大象传媒

Thug Naois gr脿dh m貌r do Dheirdre. Bha fios aige gum biodh R矛gh Uladh, Conachar, feargach. Chaidh Naois, a dhithis bhr脿ithrean, Aillean is 脌rdan, agus Deirdre gu ruige Alba. Thog iad taigh ri taobh Loch Naois. Bha iad a鈥� fuireach ann an t霉r. Mharbhadh iad bradan a鈥� bhoinne bhrais a-mach air an doras, agus fiadh a鈥� bhearraidh bhric a-mach air an uinneig.

Ach th脿inig an t-脿m nuair a bha Conachar an d霉il Deirdre a ph貌sadh. Chuir e roimhe a faighinn air ais bho Naois. Chuir e fios a-mach fad is farsaing gum biodh cuirm mh貌r aige ann an 脠irinn. Chuir e br脿thair athar, Fearchar Mac Ro, air theachdaireachd a dh鈥檌onnsaigh Alba. 鈥淐an ri Naois,鈥� thuirt Conachar ri Fearchar, 鈥渘ach bi fois latha no t脿mh oidhche agam mura bi e fh猫in, Aillean is 脌rdan, aig a鈥� chuirm.鈥�

R脿inig Fearchar t霉r Naois ann an Alba. Chuir Clann Uisne f脿ilte chridheil air. 鈥淏idh Conachar, R矛gh Uladh, a鈥� cumail cuirm mh貌r,鈥� thuirt Fearchar riutha, 鈥渁gus cha bhi fois latha no t脿mh oidhche aige mura bi sibh ann.鈥�

鈥淭h猫id sinn leat,鈥� arsa Naois

鈥淭h猫id,鈥� dh鈥檃ontaich a bhr脿ithrean.

鈥淭h猫id,鈥� thuirt Fearchar Mac Ro.

鈥淚s fhe脿rr an tighearnas fh猫in an Alba na an taigheadas an 脠irinn,鈥� thuirt Deirdre.

鈥淕e-t脿,鈥� thuirt Fearchar, 鈥渘ach m矛-thoilichte an duine nach fhaic a dh霉thaich fh猫in an 脿m 猫irigh sa mhadainn 鈥檚 an 脿m laighe anmoch.鈥�

鈥淚s m矛-thoilichte,鈥� dh鈥檃ontaich Naois. 鈥淚s annsa leam fh猫in an d霉thchas seach an dualchas.鈥�

Cha robh Deirdre a鈥� cur earbsa ann am Fearchar. Cha robh i de貌nach falbh. Sheinn i 貌ran binn br貌nach.

鈥淐ha do gh猫ill mi riamh do bh霉irean chon no do bhruadar bhan, a Naois,鈥� thuirt Fearchar. Dh鈥檃ontaich Naois a-rithist nach d猫anadh e cron sam bith dha dhol air ais a dh鈥櫭坕rinn. Ach cha robh Deirdre de貌nach. Ghabh i 貌ran binn t霉rsach.

A dh鈥檃indeoin an 貌rain, dh鈥檃ontaich Naois falbh. Agus fhuair e gealltanas bho Fhearchar. 鈥淭ha tri霉ir mhac agam,鈥� thuirt Fearchar. 鈥淭ha iad nan gaisgich. Bidh iad leibh is bidh mi fh矛n c貌mhla riutha.鈥� Thug e gealltanas nan tigeadh cunnart an rathad Clann Uisne, nach fh脿gadh esan 鈥檚 a thri霉ir mhac ceann air colann be貌 ann an 脠irinn, a dh鈥檃indeoin claidheamh no clogaid, sleagh no sgiath.

Bha Deirdre m矛-thoilichte ach dh鈥檉halbh i le Naois. Bha i a鈥� fras-shileadh nan deur, agus sheinn i 貌ran binn t霉rsach.

Cho luath 鈥檚 a chaidh Clann Uisne air t矛r ann an 脠irinn, thug Conachar cuireadh dhaibh dhol a dh鈥檉huireach ann am fear de na taighean aige. Dh鈥檌arr e air a鈥� mhuime dhol s矛os don taigh

airson Deirdre fhaicinn. 鈥淔euch a bheil i mar a bha i nuair a dh鈥檉h脿g i mi,鈥� thuirt Conachar rithe. Cha robh d貌igh aig a鈥� mhuime air Deirdre fhaicinn ach tro tholl na h-iuchrach. Thug i s霉il tron toll agus thill i don l霉chairt.

鈥淪eadh, a mhuime, ciamar a tha i a鈥� coimhead? A bheil a dreach is a dealbh fh猫in air Deirdre fhathast?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Conachar.

鈥淐han eil,鈥� fhreagair a鈥� mhuime.

鈥淭ha dearbhadh a dh矛th orm mus leig mi seachad i,鈥� thuirt an R矛gh. Dh鈥檌arr e air fear eile 鈥� a bha na mhac do R矛gh Lochlainn 鈥� dhol a choimhead air Deirdre. 鈥淭hoir brath thugam co-dhi霉 tha a dreach is a dealbh fh猫in air Deirdre fhathast,鈥� thuirt e.

Chaidh mac R矛gh Lochlainn don taigh agus sheall e a-staigh air toll na h-iuchrach. Ach chunnaic Naois a sh霉il anns an toll. Agus ch矛 sinn d猫 rinn e an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: R矛gh Uladh: King of Ulster; cuirm: feast; earbsa: confidence; t霉rsach: sorrowful; gealltanas: promise; cuireadh: invitation; muime: foster-mother.

Abairtean na Litreach: ri taobh Loch Naois: next to Loch Naois. Some have claimed this [erroneously] to explain the origin of the name Loch Ness, with Naois鈥檚 t霉r being on D霉n Dearduil near Inverfarigaig, although Loch Etive also has a strong claim to the story; mharbhadh iad bradan a鈥� bhoinne bhrais: they would kill the salmon of the rapid stream; chuir e roimhe a faighinn air ais: he determined to get her back; air theachdaireachd: on an errand [with a message]; nach bi fois latha no t脿mh oidhche agam: that I won鈥檛 have a day鈥檚 or night鈥檚 rest; is fhe脿rr an tighearnas fh猫in an Alba na an taigheadas an 脠irinn: better is one鈥檚 own lordship in Scotland than householding in Ireland; nach fhaic a dh霉thaich fh猫in an 脿m 猫irigh鈥檚 an 脿m laighe: who doesn鈥檛 see his own country at the time of rising and of going to bed; 貌ran binn br貌nach: a sad, melodious song; cha do gh猫ill mi riamh do bh霉irean chon no do bhruadar bhan: I have never yielded to the bellowing of dogs or the dreams of women; nach d猫anadh e cron sam bith: that it would not do any harm; nan tigeadh cunnart an rathad X: if X were to be in danger; ceann air colann be貌: a head on a living body; claidheamh no clogaid, sleagh no sgiath: sword or helmet, spear or shield; feuch a bheil i mar a bha i: try [to see] if she is as she was; tro tholl na h-iuchrach: through the keyhole; a bheil a dreach is a dealbh fh猫in air X fhathast?: does X still have her beauty and form?; tha dearbhadh a dh矛th orm: I need proof; a bha na mhac do R矛gh Lochlainn: who was a son of the King of Scandinavia; thoir brath thugam: come and tell me; sheall e a-staigh air: he looked through.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Is annsa leam fh猫in an d霉thchas seach an dualchas: dearer to me is the land heredity than the kin heredity. The words d霉thchas and dualchas are often confused with each other (both being translated as 鈥渉eredity鈥� or 鈥渉eritage鈥� eg Dualchas N脿dair na h-Alba 鈥� Scottish Natural Heritage). But Naois makes an older distinction between the two. D霉thchas is related to d霉thaich and can mean 鈥減lace of origin, homeland鈥� as well as heredity. Dualchas is related to dual (鈥渉ereditary right鈥�) and relates more strongly to family heredity. Dwelly gives 鈥渉ereditary disposition or right鈥� and 鈥渋mitation of the ways of one鈥檚 ancestors鈥� as alternative meanings of dualchas.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: bha i a鈥� fras-shileadh nan deur: she was weeping uncontrollably [lit. she was showering the tears].