大象传媒

An t-seachdain 鈥檚 a chaidh, dh鈥檌nnis mi dhuibh mu 貌ran a sgr矛obh am b脿rd, Uilleam Ros, anns an do dh鈥檃inmich e an cl脿rsair Eireannach, Cormac. Cha chreid mi gu bheil fios aig m貌ran an-diugh c貌 bh鈥� ann an Cormac, ach bha tuigse aig an fheadhainn a bha a鈥� leughadh b脿rdachd Rois aig an 脿m. Bha e aithnichte ann am beul-aithris, agus seo sgeulachd mu dheidhinn:

Mar bu dual do chl脿rsairean Eireannach aig an 脿m, th脿inig Cormac a dh鈥橝lba, agus chuir e seachad 霉ine ann an taighean m貌ra nan ceann-feadhna. 鈥橲 ann mar sin a bhiodh iad a鈥� d猫anamh am bith-be貌 鈥� a鈥� cluich na cl脿rsaich agus a鈥� seinn airson nan uaislean, is uaireannan a鈥� sgr矛obhadh 貌rain dhaibh. As d猫idh greis, chaidh Cormac a Le貌dhas far an d鈥檉huair e aoigheachd c貌mhla ri MacLe貌id.

Ach, ged a fhuair e fh猫in is MacLe貌id air adhart ceart gu le貌r, dh鈥櫭╥rich trioblaid eatarra. Bha nighean aig MacLe貌id agus ghabh i fh猫in agus Cormac trom-ghaol air a ch猫ile. Ach cha leigeadh a h-athair leatha an cl脿rsair a ph貌sadh, agus chuir a鈥� ch脿raid romhpa teicheadh a dh鈥橢irinn.

Oidhch鈥� a bha seo, ghleus Cormac a chl脿rsach. As deidh don a h-uile duine an suipear a ghabhail, th貌isich e air fonn 脿raidh a chluich. Chuireadh e a h-uile duine a bha ag 猫isteachd ris fo phr脿mh. Chluich Cormac airson greis agus an uairsin choimhead e mun cuairt air. Bha a h-uile duine na chadal, nam measg MacLe貌id fh猫in.

Chuir Cormac a chl脿rsach an darna taobh agus tharraing e a-mach biodag fhada a bhiodh e a鈥� giulan c貌mhla ris. Dh鈥櫭╥rich e agus chaidh e a dh鈥檌onnsaigh a鈥� chinn-chinnidh airson amhaich a sgoltadh.

Ach nuair a bha e faisg air, th脿inig am mac a bu shine aig MacLe貌id a-steach. Bha e air tilleadh bho bhith a鈥� sealg anns a鈥� mhonadh, agus chunnaic e an cl脿rsair faisg air athair, is biodag mh貌r na l脿imh.

鈥淎 Chormaic, a Chormaic,鈥� thuirt e. 鈥淒猫 tha thu a鈥� d猫anamh? A bheil thu air a dhol 脿s do rian?鈥�

鈥淐han eil,鈥� fhreagair an cl脿rsair, 鈥渁ch tha gaol agam air do phiuthar agus tha mi airson a toirt leam a dh鈥橢irinn. Cha toir d鈥� athair cead dhomh agus, leis a sin, feumaidh mi a cheann a thoirt far a bhodhaig.鈥�

鈥淣a d猫an sin!鈥� thuirt an gille. 鈥淐han fhaod thu. Co-dhi霉, chan eil math dhut a bhith cho d矛leas sin ri mo phiuthar. Tha m矛le 貌igh ann an Alba agus dh鈥檉haodadh tu do roghainn fhaighinn dhiubh, is a h-uile gin aca nas b貌idhche na i.鈥�

Smaoinich an t-Eireannach airson tiotan. An uairsin choimhead e air mac MhicLe貌id. 鈥溾�橲 e an fh矛rinn a th鈥� agad,鈥� thuirt e ris. 鈥淭hoir dhomh mo chl脿rsach is gheibh mi cuidhteas gaol na h-貌ighe, do phiuthar, le bhith ga cluich.鈥� Agus 鈥檚 e sin a rinn e.

Na chuid bh脿rdachd, rinn Uilleam Ros coimeas eadar Cormac 鈥檚 e fh猫in. Bha comas aig a鈥� chl脿rsair leigheas fhaighinn airson tinneas a ghaoil leis a鈥� chl脿rsaich. B鈥� e sin cumhachd a鈥� chi霉il. Ach cha robh comas mar sin aig a鈥� bh脿rd, agus cha b鈥� urrainn dha faclan a lorg, ann am Beurla neo G脿idhlig, a bheireadh toil-inntinn dha.

Ach, aig a鈥� cheann thall, c貌 chanadh nach iad na faclan as cumhachdaiche? Tha gl猫 bheag a鈥� cuimhneachadh ce貌l Chormaic an-diugh, ach bidh briathran is smuaintean a鈥� bh脿ird tric far comhair, c貌rr is d脿 cheud bliadhna as d猫idh a bh脿is.

ceann-feadhna, ceann-cinnidh: clan chief; uaislean: gentry; ghleus e: he tuned; biodag: dirk; a鈥� sealg: hunting; 貌igh: virgin, young woman; cumhachd, cumhachdach: power, powerful.

鈥檚 ann mar sin a bhiodh iad a鈥� d猫anamh am bith-be貌: that is how they would make their living; far an d鈥檉huair e aoigheachd: where he obtained hospitality; dh鈥櫭╥rich trioblaid eatarra: a difficulty arose between them; ghabh i fh猫in agus Cormac trom-ghaol air a ch猫ile: she and Cormac feel deeply in love; chuir a鈥� ch脿raid romhpa teicheadh a dh鈥橢irinn: the couple decided to flee to Ireland; chuireadh e a h-uile duine fo phr脿mh: it would put everybody to sleep; airson amhaich a sgoltadh: to slit his throat; am mac a bu shine: the oldest son; feumaidh mi a cheann a thoirt far a bhodhaig: I must remove his head from his body; chan eil math dhut a bhith cho d矛leas sin: it鈥檚 not good for you to be so faithful;鈥檚 e an fh矛rinn a th鈥� agad: you are telling the truth; gheibh mi cuidhteas gaol na h-貌ighe: I will get rid of the maiden鈥檚 love; b鈥� e sin cumhachd a鈥� chi霉il: that was the power of (the) music; a bheireadh toil-inntinn dha: that would give him peace of mind; bidh briathran is smuaintean a鈥� bh脿ird tric far comhair: the words and thoughts of the bard are often in front of us.

mar bu dual do chl脿rsairean Eireannach aig an 脿m: as was usual for Irish harpers at the time. The link between dual and the Gaelic for the national environment agency, Scottish Natural Heritage, may not be immediately obvious, but there is one. Dual actually means a hereditary right or birthright so that mar bu dual dha would originally have meant 鈥渁s was his birthright according to his heredity鈥�. With the weakening of the position of heredity and pedigree in the Gaelic world, it has also come to mean 鈥渁s was his wont鈥� or 鈥渁s was usual for him鈥�, although you will still hear it used in the older sense. Related to dual is the word dualchas which originally meant a hereditary disposition but has also come to be a Gaelic equivalent to the English 鈥渉eritage鈥�. Thus, Scottish Natural Heritage is known in Gaelic as Dualchas N脿dair na h-Alba and people talk today of 鈥渁r dualchas n脿darrach鈥� for 鈥渙ur natural heritage鈥� 鈥� a meaning of the word which would have been foreign to earlier Gaels. Another related word is dualtach. Tha e dualtach a bhith greannach anns a鈥� mhadainn (he is inclined to be ill-tempered in the morning).

聽dh鈥檉haodadh tu do roghainn fhaighinn dhiubh: you could take your pick of them.