大象传媒

Chan eil m貌ran daoine air fh脿gail ann an Di霉ra aig a bheil G脿idhlig an-diugh, ach tha d矛leab phr矛seil aig an eilean co-cheangailte ris a鈥� ch脿nan. Chaidh seann sgeulachdan a chruinneachadh ann agus bu mhath leam t猫 dhiubh sin innse dhuibh an-diugh, ged a tha i nas giorra agamsa nan t猫 a chaidh aithris o shean.

Tha i co-cheangailte ri d脿 theaghlach a tha fhathast anns an eilean. Clann 鈥檌c Ille Riabhaich no na Darrochs mar a chanas iad riutha ann am Beurla, agus Clann 鈥檌c Ille Bhuidhe - na Buies. O chionn fhada bha fear de Chloinn 鈥檌c Ille Riabhaich ann a bha m貌r agus l脿idir. Bha e math air sabaid, agus dh鈥檌arr Iarla Earra-Ghaidheal air Eilean Cholasa a ghabhail thairis as a leth. Airson sin, ge-t脿, dh鈥檉heumadh e cur 脿s don fheadhainn aig an robh smachd air Colasa 鈥� Clann 鈥檌c a鈥� Ph矛.

Rinn Mac Ille Riabhaich deiseil, ach chuala fear eile ann an Di霉ra mu dheidhinn. B鈥� esan Mac Ille Bhuidhe. Nuair a th脿inig an l脿 airson falbh a Cholasa ann am b矛rlinn, chaidh Mac Ille Bhuidhe a dh鈥檌onnsaigh Mhic Ille Riabhaich agus dh鈥檉haighnich e dheth am faigheadh e fh猫in cothrom dhol a dh鈥櫭宭e c貌mhla ris. Cha do leig e air gu robh fios aige gu robh iad a鈥� dol a Cholasa.

Nuair a r脿inig iad 脤le, thuirt Mac Ille Riabhaich gu robh iad a鈥� leantainn orra gu ruige Colasa, agus dh鈥檌arr Mac Ille Bhuidhe air fuireach air b貌rd. Nuair a r脿inig iad Colasa, rinn sgioba Mhic Ille Riabhaich air an taigh mh貌r airson cur 脿s do Chloinn 鈥檌c a鈥� Ph矛. Chum Mac Ille Bhuidhe p矛os beag air falbh, ach chunnaic e boireannach 貌g a鈥� ruith a-mach 脿s an taigh mh貌r le rudeigin fo a h-achlais. 鈥橲 e a bh鈥� ann leanabh-gille, an duine mu dheireadh a bha be貌 anns an teaghlach as d猫idh na sgrios.

Chuir Mac Ille Bhuidhe an leanabh fo a chuid aodaich agus chaidh e air ais don bh矛rlinn. Bha e ag iomradh c貌mhla ri c脿ch nuair a bhris an r脿mh aige. Bhuail a l脿mhan an leanabh a bha aig a bhroilleach, agus leig am fear beag 猫igh a-mach. Chuala Mac Ille Riabhaich e agus thuirt e, 鈥渢ha arrabhalach sa bh脿ta!鈥�

鈥淐han eil ann,鈥� fhreagair Mac Ille Bhuidhe, 鈥渁ch d矛osgan nan r脿mh.鈥�

Thug iad r脿mh eile dha, ach bhris e sin cuideachd. An uairsin thug iad am buirbid m貌r dha 鈥� an r脿mh m貌r a bhathar a鈥� cleachdadh airson b矛rlinn a sti霉ireadh. Thug Mac Ille Bhuidhe a鈥� bh矛rlinn a-steach gu t矛r ann an Di霉ra mus do mhothaich c脿ch gu robh iad faisg air a鈥� chladach. Chleachd e an r脿mh airson leum air t矛r agus, mus robh cothrom aig duine sam bith eile gluasad, bha e air a鈥� chladach deiseil dhaibh le chlaidheamh.

鈥淐ha b鈥� fhuilear dhut, Mhic Ille Bhuidhe, a bhith cho ealamh,鈥� thuirt Mac Ille Riabhaich.

鈥淭higibh air t矛r a-nise,鈥� fhreagair Mac Ille Bhuidhe, 鈥渢ha mi deiseil air ur son.鈥� Thog e an leanabh suas, ag innse dhaibh gur e oighre Mhic a鈥� Ph矛 Cholasa a bh鈥� ann, agus nach fhaigheadh duine aca greim air.

Cha robh c脿ch de貌nach sabaid leis ach b鈥� fheudar do Mhac Ille Bhuidhe teicheadh leis an leanabh agus chuir e am falach e ann an uamh air cliathaich Beinn an 脪ir, a鈥� bheinn as 脿irde ann an Di霉ra. Nuair a th脿inig an gille gu 矛re, fhuair e Eilean Cholasa air ais, airson greis co-dhi霉, agus bhathar ag r脿dh, nan robh taic a dh矛th air Mac Ille Bhuidhe, nach robh aige ach teine m貌r a thogail a chitheadh muinntir Cholasa, agus chuireadh iad sgioba de ghaisgich ga ionnsaigh airson a chuideachadh.

Faclan na seachdaine: Di霉ra: Jura; nas giorra: shorter; o shean: a long time ago, in the old days; Clann 鈥檌c a鈥� Ph矛: the MacPhees; b矛rlinn: galley; a dh鈥檌onnsaigh: towards; 脤le: Islay; leanabh-gille: baby boy; r脿mh: oar; arrabhalach: stowaway (traitor); oighre: heir.

Abairtean na seachdaine: tha d矛leab phr矛seil co-cheangailte ris a鈥� ch脿nan: there is a valuable legacy associated with the language; bu mhath leam t猫 dhiubh sin innse dhuibh: I would like to tell you one of them (fem.); dh鈥檌arr Iarla Earra-Ghaidheal air Eilean Cholasa a ghabhail thairis as a leth: The Earl of Argyll asked him to take over the Isle of Colonsay on this behalf; cha do leig e air gu robh fios aige: he didn鈥檛 let on that he knew; gu robh iad a鈥� leantainn orra gu ruige Colasa: that they were continuing on to Colonsay; rinn X air an taigh mh貌r airson cur 脿s do Y: X made for the big house to kill Y; le rudeigin fo a h-achlais: with something under her arm; an duine mu dheireadh a bha be貌 anns an teaghlach: the last person in the family who was alive; fo a chuid aodaich: under his clothes; bha e ag iomradh c貌mhla ri c脿ch: he was rowing along with the others; bhuail a l脿mhan an leanabh a bh鈥� aig a bhroilleach: his hands hit the baby who was at his breast [under his clothes]; d矛osgan nan r脿mh: the creaking of the oars; a bhathar a鈥� cleachdadh airson b矛rlinn a sti霉ireadh: which was used to steer the galley; bha e deiseil dhaibh le chlaidheamh: he was ready for them with his sword; b鈥� fheudar do X teicheadh: X had to flee; chuir e am falach e ann an uamh air cliathaich Beinn an 脪ir: he hid him in a cave on the side of Beinn an 脪ir (mountain of the gold); nach robh aige ach teine m貌r a thogail a chitheadh muinntir Cholasa: he only had to light a fire which the Colonsay folk would see.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: chuireadh iad sgioba de ghaisgich ga ionnsaigh airson a chuideachadh: they would send him a team of heroes to help him. The last 3 words are what I want to concentrate on here 鈥� airson a chuideachadh. The 鈥渁鈥� is the masculine 3rd person singular possessive adjective and it therefore lenites the following word which, although it is an infinitive form of a verb, acts in the same way as a noun (it is in fact a form of verbal noun). A direct translation would be 鈥渇or his helping鈥�. The feminine equivalent (鈥渇or her helping鈥� ie 鈥渋n order to help her鈥�) would be airson a cuideachadh. It works similarly for all other persons, leniting where appropriate ie after mo and do: tha iad an seo airson mo chur an greim (they are here to arrest me); tha mi airson do sh脿bhaladh (I want to save you); tha iad airson ar f脿gail an seo (they want to leave us here); a bheil iad airson ur tr猫igsinn? (do they want to abandon you?); tha sinn airson an cuideachadh (we want to help them).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Cha b鈥� fhuilear dhut a bhith cho ealamh: you needed to be [so] sprightly. This is an old expression, and a little obtuse because of its negative structure, but it is still heard from time to time. Chan fhuilear dhut: you need/require.