大象传媒

Tha mi a鈥� dol a chur cr矛och air an sgeulachd mu dheidhinn M脿iri agus a br脿thair, Calum. Bha esan air a dhol am measg muinntir nan r貌n. Bhiodh M脿iri a鈥� coinneachadh ris ann an uaimh gu tric.

Chaidh na bliadhnaichean seachad. Cha do ph貌s M脿iri riamh. Bha aon dl霉th-charaid aice agus bha esan na mhinistear, fear dom b鈥� ainm Raibeart. Bha e deich bliadhna na b鈥� 貌ige na i agus cha robh e fh猫in p貌sta nas motha. Ach cha robh suirghe ann eatarra. Bha iad d矛reach nan deagh charaidean.聽

R脿inig M脿iri aois ceathrad bliadhna. Chaochail a p脿rantan. Dh鈥檉huirich M脿iri anns an taigh. Bha i ri croitearachd ach cha robh a cridhe anns an obair. Reic i a h-uile beathach aice. Ghl猫idh i aon chat mar pheata.聽

Bho 脿m gu 脿m bhiodh i a鈥� falbh agus a鈥� f脿gail an taigh falamh. Cha robh fios aig duine c脿鈥� robh i a鈥� dol. R脿inig i aois seasgad. Bha Raibeart caogad. Bha gaol aige oirre agus bhiodh e a鈥� c猫ilidh oirre gu tric.

Chaidh e ann latha a bha seo agus bha M脿iri na s矛neadh anns an leabaidh.

鈥楾hig, a Raibeirt,鈥� thuirt i. 鈥楧猫an suidhe ri mo thaobh.鈥� Rinn e suidhe. 鈥楧猫 tha ce脿rr?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e.

鈥楪ed nach eil mi a鈥� faireachdainn tinn,鈥� fhreagair i, 鈥榗ha chreid mi nach eil air fh脿gail agam ach 霉ine ghoirid. An d猫an thu rudeigin dhomh?鈥�

鈥楴矛,鈥� thuirt Raibeart. 鈥楻ud sam bith.鈥�

鈥楥uir do l脿mh fo mo chluasaig鈥�. Rinn e sin, agus thug e a-mach leabhar beag dearg. 鈥楲eugh e,鈥� thuirt i. 鈥楾ha mi airson 始s gun geall thu rudeigin dhomh. Nuair a gheibh mi b脿s, bidh mi a鈥� f脿gail a h-uile n矛 agam don Eaglais 鈥� an taigh, m鈥� fhearann, a h-uile dad airson maith nan seann daoine. Ach an d猫an thu aon rud dhomh? An cuir thu clach bheag aig ceann na h-uaghach agam. Clach ann an cumadh cridhe le ceithir faclan oirre 鈥� 鈥淕u Calum agus M脿iri鈥�.鈥�

Dh鈥檃ontaich Raibeart sin a dh猫anamh dhi. D脿 latha an d猫idh sin, chaochail M脿iri. Chaidh an taigh is fearann aice a reic. Bha M脿iri air a c脿radh ann an uaigh faisg air uaigh a p脿rantan. Agus chuir Raibeart clach ann an cumadh cridhe aig ceann na h-uaghach. Sgr矛obhte oirre bha na ceithir faclan 鈥� 鈥淕u Calum agus M脿iri鈥�.

Leugh Raibeart an leabhar beag dearg iomadach turas. Bha fios aige mun ch脿irdeas iongantach eadar M脿iri agus Calum. Cha tuirt e guth ri duine mu dheidhinn.

Thachair rud iongantach sa chladh. An d猫idh l脿ithean de dhroch sh矛de, nuair a bha an talamh bog fliuch, chunnaic daoine lorgan-coise annasach faisg air uaigh M脿iri. Bha t猫 de na h-貌rdagan a dh矛th air a鈥� chois dheis. Cha robh fios aig duine mar a dh鈥檉haodadh sin a bhith. Ach bha fios aig a鈥� mhinistear!

Bha Raibeart fh猫in a鈥� f脿s sean. Cha robh e airson a dhol don uaigh gun a bhith ag innse do chuideigin mun leabhar bheag dhearg agus mun chunntas ann mu Mh脿iri agus a br脿thair. Goirid mus do chaochail e, dh鈥檌nns e mu dheidhinn do bhuidheann de mhuinntir an 脿ite. Nam measg, bha seanmhair Aonghais MhicN猫ill. Mus do chaochail ise, dh鈥檌nns i do dh鈥橝onghas carson a bha a鈥� chlach annasach sin, ann an cumadh cridhe, ann an cladh a鈥� bhaile.

Faclan na Litreach: dl霉th-charaid: close friend; falamh: empty; chaochail: died; seanmhair: grandmother.

Abairtean na Litreach: Bha esan air a dhol am measg muinntir nan r貌n: he had gone among the seal people; bhiodh M脿iri a鈥� coinneachadh ris ann an uaimh gu tric: Mary would often meet him in the cave; cha do ph貌s X riamh: X never married; deich bliadhna na b鈥� 貌ige: ten years younger; cha robh e fh猫in p貌sta nas motha: he wasn鈥檛 married either; cha robh suirghe ann eatarra: they did not have a romantic relationship; reic i a h-uile beathach aice: she sold all her animals; ghl猫idh i aon chat mar pheata: she retained one cat as a pet; bha gaol aige oirre: he loved her; bhiodh e a鈥� c猫ilidh oirre gu tric: he would often visit her; bha X na s矛neadh anns an leabaidh: X was lying in bed; d猫an suidhe ri mo thaobh: sit next to me; cha chreid mi nach eil air fh脿gail agam ach 霉ine ghoirid: I think I only have a short time left to me; a h-uile dad airson maith nan seann daoine: everything for the good of the old people; ann an cumadh cridhe: in the shape of a heart; cuir do l脿mh fo mo chluasaig: put your hand under my pillow; tha mi airson 始s gun geall thu rudeigin dhomh: I want you to promise me something; air a c脿radh ann an uaigh faisg air uaigh a p脿rantan: laid out in a grave near her parents鈥� grave; aig ceann na h-uaghach: at the end of the grave; l脿ithean de dhroch sh矛de: days of bad weather; bha t猫 de na h-貌rdagan a dh矛th air a鈥� chois dheis: one of the toes was missing on the right foot; mar a dh鈥檉haodadh sin a bhith: how that could be; dh鈥檌nns e mu dheidhinn do bhuidheann de mhuinntir an 脿ite: he told about it to a group of local people.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: thug e a-mach leabhar beag dearg: he brought out a little red book. Just as we say in English 鈥榣ittle red book鈥� rather than 鈥榬ed little book鈥�, so Gaelic has a preferred word adjectival word order. It is more natural to say leabhar beag dearg than to say leabhar dearg beag (unless we are comparing two red books, one large, the other small). Similarly, we would say c霉 beag b脿n, cat m貌r dubh, baile m貌r gr脿nda, fear beag staiseach.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: fear dom b鈥� ainm Raibeart: a man called Robert [somewhat formal usage].