大象传媒

Bidh sibh a鈥� cuimhneachadh gu bheil mi ag innse dhuibh na sgeulachd 鈥淒eirdre agus Clann Uisne鈥�. Fhuair Colum Cruitire gr猫im air tri霉ir fhear agus thug e gu monadh m貌r iad fad o l脿imh. Dh鈥檌arr e orra cnoc cruinn gorm a dh猫anamh c貌sach. Rinn iad sin. Bha e mar bhothan beag bl脿th is cofhurtail.

Chuir Colum a鈥� bhean-ghl霉in air falbh leis an leanabh gu ruige am bothan. Bha dragh air gun tigeadh na thuirt am fiosaiche mu a deidhinn gu bhith f矛or 鈥� is gum biodh m貌ran fala air a d貌irteadh air a s脿illeabh. Bha Deirdre 鈥� oir b鈥� e sin ainm an leanaibh 鈥� a-nise ann an 脿ite far nach fhaiceadh s霉il i is far nach cluinneadh cluas i. Thug Colum biadh is aodach dhaibh a mhaireadh latha agus bliadhna. Is gheall e gun cuireadh e tuilleadh b矛dh is aodaich gan ionnsaigh aig deireadh na bliadhna, agus aig deireadh gach bliadhna fhad 鈥檚 a bha e be貌. Agus rinn e sin.

Bha Deirdre agus a muime a鈥� fuireach anns a鈥� bhothan am measg nam beann gus an do r脿inig i aois ceithir bliadhn鈥� deug. Bha Deirdre dealbhach na pearsa is sgiamhach na maise. Bha a l矛 agus a l霉th mar eala nan tonn agus eilid nam beann. B鈥� i a鈥� bhoinne fala a bu mhaisiche eadar 霉ir agus adhar ann an 脠irinn.

Bha a muime a鈥� toirt seachad fios air a h-uile n矛 a b鈥� urrainn dhi. Cha robh feur a鈥� f脿s o fhreumh, no eun a鈥� seinn 脿 coille, no reul a鈥� soillseadh 脿 n猫amh air nach robh ainm aig Deirdre. Ach bha aon rud ann a bha am boireannach a鈥� di霉ltadh dhi. B鈥� e sin c貌mhradh le daoine eile.

Oidhche gheamhraidh a bha seo bha sealgair air seachran sa mhonadh. Chaill e a ch霉rsa agus a chompanaich. Th脿inig sg矛ths air. Bha e fann leis an acras agus air a lathadh leis an fhuachd. Laigh e s矛os ri taobh an tolmain bh貌idhich ghuirm anns an robh Deirdre a鈥� fuireach. Agus chaidil e.

Th脿inig bruadar air. Anns a鈥� bhruadar bha an sealgair a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh an tolman ri a thaobh na sh矛thean. Bha s矛thichean a鈥� fuireach ann. Dh鈥櫭╥gh e air na s矛thichean na aisling, agus dh鈥檌arr e orra a leigeil a-steach. Chuala Deirdre e agus thuirt i ri a muime, 鈥淎 mhuime, gu d猫 tha siud?鈥�

鈥淐han eil c脿il,鈥� fhreagair a鈥� mhuime. 鈥淒矛reach e貌in a鈥� sireadh a ch猫ile.鈥�

Dh鈥櫭╥gh an duine a-rithist. 鈥淎 mhuime, gu d猫 tha siud?鈥� arsa Deirdre.

鈥淐han eil c脿il. D矛reach e貌in na coille air chall air a ch猫ile.鈥�

Dh鈥櫭╥gh an duine treas turas, ag iarraidh air na s矛thichean a leigeil a-steach oir bha e fann leis an acras is air a lathadh leis an fhuachd.

鈥淥, gu d猫 tha siud, a mhuime?鈥� arsa Deirdre.

鈥淒矛reach e貌in air chall air a ch猫ile. Th猫id iad seachad gu doire nan geug,鈥� thuirt am boireannach.

鈥淥, a mhuime,鈥� thuirt Deirdre, 鈥渄h鈥檌arr an t-eun a-staigh. Leigidh mi fh矛n a-staigh e.鈥�

Leum Deirdre chun an dorais is dh鈥檉hosgail i e. Cha robh eun ann. Bha sealgair ann. Bha e fann leis an acras is air a lathadh leis an fhuachd. Leig Deirdre a-steach e.

Ach nuair a laigh a sh霉il air Deirdre, chunnaic e a鈥� bhoinne fala a bu mhaisiche eadar 霉r agus adhar. Bha a l矛 agus a l霉th mar eala nan tonn agus eilid nam beann. Agus cha robh an t-acras air tuilleadh.

Faclan na Litreach: bean-ghl霉in: midwife; muime: foster-mother; bruadar: dream; s矛thean: fairy hill.

Abairtean na Litreach: fhuair X gr猫im air tri霉ir fhear: X got hold of three men; fad o l脿imh: far away; dh鈥檌arr e orra cnoc cruinn gorm a dh猫anamh c貌sach: he asked them to hollow out a round green hill; gu ruige am bothan: to the bothy; gum biodh m貌ran fala air a d貌irteadh air a s脿illeabh: that much blood would be spilled because of her; far nach fhaiceadh s霉il i is far nach cluinneadh cluas i: where no eye would see her and no ear would hear her; a mhaireadh: which would last; gheall e gun cuireadh e X gan ionnsaigh: he promised he would send them X; fhad 鈥檚 a bha e be貌: as long as he lived; bha X dealbhach na pearsa is sgiamhach na maise: X was shapely of form and of exceptional beauty; bha a l矛 agus a l霉th mar eala nan tonn agus eilid nam beann: her complexion and her vigour were like the swan of the waves and the hind of the mountains; a鈥� bhoinne fala a bu mhaisiche: [lit] the most beautiful blood-drop [ie woman]; eadar 霉ir agus adhar: between earth and sky; a bha am boireannach a鈥� di霉ltadh dhi: that the woman refused to her; bha sealgair air seachran: a hunter was wandering; chaill e a ch霉rsa: he lost his way; fann leis an acras: weak with hunger; dh鈥櫭╥gh e air na s矛thichean na aisling: he shouted at the fairies in his dream; dh鈥檌arr e orra a leigeil a-steach: he asked them to let him in; e貌in a鈥� sireadh a ch猫ile: birds looking for each other; th猫id iad seachad gu doire nan geug: they鈥檒l go past to the copse of the branches; leigidh mi fh矛n a-staigh e [or a-steach 鈥� there are regional differences in the use of a-steach and a-staigh and they can be interchangeable]: I鈥檒l let him in myself; leum X chun an dorais is dh鈥檉hosgail i e: X leapt to the door and she opened it; cha robh an t-acras air tuilleadh: he was no longer hungry.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Laigh e s矛os ri taobh an tolmain bh貌idhich ghuirm: he lay down beside the beautiful green hillock (gorm refers to the colour of grass). You will see excellent grammar (of the traditional mode) in old Gaelic stories, recorded in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Here is an example. Tolman is a masculine noun which goes into the genitive (singular) case following the compound preposition ri taobh. It is therefore slenderised to tolmain but not lenited because of the n/t combination (cf doras an taighe). However the two adjectives are both slenderised (following the example of the noun) and lenited (as this is what would happen were the noun lenitable (cf doras a鈥� chidsin, where cidsin is lenited). So b貌idheach becomes bh貌idhich and gorm becomes ghuirm.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: air a lathadh leis an fhuachd: numbed with the cold.