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An rathad fada glan, ’s an rathad goirid salach. A bheil sibh eòlach air t-seanfhacal sin? Ma ghabhas tu rathad goirid, ’s dòcha gun landaig thu ann an eabar, mar a thuirt am fear eile. Ma dh’dhaodte gur e an rathad fada am fear as fheàrr aig a’ cheann thall. An rathad fada glan, ’s an rathad goirid salach.

            Tha an seanfhacal sin a’ nochdadh ann an seann stòiridh Gàidhlig – Am Fear a Fhuair na Trì Comhairlean. Bu mhath leam an stòiridh innse dhuibh.

            Bha fear a bha seo uaireigin, agus dh’fhalbh e o dhachaigh air a chosnadh. Bha gnothaichean gann aig an taigh. Fhuair e obair fad air falbh. Ged a bha e air falbh bho bhean agus bho dhachaigh, bha an obair a’ còrdadh ris math gu leòr. Cha robh an tuarastal aige mòr, ach rinn e a h-uile sian a dh’iarr am fear-fastaidh air.

            Bha e an impis falbh dhachaigh a-rithist. Thàinig am fear-fastaidh agus thuirt e ris, ‘Bheirinn comhairle dhut nan gabhadh tu i.’ Thuirt am fear eile gun gabhadh.

            ‘Tha i a’ dol a chosg dhut, ge-tà,’ thuirt am fear-fastaidh, ‘trian dhen airgead a rinn thu fhad ’s a bha thu an seo.’

            Thug am fear eile tacan na thàmh, a’ meòrachadh. An uair sin, thuirt e gun gabhadh e ris a’ chomhairle.

            ‘Gabh an rathad fada glan,’ thuirt am fear-fastaidh, ‘seach an rathad goirid salach.’ B’ e sin a chomhairle.

            Thug am fear eile an t-airgead seachad. Thuirt am fear-fastaidh gun robh comhairle eile aige dha. ‘Seadh,’ fhreagair am fear eile.

            ‘Ach,’ thuirt am fear-fastaidh, ‘cosgaidh i leth dhen airgead a rinn thu fhad ’s a bha thu an seo.’ Thuirt am fear eile gun robh e a cheart cho math dha a’ chomhairle a ghabhail. Agus thug e an t-airgead seachad.

            ‘Uill,’ thuirt am fear-fastaidh, ‘’s e a’ chomhairle a bheirinn dhut gun oidhche a chur seachad ann an taigh anns am bi seann duine agus bean òg.’

            Thug am fear eile taing don fhear-fhastaidh airson na dhà chomhairle. Bha e an impis falbh, nuair a thuirt am fear-fastaidh ris, ‘Tha comhairle eile agam a bheirinn dhut nan gabhadh tu i. Ach cosgaidh i an còrr dhen tuarastal agad.’

            Chan eil fhios agam dè dhèanadh sibh fhèin no mi fhìn, ach thuirt am fear eile gun gabhadh e ris a’ chomhairle. Thug e seachad an còrr dhen airgead a chosnaich e anns an àite sin.

            ‘’S e mo threas comhairle,’ thuirt am fear-fastaidh, ‘nach dèan thu sian idir air feasgar no oidhche gun a bhith a’ meòrachadh air co-dhiù bidh aithreachas ort air a shon air madainn an làrna-mhàireach.’

            Rinn am fear deiseil airson falbh dhachaigh. Thug e taing don fhear-fhastaidh airson nan trì comhairlean. Thug am fear-fastaidh tuarastal dha airson na seachdain mu dheireadh dhen obair a rinn e – ged a bu bheag sin – agus lof mòr arain. Thuirt am fear-fastaidh ris a bhith cinnteach gun toireadh e an lof dhachaigh oir bhiodh a bhean a’ feitheamh ris.

            Dh’fhalbh am fear air an rathad dhachaigh. Thàinig marcaiche suas ’s bha iad a’ seanachas. Thàinig iad gu geàrr-rathad. Thuirt am marcaiche gun robh esan a’ dol a ghabhail an rathaid a bu ghiorra.

            Ach chuimhnich am fear eile a’ chiad chomhairle. Thug esan an rathad fada – agus chì sinn dè thachair don dithis aca an-ath-sheachdain.

gann: scarce; lof: loaf; ²µ±ðà°ù°ù-°ù²¹³Ù³ó²¹»å: short-cut; chuimhnich: remembered.

’s dòcha gun landaig thu ann an eabar: perhaps you’ll land in mire; ma dh’dhaodte gur e an rathad fada am fear as fheàrr : perhaps the long road is the best one; Am Fear a Fhuair na Trì Comhairlean: the man who got the 3 pieces of advice; dh’fhalbh e o dhachaigh air a chosnadh: he left his home to seek work; rinn e a h-uile sian a dh’iarr am fear-fastaidh air: he did everything the employer required of him; bha e an impis falbh dhachaigh: he was about to leave for home; trian dhen airgead a rinn thu: a third of the money you made; tacan na thàmh, a’ meòrachadh: a little while without moving, contemplating; gun gabhadh e ris a’ chomhairle: that he would accept the advice; gun robh e a cheart cho math dha a’ chomhairle a ghabhail: that it was as well for him to take the advice; gun oidhche a chur seachad ann an taigh anns am bi seann duine agus bean òg: not to spend a night in a house in which there is an old man and a young wife; cosgaidh i an còrr dhen tuarastal agad: it will cost you the rest of your wages; dè dhèanadh sibh fhèin no mi fhìn: what you or I would do; nach dèan thu sian idir air feasgar no oidhche: that you’ll not do anything in the evening or night; gun a bhith a’ meòrachadh air co-dhiù bidh aithreachas ort air a shon: without contemplating if you’ll regret it; air madainn an làrna-mhàireach: the next morning; thàinig marcaiche suas ’s bha iad a’ seanachas: a horse rider came up and they were chatting; gun robh esan a’ dol a ghabhail an rathaid a bu ghiorra: that he was going to take the shorter road.

Bheirinn comhairle dhut nan gabhadh tu i: I would give you advice if you would take it. The verbs here are both in the conditional. The equivalent in the present tense, active voice would be bheir mi comhairle dhut ma ghabhas tu i ‘I will give you advice if you will take it’. Note that in the first person singular of the conditional, the pronoun is built into the verb itself. Other examples are chanainn ‘I would say’; rachainn ‘I would go’; chuirinn ‘I would put’; leughainn ‘I would read’.

An rathad fada glan, ’s an rathad goirid salach: the long clean road, and the short dirty road. It’s your choice!