大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mun chaolas a shn脿mh an gille agam eadar Fl貌daigearraidh agus Eilean a鈥� Chinn Mh貌ir. Thug e leth-uair a th矛de dha gach rathad oir bha e a鈥� dol air fiaradh leis an t-sruth-mhara. Bha e doirbh gu le貌r ann an solas an latha, le aimsir mhath agus deise-fhliuch air. Ach ciamar a bhitheadh e air an oidhche ann an droch sh矛de gun deise sam bith airson cumail bl脿th?

听听听听听听听听听听听 A r猫ir beul-aithris, anns an t-seann aimsir, bhiodh fear 貌g a鈥� sn脿mh a鈥� chaolais sin a h-uile oidhche airson a leannan fhaicinn. Seo an st貌iridh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha Iain Ruadh a鈥� fuireach anns an eilean. Bha e na bhanntrach. Bha a nighean M脿iri a鈥� fuireach c貌mhla ris agus a鈥� cumail an taighe dha. Cha robh Iain idir airson 鈥檚 gum falbhadh M脿iri gu 脿ite sam bith eile.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha fios aig Iain gun robh n貌isean aig M脿iri do dh鈥檉hear 貌g ann am Fl貌daigearraidh, air an robh Ailean mar ainm. Chuir Iain stad air M脿iri bho bhith a鈥� faicinn Ailean. Agus thuirt e, nam biodh i ag iarraidh p貌sadh, nach fhaigheadh i tochradh sam bith bhuaithe. Chan fhaigheadh i eadhon laogh, ach a-mh脿in nam biodh e corc-chluasach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nam biodh e corc-chluasach 鈥� le cluasan goirid 鈥� bhiodh sin a鈥� ciallachadh gun robh e air a ghineadh do tharbh-uisge. Bhiodh laogh mar sin a鈥� d猫anamh cron m貌r air an treud cruidh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Mar a thachair e, th貌isich tarbh-uisge air tadhal air Fl貌daigearraidh mun 脿m sin. Bha e a鈥� d猫anamh sgrios air a鈥� bh脿rr air an oidhche ach cha robh duine treun gu le貌r airson stad a chur air.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Leis nach robh cead aig Ailean a bhith a鈥� tadhal air M脿iri, bhiodh e a鈥� sn脿mh a-null don eilean gach oidhche. Bhiodh M脿iri a鈥� coinneachadh ris gu d矛omhair air a鈥� chladach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Oidhche bha seo, bha i air a鈥� chladach a鈥� feitheamh nuair a chuala i guth fann. Bha Ailean a鈥� tighinn gu t矛r ann am f矛or dhroch staid. Bha e claoidhte.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nuair a fhuair e anail, dh鈥檌nns e do Mh脿iri mar a chuala e fuaim m貌r faisg air, agus e letheach-slighe don eilean. Bha biast mh貌r a鈥� srannartaich. Chuir e eagal a bheatha air Ailean. Bha e cinnteach gur e an tarbh-uisge a bh鈥� ann.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha an t-eagal air M脿iri nach robh e s脿bhailte do dh鈥橝ilean a bhith a鈥� sn脿mh don eilean tuilleadh. Dh鈥檃ontaich i, nam faigheadh Ailean b脿ta an ath oidhche, gun teicheadh i c貌mhla ris.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Thill Ailean an ath oidhche ann an eathar. Nuair a bha e letheach-slighe, chuala e srannartaich mh貌r a-rithist. Chaidh ceann m貌r dubh seachad air a鈥� bh脿ta. Ach chan e tarbh-uisge a bh鈥� ann. 鈥橲 e a bh鈥� ann an tarbh m貌r dubh aig Iain Ruadh. Bhiodh e a鈥� sn脿mh a-null oir bha feurachadh na b鈥� fhe脿rr ann am Fl貌daigearraidh na bha anns an eilean.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Roghnaich Ailean gun a bhith ag innse na f矛rinn do Mh脿iri. Bha an t-eagal air nach fhalbhadh i leis, nam biodh fios aice nach e tarbh-uisge a bh鈥� ann. Ch霉m e s脿mhach. Theich an cupall agus rinn iad air Astr脿ilia.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 ann d矛reach bliadhnaichean 脿s d猫idh l脿imh, nuair a bha M脿iri is Ailean air tilleadh bho Astr脿ilia, a dh鈥檌nns Ailean an fh矛rinn do a bhean. Dh鈥檌nns e dhi gur e an tarbh dubh aig a h-athair, seach an tarbh-uisge, a thug orra teicheadh gu ceann thall an t-saoghail.

贵濒貌诲补颈驳别补谤谤补颈诲丑: Flodigarry; deise-fhliuch: wetsuit; laogh: calf; fann: weak; claoidhte: exhausted; letheach-slighe: halfway; tarbh-uisge: water-bull; eathar: boat.

Thug e leth-uair a th矛de dha gach rathad: it took him half an hour each way; bha e a鈥� dol air fiaradh leis an t-sruth-mhara: he was going sideways with the current; bhiodh fear 貌g a鈥� sn脿mh a鈥� chaolais sin airson a leannan fhaicinn: a young man would swim that channel to see his sweetheart; bha e na bhanntrach: he was a widower; cha robh Iain idir airson 鈥檚 gum falbhadh M脿iri: Iain didn鈥檛 at all want M脿iri to leave; gun robh n貌isean aig M脿iri do: that M脿iri fancied; nach fhaigheadh i tochradh sam bith: that she wouldn鈥檛 get any dowry; gun robh e air a ghineadh do tharbh-uisge: that it was fathered by a water-bull; a鈥� d猫anamh cron m貌r air an treud cruidh: causing great damage to the cattle herd; a鈥� d猫anamh sgrios air a鈥� bh脿rr air an oidhche: destroying the crops at night; a鈥� coinneachadh ris gu d矛omhair air a鈥� chladach: meeting him secretly on the shore; a鈥� tighinn gu t矛r ann am f矛or dhroch staid: coming to land in a terrible condition; nach robh e s脿bhailte do dh鈥橝ilean a bhith a鈥� sn脿mh don eilean tuilleadh: that it wasn鈥檛 safe for Ailean to be swimming to the island any more; dh鈥檃ontaich i gun teicheadh i c貌mhla ris: she agreed that she would elope with him; 鈥檚 e a bh鈥� ann an tarbh m貌r dubh aig Iain Ruadh: it was Iain Ruadh鈥檚 big black bull; bha feurachadh na b鈥� fhe脿rr: there was better grazing; roghnaich Ailean gun a bhith ag innse na f矛rinn: Ailean chose not to tell the truth; rinn iad air Astr脿ilia: they went to Australia; a thug orra teicheadh gu ceann thall an t-saoghail: that made them go to the other end of the world.

ach a-mh脿in nam biodh e corc-chluasach: unless it were short-eared, belonging to the water-bull. It鈥檚 difficult to translate corc-chluasach or its equivalent corcach. It refers to the imaginary (?) tarbh-uisge (corc means 鈥榝airy bull, water bull鈥� according to Dwelly). But corc also means 鈥榢nife鈥� and it was believed that a calf bearing short ears that appeared to have been cut with a knife were in fact the offspring of a tarbh-uisge and that they would bring misfortune upon the herd. Many parts of the G脿idhealtachd claimed the presence of a tarbh-uisge.

Bha biast mh貌r a鈥� srannartaich: a large beast was snorting.

听

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