大象传媒

Bha mi ag aithris na seann sgeulachd 鈥楨貌ghann Mac a鈥� Ghobhair鈥� 脿 taobh Loch Ma-ruibhe. Chaidh Coinneach agus Oighrig gu beul na h-uamha. Nochd an gobhar, Earba. Bha i a鈥� d矛on na h-uamha, ach chuir Coinneach r貌p timcheall air a h-adharcan. Bha Earba a鈥� m猫ilich aig 脿ird a cinn nuair a bhris gille 貌g a-mach 脿s an uaimh, ag 猫igheachd, 鈥楳脿m, M脿m!鈥�

鈥楢 Dh猫 ghr脿smhoir, gl猫idh mi!鈥� thuirt Coinneach. 鈥樷�橲 e s矛thiche a th鈥� ann!鈥� Dh鈥檌arr e air a mh脿thair teicheadh.

鈥楥han e no s矛thiche,鈥� thuirt guth 脿s an uaimh. 鈥楾ha uiread de dh鈥檉huil a鈥� sruthadh ann 始s a tha a鈥� sruthadh annad fh猫in.鈥� B鈥� ann le boireannach 貌g br猫agha a bha an guth. Leum i a-mach 脿s an uaimh, ag r脿dh, 鈥樖糞 ann leamsa a tha an gille.鈥�

鈥楧猫 fon ghr猫in a tha sibh a鈥� d猫anamh an seo?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Oighrig. Mh矛nich am boireannach dhi gun robh i fh猫in agus an gille air a bhith ann an cunnart am beatha far an robh iad. Theich iad agus lorg iad an uamh. Ach bha biadh a dh矛th orra agus, mura b鈥� e an gobhar, bha iad air b脿s fhaighinn. Thug Oighrig dhachaigh iad.

鈥楧猫 an t-ainm a th鈥� ort?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Oighrig.

鈥楩ionnghal,鈥� fhreagair an t猫 貌g.

鈥楢gus an gille?鈥�

鈥楨貌ghann a th鈥� air,鈥� thuirt i.

鈥楢gus a chinneadh?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Oighrig.

Cha robh an t猫 貌g de貌nach sin innse. Chan innseadh i a chinneadh no a shloinneadh.

鈥楿ill, ma-th脿,鈥� thuirt Oighrig, 鈥榗anaidh sinn 鈥淓貌ghann Mac a鈥� Ghobhair鈥� ris. Agus 始s e sin an t-ainm a bh鈥� air chun an latha a chaochail e.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Dh鈥檉huirich a鈥� cheathrar c貌mhla ann an taigh Oighrig. Bha Coinneach air leth math mar shealgair agus bha biadh gu le貌r aca. Mean air mhean bha e a鈥� tuiteam ann an gaol le Fionnghal. 鈥楢 mh脿thair,鈥� thuirt e latha a bha seo, 鈥榓 bheil sibh a鈥� smaoineachadh gur i Fionnghal m脿thair E貌ghainn?鈥�

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥楥han i,鈥� fhreagair Oighrig. 鈥楥hanainn gur e 貌igh a th鈥� innte.鈥�

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥楤u mhath leam a p貌sadh ma-th脿,鈥� arsa Coinneach.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥業st thu, 始ille,鈥� fhreagair i, 鈥榯ha thu a cheart cho buailteach a bhith a鈥� faighinn banrigh nan n猫amhan mar bhean 始s a tha thu a bhith a鈥� p貌sadh Fionnghal.鈥�

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥楤anrigh nan n猫amhan?鈥�

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥楢鈥� ghealach,鈥� mh矛nich a mh脿thair. 鈥樖糞 e nighean r矛gh a th鈥� ann am Fionnghal. Sheall i dhomh trusgan sg脿rlaid agus claidheamh a bha le athair a鈥� ghille. Tha i gan cumail airson dearbhadh latha br猫agha air choreigin gur e uaislean a th鈥� annta. Dh鈥檉haodadh tu fh猫in a bhith nad sgalaig dhi, ach cha ph貌s i thu a-chaoidh.鈥� Chuir na faclan sin Coinneach fo bhr貌n.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Th脿inig an t-uachdaran, Morair Caisteal Dhonnain, a shealg anns an n脿bachd 鈥� mar a bhitheadh bho 脿m gu 脿m. Bha an t-eagal air Fionnghal. Bha i airson tilleadh don uaimh. Ach bha e ro anmoch. Bha a鈥� bhuidheann-seilg taobh a-muigh an taighe.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 An ceann mionaid no dh脿, nochd am morair fh猫in taobh a-muigh taigh Oighrig. Th脿inig Coinneach a-mach ann an cabhaig, a鈥� d霉nadh an dorais 脿s a dh猫idh le brag. 鈥楴is鈥�, a Choinnich,鈥� thuirt an t-uachdaran, 鈥楧猫 tha thu am falach am broinn an taighe, eh? Carson nach tug thu copan bainne dhomh mar a bhitheas mar as trice?鈥� Mus d鈥� fhuair Coinneach cothrom dad a r脿dh, leum am morair far eich agus chaidh e a-steach don taigh. Agus innsidh mi tuilleadh anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: Loch Ma-ruibhe: Loch Maree; ag 猫igheachd: shouting; 蝉矛迟丑颈肠丑别: fairy; a鈥� ghealach: the moon; a鈥� bhuidheann-seilg: the hunting party.

Abairtean na Litreach: beul na h-uamha: the mouth of the cave; r貌p timcheall air a h-adharcan: a rope around her horns; a鈥� m猫ilich aig 脿ird a cinn: bleating at the top of her voice [head]; a Dh猫 ghr脿smhoir, gl猫idh mi: God of grace, preserve me; dh鈥檌arr e air a mh脿thair teicheadh: he asked his mother to flee; guth 脿s an uaimh: a voice from the cave; tha uiread de dh鈥檉huil a鈥� sruthadh ann 始s a tha a鈥� sruthadh annad fh猫in: there is as much blood streaming in him as is streaming in you; 始s ann leamsa a tha an gille: the lad belongs to me; mura b鈥� e an gobhar, bha iad air b脿s fhaighinn: if it hadn鈥檛 been for the goat, they would have died; cha robh an t猫 貌g de貌nach sin innse: the young woman wasn鈥檛 willing to tell that; air leth math mar shealgair: excellent as a hunter; mean air mhean bha e a鈥� tuiteam ann an gaol: bit by bit he was falling in love; a bheil sibh a鈥� smaoineachadh gur i Fionnghal m脿thair E貌ghainn?: do you think that Flora is Ewen鈥檚 mother?; chanainn gur e 貌igh a th鈥� innte: I鈥檇 say she is a virgin; bu mhath leam a p貌sadh ma-th脿: I鈥檇 like to marry her then; ist thu, 始ille: be quiet, lad; tha thu a cheart cho buailteach a bhith a鈥� faighinn banrigh nan n猫amhan mar bhean 始s a tha thu a bhith a鈥� p貌sadh Fionnghal: you are as likely to get the queen of the heavens as a wife as you are to marry Flora; trusgan sg脿rlaid agus claidheamh: scarlet apparel and a sword; a bhith nad sgalaig dhi: to be her servant; cha ph貌s i thu a-chaoidh: you鈥檒l never marry her; d猫 tha thu am falach am broinn an taighe?: what are you hiding within the house?; leum am morair far eich: the lord jumped off his horse.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Chan innseadh i a chinneadh no a shloinneadh: she wouldn鈥檛 tell his clan name or his patronymic. Sometimes both cinneadh and sloinneadh are used as translations for the English 鈥榮urname鈥�, but properly speaking the first refers to the clan somebody belongs to and the second names him in relation to his father, grandfather and previous generations (or through the mother鈥檚 line if she is a local person and the father an incomer).

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: bha biadh a dh矛th orra: they were in need of food.