大象传媒

鈥橲 i labhair Goill is G脿idheil,

Neo-chl猫irich agus cl猫ir,

Gach fear agus bean

A ghluaiseadh teanga am beul.

鈥橲 i a labhair Adhamh

Ann a Ph脿rras fh猫in

鈥橲 bu shi霉bhlach a鈥� Gh脿idhlig

O bheul 脿lainn Eubh.

A bheil sibh ag aithneachadh sin? Innsidh mi dhuibh tuilleadh mu dheidhinn nas fhaide dhen Litir.

Tha mi cinnteach gun cuala sibh mu Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair. 鈥橲 e b脿rd ainmeil a bh鈥� ann. Bha e be貌 anns an ochdamh linn deug.

Ach an cuala sibh mu a bhr脿thair, Aonghas Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair? Bha esan ainmeil cuideachd ach chan ann airson a chuid b脿rdachd. Bha e ainmeil air sg脿th 鈥檚 cho l脿idir 鈥檚 a bha e, ged a bha e gu math beag.

Ann an 鈥淪脿r-obair nam B脿rd G脿idhealach鈥� tha an t-霉ghdar Iain MacCoinnich ag innse st貌iridh mu Aonghas. Bha e na bu shine na Alasdair, na bu lugha ach na bu l脿idire. Latha a bha seo, bha e air bruach Abhainn L貌chaidh ann an Loch Abar. Bha e aig ath, a鈥� d猫anamh deiseil airson a dhol a-null. Bha e a鈥� toirt a bhr貌gan is stocainnean dheth. Nochd fear eile 鈥� Colla B脿n, fear D貌mhnallach 脿 B脿rrasdal ann an Cn貌ideart. 鈥橲 e fear m貌r 脿rd a bh鈥� ann.

Bha t貌rr uisge anns an abhainn agus thuirt Colla ri Aonghas, 鈥淔hir bhig, c霉m ort do bhr貌gan 鈥檚 do stocainnean oir leigidh iad leat coiseachd na b鈥� fhe脿rr tron uisge. Thig c貌mhla riumsa agus c霉m air mo ch霉laibh. Brisidh mise neart an t-sruth agus n矛 sin an gnothach nas fhasa dhut.鈥�

Thug Aonghas taing dha. Ach nuair a bha iad ann am meadhan na h-aibhne far an robh an sruth l脿idir, fhuair Colla e fh猫in ann an cunnart a dhol fodha. Bha e airson tilleadh. Ach chaidh Aonghas air thoiseach air agus, leis cho neartmhor 鈥檚 a bha e, tharraing e Colla don taobh thall.

An uair sin thuirt Aonghas ri Colla, 鈥淭hug thu 鈥榝ear beag鈥� orm air taobh thall na h-aibhne. C貌 as coltaiche air an toirte 鈥榝ear beag鈥� air an taobh sa? Gabh mo chomhairle. Na toir 鈥榖eag鈥� air duine gus am bi e dearbhte agad [gu bheil e 鈥榖eag鈥橾 agus tomhais gn猫 duine air barrachd na d矛reach a choltas. Cuimhnich, cuideachd, m貌r 鈥檚 ged a tha thu, mura b鈥� e duine na bu mhotha na thusa gur d貌cha gum biodh tu mar fhe貌il do na h-easgannan ann an Abhainn L貌chaidh.鈥� C貌 chanadh nach eil a鈥� chomhairle aige cho iomchaidh anns an aonamh linn fichead 鈥檚 a bha i ann am meadhan an ochdamh linn deug?

Ged a tha feadhainn an siud 鈥檚 an seo a鈥� cuimhneachadh Aonghas Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair 鈥� is tha mi air beul-aithris a chluinntinn mu dheidhinn, an d脿 chuid air t矛r-m貌r agus ann an Uibhist

鈥� tha cuimhne fada nas fhe脿rr aig a鈥� mh貌r-shluagh air a bhr脿thair, Alasdair. 鈥橲 e sin cumhachd na b脿rdachd.

Bha Alasdair na dheagh charaid do ar c脿nan. Gu dearbh, ann am Moladh an 脵ghdair don t-Seann Ch脿nain Gh脿idhlig, sgr矛obh e:

鈥橲 i labhair Goill is G脿idheil,

Neo-chl猫irich agus cl猫ir,

Gach fear agus bean

A ghluaiseadh teanga am beul.

鈥橲 i a labhair Adhamh

Ann a Ph脿rras fh猫in

鈥橲 bu shi霉bhlach a鈥� Gh脿idhlig

O bheul 脿lainn Eubh.

Tha a鈥� Gh脿idhlig ann am meadhan sruth l脿idir na h-eachdraidh an-dr脿sta agus tha sinn feumach air daoine a chuireas an cuid neirt an s脿s airson taic a thoirt dhi an taobh thall a ruigsinn. Mar a bha Aonghas do Cholla, 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil Alasdair don ch脿nan againn. Tha neart a鈥� bh脿ird a鈥� leantainn fada 脿s d猫idh a bh脿is.

Faclan na Litreach: Adhamh: Adam; Abhainn L貌chaidh: the Lochy River; dearbhte: proven.

Abairtean na Litreach: 鈥橲 i labhair Goill is G脿idheil: it is her that Lowlanders and Highlanders spoke; neo-chl猫irich agus cl猫ir: laity and clergy; ann a Ph脿rras fh猫in: in his Paradise; bu shi霉bhlach a鈥� Gh脿idhlig o bheul 脿lainn Eubh: fluent was the Gaelic from Eve鈥檚 beautiful mouth; nas fhaide dhen Litir: further on in the Litir; chan ann airson a chuid b脿rdachd: not for his poetry; air sg脿th 鈥檚 cho l脿idir 鈥檚 a bha e: because he was so strong; na bu shine na Alasdair, na bu lugha ach na bu l脿idire: older than Alasdair, smaller [than him] but stronger; aig ath, a鈥� d猫anamh deiseil airson a dhol a-null: at a ford, making ready to cross over; 脿 B脿rrasdal ann an Cn貌ideart: from Barrisdale in Knoydart; leigidh iad leat coiseachd na b鈥� fhe脿rr: they鈥檒l allow you to walk better; c霉m air mo ch霉laibh: keep behind me; brisidh mise neart an t-sruth agus n矛 sin an gnothach nas fhasa dhut: I鈥檒l break the strength of the current and that will make it easier for you; ann an cunnart a dhol fodha: in danger of going under; tharraing e Colla don taobh thall: he dragged Coll to the other side; c貌 as coltaiche air an toirte 鈥榝ear beag鈥� air an taobh sa?: who would more appropriately be called 鈥榣ittle man鈥� on this side?; tomhais gn猫 duine air barrachd na d矛reach a choltas: measure a man by more than just his appearance; mura b鈥� e duine na bu mhotha na thusa: if it weren鈥檛 for a bigger man than you; mar fhe貌il do na h-easgannan: as meat for the eels; cumhachd na b脿rdachd: the power of [the] poetry; airson taic a thoirt dhi an taobh thall a ruigsinn: to help her to reach the other side; fada 脿s d猫idh a bh脿is: long after his death.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Fhir bhig, c霉m ort do bhr貌gan 鈥檚 do stocainnean: little man, keep on your shoes and socks. Fhir is the vocative singular of the masculine noun fear. Masculine nouns and masculine personal names generally slenderise and lenite in the vocative singular eg 鈥渁 bhalaich!鈥�, 鈥渁 Sheumais!鈥� Any associated adjective behaves in the same way eg 鈥渁 bhalaich amaidich!鈥�, 鈥渁 Dh貌mhnaill Bhig!鈥�, 鈥渁 Sheumais Mh貌ir鈥�; 鈥渁 laochain bhig!鈥�

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: Thug thu 鈥榝ear beag鈥� orm: you called me 鈥渓ittle man鈥�.