大象传媒

Halo a-rithist. Tha sinn a鈥� leantainn leis an t-seann sgeulachd 脠irig Fhinn. Bha am fear beag 矛osal lapanach ann an R矛oghachd nam Fear M貌ra. Bha Fionn agus a thri霉ir cho-dhaltan air a dhol dhachaigh. Chuala am fear beag bho na br脿ithrean mu r猫iseamaid shaighdearan agus mar a bhiodh cailleach le stopan draoidheil gan toirt be貌 a-rithist.

鈥淎n tig ach sin?鈥� thuirt am fear beag.

鈥淭hig r猫iseamaid eile,鈥� thuirt fear de na br脿ithrean ris. 鈥淏idh cluicheadairean cl脿rsaich air an ceann. Cuiridh iadsan nad chadal thu.鈥�

鈥淎n tig ach sin?鈥� thuirt am fear beag.

鈥淭hig bodach m貌r,鈥� thuirt br脿thair eile. 鈥淢arbhaidh e thu, mura cum thu cath oidhche ris.鈥�

鈥淎n tig ach sin?鈥� thuirt am fear beag a-rithist.

鈥淭hig cailleach mh貌r mh貌r,鈥� thuirt an treas br脿thair. 鈥淢a gheibh i faisg ort, marbhaidh a h-anail thu.鈥�

鈥淎n tig ach sin?鈥� thuirt am fear beag.

鈥淐ha tig duine eile,鈥� fhreagair na br脿ithrean. Agus dh鈥檉halbh am fear beag.

Nuair a r脿inig e an t-脿ite, chunnaic e r猫iseamaid a鈥� tighinn. Chaidh e am falach. Chaidh na saighdearan seachad. Chaidh am fear beag air an c霉laibh agus mharbh e a h-uile fear aca. Th脿inig a鈥� chailleach an uair sin. Bha stopan draoidheil aice. Laigh am fear beag am measg nan daoine marbh, mar gu robh e fh猫in marbh.

Chuir a鈥� chailleach corrag anns an stopan. Chuir i a corrag ann am beul fear de na saighdearan, agus dh鈥櫭╥rich e be貌. Chuir i a corrag ann am beul an fhir bhig. Thug esan a corrag dhith bho na r霉danan, le fhiaclan. Leig a鈥� chailleach glaodh. Leum am fear beag gu chasan agus ghe脿rr e dheth ceann an t-saighdeir agus ceann na cailliche.

Th脿inig an r猫iseamaid eile de shaighdearan. Bha cluicheadairean cl脿rsaich air an ceann. Th脿inig sg矛ths uabhasach air an fhear bheag. Airson a chumail fh猫in na dh霉isg, chuir e ceann a鈥� chlaidheimh ri chois agus b脿rr a鈥� chlaidheimh ri bhathais. A h-uile turas a bha an cadal a鈥� tighinn air, chum a chlaidheamh na dh霉isg e. Nuair a chaidh na saighdearan seachad air, leum e a-mach orra agus mharbh e iad.

Bha aige ri feitheamh ris a鈥� bhodach mh貌r. Rinn e toll domhainn anns an talamh. Thuit am bodach ann agus ghe脿rr am fear beag a cheann dheth.

An uair sin th脿inig a鈥� chailleach mh貌r mh貌r. Nuair a bha i faisg air, bha a h-anail ga laigeachadh. Bha iad a鈥� sabaid le ch猫ile fad na h-oidhche. Aig briseadh an l脿, dh霉isg na br脿ithrean. Chaidh iad a-mach don 脿ite far an robh am fear beag is a鈥� chailleach mh貌r mh貌r a鈥� sabaid.

鈥淐uir thusa do mheur anns an stopan,鈥� thuirt am fear beag ri fear de na br脿ithrean, 鈥渁gus cuir nam bheul e.鈥� Rinn am br脿thair sin agus ghe脿rr am fear beag ceann na cailliche m貌ire dhith. Thug na br脿ithrean am fear beag dhachaigh leotha air an guailnean.

Bha iad a鈥� fuireach c貌mhla airson 霉ine gu d貌igheil. Ach l脿 a bha seo bha am fear beag 矛osal lapanach a-muigh air chuairt anns a鈥� mhonadh. Chunnaic e dubharadh froise a鈥� tighinn 脿s an 脿ird an iar-thuath. 脌s a sin th脿inig marcaiche steud dhuibh. Thug am marcaiche ionnsaigh chruaidh air an fhear bheag. Tharraing am fear beag a chlaidheamh agus 鈥� uill, innsidh mi dhuibh d猫 thachair nuair a chuireas mi cr矛och air an sgeulachd an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine: 脠irig Fhinn: Fionn鈥檚 Reparation; st貌pan: small wooden vessel used for carrying milk or water; r猫iseamaid: regiment.

Abairtean na seachdaine: bha am fear beag 矛osal lapanach ann an R矛oghachd nam Fear M貌ra: the wee low feeble man was in the Kingdom of the Big Men; bha Fionn agus a thri霉ir cho-dhaltan air a dhol dhachaigh: Fionn and his three foster-brothers had gone home; mar a bhiodh cailleach le stopan draoidheil gan toirt be貌 a-rithist: how an old hag with a magic stopan would bring them to life again; an tig ach sin?: will none others than these come?; bidh cluicheadairean cl脿rsaich air an ceann: there will be harpers at their head; ma gheibh i faisg ort, marbhaidh a h-anail thu: if she gets close to you, her breath will kill you; cha tig duine eile: nobody else will come; chaidh e am falach: he hid; air an c霉laibh: behind them; laigh X am measg nan daoine marbh: X lay among the dead men; mar gu robh e fh猫in marbh: as if he himself were dead; chuir i a corrag ann am beul fear de na saighdearan: she put her finger in the mouth of one of the soldiers; thug esan a corrag dhith bho na r霉danan, le fhiaclan: he took her finger off from the knuckles, with his teeth; ghe脿rr e dheth ceann an t-saighdeir: he cut off the soldier鈥檚 head; th脿inig sg矛ths uabhasach air X: a terrible tiredness came over X; ceann a鈥� chlaidheimh ri chois agus b脿rr a鈥� chlaidheimh ri bhathais: the hilt of the sword to his foot and the point of the sword to his forehead; bha a h-anail ga laigeachadh: her breath was weakening him; aig briseadh an l脿, dh霉isg na br脿ithrean: at daybreak, the brothers awoke; air an guailnean: on their shoulders; dubharadh froise a鈥� tighinn 脿s an 脿ird an iar-thuath: the gloom of a shower coming from the north-west; th脿inig marcaiche steud dhuibh: the rider of a black steed came: thug X ionnsaigh chruaidh air Y: X savagely attacked Y; tharraing X a chlaidheamh: X drew his sword.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: bha X a-muigh anns a鈥� mhonadh: X was out on the hill. Monadh doesn鈥檛 easily translate into English (it refers to high country which might be extensive and take in mountain summits), but it is often translated as 鈥渉ill鈥� and I think this is the reason that many Scots refer in English to being 鈥渙n the hill鈥�, where an Englishman might say 鈥渋n the hills鈥�. On the other hand, the Englishman鈥檚 preposition would be closer to traditional Gaelic usage, in which we say anns a鈥� mhonadh (literally 鈥渋n the hill鈥�), not air a鈥� mhonadh.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: mura cum thu cath oidhche ris: if you do not keep fighting him all night. Bha X a鈥� cur cath ri Y: X was fighting Y. Bha X a鈥� cumail cath ri Y: X was keeping on fighting Y.