大象传媒

Tha mi cinnteach gun cuala sibh iomradh air Iain Garbh 鈥� Iain Garbh Mac 鈥橧lle Chaluim 脿 Ratharsair. Bha e be貌 anns an t-seachdamh linn deug. 鈥橲 iomadh st貌iridh a th鈥� ann mu dheidhinn. Seo agaibh fear dhiubh 鈥� st貌iridh ris an canar MacLe貌id Dh霉n Bheagain agus Iain Garbh Ratharsair.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha Iain Garbh a鈥� cumail Eilean Ratharsair dha fh猫in. Bu ch貌ir dha m脿l a ph脿igheadh do MhacLe貌id Dh霉n Bheagain air a shon. Ach cha tug Iain sgillinn ruadh don uachdaran. Bha e gu math l脿idir, agus cha robh an Le貌dach de貌nach a dhol thuige airson an t-airgead iarraidh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Latha a bha seo, th脿inig fear borb a Chaisteal Dh霉n Bheagain. 鈥橲 e burraidh a bh鈥� ann. Bha e a鈥� dol a chur 肠矛蝉 air MacLe貌id mura faigheadh an ceann-cinnidh cuideigin a dh猫anadh a鈥� ch霉is air ann an sabaid.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楿ill,鈥� arsa MacLe貌id. 鈥楾ha duine agam a n矛 a鈥� ch霉is ort, ach chan eil e aig baile an-dr脿sta.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楢m bi e fada mus tig e?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich am burraidh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楾r矛 latha,鈥� fhreagair am fear eile.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楩anaidh mi gus an tig e, ma-th脿,鈥� thuirt am burraidh. Agus dh鈥檉han e sa chaisteal.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chuir MacLe貌id gille le litir a Ratharsair. Anns an litir, dh鈥檌arr MacLe貌id air Iain Garbh d猫anamh air D霉n Bheagain cho luath 鈥檚 a b鈥� urrainn dha, oir bha gnothach cudromach aige ris. Cha robh beachd aig Iain Garbh d猫 an gnothach a bhiodh ann, oir cha robh e fh猫in is MacLe貌id a鈥� faighinn air adhart le ch猫ile.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥檌th Iain a鈥� chairteal chuid de dhamh. An uair sin, dh鈥檉halbh e ann am b脿ta don Eilean Sgitheanach agus air chois a Dh霉n Bheagain. Nuair a r脿inig e an caisteal m貌r, bha MacLe貌id a鈥� feitheamh ris, agus chuir e f脿ilte chridheil air. 听听听听听听听听 Rug e air l脿imh air Iain, agus thuirt e gun robh e gu math toilichte gun t脿inig e. 鈥楾hig a-steach,鈥� thuirt e.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楳us tig mi a-steach,鈥� thuirt Iain, 鈥榗arson a chuir sibh fios thugam?鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楪heibh thu sin a-mach fhathast,鈥� fhreagair MacLe貌id.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha Iain amharasach gun robh droch r霉n aig MacLe貌id dha. Dhi霉lt e a dhol a-steach don chaisteal mura h-innseadh an Le貌dach d猫 an gnothach a bh鈥� aige ris.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楾hig a-steach agus innsidh mi dhut an uair sin,鈥� thuirt MacLe貌id.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楳ura faigh mi fios a-muigh,鈥� fhreagair Iain Garbh, 鈥榯illidh mi dhachaigh.鈥� Thionndaidh Iain air a sh脿il agus thill MacLe貌id a-steach don chaisteal. Bha am burraidh a鈥� feitheamh ris.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楢n t脿inig e?鈥� thuirt am burraidh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楥ha t脿inig,鈥� fhreagair an ceann-cinnidh, 鈥榓ch tha bleigeard a-muigh sin air an rathad. Ma th猫id thu 脿s a dh猫idh 鈥檚 ma bheir thu deidhseag dha air a th貌in, bheir mi c貌ig nota dhut.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楤heir mi deidhseag mhath dha,鈥� fhreagair am burraidh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chaidh am burraidh s矛os an rathad. Nuair a r脿inig e Iain Garbh, thog e am f猫illeadh a bh鈥� air agus thug e deidhseag mhath dha air a th貌in.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Thionndaidh Iain Garbh le fearg. Dh鈥檉h脿isg e am fear eile le gh脿irdeanan. Bhris e a h-uile cn脿imh na bhodhaig. Thuit am burraidh marbh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Cha do thuig Iain an toiseach c貌 bha anns a鈥� bhurraidh no gu d猫 bh鈥� air tachairt. 鈥橲 ann nuair a fhuair e dhachaigh a fhuair e a-mach gun robh MacLe貌id Dh霉n Bheagain air brath a ghabhail air. Bha an ceann-cinnidh air a bhith gu math se貌lta. Nam biodh fios air a bhith aig Iain air cleas MhicLe貌id, cha robh e air Ratharsair fh脿gail!

gun cuala sibh iomradh air: that you鈥檝e heard of; bu ch貌ir dha m脿l a ph脿igheadh do MhacLe貌id Dh霉n Bheagain: he should have paid rent to MacLeod of Dunvegan; cha tug Iain sgillinn ruadh don uachdaran: Iain didn鈥檛 give the landlord a red penny; cha robh an Le貌dach de貌nach a dhol thuige: MacLeod wasn鈥檛 willing to go to him; mura faigheadh an ceann-cinnidh cuideigin a dh猫anadh a鈥� ch霉is air ann an sabaid: if the clan chief didn鈥檛 get somebody that would defeat him in a fight; a n矛 a鈥� ch霉is ort: who will defeat you; chan eil e aig baile: he鈥檚 not at home; fanaidh mi gus an tig e: I鈥檒l wait until he comes; d猫anamh air D霉n Bheagain cho luath 鈥檚 a b鈥� urrainn dha: to go to Dunvegan as quickly as he could; bha gnothach cudromach aige ris: he had important business with him; a鈥� faighinn air adhart le ch猫ile: getting along with each other; a鈥� chairteal chuid de dhamh: a quarter of an ox; rug e air l脿imh air Iain: he shook Iain鈥檚 hand; amharasach gun robh droch r霉n aig MacLe貌id dha: suspicious that MacLeod had evil intentions towards him; thionndaidh Iain air a sh脿il: Iain turned on his heel; bheir mi c貌ig nota dhut: I鈥檒l give you 拢5; thog e am f猫illeadh a bh鈥� air: he lifted up his kilt; dh鈥檉h脿isg e am fear eile le gh脿irdeanan: he squeezed the other man with his arms; bhris e a h-uile cn脿imh na bhodhaig: he broke every bone in his body; air brath a ghabhail air: had deceived him.

Bha e a鈥� dol a chur 肠矛蝉 air MacLe貌id: He was going to levy a cess on MacLeod. MacBain gives the Latin census as the origin of the Gaelic word 肠矛蝉 鈥榯ribute, tax鈥�. The census in ancient Rome was a register of the citizenry and their properties for the purpose of assessing taxation; the Latin verb censere means 鈥榯o assess鈥�. Thus, the Gaelic 肠矛蝉 and the English cess 鈥榯ax鈥� are related, as cess is generally considered to be an abbreviation of 鈥榓ssessment鈥�. Historically, a cess might be imposed on the population in order to support soldiers being maintained on their territory. The 鈥榖ully鈥� in this story imposes a cess on MacLeod, which can only be lifted if a representative of the clan chief can defeat the bully in single combat.

thug e deidhseag mhath dha air a th貌in: he gave him a good slap on the buttocks.

听

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