大象传媒

Rugadh Edward Faragher, no Neddy Beg Hom Ruy, ann an Creneash ann an Eilean Mhanainn anns a鈥� bhliadhna ochd ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a h-aon (1831). Bha gl猫 bheag dhen Bheurla ga bruidhinn anns a鈥� bhaile sin aig an 脿m.

Bha athair na iasgair agus dh鈥檕braich Neddy air an eathar aige fad seachd bliadhna. Dh鈥檉halbh e airson greis a Liverpool ach, gu h-iongantach, cha do dh鈥檌onnsaich e m貌ran Beurla ann. Carson? Uill, bha e ag obair am measg Chuimreach agus cha robh m貌ran Beurla aca!

Thill Neddy a dh鈥橢ilean Mhanainn agus chuir e seachad c貌ig bliadhna fichead mar iasgair, ag iasgach timcheall costa na h-脠ireann. Dh鈥檉h脿s e ainmeil airson cho math 鈥檚 a bha a chuid e貌lais air dualchas G脿idhlig an eilein. Eadar ochd ceud deug is ochdad (1880) agus naoi ceud deug (1900) sgr矛obh e m矛le 貌ran no d脿n. A bharrachd air sin, rinn e t貌rr eadar-theangachaidh agus sgr矛obh e mu dhualchas is beul-aithris Eilean Mhanainn.

Seo sgeulachd bheag aige, air a bheil Thom Gordon as ny Mooinjer-Veggey no Tom G貌rdan agus na Daoine Beaga: Bha fear a bha seo air an robh Tom G貌rdan. Bha e a鈥� falbh dhachaigh 脿 Purt ny Hinshey. Th脿inig an oidhche air nuair a bha e air mullach nan sl猫ibhtean agus cha b鈥� urrainn dha an rathad a dh猫anamh a-mach. Chunnaic e solas a鈥� de脿lradh. Chaidh e dha ionnsaigh.

Th脿inig e gu taigh m貌r. Nochd duine. Dh鈥檌arr am fear seo air Tom a dhol a dh鈥檌asgach cuide ris oir bha sluagh m貌r a鈥� tighinn airson suipear a ghabhail anns an taigh aige air an oidhche sin.

Chaidh Tom cuide ris don tr脿igh. Tharraing iad b脿ta don uisge. Thog Tom na r脿imh agus dh鈥檌omraich e am b脿ta air falbh bho th矛r. Th貌isich an duine eile air iasgach agus cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh peile aige l脿n 猫isg. Thuirt an duine ri Tom gum bu ch貌ir dha thighinn dhachaigh c貌mhla ris oir bha e gu math sg矛th.

R脿inig iad an taigh agus thuirt an duine ri Tom gum bu ch貌ir dha fuireach na h-oidhche. Bha preas m貌r ri taobh na cagailte. Bha e air a bheul fodha. Chuir an duine Tom anns a鈥� phreas. Bha toll beag na chliathaich agus bha comas aig Tom an se貌mar fhaicinn troimhe.

An ceann 霉ine ghoirid bha an taigh l脿n aoighean, fir agus mnathan, agus cle貌caichean br猫agha orra. Shuidh iad s矛os airson an suipear a ghabhail. Bha aon duine ann, agus falt liath air. Thuirt e, 鈥淭ha mi a鈥� faighinn f脿ileadh de dhuine.鈥� Dh鈥櫭╥rich iad uile far a鈥� bh霉ird. Rinn iad rannsachadh airson Tom ach cha d鈥� fhuair iad lorg air.

Shuidh iad a-rithist agus thuirt am fear le falt liath a-rithist gun robh e a鈥� faighinn f脿ileadh de dhuine agus gun robh e cinnteach gun robh e am broinn an taighe. Rinn na daoine rannsachadh a-rithist ach cha do lorg iad Tom.

Thuirt fear eile, 鈥淐uireamaid am preas thairis.鈥� Dh鈥櫭╥gh Tom ann an guth m貌r, 鈥淪矛th Dh猫 orm, fhuaireadh mi.鈥� Ann am priobadh na s霉la, bha an taigh agus na daoine air falbh. Bha Tom ann an Lhag ny Killey (Lag na Coille), na laighe air bad c貌innich. Th貌isich e air a cheann a sgr矛obadh gus an t脿inig an smuain thuige gun robh e air a bhith c貌mhla ris na s矛thichean.

Dh鈥櫭╥rich e far na luig agus fhuair e an rathad dhachaigh. Thug a bhean cairteal de leann dha agus chaidh e a leabaidh. Nise, feumaidh gun do dh鈥檌nnis e an st貌iridh do a bhean mus deach e innte, oir an l脿rna-mh脿ireach cha robh cuimhne sam bith aige air na thachair.

Faclan na Litreach: Creneash: Cregneash; Eilean Mhanainn: Isle of Man; d脿n: poem; Purt ny Hinshey: Peel; preas: press, cupboard; an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: the next day.

Abairtean na Litreach: bha gl猫 bheag dhen Bheurla ga bruidhinn: very little English was spoken; bha athair na iasgair: his father was a fisherman; gu h-iongantach: surprisingly; am measg Chuimreach: amongst Welshmen; timcheall costa na h-脠ireann: around the coast of Ireland; a chuid e貌lais air dualchas G脿idhlig an eilein: his knowledge of the island鈥檚 Gaelic heritage; th脿inig an oidhche air: the night came upon him; mullach nan sl猫ibhtean: the top of the hills; cha b鈥� urrainn dha an rathad a dh猫anamh a-mach: he couldn鈥檛 make out the road; chaidh e dha ionnsaigh: he went towards it; bha sluagh m貌r a鈥� tighinn airson suipear a ghabhail: many people were coming to take supper; thog Tom na r脿imh agus dh鈥檌omraich e am b脿ta: Tom picked up the oars and he rowed the boat; cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh peile aige l脿n 猫isg: it wasn鈥檛 long until he had a pail full of fish; ri taobh na cagailte: beside the hearth; air a bheul fodha: face down; bha toll beag na chliathaich: there was a small hole in its side; bha an taigh l脿n aoighean, agus cle貌caichean br猫agha orra: the house was full of guests wearing beautiful cloaks; tha mi a鈥� faighinn f脿ileadh de dhuine: I smell a man; dh鈥櫭╥rich iad far a鈥� bh霉ird: they rose from the table; gun robh e am broinn an taighe: that he was inside the house; S矛th Dh猫 orm, fhuaireadh mi: the peace of God be upon me, I am found; priobadh na s霉la: a blink of an eye; na laighe air bad c貌innich: lying on a clump of moss; far na luig: from the hollow; thug a bhean cairteal de leann dha: his wife gave him a quart of ale; mus deach e innte: before he went to bed.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: chuir e seachad c貌ig bliadhna fichead mar iasgair: he spent 25 years as a fisherman. Are you comfortable with c貌ig bliadhna fichead? It is an older form of counting but you will meet it frequently. An alternative form (also traditional) is c貌ig bliadhna air fhichead. Under the influence of the modern counting system, you will increasingly frequently hear fichead 鈥檚 a c貌ig bliadhna. All three are acceptable 鈥� it鈥檚 best to learn to be flexible as both counting systems exist side-by-side and are likely to remain so for some time until the modern system finally takes over.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: Cuireamaid am preas thairis: let鈥檚 turn [put] the press/cupboard over.