大象传媒

Bha tuathanach ann uaireigin a bha beartach. Bha tri霉ir mhac aige agus nuair a bha e air leabaidh a bh脿is, thuirt e riutha, 鈥渁nns an dr脿thair agam anns an t-se貌mar eile, gheibh sibh suim 貌ir. Roghnaichibh i eadaraibh gu cothromach.鈥�

Goirid as d猫idh sin, chaochail e. Nuair a bha an tiodhlacadh seachad, chaidh na br脿ithrean c貌mhla don dr脿thair. Ach bha e falamh. 鈥淐han eil fios gu robh 貌r a-riamh ann,鈥� thuirt am fear a b鈥� 貌ige.

鈥淔eumaidh gu robh,鈥� thuirt an darna mac.

鈥淐ha do dh鈥檌nnse ar n-athair breug a-riamh,鈥� thuirt am fear a bu shine.

Chaidh iad c貌mhla gu taigh bodaich. Bha am bodach gu math e貌lach air an athair, agus dh鈥檌arr e air na br脿ithrean fuireach c貌mhla ris airson deich latha gus am faigheadh e cothrom smaoineachadh mu dheidhinn an t-suidheachaidh. As d猫idh deich latha, dh鈥檌arr e orra coinneachadh ris. Th貌isich e air sgeulachd innse.

鈥淏ha uaireigin gille,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥渁 bha bochd. Ghabh e trom-ghaol air nighean n脿baidh a bha beartach, agus ghabh ise gaol airsan. Ach, leis cho bochd 鈥檚 a bha e, cha b鈥� urrainn dhaibh p貌sadh. Thug iad gealladh-p貌saidh do ch脿ch a ch猫ile, ge-t脿, agus dh鈥檉halbh an duine 貌g a dh鈥檉huireach anns an taigh aige fh猫in.

As d猫idh greis, th脿inig suirghiche eile. Bha esan gu math beartach agus thug athair na h-矛ghne oirre an duine seo a ph貌sadh, agus 鈥檚 e sin a thachair. As d猫idh na bainnse, lorg an duine a bhean 霉r anns an t-se貌mar-chadail, agus i a鈥� gul is a鈥� caoineadh. 鈥楧猫 tha a鈥� cur ort?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e, agus mh矛nich i dha mar a bha i air gealladh-p貌saidh a thoirt don fhear eile.

鈥楾hig c貌mhla rium,鈥� thuirt an duine rithe, agus chuir e air muin-eich i. Chaidh iad c貌mhla air an each gu taigh an fhir bhochd. Chuir an duine a bhean 霉r air an st脿irsnich, chnog e an doras agus dh鈥檉halbh e.

Th脿inig am fear bochd don doras. C貌 bh鈥� ann ach an leannan aige, agus dreasa-bhainnse oirre. 鈥楧猫 tha thu a鈥� d猫anamh an seo?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e, agus dh鈥檌nnis i dha gu d猫 bh鈥� air tachairt. 鈥楩uirich an seo,鈥� thuirt e, agus dh鈥檉halbh e air an each gu taigh an t-sagairt.

Thug e an sagart dhachaigh leis, agus dh鈥檉huasgail an sagart am boireannach bhon ghealladh-p貌saidh a bha i air a thoirt don duine bochd. Chuir an duine bochd air muin an eich i, agus thuirt e rithe, 鈥榓-nise thalla dhachaigh gu taigh do ch猫ile.鈥�

Ach cha robh i air a dhol fada nuair a thachair i ri tri霉ir robairean a chuir an greim i. 鈥楲eigibh leam dhol don duine agam,鈥� thuirt i riutha. 鈥楾ha an duine dha robh mi geallta roimhe air mo shaoradh. Seo agaibh deich not鈥� ann an 貌r. Gabhaibh e agus leigibh saor mi.鈥�

鈥楤heir mi dhachaigh thu,鈥� thuirt fear de na robairean, 鈥榗ha ghabh mi sgillinn bhuat.鈥� Ach cha robh an dithis eile cho truasail agus, mus do dh鈥檉halbh i, ghoid iad an t-貌r bhuaipe.鈥�

鈥淣ise,鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich am bodach dhen tri霉ir bhr脿ithrean, 鈥渃貌 an duine a b鈥� fhe脿rr a bh鈥� ann.鈥�

鈥淎m fear a thug am boireannach don duine dha robh i geallta roimhe,鈥� thuirt am br脿thair a bu shine. 鈥淏ha esan onarach.鈥�

鈥淎ch rinn am fear a bha fo ghealladh-p貌saidh na b鈥� fhe脿rr nuair a thug esan don duine eile i,鈥� thuirt an darna mac.

鈥淕e-t脿,鈥� thuirt am fear a b鈥� 貌ige, 鈥渘ach iad na robairean a fhuair an t-airgead an fheadhainn a bu ghlice?鈥�

鈥淚s tus鈥� a ghoid an t-貌r a bh鈥� aig d鈥� athair,鈥� thuirt am bodach ris an fhear 貌g. Agus b鈥� fheudar don fhear 貌g aideachadh gu robh e ceart.

Faclan na seachdaine: tuathanach: farmer; dr脿thair: drawer; suim 貌ir: a sum of gold; tiodhlacadh: funeral; a bu shine: the oldest; n脿baidh: neighbour; suirghiche: suitor; muin-eich: horseback; st脿irsneach: doorstep; sagart: priest; robairean: robbers; truasail: sympathetic.

Abairtean na seachdaine: bha tri霉ir mhac aige: he had 3 sons; roghnaichibh e eadaraibh gu cothromach: divide it among yourselves fairly; chan eil fios gu robh 貌r a-riamh ann: one can鈥檛 be sure that there was ever gold (here); feumaidh gu robh: there must have been; cha do dh鈥檌nnse ar n-athair breug a-riamh: our father never told a lie; chaidh iad c貌mhla gu taigh bodaich: they went together to an old man鈥檚 house; dh鈥檌arr e orra coinneachadh ris: he asked them to meet with him; a鈥� gul is a鈥� caoineadh: crying and weeping; d猫 tha a鈥� cur ort?: what is the matter (with you)?; dh鈥檉huasgail X am boireannach bhon ghealladh-p貌saidh: X liberated the woman from the promise of marriage; thalla dhachaigh gu taigh do ch猫ile: go home to your husband鈥檚 house; dha robh mi geallta: to whom I was promised; gabhaibh e agus leigibh saor mi: take it and let me go; cha ghabh mi sgillinn bhuat: I won鈥檛 take a penny from you; nach iad X an fheadhainn a bu ghlice?: weren鈥檛 X the wisest ones?; b鈥� fheudar don fhear 貌g aideachadh gu robh e ceart: the young one had to admit he was right.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Is tus鈥� a ghoid an t-貌r a bh鈥� aig d鈥� athair: it is you that stole your father鈥檚 gold. Last week we looked at how idiomatic Gaelic often commences a sentence with 鈥渋s鈥�, the assertive verb. Here, in this week鈥檚 Litir, is another example, in which the use of this verb emphasises the personal pronoun following it. This is a common phraseology, and you should note the presence of a second verb, in this case 鈥済hoid鈥�. Here is another example: Is tus鈥� a thilg a鈥� chlach, nach tu? (it is yourself that threw the stone, is it not?). If the past tense is being emphasised, the old man in the Litir might have used the past form of the assertive verb and said 鈥渂u tus鈥� a ghoid 鈥︹�� Commonly the second verb in such constructions is the verb 鈥渢o be鈥� in active form and it is this which is emphasised by the speaker eg: Is mi a tha gorach! (lit. it is me that is stupid!) This is a common self-deprecating statement. A conversation might go like this: Q: A bheil thu deimhinne 脿s? (are you certain of it). A: Is mi a tha! (absolutely! lit. it is me that is). Q: A bheil D貌mhnall l脿idir? (is Donald strong?) A: 鈥橲 e a tha! Cho l脿idir ri each! (He certainly is. As strong as a horse).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Nuair a bha e air leabaidh a bh脿is: when he was on his death-bed. NB. The Litir this week is an edited version of an ancient story from Gaelic tradition.