大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi a-mach air rud a leugh mi anns an leabhar Tales and Traditions of the Lews le D貌mhnall D貌mhnallach. Tha aon st貌iridh aige gu h-脿raidh a leugh mi le tlachd mh貌r, oir tha e air a l矛bhrigeadh gu siubhlach, br猫agha. 鈥橲 e a th鈥� ann sgeulachd 脿 beul-aithris air an cuala mi iomradh ann an 脿iteachan eile cuideachd. Bheir mi blasad dhith dhuibh an-dr脿sta.

Bidh sibh e貌lach, tha mi an d霉il, air Eilean Bhe脿rnaraigh air taobh siar Le貌dhais. Canaidh daoine Be脿rnaraigh Le貌dhais ris, oir tha Be脿rnaraigh no dh脿 eile ann cuideachd. Agus, leis an fh矛rinn innse, tha d脿 Bhe脿rnaraigh ann an Le貌dhas, eilean m貌r, Be脿rnaraigh Mh貌r, agus eilean beag eile ri thaobh 鈥� Be脿rnaraigh Bheag. Chan eil duine a鈥� fuireach ann am Be脿rnaraigh Bheag an l脿 an-diugh ach, o shean, bha sluagh ann. Agus ri linn nan creachadairean Lochlannach, bha daoine gu le貌r a鈥� fuireach anns an eilean.

Nam measg, bha t猫 貌g a bha air leth br猫agha. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a bh鈥� oirre 鈥淕ealachos鈥�. Tha mi an d霉il gum b鈥� e ciall a h-ainm 鈥� geala-chas 鈥� is gu robh casan b脿na aice. Bha na fleasgaich gu l猫ir d猫idheil air Gealachos agus tha e coltach gu robh i ann an gaol le fear aca.

Ach, l脿 a bha seo, nochd feachd de Lochlannaich ann am birlinn aig an tr脿igh. B鈥� e fear 鈥淪uain鈥� an ceannard aca, agus bha e na R矛gh air Lochlann air fad. Chunnaic e am boireannach 貌g br猫agha, agus dh鈥檉hairich e teas a鈥� ghaoil na chridhe. Bha e airson 鈥檚 gum p貌sadh e i, agus dh鈥檌arr e air cuid de na saighearan aige Gealachos a thoirt am bruid.

Goirid as d猫idh sin bha i air a鈥� bhirlinn air a slighe a Lochlann am measg dhaoine aig an robh c脿nan nach do thuig i idir. Bha i a鈥� caoineadh fad an t-siubhail airson a p脿rantan, airson a leannain agus airson eilean a h-脿raich. Bha Suain gl猫 shnog dhi agus bha i modhail gu le貌r dha, ach bha cianalas m貌r oirre.

Nuair a r脿inig i Lochlann, bha sluagh m貌r a鈥� feitheamh rithe fh猫in is ris an R矛gh. Shaoil na Lochlannaich gu l猫ir gu robh Gealachos br猫agha agus bha iad airson a d猫anamh toilichte nam measg. Nuair a bhiodh i a鈥� sealg nan torc anns a鈥� choille, nuair a bhiodh i gu h-脿rd air na beanntan 脿lainn no ann am b脿ta m貌r ann an loch br猫agha, fi霉 鈥檚 an uair sin, cha robh i sona. Bha i airson a dhol dhachaigh. Agus dh鈥檉h脿g sin cridhe Shuain trom, oir bha e dha-r矛reabh ann an gaol leatha.

Mu dheireadh, as d猫idh seachd bliadhna, chaidh an R矛gh ga h-ionnsaigh agus 鈥檚 e seo an c貌mhradh a bh鈥� aca 鈥� a chaidh fh脿gail againn mar rann Gh脿idhlig, co-dhi霉 鈥檚 ann an G脿idhlig no Lochlannais a bha e aig an 脿m. 鈥橲 e an R矛gh a bhruidhneas an toiseach:

Nam biodh tusa ann am Be脿rnaraigh Bheag

Cha bhiodh aca fleadh no fonn,

Ach mac-talla chreagan 脿rda

Toirt fianais air b脿rcadh thonn.

Fhreagair i gu socair ci霉in,

鈥橲 de貌ir bho a s霉il a鈥� ruith gu luath,

鈥楥haoidh cha toir mi a Lochlann r霉n,

Le chuid shl猫ibhtean m霉gach fuar.鈥�

Goirid as d猫idh sin, thug Suain Gealachos air ais a Bhe脿rnaraigh agus, ged a dh鈥檉huirich i anns an eilean airson a鈥� ch貌rr de a beatha, agus ged a bha i sona gu le貌r, cha do ghabh i gaol air fear sam bith as d猫idh na thachair dhi, agus chaochail i na seann bhoireannach gun ph貌sadh.

Faclan na seachdaine: Be脿rnaraigh Bheag: Little Bernera; sluagh: people, population; fleasgaich: youths, bachelors; feachd: (armed) force; birlinn: galley; Suain: Sweyn; torc: wild boar; 脿lainn: (very) beautiful; mac-talla: echo; de貌ir: tears.

Abairtean na seachdaine: a leugh mi le tlachd mh貌r: which I read with great pleasure; bheir mi blasad dhith dhuibh: I鈥檒l give you a taste of it; ri linn nan creachadairean Lochlannach: at the time of the Viking marauders; tha mi an d霉il gum b鈥� e ciall a h-ainm..: I think (expect) that the meaning of her name was..; bha e na R矛gh air Lochlann air fad: he was the king of the whole of Scandinavia; dh鈥檉hairich e teas a鈥� ghaoil na chridhe: he felt the heat of love in his heart; bha e airson 鈥檚 gum p貌sadh e i: he wanted to marry her; dh鈥檌arr e air X, Y a thoirt am bruid: he asked X to kidnap Y; airson eilean a h-脿raich: for the island of her upbringing; bha iad airson a d猫anamh toilichte: they wanted to please her; cha bhiodh aca fleadh no fonn: they wouldn鈥檛 have a feast or a tune (ie feast or fun); (a鈥�) toirt fianais air b脿rcadh thonn: bearing testimony to rushing of waves (noise on the shore); fhreagair i gu socair ci霉in: she replied gently and calmly; (a-)chaoidh cha toir mi a Lochlann r霉n: never will I give Lochlann my love; le chuid shl猫ibhtean m霉gach fuar: with its gloomy cold moors (in parts of the mainland m霉gach is mugach ie a short 鈥渦鈥�); chaochail i na seann bhoireannach gun ph貌sadh: she died an old woman without marrying.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: sgeulachd 脿 beul-aithris air an cuala mi iomradh ann an 脿iteachan eile: a story derived from oral tradition which I (had) heard in other places. Do you note it is air an cuala mi, not air a chuala mi. Consider the English statements 鈥淚 am ready鈥� and 鈥渁m I ready?鈥� The verbal forms (鈥渁m鈥�) are the same, even though one is affirmative (a statement) while the other is interrogative (a question). In Gaelic the two forms are generally different eg 鈥渢ha mi deiseil鈥� (affirmative) and 鈥渁 bheil mi deiseil?鈥� (interrogative). Consider now the past tenses of the irregular verb cluinn (cluinntinn): 鈥渃huala mi e鈥� and 鈥渁n cuala mi e?鈥� The former is the affirmative form and the latter the interrogative form. It is important to distinguish the two, because in certain phrases one is used in preference to the other: eg with cia mheud we use the affirmative form 鈥� cia mheud caora a tha agad? NOT cia mheud caora a bheil agad? With ciamar, we also use the affirmative form 鈥� ie ciamar a tha thu? NOT ciamar a bheil thu? And in the example in the Litir, following 鈥渁ir鈥� we use the interrogative form. We might say 鈥渟in am boireannach air a bheil Uilleam d猫idheil鈥� (that鈥檚 the woman William is keen on) but we would not say 鈥渟in am boireannach air a tha Uilleam d猫idheil鈥�. Here are two more examples of that: sin a鈥� phairc air an robh mi a鈥� cluich (that鈥檚 the park on which I was playing); sin an dearbh chuspair air am bi mi a鈥� bruidhinn (that鈥檚 the very subject on which I will be speaking).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: bha cianalas m貌r oirre: she was very homesick.