大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun leabhar aig Mairead Fay Sheathach nach maireann, Folksongs and Folklore of South Uist. Chaochail Mairead o chionn ghoirid agus bu mhath leam, mar chomharra air a beatha is air a b脿s, ge脿rr-chunntas de dh鈥檃on st貌iridh 脿s an leabhar aice innse dhuibh. Tha mi an d貌chas, mura h-eil an leabhar agaibh, gum faigh sibh lethbhreac dheth ma ghabhas sin d猫anamh.

Bha uaireigin uachdaran ann a bha gu math cumhachdach. Bha an oighreachd aige cho m貌r 鈥檚 gun robh grunn pharaistean innte 鈥� agus grunn sagart. Bha an t-uachdaran dhen bheachd gu robh na sagartan gun fheum. Bha e airson an cur gu b脿s. Ach an toiseach bha e a鈥� dol a chur tr矛 ceistean air fear aca, Maighstir Iain. Nan robh esan comasach air na ceistean a fhreagairt, bhiodh an t-uachdaran de貌nach leigeil leis na sagartan gu l猫ir fuireach be貌.

Bha br脿thair aig Maighstir Iain a bha na amadan. Mhothaich an t-amadan gu robh a bhr脿thair d貌lasach agus dh鈥檉haighnich e carson. Dh鈥檌nnis an sagart dha gu robh e an d霉il b脿s fhaighinn leis nach biodh e comasach air na tr矛 ceistean a fhreagairt. 鈥淯ill,鈥� ars鈥� an t-amadan, 鈥渓e aodach sagairt orm tha sinn gu math coltach ri ch猫ile. Nan rachainn ann nad 脿ite, 鈥檚 e call na bu lugha a bhiodh ann nam faighinn fh矛n b脿s seach thusa.鈥�

Dhi霉lt Maighstir Iain leigeil le bhr脿thair sin a dh猫anamh ach tr脿th sa mhadainn dh鈥檉halbh an t-amadan gu ruige taigh m貌r an uachdarain le aodach an t-sagairt air. 鈥淭h脿inig thu tr脿th a Mhaighstir Iain,鈥� thuirt an t-uachdaran ris, agus e a鈥� smaoineachadh gur e an sagart a bh鈥� ann. 鈥淐uiridh mi na ceistean ort mus gabh mi mo bhracaist.鈥�

鈥淐han eil e gu diofar dhomh cuin鈥� a chuireas tu orm iad,鈥� fhreagair an t-amadan.

鈥溾�橲 e a鈥� chiad cheist,鈥� thuirt an t-uachdaran, 鈥渃脿鈥� bheil teis-meadhan na cruinne?鈥� Bha bata aig an amadan agus chuir e ann an meadhan an t-se貌mair e. 鈥淪in teis-meadhan na cruinne,鈥� thuirt e. 鈥淒earbh sin dhomh,鈥� ars鈥� an t-uachdaran. 鈥淯ill,鈥� thuirt an t-amadan, d猫an tomhas air an astar eadar cr矛och an iar na cruinne agus am bata, agus eadar a鈥� chr矛och an ear agus am bata, agus bho na cr矛ochan aig tuath is aig deas, is mura h-eil am bata seo an teis-meadhan na cruinne, bhithinn de貌nach 猫isteachd ri beachd eile鈥︹��

鈥淪eadh,鈥� thuirt an t-uachdaran, 鈥渃han urrainn dhomh dhol an aghaidh sin, ceart gu le貌r. Seo, ma-tha, an d脿rna ceist 鈥� d猫 an luach a th鈥� air mo bheatha?鈥�

鈥淚nnsidh mi sin dhut,鈥� fhreagair an t-amadan. 鈥溾�橲 e luach do bheatha fichead 鈥檚 a naoi p矛osan airgid.鈥�

鈥淒猫 tha thu a鈥� ciallachadh,鈥� ars鈥� an t-uachdaran, 鈥渘uair a gheibh mi barrachd na sin mar airgead-p貌caid gach l脿?鈥�

鈥淐han eil sin gu diofar,鈥� thuirt an t-amadan, 鈥渁ch chaidh ar Sl脿naighear a bhrathadh airson trithead p矛os airgid agus bha luach co-dhi霉 aona ph矛os airgid a bharrachd airsan na tha ortsa.鈥�

鈥淯ill, tha sin ceart,鈥� thuirt an t-uachdaran. Fhuair thu fuasgladh do dh脿 cheist. Ach seo an treas ceist dhut, agus 鈥檚 i an t猫 as dorra. Innis dhomh d猫 tha mi a鈥檚maoineachadh an-dr脿sta.鈥�

鈥淥, sin an t猫 as fhasa,鈥� fhreagair an t-amadan. 鈥淭ha thu a鈥� smaoineachadh gur e Maighstir Iain a tha a鈥� bruidhinn riut ach chan e 鈥� 鈥檚 e a bhr脿thair, an t-amadan!鈥�

鈥淯ill,鈥� fhreagair an t-uachdaran, 鈥渋s mise an t-amadan seach thusa. Iarr air Maighstir Iain thighinn a ch猫ilidh orm.鈥� Agus sin mar a thachair e. Agus tha mi an d霉il gur e deagh naidheachd a chuala Maighstir Iain bhon uachdaran.

Faclan na seachdaine: uachdaran: landlord, laird; sagart: priest; amadan: fool; oighreachd: estate; Maighstir Iain: Father John; comasach: capable; tr脿th: early; bata: stick; fuasgladh: solution.

Abairtean na seachdaine: mar chomharra air a beatha is air a b脿s: as a mark of her life and of her death; bu mhath leam ge脿rr-chunntas de dh鈥檃on st貌iridh innse dhuibh: I would like to tell you a shortened version of one story; ma ghabhas sin d猫anamh: if that can be done; gu robh grunn pharaistean innte: that it [fem] contained several parishes; gu robh na sagartan gun fheum: that the priests were useless; gu robh a bhr脿thair d貌lasach: that his brother was grim and sad; gu robh e an d霉il b脿s fhaighinn: that he expected to die; le aodach sagairt orm tha sinn gu math coltach ri ch猫ile: when I put a priest鈥檚 attire on we look very like each other; nan rachainn ann nad 脿ite: if I were to go in your place; 鈥檚 e call na bu lugha a bhiodh ann: it would be a lesser loss; nam faighinn fh矛n b脿s seach thusa: if I were to die instead of you; mus gabh mi mo bhracaist: before I take my breakfast; chan eil e gu diofar dhomh: it makes no difference to me; c脿鈥� bheil teis-meadhan na cruinne?: where is the exact centre of the Earth?; dearbh sin dhomh: prove that to me; d猫an tomhas air an astar eadar cr矛och an iar na cruinne agus am bata: measure the distance from the western edge of the world to the stick; d猫 an luach a th鈥� air mo bheatha?: what is my life worth?; chaidh ar Sl脿naighear a bhrathadh: our Saviour was betrayed; bha luach co-dhi霉 aona ph矛os airgid a bharrachd airsan na tha ortsa: he was worth at least one more piece of silver than you are worth; 鈥檚 i an t猫 as dorra: that is the most difficult one [fem]; sin an t猫 as fhasa: that鈥檚 the easiest one.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Bha e airson an cur gu b脿s: he wanted to kill them [put them to death]. You will note the presence here of a possessive article 鈥� an, the third person plural possessive meaning 鈥渢heir鈥�. This is the normal situation for a construction of this nature. For example for 鈥渉e wanted to put me to death鈥�, we would say 鈥渂ha e ag iarraidh mo chur gu b脿s鈥� or 鈥渂ha e airson mo chur gu b脿s鈥�, using the first person singular possessive. For 鈥渟he wanted to send them home鈥� we might say 鈥渂ha i airson an cur dhachaigh鈥�; for 鈥渟he wanted to send us home鈥� we might say 鈥渂ha i airson ar cur dhachaigh鈥�, and so on.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: chan urrainn dhomh dhol an aghaidh sin: I can鈥檛 contradict that, go against that.