大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun t-seanfhacal Gh脿idhlig a chruinnich T貌mas Garnett ann am Muile: Is mairg a loisgeadh a thiompan ris. Chuir esan a鈥� Bheurla air: what a fool I was to burn my harp for him. Tha an 矛re mhath an aon seanfhacal aig Alasdair MacNeacail anns a鈥� chruinneachadh aigesan 鈥� Is mairg a loisgeadh a thiompan dhut 鈥� pity him who would burn his harp for you. Tha e st猫idhichte air seann sgeulachd 鈥� agus seo mar a dh鈥檃ithris T貌mas Garnett i.

听听听听听听听听听听听 O chionn fhada bha cl脿rsair ainmeil a鈥� fuireach ann am Muile. Bha e p貌sta aig boireannach br猫agha agus bha gaol m貌r aige oirre. Bha cl脿rsach air leth pr矛seil aig a鈥� chl脿rsair. Bha e moiteil aiste agus bheireadh e leis i do gach 脿ite dhan rachadh e.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chaidh an cupall seo a ch猫ilidh air caraid a bha tinn, a bha a鈥� fuireach air taobh thall an eilein. Bha droch sh矛de ann. Bha aca ri str矛 an aghaidh gailleann. Mheilich a鈥� bhean leis an fhuachd. Dh鈥檉hanntaich i. Bha i ann an cunnart a beatha.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Rinn an duine aice oidhirp a cumail be貌. Chuir e teine thuige, a鈥� cleachdadh fraoch tioram. Ach cha robh m貌ran fraoich ann. Airson teas a chumail ri a bhean, bhris e a chl脿rsach ann an sgealban. Chuir e a chl脿rsach 鈥� p矛os air ph矛os 鈥� don teine.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chunnaic fear 貌g eile, a bha a鈥� sealg, an toit. 鈥橲 e duine-uasal a bh鈥� ann. Chaidh e a-null far an robh an cupall. Bha biadh agus deoch aig an duine seo agus thug e an d脿 chuid don bhoireannach. Th脿inig i thuige.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Th貌isich an duine-uasal air bruidhinn ri bean a鈥� chl脿rsair. Bha an cl脿rsair cho toilichte gun robh feabhas a鈥� tighinn air a bhean 鈥檚 nach do mhothaich e gun robh an c貌mhradh car dl霉th is pearsanta. Bha a bhean agus an duine-uasal air a bhith e貌lach air a ch猫ile nuair a bha iad 貌g.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha am boireannach air a togail le a seanmhair a bha a鈥� fuireach air eilean eile 鈥� an aon eilean ri athair an fhir seo. Bha i fh猫in agus an duine-uasal air a bhith nan dl霉th chompanaich nuair a bha iad 貌g. Bha am meas a bh鈥� aca do ch猫ile air fh脿s gu gaol.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach chaochail seanmhair na caileige agus b鈥� fheudar dhi tilleadh do dh鈥檈ilean a breith, gu taigh a h-athar. Bhon latha sin chun an latha seo fh猫in, cha robh i fh猫in 鈥檚 an duine-uasal air coinneachadh ri ch猫ile no dad a chluinntinn mu chach-a-ch猫ile.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chan e an teine a-mh脿in a bh鈥� air a chur thuige a-muigh sa mhonadh air an latha sin. Chaidh lasair a chur ris an t-seann ghaol cuideachd. Chuir an duine-uasal roimhe bean a鈥� chl脿rsair a thoirt air falbh leis gu eilean eile.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Choisich an tri霉ir c貌mhla airson greis. Ann an cagair, dh鈥檌nnis an duine-uasal do bhean a鈥� chl脿rsair d猫 bha fa-near dha. Bha ise fhathast ann an gaol leis, agus dh鈥檃ontaich i.

Nuair a r脿inig iad gleann, chunnaic am boireannach allt aig bonn a鈥� ghlinne. Thuirt i ris an duine aice gun robh am pathadh oirre. Dh鈥檉halbh an cl脿rsair a dh鈥檌arraidh uisge bhon allt. Nuair a bha e fada gu le貌r air falbh, ruith a bhean agus an duine-uasal air falbh c貌mhla. Bha an cl脿rsair air a bhean agus a chl脿rsach a chall, agus thuirt e, 鈥淚s mairg a loisgeadh a thiompan dhut!鈥�

肠濒脿谤蝉补颈谤: harper; Muile: Mull; mheilich: became faint with the cold; 诲丑鈥檉丑补苍苍迟补颈肠丑: fainted; sgealban: fragments, splinters; toit: smoke; duine-uasal: gentleman; cagair: whisper.

bha gaol m貌r aige oirre: he loved her greatly; cl脿rsach air leth pr矛seil: an extremely valuable harp; moiteil aiste: proud of it [fem]; bheireadh e leis i do gach 脿ite: he would take it with him everywhere; a ch猫ilidh air caraid a bha tinn: to visit a relative who was sick; bha aca ri str矛 an aghaidh gailleann: they had to struggle against a storm; ann an cunnart a beatha: in danger of her life; oidhirp a cumail be貌: an effort to keep her alive; chuir e teine thuige: he lit a fire; th脿inig i thuige: she came to; gun robh feabhas a鈥� tighinn air X: that X was improving; gun robh an c貌mhradh dl霉th is pearsanta: that the conversation was close and personal; b鈥� fheudar dhi tilleadh do dh鈥檈ilean a breith: she had to return to the isle of her birth; chaidh lasair a chur ris an t-seann ghaol: the old love was given a new flame; d猫 bha fa-near dha: what his intention was; a dh鈥檌arraidh uisge: to get water.

Tiompan is translated in the proverb in the Litir as 鈥渉arp鈥� but it has a wider meaning than that. It can refer to any musical instrument, particularly a drum, or stringed instrument with a sound box, but also a cymbal and perhaps even a lyre. Most authorities derive it from Latin tympanum 鈥渢imbrel, drum鈥� and, like the Latin word, tiompan in modern Gaelic also means an 鈥渆ardrum鈥�. In the landscape it means a 鈥渞ounded, one-sided knoll鈥� (reminiscent of an instrument?) On the map it appears, for example, in Loch an Tiompain in Wester Ross, which is adjacent to a one-sided hill, and in Tiumpan Head / Rubha an Tiompain in Lewis (the name reflects the shape of the headland). The story of the harper in Mull is located at M脿m an Tiompain 鈥� and in this case oral tradition links the place to the instrument. Fascinatingly, M脿m an Tiompain is adjacent to Tobar Leac an t-Sagairt, the site of the priest鈥檚 death in last week鈥檚 Litir. That part of Mull is full of great stories 鈥� I hope the Muilich are still telling them!

Is mairg a loisgeadh a thiompan dhut: pity him who would burn his harp for you. Said of a person who has made a sacrifice for somebody only to find the beneficiary demonstrating that they did not value the sacrifice.

听

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