach don bhothan. Bha bodach liath ann na shuidhe aig an teine air stoc craoibhe. Bha e a鈥� c矛readh fheusaig le badan giuthais.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淣ach garbh a鈥� ch矛r a th鈥� agad!鈥� thuirt an saighdear.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐han eil nas m矛ne agam,鈥� fhreagair am bodach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Feumaidh sinn an st貌iridh fh脿gail aige sin. Ach cuiridh sinn cr矛och air an-ath-sheachdain.

le maighdeannan coimheadach airson a ph貌sadh: with attendant maids to marry him; bha e a鈥� tarraing uisge: he was drawing water; air c霉laibh an t-saighdeir gun fhiosta dha: behind the soldier without his knowing; chuir i pr矛ne draoidheachd ann an c霉l a chinn: she stuck a magic pin in the back of his head; nuair nach gabh e d霉sgadh: when he can鈥檛 be woken; lorg e tr矛 c矛rean-eich: he found three curry (horse) combs; stad e mu dheireadh aig bothan: he finally stopped at a bothy; a鈥� c矛readh fheusaig le badan fraoich: combing his beard with a clump of heather; nach garbh a鈥� ch矛r a th鈥� agad!: what a rough comb you have; chan eil nas m矛ne agam: I have none smoother; 鈥檚 aithne dhomh f脿th do thurais: I know the purpose of your journey; air t貌ir do leannain: in pursuit of your sweetheart; cha mhiste do thuras a-m脿ireach e: your journey tomorrow will be none the worse for it; 鈥檚 e mo bhr脿thair as fhe脿rr a chuireas air do thuras thu: it is my brother who will best put you on your journey [show the way]; astar latha is bliadhna 脿s a seo: a distance of a year and a day from here; ro dhol-fodha na gr猫ine: before sunset; ciaradh an fheasgair: dusk.

Mar a bu mhotha a chrathadh an R矛gh e, 鈥檚 ann a bu truime a chaidleadh e: the more the king shook him, the heavier he slept. When we use the mar as鈥� 鈥檚 ann as idiom (a really useful one 鈥� practise it!). You will be familiar with an example like mar as motha am b脿ta, 鈥檚 ann as fhe脿rr (the bigger the boat, the better). In the example in the Litir, the verb is conditional/past habitual (chrathadh actually means 鈥渨ould shake鈥� and chaidleadh means 鈥渨ould sleep鈥�), meaning we must say mar a bu 鈥� 鈥檚 ann a bu. Here is another example: mar a bu trice a ghearrainn am feur, 鈥檚 ann a bu luaithe a dh鈥檉h脿sadh e (the more frequently I would cut the grass, the faster it would grow). And a non-conditional one: mar as trice a leughas tu an Litir, 鈥檚 ann as fhe脿rr a dh鈥檉h脿sas do chuid G脿idhlig (no sin an d貌chas a th鈥� agam co-dhi霉!)

bha an saighdear na throm shuain: the soldier was in a heavy slumber.

听

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