大象传媒

Thairis air na beagan seachdainean a dh鈥檉halbh, bha mi ag innse sgeulachd ainmeil dhuibh 鈥� Deirdre agus Clann Uisne. Uill, bha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh an t-脿m agam tilleadh do dh鈥櫭爄te faisg air Inbhir Nis a tha co-cheangailte ri Deirdre. 鈥橲 e sin D霉n Dearduil faisg air Inbhir Fharragaig ri taobh Loch Nis. Thathar a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gur e Dearduil a chanadh G脿idheil na sg矛re sin ri Deirdre o shean. Agus thathar ag r脿dh gur ann air an d霉n a bha an t霉r a thog Naois is Deirdre.

鈥橲 e a th鈥� ann an D霉n Dearduil cnoc 脿rd cas creagach, le aibhnichean brasa air d脿 thaobh dheth. Bha daoine a鈥� fuireach ann ann an Linn an Iarainn. Bha ballachan m貌ra tiugha gu h-脿rd air airson an sluagh a dh矛on. Chithear na clachan bhuapa fhathast.

Bha mi ann o chionn beagan bhliadhnaichean agus bha cuimhne agam air coille thiugh aig bonn a鈥� chnuic. Ach cha robh e uabhasach doirbh an cnoc a dh矛readh. Mar sin, thug mi cuireadh don bhean agam agus do bhana-charaid tighinn cuide rium. Bha mi a鈥� dol a dh鈥檌nnse sgeulachd Deirdre dhaibh, agus sinn nar suidhe c貌mhla air mullach an d霉in. Ach gu m矛-fhortanach, cha do dh鈥檕braich c霉isean mar a bha d霉il.

Dh鈥檉heuch sinn ri faighinn tarsainn t猫 de na h-aibhnichean aig bonn a鈥� chnuic. Chaidh sinn s矛os tron choille. 鈥橲 ann an uair sin a chuala sinn fuaim ne貌nach. Bha e 脿rd 脿rd mar bheathach ann am pian. No mar bhean-s矛the ag 猫igheachd. Bha e ro 脿rd airson damh, ged is e an D脿mhair a bh鈥� ann. Feumaidh mi r脿dh gu robh rudeigin mun fhuaim a bha car eagallach.

Co-dhi霉, chuir an abhainn stad oirnn. Bha i a鈥� sruthadh ro luath is bha i ro dhomhainn. Chaidh sinn beagan mh矛ltean suas an abhainn agus lorg sinn drochaid. Bha rathad ann gu bonn cnuic eile faisg air D霉n Dearduil. 鈥橲 e sin an D霉n Garbh. Agus tha e garbh dha-r矛reabh. Tha e leacach is creagach is cas, is tha am fraoch 脿rd is tiugh. Aig amannan bha an raineach trom b鈥� fheudar dhuinn coiseachd na b鈥� 脿irde na sinne.

Eadar an D霉n Garbh is D霉n Dearduil dh鈥檉h脿s c霉isean na bu mhiosa. Bhathar air a bhith a鈥� leagail nan craobh nach robh d霉thchasach do dh鈥橝lba. Agus tha na craobhan marbha nan laighe far an do thuit iad. B鈥� fheudar dhuinn dhol thairis orra is fodhpa. Cha robh mi riamh a鈥� coiseachd ann an 脿ite cho garbh ann an Alba. B鈥� fheudar dhuinn aig amannan an c霉 a thogail thairis air na craobhan leagte oir bha e ro bheag airson leum thairis orra. C霉 bochd! Tha mi cinnteach gun robh e a鈥� smaoineachadh ris fh猫in, 鈥淐iamar fon ghr猫in a chaidh mo thaghadh leis an teaghlach seo?!鈥�

Agus 鈥檚 ann an uair sin, nuair a bha sinn faisg air D霉n Dearduil a-rithist a chuala sinn am fuaim a-rithist. Mar sgreuchail. 脌rd, eagallach. Cuideigin ann am pian? Beathach ann an ribe? No taibhs? Carson a thuirt mi sin? Uill, innsidh mi dhuibh an ath-sheachdain.

Mu dheireadh r脿inig sinn mullach Dh霉n Dearduil. Fhuair sinn sealladh 脿lainn de Loch Nis. Tha am mullach torrach is feurach. 鈥橲 e as coireach ri sin na daoine a bha a鈥� fuireach ann. Gu m矛-fhortanach, cha robh 霉ine agam an sgeulachd innse do ch脿ch oir bha dragh oirnn mun 霉ine a bheireadh e faighinn air ais don ch脿r. Agus cha robh sinn airson a bhith glaiste air an d霉n san dorchadas, gun fhiosta d猫 an creutair a bha a鈥� sgreuchail aig 脿rd a chinn.

Faclan na Litreach: tiugh: thick; d矛readh: ascending; domhainn: deep; d霉thchasach: native; garbh: rough; leagte: felled; ribe: trap; taibhs: ghost.

Abairtean na Litreach: thairis air na beagan seachdainean a dh鈥檉halbh: over the last few weeks; gun robh an t-脿m agam tilleadh: that it was time I returned; thathar a鈥� d猫anamh dheth: it is maintained (said); le aibhnichean brasa air d脿 thaobh dheth: with swift-flowing rivers on two sides of it; chithear na clachan bhuapa fhathast: the stones from them can still be seen; bonn a鈥� chnuic: the base of the hill; cuide rium: along with me; agus sinn nar suidhe c貌mhla air mullach an d霉in: when we were sitting together at the summit of the hill; cha do dh鈥檕braich c霉isean mar a bha d霉il: things didn鈥檛 work out as expected; mar bheathach ann am pian: like an animal in pain; no mar bhean-s矛the ag 猫igheachd: or like a fairy woman shouting; chuir an abhainn stad oirnn: the river stopped us; a鈥� sruthadh ro luath: running too swiftly; an raineach trom b鈥� fheudar dhuinn coiseachd: the bracken through which we had to walk; dh鈥檉h脿s c霉isean na bu mhiosa: things got worse; tha na craobhan marbha nan laighe far an do thuit iad: the dead trees are lying where they fell; b鈥� fheudar dhuinn dhol thairis orra is fodhpa: we had to go over them and under them; c霉 bochd!: poor pooch!; ciamar fon ghr猫in a chaidh mo thaghadh leis an teaghlach seo?: how on earth did I get selected by this family?; sealladh 脿lainn: a beautiful view; torrach is feurach: fertile and grassy; 鈥檚 e as coireach ri sin na daoine a bha a鈥� fuireach ann: the people who lived there are responsible for that; cha robh 霉ine agam an sgeulachd innse do ch脿ch: I didn鈥檛 have time to tell the others the story; cha robh sinn airson a bhith glaiste air an d霉n: we didn鈥檛 want to be stuck on the hill; gun fhiosta d猫 an creutair a bha a鈥� sgreuchail: without knowing what creature was screeching; aig 脿rd a chinn: at the top of its voice.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Bha e ro 脿rd airson damh, ged is e an D脿mhair a bh鈥� ann: It was too high-pitched for a stag, although it was October. Note the accented 鈥渁鈥� in D脿mhair although it originates in damh which is a short 鈥渁鈥�. D脿mhair comes from damh-d脿ir (stag-rut). There is a potential problem in interpretation of 脿rd in relation to sound as it can mean both 鈥渉igh-pitched鈥� and 鈥渓oud鈥�. Tog do ghuth gu h-脿rd means 鈥渟peak loudly鈥� rather than 鈥渟peak in a falsetto voice鈥�! If in doubt, m貌r can be used to express volume (guth m貌r 鈥� a loud voice).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: bha dragh oirnn mun 霉ine a bheireadh e: we were concerned about the time it would take.