大象传媒

B鈥� e Oisean mac Fhinn Mhic Cumhail. Tha ainm a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥榝iadh beag鈥� anns an t-seann Gh脿idhlig, agus bha rudeigin dhen fhiadh ann. Tha mi a鈥� dol a dh鈥檌nnseadh dhuibh st貌iridh mu Oisean nuair a bha e 貌g, agus mar a bha e cho dl霉th ris na f猫idh. Ach tha e a鈥� t貌iseachadh mus do rugadh e, air taobh an iar na G脿idhealtachd ann an sg矛re Ghleann Eilg. Latha a bha seo, bha Fionn cuide ri caraidean ann an Gleann Eilg nuair a nochd boireannach. Bha cle貌c dearg oirre. B鈥� ise Cailleach Ruadh nan S矛thichean. Bha i na seanmhair do Ghr脿inne, bean Fhinn.

鈥楥haidh Gr脿inne a thoirt am bruid,鈥� thuirt a鈥� chailleach.

鈥楧猫 tha sibh ag r脿dh?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Fionn.

鈥楾h脿inig am Buidseach Glas agus thug e Gr脿inne air falbh leis,鈥� dhearbh a鈥� chailleach. 鈥楾ha i a-nise ann an T矛r an Dorchadais.Feumaidh tusa 鈥� am fear as gaisgeile a th鈥� ann 鈥� a s脿bhaladh.鈥�

鈥楥eart gu le貌r,鈥� arsa Fionn. 鈥楩albhaidh mi an ceartuair.鈥�

Air dha a ghealltanas a thoirt, thug a鈥� chailleach tr矛 rudan pr矛seil dha 鈥� bioran 脿 craobh-ghiuthais, 猫iteag ghleansach agus clach bheag gharbh dhubh. 鈥楾ha draoidheachd anns na tr矛 rudan seo,鈥� thuirt i. 鈥楤idh fios agad mar a n矛 thu feum dhiubh nuair a thig an t-脿m.鈥�

Th脿inig osag on 脿ird an iar, agus bha a鈥� chailleach air a sguabadh air falbh. Dh鈥檉h脿s i na bu lugha. An toiseach bha i mar ghobhlan-gaoithe, an uair sin mar sheillean, an uair sin mar dhamhan-allaidh beag air sn脿th, agus mu dheireadh mar an spot dubh nad fhradharc a th猫id 脿 fianais nuair a n矛 thu priobadh.

Dh鈥檉halbh Fionn gu T矛r an Dorchadais, gun ach a chlaidheamh 鈥� Mac-an-Luinn 鈥� a thoirt leis. Fad l脿ithean a choisich e, agus bha d矛reach d脿 ghr脿n de choirce aige. Shuidh e aig bonn craoibhe airson an ithe nuair a chuala e gr脿gail os a chionn. Bha fitheach m貌r na shuidhe air geug. 鈥楪r貌g, gr貌g,鈥� ars am fitheach. 鈥楢n toir thu gr脿n corca dhomh, Fhinn. Tha an t-acras m貌r orm.鈥�

鈥楾ha an t-acras air an dithis againn, a charaid,鈥� thuirt Fionn. 鈥楢gus tha thu fh猫in a cheart cho airidh air biadh 始s a tha mise.鈥� Agus thug e gr脿n corca don fhitheach.

鈥楳o bheannachd agad,鈥� thuirt am fitheach. 鈥楴uair a bhios feum agad orm, bidh mi ann dhut.鈥�

Lean Fionn air a shlighe agus r脿inig e cladach. Bha an t-acras air fhathast agus nuair a chunnaic e r貌n glas air a鈥� chladach, thug e a chlaidheamh a-mach. Ach thuirt an r貌n ris, 鈥楴a marbh mi, Fhinn. Ma mharbhas tu mi, gheibh mo chuid cloinne b脿s cuideachd 鈥� agus cha do rinn duine againn cron ort.鈥�

Acrach 始s ged a bha e, chuir Fionn a chlaidheamh air ais na thruaill. Dh鈥檉halbh an r貌n agus thill e taobh a-staigh d脿 mhionaid le bradan m貌r na bheul. Thug e am bradan do Fhionn. Ghabh an gaisgeach a sh脿th dhen bhradan.

Th脿inig Fionn gu creachann 鈥撀犆爄te garbh l脿n chreagan is chlachan anns nach robh lus sam bith a鈥� f脿s. Bhreab e clach gun fhiosta dha gun robh i na dachaigh do luchag. Rinn an luchag b矛ogan. 鈥楥arson a mhill thu an taigh agam?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich i. 鈥楥ha do rinn mi cron sam bith ort.鈥� Mus d鈥檉huair Fionn cothrom bruidhinn, th脿inig iolaire mh貌r a-nuas agus thog i an luchag na spuirean. Agus innsidh mi dhuibh tuilleadh an-ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: sg矛re Ghleann Eilg:聽the environs of Glenelg;聽cle貌c:聽cloak;聽Cailleach Ruadh nan S矛thichean:聽the red-haired old woman of the fairies;聽dhearbh:聽confirmed;聽T矛r an Dorchadais:聽The Land of Darkness;聽pr矛seil:聽valuable;聽gobhlan-gaoithe:聽swallow;gr脿gail:聽croaking;聽bradan:聽salmon;聽creachann:聽rocky place with virtually no vegetation.

Abairtean na Litreach: B鈥� e Oisean mac Fhinn Mhic Cumhail:聽Oisean was the son of Fionn Mac Cumhail;聽bha rudeigin dhen fhiadh ann:聽there was something of the deer in him;聽mar a bha e cho dl霉th ris na f猫idh:聽how he was so close to the deer;聽mus do rugadh e:聽before he was born;聽bha i na seanmhair do Ghr脿inne, bean Fhinn:聽she was grandmother to Gr脿inne, Fionn鈥檚 wife;聽chaidh X a thoirt am bruid:聽X was taken into captivity;聽falbhaidh mi an ceartuair:聽I鈥檒l leave shortly;air dha a ghealltanas a thoirt:聽after he had given his promise;聽bioran 脿 craobh-ghiuthais, 猫iteag ghleansach agus clach bheag gharbh dhubh:a needle from a pine tree, a shiny white pebble and a little rough, black stone;聽th脿inig osag on 脿ird an iar:聽a puff of wind came from the west;聽dh鈥檉h脿s i na bu lugha:聽she grew smaller;聽an spot dubh nad fhradharc a th猫id 脿 fianais nuair a n矛 thu priobadh:聽the dark spot in your sight that disappears when you blink;聽gun ach a chlaidheamh a thoirt leis:聽only taking his sword with him;聽bha d矛reach d脿 ghr脿n de choirce aige:聽he only had two grains of oats;聽shuidh e aig bonn craoibhe airson an ithe:聽he sat at the base of a tree to eat them;聽bha fitheach m貌r na shuidhe air geug:聽a large raven was sitting on a branch;聽a cheart cho airidh air biadh 始s a tha mise:聽just as deserving of food as I am;聽ma mharbhas tu mi, gheibh mo chuid cloinne b脿s cuideachd:聽if you kill me, my children will also die;聽air ais na thruaill:聽back in its sheath;聽ghabh X a sh脿th dhen bhradan:聽X ate his fill of the salmon;聽rinn an luchag b矛ogan:聽the mouse made a small chirp.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach:聽Feumaidh tusa 鈥� am fear as gaisgeile a th鈥� ann 鈥� a s脿bhaladh:聽you 鈥� the most courageous of men 鈥� must save her. 鈥榓 s脿bhaladh鈥� means literally 鈥榟er saving鈥�, using the third person feminine singular possessive pronoun (which does not incur lenition). 鈥榊ou must save him鈥� would be聽feumaidh tu a sh脿bhaladh, and 鈥榶ou must save them鈥� would be聽feumaidh tu an s脿bhaladh.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: Acrach 始s ged a bha e:聽although he was hungry.