大象传媒

Cuin a tha cuideigin a鈥� dol a dh猫anamh film mu sheann ghaisgich nan G脿idheal? Na bu tr脿ithe am-bliadhna, bha mi ann an Sealan Nuadh, New Zealand. Bha m貌ran a鈥� bruidhinn mu dheidhinn Lord of the Rings oir chaidh a dh猫anamh anns an d霉thaich sin. Bha mi fh矛n is bana-Gh脿idheal a鈥� beachdachadh air a鈥� ch霉is. 鈥淣ach eil na sgeulachdan againne cho math ris an fheadhainn ann an Lord of the Rings?鈥� thuirt mi rithe. 鈥淐han eil,鈥� ars鈥� ise. 鈥淭ha iad nas fhe脿rr nan fheadhainn ann an Lord of the Rings!鈥�

Uill, tha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh gu bheil i ceart. Ach c貌 tha e貌lach orra an-diugh? Tha clann na h-Alba gan togail, agus e貌las aca air st貌iridhean a chaidh a sgr矛obhadh le mac-meanmna aon duine Sasannach anns an fhicheadamh linn. Ach chan eil e貌las aca air na sgeulachdan a chaidh a chruthachadh le mac-meanmna an t-sluaigh aca fh猫in thairis air 霉ine mh貌r.

Tha mi a鈥� dol a dh猫anamh rudeigin mu dheidhinn le bhith ag innse dhuibh seann st貌iridh G脿idhealach 鈥� ann an G脿idhlig, oir 鈥檚 i as fhe脿rr airson a leithid. 鈥橲 e an sgeulachd t猫 ainmeil air a bheil 鈥淒eirdre鈥� no 鈥淒eirdre agus Clann Uisne鈥�. Buinidh i an d脿 chuid do dh鈥橝lba is do dh鈥櫭坕rinn. Aig an deireadh, faodaidh sibh innse dhomh co-dhi霉 b鈥� urrainn film math a dh猫anamh dhith. Ach cuimhnichibh gum bi i m貌ran nas giorra agus nas s矛mplidhe agamsa na bhitheadh aig sgeulaiche.

Bha fear ann an 脠irinn air an robh Colum Cruitire mar ainm. 鈥橲 e duine c貌ir a bh鈥� ann. R脿inig e fh猫in is a bhean aois mh貌r is cha robh duine cloinne aca. Cha robh d霉il aca air clann.

Latha a bha seo th脿inig fiosaiche don taigh aca. 鈥淎 bheil thu a鈥� d猫anamh fiosachd?鈥� arsa Colum ris. 鈥淭ha mi a鈥� d猫anamh beagan,鈥� fhreagair am fiosaiche, agus dh鈥檃ontaich e fiosachd a dh猫anamh do Cholum.

鈥淎n robh duine teaghlaich agad riamh?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich am fiosaiche.

鈥淐ha robh, agus chan eil d霉il agam gum bi gu br脿th,鈥� thuirt Colum.

鈥淭ha sin a鈥� cur ne貌nachas orm fh矛n,鈥� ars鈥� am fiosaiche. 鈥淭ha mi a鈥� faicinn gum bi nighean agad. Bidh m貌ran fala air a d貌irteadh air a s脿illeabh. Is caillidh an tri霉ir ghaisgeach as ainmeil鈥� a bh鈥� ann riamh an cinn air a s脿illeabh.鈥�

鈥淎n e sin an fhiosachd agad?鈥� thuirt Colum. Bha e feargach. Bha e a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh am fiosaiche a鈥� fanaid air. 鈥淢as e sin an fhiosachd a tha thu a鈥� d猫anamh dhomh, c霉m agad fh猫in i. Tha mi fh矛n is a鈥� bhean agam sean. Cha bhi clann againn gu br脿th.鈥�

Dh鈥檉halbh am fiosaiche. Cha robh e air falbh fada nuair a th貌isich bean Choluim air f脿s trom. Bha ise trom le leanabh is bha esan trom air fh猫in. Carson nach d鈥� fhuair e tuilleadh fiosrachaidh bhon fhiosaiche? Carson a bhiodh a nighean ag adhbharachadh d貌irteadh fala is b脿s an tri霉ir ghaisgeach as ainmeil鈥� a bh鈥� ann riamh? Dh鈥檉heumadh Colum a cur air falbh gu 脿ite far nach fhaiceadh s霉il sealladh dhith is far nach cluinneadh cluas a guth.

Th脿inig 脿m a h-asaide dl霉th. Cha do leig Colum duine faisg air an taigh, ach a-mh脿in a鈥� bhean-ghl霉in. Rugadh leanabh nighinne. Dh鈥檌arr Colum air a鈥� bhean-ghl霉in an leanabh a thoirt leatha gu 脿ite falaichte sa mhonadh, far nach fhaiceadh s霉il i is far nach cluinneadh cluas i. Dh鈥檃ontaich a鈥� bhean-ghl霉in sin a dh猫anamh.

Chaidh Colum an uair sin a bhruidhinn ri tri霉ir fhear. Bha obair sh貌nraichte aige dhaibh. Ch矛 sinn d猫 bh鈥� ann an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: gaisgeach: hero; bana-Gh脿idheal: a female Gael; sgeulaiche: storyteller; fiosaiche: soothsayer.

Abairtean na Litreach: a鈥� beachdachadh air a鈥� ch霉is: discussing the matter; c貌 tha e貌lach orra an-diugh?: who knows them today?; tha clann na h-Alba gan togail: the children of Scotland are [being] raised; le mac-meanmna aon duine Sasannach: by the imagination of one Englishman; an t-sluaigh aca fh猫in thairis air 霉ine mh貌r: of their own people over a great period of time; 鈥檚 i as fhe脿rr airson a leithid: she is the best for such things; faodaidh sibh innse dhomh: you can tell me; co-dhi霉 b鈥� urrainn film math a dh猫anamh dhith: whether a good film could be made of it; m貌ran nas giorra: much shorter; 鈥檚 e duine c貌ir a bh鈥� ann: he was a nice man; aois mh貌r: a great age; cha robh d霉il aca air clann: they didn鈥檛 expect [to have] children; gum bi gu br脿th: that [I] ever will; tha sin a鈥� cur ne貌nachas orm: that surprises me; bidh m貌ran fala air a d貌irteadh air a s脿illeabh: much blood will be spilled because of her; caillidh an tri霉ir ghaisgeach as ainmeil鈥� a bh鈥� ann riamh an cinn: the 3 greatest heroes that ever lived will lose their heads; a鈥� fanaid air: mocking him; bha ise trom le leanabh is bha esan trom air fh猫in: she was pregnant [lit. heavy]with a child and he was hard [heavy] on himself; carson nach d鈥� fhuair e tuilleadh fiosrachaidh?: why didn鈥檛 he get more information?; dh鈥檉heumadh X a cur air falbh: X would need to send her away; far nach fhaiceadh s霉il sealladh dhith: where no eye would catch sight of her; far nach cluinneadh cluas a guth: where no ear would hear her voice; th脿inig 脿m a h-asaide dl霉th: the time of her birth approached; ach a-mh脿in a鈥� bhean-ghl霉in: except the midwife; 脿ite falaichte sa mhonadh: a secret place in the hills.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: cha robh duine cloinne aca: they had no children. I could have said cha robh clann aca and it would have meant the same thing. However, duine cloinne (literally 鈥渁 person of children鈥�) is more emphatic 鈥� it might be represented in English by 鈥渢hey didn鈥檛 have a single child鈥�. You will come across duine cloinne in other situations where a grammatical singular is required (clann, although grammatically singular, has a plural connotation) eg cia mheud duine cloinne a th鈥� agad? (how many children do you have?); tha fichead duine cloinne sa chlas (there are 20 children in the class). In the Litir you will also see an robh duine teaghlaich agad riamh? (did you ever have children/a family? 鈥� literally 鈥渁 person of family鈥�). In these phrases cloinne and teaghlaich are in the genitive (singular) case.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: [Mas e sin an fhiosachd a tha thu a鈥� d猫anamh dhomh,] c霉m agad fh猫in i: [if that鈥檚 the soothsaying you are doing for me], keep it [fem] to yourself (ie I don鈥檛 want to hear it).