大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, chuir mi ceist oirbh airson me貌mhrachadh air. Dh鈥檉haighnich mi 鈥� d猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a th鈥� air kerfuffle? 鈥橲 d貌cha gun do thagh sibh rudeigin mar 鈥渃ur troimh ch猫ile鈥�. Is iomadh turas a chaidh a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd a chur troimh ch猫ile na h-eachdraidh, agus tha m貌ran dhen bheachd gur e ar-a-mach nan Seumasach an t-脿m a bu mhiosa dhi.

Agus tha ceist agam dhuibh mu dheidhinn an dearbh ghnothaich a tha sin. C貌 loisg a鈥� chiad pheilear ann an ar-a-mach nan Seumasach ann am 鈥淏liadhna a鈥� Phrionnsa鈥� neo 鈥淏liadhna The脿rlaich鈥�? Tha fhios gum bi diofar bheachdan ann air sin ach a r猫ir beul-aithris 脿 Earra-Ghaidheal, thachair e ann a sin, p矛os beag gu tuath air an 脪ban.

Bha fear Sti霉bhart, uachdaran na h-Apainn, a鈥� feuchainn ri n脿baidh aige, air an robh Caimbeul, is a bha na uachdaran ann am Barra Calltainn, a bhrosnachadh gus dhol c貌mhla ris ann an arm a鈥� Phrionnsa. Chaidh an Sti霉bhartach tarsainn Loch Creurain ann am b脿ta, aig an Rubha Gharbh, airson bruidhinn ris a鈥� Chaimbeulach ach, mar a bhios fios agaibh, cha robh a鈥� chuid mh貌r de na Caimbeulaich de貌nach dhol air taobh nan Seumasach, agus cha robh fear Bharra Challtainn airson a dhol an aghaidh a chinn-chinnidh.

Mar sin, dhi霉lt e dhol ann. Ach, leis gu robh e fh猫in is an Sti霉bhartach a鈥� faighinn air adhart gu math c貌mhla mar charaidean is n脿baidhean, dh鈥檃ontaich e leigeil le fear na h-Apainn dhol am measg muinntir na h-oighreachd aige, feuch feadhainn aca a th脿ladh gu arm nan Seumasach. Dh鈥檃ontaich feadhainn dhol c貌mhla ris an Sti霉bhartach, agus rinn iad deiseil airson falbh.

Chaidh an Caimbeulach cuide riutha don chladach airson soraidh sl脿n a leigeil leotha. Chaidh an Sti霉bhartach a-steach do bh脿ta agus thuirt e na faclan seo: 鈥淏脿rr no faobhar, thig air aghaidh!鈥� B脿rr no faobhar, thig air aghaidh. Bha e a鈥� brosnachadh ch脿ich gus dhol a shabaid as leth a鈥� Phrionnsa.

Bha an Caimbeulach na sheasamh air creag os cionn a鈥� bh脿t-aiseig. Thog e a ghunna, agus loisg e e. An uairsin, thuirt e, 鈥淭ha an sin a鈥� chiad pheilear.鈥� Agus bha muinntir an 脿ite a-riamh dhen bheachd bhon uairsin gum b鈥� e sin a鈥� chiad pheilear a chaidh a losgadh anns an ar-a-mach, ged nach robh droch-r霉n co-cheangailte ris. Gu m矛-fhortanach, lean m貌ran pheilearan eile air an fhear sin.

A-nise seo st貌iridh beag laghach dhuibh. Dh鈥檉haighnich gille a bha seo de nighinn, air an do ghabh e n貌isean, cuin a rachadh i air chuairt leis. Bha esan taobh a-muigh an taigh aice agus bha i fh猫in aig uinneig fhosgailte. Seo an fhreagairt a fhuair e:

鈥楴uair a thogas mi an l矛on, a leagas mi a鈥� ghlainne, agus a chuireas mi am marbh a thiodhlacadh a鈥� bhe貌, thig mi c貌mhla riut.鈥�

Uill, smaoinich e airson mionaid. Nuair a thogadh i a l矛on, nuair a leagadh i a鈥� ghlainne agus nuair a chuireadh i am marbh a thiodhlacadh a鈥� bhe貌, rachadh i c貌mhla ris. Bha sin ro fhada dha, shaoil e, ged a bha gr脿dh aige dhi, agus dh鈥檉halbh e gu t矛rean c猫in. An ceann tr矛 bliadhna, thill e agus chuala e gu robh i a-nise p貌sta aig fear eile. Chaidh e a choimhead oirre, agus mh矛nich i a鈥� ch霉is dha leis na faclan seo: 鈥淐ho luath 鈥檚 a thogainn an t-anart far a鈥� bh霉ird, a dh霉ininn an uinneag agus a sm脿lainn an t猫ine, bha mi air a bhith deiseil dhut. Ach bha thu m矛-fhoighidneach, agus dh鈥檉halbh thu.鈥� Nuair a thuig e a mhearachd, tha fhios gu robh am fear bochd troimh-ch猫ile buileach.

Faclan na seachdaine: ar-a-mach nan Seumasach: the Jacobite rebellion; Bliadhna a鈥� Phrionnsa/Bliadhna The脿rlaich: the year of the Jacobite rebellion, 1745-6; beul-aithris: oral tradition; uachdaran na h-Apainn: landowner of Appin; Loch Creurain: Loch Creran; anart: linen (l矛on also means linen as well as net or line); m矛-fhoighidneach: impatient.

is iomadh turas a chaidh a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd a chur troimh-ch猫ilena h-eachdraidh: the Highlands were put topsy-turvy many times in its (her) history; mudheidhinn an dearbh ghnothaich a tha sin: about that same matter; c貌 loisg a鈥� chiadpheilear?: who fired the first bullet?; cha robh fear Bharra Challtainn airson a dhol anaghaidh a chinn-chinnidh: the laird of Barcaldine did not want to go against his clan chief;airson soraidh sl脿n a leigeil leotha: to farewell them; bha e a鈥� brosnachadh ch脿ich gus dhol ashabaid as leth a鈥� Phrionnsa: he was exhorting the others to go and fight for the Prince; bhaan Caimbeulach na sheasamh air creag os cionn a鈥� bh脿t-aiseig: Campbell was standing on arock above the ferry boat; ged nach robh droch-r霉n co-cheangailte ris: though there was nomalice associated with it; air an do ghabh e n貌isean: whom he fancied; cuin a rachadh i airchuairt leis: when she would go out with him; nuair a chuireas mi am marbh a thiodhlacadha鈥� bhe貌: when I put the dead to bury the living; chaidh e a鈥� choimhead oirre, agus mh矛nich ia鈥� ch霉is dha: he went to see her and she explained the situation to him; cho luath 鈥檚 athogainn an t-anart far a鈥� bh霉ird, a dh霉ininn an uinneag agus a sm脿lainn an teine: as soon asI would have lifted the linen off the table, closed the window and smoored the fire.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: dh鈥檃ontaich e leigeil le fear na h-Apainn dhol am measg muinntir na h-oighreachd aige, feuch feadhainn aca a th脿ladh gu arm nan Seumasach: he agreed to let Appin go among the people of his estate to see if he could attract some of them to the Jacobite army. The use of feuch in this idiomatic way, perhaps because it does not appear as a verbal noun (feuchainn), often frightens learners, who are unwilling to use it. It means 鈥渢ry鈥� or 鈥渁ttempt鈥� and is here an imperative which regularly appears in conversation as an equivalent to 鈥渢o see鈥� or 鈥渢o find out鈥�. It can be used in addressing individuals or groups 鈥� there is no distint plural form. Here are some other examples: fosgail an 脿mhainn, feuch a bheil am biadh teth (open the oven to see if the food is hot); tarraing an l矛on, feuch a bheil iasg ann (pull in the net to see if there is a fish in it); fosglaibh ur drathairean, feuch a bheil peansail ann (open your drawers to see if there is a pencil there).

b脿rr no faobhar, thig air aghaidh!: (by the) point or edge (of the sword), advance! An exhortation to followers. Note that air aghaidh is the Argyll equivalent to air adhart as used in more northerly parts of the Gaidhealtachd.