大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Dh貌mhnall mac Fhionnla鈥� nan D脿n 鈥� am b脿rd agus sealgair Abrach. Chaidh a thiodhlacadh ann an Cladh Cille Choirill. Tha clach-cuimhne anns a鈥� chladh dha ach chan eil fios le cinnt c脿鈥� bheil an uaigh aige. A r猫ir aithris bha leac ann uaireigin ga comharrachadh agus, cleas Dhonnchaidh Bh脿in, sgr矛obh am b脿rd na leanas airson a dhol oirre:

听听听听听听听听听听听 Fhir, a cheumas thar mo lic鈥�, Seall a-rithist 脿s do dh猫idh, 始S cuimhnich 鈥� ged tha mi san uaigh 鈥� Gun robh mi uair cho luath riut fh猫in.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Co-dhi霉 tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu bh脿s Dh貌mhnaill, a r猫ir beul-aithris a chaidh a chruinneachadh anns an sg矛re. Tha an naidheachd laghach agus, a bharrachd air sin, tha i a鈥� toirt dhuinn briathrachas co-cheangailte ri boghadaireachd.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha D貌mhnall a鈥� f脿s sean. Ged a bha a bhean na b鈥� 貌ige na e, chaochail i air thoiseach air. Bha e a鈥� fuireach cuide ri a nighinn. Latha a bha seo, bha e gu h-脿rd taobh Loch Tr猫ig na shuidhe ann am bothan agus e a鈥� coimhead a-mach air an uinneig. Bhiodh e an uair sin ochdad 始s a h-ochd bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois. Bha a nighean ag obair air aran a dh猫anamh. Leig D貌mhnall osna聽聽聽聽聽 鈥楧猫 th鈥� ort, a dhuine?鈥� thuirt i.

鈥楾ha mi a鈥� faicinn 霉dlaiche a鈥� tighinn a-nuas an sin, agus e cho br猫agha 始s a chunna鈥� mi riamh. Agus 鈥檚 e a tha a鈥� cur caimir-inntinn orm nach urrainn dhomh a thilgeil leis an t-saighead.鈥�

鈥極ch, na bithibh a鈥� coimhead air rudan mar sin, a dhuine,鈥� thuirt i.

鈥楾hoir thusa an t-saighead a-nuas bh脿rr an fharaidh,鈥� thuirt D貌mhnall. 鈥楾ha i dreis ann a-nise, agus am bogha. Faic am bheil an taifeid fallain. Agus faigh an t-saighead as fhe脿rr sme貌ir. Ma tha i garbh anns an roinn, suath i ri clach an teinntein.鈥�

Rinn an nighean sin. Leag D貌mhnall a thaic ris an uinneig. Tharraing e an t-saighead agus leig e air falbh i. Thuit am fiadh. Agus cha mh貌r nach do thuit am bodach taobh an teine leis a鈥� bhriosgadh a thug e air.

鈥楽eo agad m鈥� iarrtas,鈥� thuirt e. 鈥楽in agad an damh mu dheireadh a thilgeas mi. Feann e agus cuir an t-seiche aige air d貌igh agus th猫id mo thiodhlacadh ann an seiche an daimh sin ann an Cille Choirill. Na cuir air mo dhruim idir mi. Ach cuir m鈥� aghaidh air Loch Tr猫ig is air na monaidhean air a bheil m鈥� inntinn a鈥� siubhal a h-uile latha.鈥�

Tha mi airson soraidh a leigeil le Cladh Cille Choirill an-diugh oir tha sinn air a bhith ann beagan sheachdainean. Ach bu mhath leam d矛reach ge脿rr-aithris a dh猫anamh air an eaglais anns a鈥� chladh a tha gu math math sean. A r猫ir beul-aithris, chaidh a togail 鈥� no 始s d貌cha ath-thogail (oir tha an t-ainm gu math sean) 鈥� ann an ceithir cheud deug, ochdad 始s a ceithir (1484) le ceann-cinnidh nan Camshronach, Ailean nan Creach.

Thog Ailean seachd creachan ach, an d猫idh l脿imhe, ghabh e aithreachas 脿s. Chuir e roimhe seachd eaglaisean a thogail airson a chuid aithreachais a dhearbhadh. B鈥� e t猫 dhiubh Cille Choirill. Bha an eaglais anns a鈥� chladh mu thr脿th nuair a chaidh D貌mhnall mac Fhionnla鈥� nan D脿n a thiodhlacadh ann, le seiche daimh timcheall air agus aghaidh air Loch Tr猫ig 始s na monaidhean.聽

Faclan na Litreach: Abrach: Lochaber; caimir-inntinn: mental distress; taifeid: bowstring; m鈥� iarrtas: my request; feann: flay, skin; Ailean nan Creach: Allan of the Forays; aithreachas: regret.

Abairtean na Litreach: bha leac ann ga comharrachadh: there was a slab marking it; Fhir, a cheumas thar mo lic鈥�, Seall a-rithist 脿s do dh猫idh: O man who walks over my slab, look again behind you; cuimhnich 鈥� ged tha mi san uaigh 鈥� gun robh mi uair cho luath riut fh猫in: remember 鈥� although I am in the grave 鈥� that I was once as swift as you; a鈥� toirt dhuinn briathrachas co-cheangailte ri boghadaireachd: giving us vocabulary connected to archery; d猫 th鈥� ort, a dhuine?: what鈥檚 wrong with you, man?; 霉dlaiche a鈥� tighinn a-nuas an sin: a stag coming down there; cho br猫agha 始s a chunna鈥� mi riamh: as beautiful as ever I saw; nach urrainn dhomh a thilgeil leis an t-saighead: that I can鈥檛 shoot at it; thoir thusa an t-saighead a-nuas bh脿rr an fharaidh: take down the arrow from the loft; tha i dreis ann a-nise, agus am bogha: it鈥檚 been there a while, as has the bow; faigh an t-saighead as fhe脿rr sme貌ir: get the arrow with the best shaft; ma tha i garbh anns an roinn, suath i ri clach an teinntein: if it is rough on the cleft, rub it on the hearthstone; leag X a thaic ris an uinneig: X supported himself on the window; cha mh貌r nach do thuit am bodach leis a鈥� bhriosgadh: the old man almost fell with the aftershock; th猫id mo thiodhlacadh ann an seiche an daimh: I鈥檒l be buried in the stag鈥檚 skin; cuir m鈥� aghaidh air Loch Tr猫ig: set me to face Loch Treig; thog Ailean seachd creachan: Allan was engaged in seven plunderings.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: chaochail i air thoiseach air: she died before him ie ahead of him. Air thoiseach air 鈥榓head of鈥� and air dheireadh air 鈥榖ehind鈥� are good phrases to remember (the lenition of the noun being related to an old model for the indefinite dative singular). Here are a couple of examples: bha mi air thoiseach ort 鈥業 was ahead of you鈥�; bha i air dheireadh air a piuthar 鈥榮he was behind/after her sister鈥�.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: cleas Dhonnchaidh Bh脿in: in the manner of Duncan Ban [MacIntyre]. Duncan鈥檚 well-known grave in Edinburgh has a similar verse on it (although D貌mhnall鈥檚 is much earlier and perhaps served as a model for Duncan 鈥� if oral tradition is correct).