大象传媒

Tha sinn a鈥� dol a chur cr矛och, an t-seachdain seo, air an t-seann sgeulachd 脠irig Fhinn no Fionn鈥檚 Reparation. Nuair a dh鈥檉h脿g sinn am fear beag 矛osal lapanach an t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha e fhathast ann an R矛oghachd nam Fear M貌ra. Bha marcaiche steud dhuibh air tighinn a-mach 脿s an adhar airson ionnsaigh gharbh a thoirt air.

Bha Fionn fh猫in air a dhol dhachaigh o chionn fhada. Bha na co-dhaltan aige air a dhol dhachaigh cuideachd leis a鈥� bhoireannach mh貌r agus an c霉 beag aice. Bha iadsan a鈥� smaoineachadh 鈥� aig an toiseach co-dhi霉 鈥� gu robh 猫irig Fhinn aca. Ach an robh鈥�? Leanaidh mi orm leis an sgeulachd 鈥�

Tharraing am fear beag a chlaidheamh. Mharbh e am marcaiche. Bha e airson faighinn a-mach d猫 bha am marcaiche a鈥� gi霉lan. Rinn e rannsachadh air a鈥� chorp is am measg a chuid aodaich. Cha do lorg e, ge-t脿, ach d脿 ch矛r agus sporan seang s矛oda. Dh鈥檉hosgail e an sporan. Na bhroinn bha sia fiaclan. Sia fiaclan Fhinn 鈥檌c Cumhail. Thill am fear beag dhachaigh leotha.

Dh鈥檉haighnich fear de na br脿ithrean dheth, 鈥淒猫 chunnaic thu an-diugh air do chuairt?鈥�

鈥淭h脿inig dubharadh froise 脿s an 脿ird an iar-thuath,鈥� thuirt am fear beag. 鈥溍�s a sin th脿inig marcaiche steud dhuibh orm. Thug e ionnsaigh orm. Ach tharraing mi mo chlaidheamh agus mharbh mi e.鈥�

鈥淒猫 fhuair thu na l霉ib?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich na br脿ithrean.

鈥淐ha d鈥� fhuair,鈥� ars鈥� am fear beag, 鈥渁ch d脿 ch矛r agus sporan seang s矛oda, anns an robh sia fiaclan.鈥�

鈥淥ch och,鈥� thuirt am br脿thair as 脿irde. 鈥淢harbh thu an t-aon bhr脿thair a bh鈥� aig m鈥� athair.鈥�

Thuirt am fear beag riutha, 鈥淢ura h-eil an gn矛omh a rinn mi taitneach dhuibh, n矛 mi a鈥� cheart rud oirbh fh猫in.鈥�

An uair sin thuirt fear eile de na br脿ithrean, 鈥溾�橲 fhada bho na bhathar ag r脿dh gur e am fear a thigeadh is a thogadh 猫irig Fhinn 鈥檌c Cumhail a bheireadh saorsa dhuinn bho gach cath is cogadh.鈥�

Thuirt am fear beag 矛osal lapanach an uair sin gu robh 猫irig Fhinn aige agus mar sin gum biodh e a鈥� falbh. Thuirt na br脿ithrean ris gum faigheadh e bhuapa steud dubh a mharcaicheadh an cuan glas mar gur e machair geal sgiamhach a bh鈥� ann.

鈥淢a bheir thu ar naidheachd-ne do ar piuthar, bidh i agad fh猫in mar bhean,鈥� thuirt na br脿ithrean ris.

Dh鈥檉halbh am fear beag air an steud. Aig beul na h-oidhche bha e air ais c貌mhla ri Fionn Mac Cumhail. Dh鈥檉haighnich e de Fhionn 鈥檚 de cho-dhaltan an d鈥� fhuair iad an 猫irig. Fhreagair iadsan, 鈥淐ha d鈥� fhuair.鈥�

Thug am fear beag an sporan seang s矛oda a-mach. Dh鈥檉hosgail e e, is thug e na sia fiaclan a-mach. Thuirt e ri Fionn, 鈥淭ha d鈥� 猫irig an sin dhut, 鈥檚 cha d鈥� fhuair do cho-dhaltan e.鈥�

Uill, sin agaibh 脠irig Fhinn. Tha mi air a dh猫anamh s矛mplidh dhuibh. Ma tha sibh airson an sgeulachd air fad a leughadh, ann an G脿idhlig agus Beurla, tha i ann an Transactions Chomunn G脿idhlig Inbhir Nis, iris c貌ig-deug (XV). Mar sin leibh an-dr脿sta.

Faclan na seachdaine: mu-thr脿th: already: lapanach: feeble; cron: damage.

Abairtean na seachdaine: tha sinn a鈥� dol a chuir cr矛och air X: we are going to finish X; bha marcaiche steud dhuibh air tighinn a-mach 脿s an adhar: a rider of a black steed had come [upon him suddenly] out of the sky; bha na co-dhaltan aige air a dhol dhachaigh: his foster-brothers had gone home; gu robh 猫irig Fhinn aca: that they had Fionn鈥檚 reparation; rinn e rannsachadh am measg a chuid aodaich: he searched among his clothes; d脿 ch矛r agus sp貌ran seang s矛oda: two combs and a thin silk purse; na bhroinn bha sia fiaclan: inside it were six teeth; dubharadh froise: a darkening of the sky indicating a shower; d猫 fhuair thu na l霉ib?: what did you get attached to him [ie on his person]?; cha do rinn thu math riamh dhuinn: you never did any good to us; mharbh thu an t-aon bhr脿thair a bh鈥� aig m鈥� athair: you killed my father鈥檚 only brother; thigeadh e a thoirt dhuinn eachdraidh air gach n矛: he would come to give us an account of everything; n矛 mi a鈥� cheart rud oirbh fh猫in: I will do the same to you; 鈥檚 fhada bho na bhathar ag r脿dh: it is a long time since it was said; gur e am fear a thigeadh is thogadh 猫irig Fhinn 鈥檌c Cumhail: that it was the man who would come and would retrieve [lift] Fionn鈥檚 reparation; a bheireadh saorsa dhuinn bho gach cath is cogadh: who would give us freedom from every fight and war; gum faigheadh e bhuapa steud dubh: that he would get from them a black steed; a mharcaicheadh an cuan glas: who would ride the grey ocean; machair geal sgiamhach: a beautiful fair plain: beul na h-oidhche: dusk; tha d鈥� 猫irig an sin dhut: there is your reparation for you.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Ma bheir thu ar naidheachd-ne do ar piuthar, bidh i agad fh猫in mar bhean: if you give our news to our sister, you will have her as a wife. I want to make a point about emphatic suffixes which we last looked at in Litir 216 (08.08.03). Here is a good example of one in the first person plural. We can say 鈥渙ur news鈥� in two ways: ar naidheachd or an naidheachd againn. If we want to make it emphatic we have to say either ar naidheachd-ne or an naidheachd againne (where the 鈥搉e suffix is fused to againn). It is in emphatic form in the story because ar naidheachd might mean 鈥渢he news we have鈥� (not necessarily about 鈥渦s鈥�) whereas ar naidheachd-ne implies that it is news 鈥渁bout us鈥�. It is worth making a point here about a useful idiom: innis dha gu robh mi a鈥� gabhail a naidheachd means 鈥渢ell him I was asking after him鈥�. Stick that one in your book of useful phrases!

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: mura h-eil an gn矛omh a rinn mi taitneach dhuibh: if the thing I did is not agreeable to you.