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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Uilleam Uallas. Tha na cunntasan mu dheidhinn às an leabhar ‘Eachdraidh na h-Alba’. Bha Uallas a’ strì airson Alba a chumail neo-eisimeileach o chionn còrr is seachd ceud bliadhna. Latha a bha seo, nuair a bha e a’ fuireach ann an Inbhir Àir, chaidh e a dh’iasgach anns an abhainn. Bha e fhèin is balach a’ tilleadh dhachaigh le basgaid làn bhreac. Thàinig dithis no triùir shaighdearan Sasannach nan rathad. 

Dh’iarr na saighdearan air na h-Albannaich a’ bhasgaid agus na h-èisg a thoirt seachad. Bha Uallas deònach roinn de na bric a thoirt dhaibh. Ach cha robh na saighdearan riaraichte le nì na bu lugha na ʼn t-iomlan. Chaidh an dol a-mach eatarra gu buillean. 

Cha robh armachd aig Uallas ach a shlat-iasgaich. Le ceann reamhar na slaite, thug e buille air fear de na saighdearan na cheann. Thuit an Sasannach marbh. Thog Uilleam claidheamh an duine mhairbh agus rinn e air na saighdearan eile leis. Theich iadsan lem beatha, agus chaidh Uilleam agus a charaid dhachaigh leis a’ bhasgaid agus na h-èisg.

Tha an t-ùghdar, Aonghas MacCoinnich, ag innse dhuinn gun do theich Uallas ‘a bhith fon choill car ùine, ʼs an dèidh sin àite eile dhen dùthaich a thoirt air far nach robh an gnìomh cho aithnichte.’

Bliadhna an dèidh sin, bha Uilleam air pòsadh. Bha e a’ fuireach ann am baile Lannraig. Latha a bha seo, bha e a’ coiseachd tron bhaile. Bha e air a sgeadachadh ann an deise uaine. Bha buidheann còmhla ris.

Thàinig Sasannach mì-mhodhail nan rathad, agus thòisich e air magadh orra. ‘Seadh,’ thuirt e ri Uallas, ‘a bheil thu air tighinn às ùr a-nall thar fairge?’

Lean Uallas air adhart. Cha robh e ag iarraidh a bhith an sàs ann an sabaid air an t-sràid. Thàinig tuilleadh shaighdearan Sasannach. Bha iad uile ri mì-mhodh is fanaid. Mu dheireadh, bhuail fear dhiubh ceann na truaill anns an robh an claidheamh aig Uallas. Ghrad-tharraing an t-Albannach a chlaidheamh a-mach, agus chuir e an saighdear gu talamh le aon bhuille.

Bha sabaid mhòr ann an uair sin. Ach chaidh aig Uallas air a dhachaigh a ruigsinn, le taic a charaidean. An uair sin, a-mach leis air an doras chùil gu coille far an deach e am falach. 

Rinn an riaghladair Sasannach, Heselrig, dìoghaltas air Uallas. Loisg e taigh Uallais agus chuir e a bhean gu bàs. Theich ban-òglach a bh’ aice gun fhios a-mach don choille. Dh’inns i a h-uile nì do Uallas agus do a luchd-leanmhainn. 

‘Chan urrainn dhuinn ise a thoirt air ais,’ thuirt Uallas ri càch. ‘Ach chan fhaicear tàmh agamsa gus an dèan mi dìoghaltas.’ Air an dearbh oidhche sin, thionail e trithead fear – daoine dìleas is misneachail. Chaidh iad gu sàmhach a-steach don bhaile. Ràinig iad taigh an riaghladair. Bha staidhre eadar an t-sràid agus doras aig rùm uachdrach anns an robh an riaghladair na laighe. Dhìrich Uallas an staidhre air thoiseach air càch. Agus innsidh mi dhuibh na thachair an uair sin anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: Uilleam Uallas: William Wallace; neo-eisimeileach: independent; Inbhir Àir: Ayr; armachd: weaponry; slat-iasgaich: fishing rod; baile Lannraig: the town of Lanark; mì-mhodhail: rude; ban-òglach: maidservant; thionail e: he gathered; uachdrach: upper.

Abairtean na Litreach: a’ tilleadh dhachaigh le basgaid làn bhreac: returning home with a basket full of trout; thàinig dithis no triùir shaighdearan Sasannach nan rathad: two or three English soldiers came by; deònach roinn de na bric a thoirt dhaibh: willing to give them a portion of the trout; cha robh X riaraichte le nì na bu lugha na ʼn t-iomlan: X weren’t satifised with anything less than the entirety; chaidh an dol a-mach eatarra gu buillean: the exchange between them came to blows; ceann reamhar na slaite: the broad end of the rod; a bhith fon choill car ùine: to be in [‘under’] the forest for a while; bha X air pòsadh: X had married; air a sgeadachadh ann an deise uaine: wearing a green suit; a bha fasanta am measg nan uaislean: that was in fashion among the gentry; thòisich e air magadh orra: he started to mock them; a bheil thu air tighinn às ùr a-nall thar fairge?: have you just come across the ocean?; mar thosgaire a tha a’ toirt banrigh ùr dhar n-ionnsaigh: like an ambassador bringing us a new queen; ri mì-mhodh is fanaid: being rude and mocking; bhuail fear dhiubh ceann na truaill: one of them struck the top of the scabbard; ghrad-tharraing an t-Albannach a chlaidheamh a-mach: the Scot whipped out his sword; a-mach leis air an doras chùil gu coille far an deach e am falach: straight out the back door to a wood where he went into hiding; loisg e taigh Uallais agus chuir e a bhean gu bàs: he burned down Wallace’s house and killed his wife; chan fhaicear tàmh agamsa gus an dèan mi dìoghaltas: I shall not be seen to rest until I have revenge.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: ʼs an dèidh sin àite eile dhen dùthaich a thoirt air far nach robh an gnìomh cho aithnichte: and after that to go to another part of the country where the deed was not so well-known. You will perhaps be aware of the idiomatic use of toirt + air meaning ‘to force’ eg thug i air sin a dhèanamh ‘she made him/forced him do that’. But there is another idiomatic use of toirt + air eg thug e an rathad air ‘he left on the road’; thug i a’ choille oirre ‘she went into the forest’.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Rinn X dìoghaltas air Y: X exacted revenge on Y.