大象传媒

Anns a鈥� phuing-ghr脿mair anns an Litir mu dheireadh, thug sinn s霉il air an abairt 鈥渋s coireach鈥�. Anns an ochdamh linn deug, nuair a bha e anns a鈥� ch霉irt fo chasaid de mhurt, chleachd Seumas Sti霉bhart, neo Seumas a鈥� Ghlinne, mar as fhe脿rr a dh鈥檃ithnichear e, an abairt sin. 鈥淐貌 air bith is coireach,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥渋s mis鈥� an creanaiche.鈥� 鈥橲 e creanaiche cuideigin a tha a鈥� fuiling ann an d貌igh air choreigin. Bha Seumas a鈥� ciallachadh gur e cuideigin eile bu choireach airson a鈥� mhuirt, ach gur e e fh猫in a bhiodh ciontach a r猫ir na c霉irte.

Tha e iongantach mar a tha deasbad ann fhathast mu dheidhinn ciont Sheumais Sti霉bhairt. Tha mi a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gur e is coireach airson sin gun do chleachd an sgr矛obhadair ainmeil, Raibeart Louis Stevenson, a鈥� ch霉is anns an nobhail aige, 鈥淜idnapped鈥�. F脿gaidh sinn an leabhar an darna taobh, ge-t脿, is bheir sinn s霉il air na thachair, cho fad 鈥檚 is aithne dhuinn, ann am 鈥淢uirt Apainn鈥� ann an seachd ceud deug, d脿 fhichead 鈥檚 a dh脿 dheug (1752).

Air a鈥� cheathramh latha deug dhen Ch猫itean, bha ceathrar a鈥� dol tro Choille an Leitir Mh貌ir ann an Apainn, ann an Earra-Ghaidheal. Chualas urchair-ghunna agus thuit fear far an eich a bha e a鈥� marcachd, agus d脿 pheilear na dhruim. B鈥� esan Cailean Caimbeul 脿 Gleann Iubhair.

Bha an Caimbeulach ag obair don riaghaltas mar bh脿illidh air na h-oighreachdan a chaidh a ghabhail thairis an d猫idh Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair, air sg脿th 鈥檚 gun tug na cinn-chinnidh taic do The脿rlach Og Sti霉bhart. Am measg nan oighreachdan sin, bha Ard Seile ann an Apainn, a bha le Sti霉bhartach eile (nach robh c脿irdeach don Phrionnsa). An d猫idh Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair, theich an ceann-cinnidh don Fhraing agus chaill e a chuid fearainn.

Sia bliadhna as d猫idh sin, 鈥檚 e Cailean Caimbeul 脿 Gleann Iubhair a bha a鈥� riaghladh na h-oighreachd, as leth an riaghaltais. Ach bha muinntir an 脿ite gu math m矛-thoilichte. Bha an Caimbeulach a鈥� feuchainn ri cuid aca fhuadachadh bhon dachannan. Agus bha n脿imhdeas air a bhith ann eadar na Sti霉bhartaich agus na Caimbeulaich airson uine mh貌ir co-dhi霉.

Chan eil fios le cinnt c貌 mhuirt Cailean Caimbeul, ach bha amharas ann gur e Sti霉bhartach eile, Ailean Breac, a bu choireach. Bha Ailean na shaighdear aig an riaghaltas, ach chaidh e thairis do dh鈥檃rm nan Seumasach, agus theich e don Fhraing an d猫idh Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair. Thill e a dh鈥橝lba bho 脿m gu 脿m, ge-t脿, ann an d矛omhaireachd, agus tha e coltach gu robh e ann an Earra-Ghaidheal aig 脿m a鈥� mhuirt.

Cha d鈥檉huair an riaghaltas greim air, ach bha iad airson cuideigin a pheanasachadh. Chuir iad casaidean as leth lethbhr脿thair a鈥� chinn-chinnidh, Seumas Sti霉bhart, Seumas a鈥� Ghlinne, gu robh esan an s脿s anns a鈥� mhurt c貌mhla ri Ailean Breac. Mu dheireadh, nochd e anns a鈥� ch霉irt ann an 鈥� c脿ite? C脿ite, ach Inbhir Aora, pr矛omh bhaile nan Caimbeulach!

鈥橲 e Caimbeulach a bh鈥� anns an 脿rd-bhritheamh, agus bha Caimbeulaich anns a鈥� mh貌r-chuid anns an di霉raidh. Chan eil e na iongnadh, ma-th脿, gun d鈥檉huair a鈥� ch霉irt ciontach e. Chaidh Seumas a chrochadh air croich ann am Bail鈥� a鈥� Chaolais, agus chaidh a chn脿mhan fh脿gail ann a sin, air an cumail ri ch猫ile le ueir, airson bliadhnaichean, mar rabhadh do mhuinntir an 脿ite.

Shaoileadh tu, nuair a bha e air ais anns an Fhraing, gu robh Ailean Breac air aideachadh don mhurt, ach cha do dh鈥檃idich. C貌, ma-th脿, a mhuirt Cailean Caimbeul? 鈥橲 d貌cha nach bi fios againn air a sin a-chaoidh.

creanaiche: sufferer; iongantach: surprising; ciont: guilt; nobhail:novel; Apainn: Appin; Coille an Leitir Mh貌ir: Lettermore Wood; Cailean Caimbeul 脿Gleann Iubhair: Colin Campbell of Glenure; an Caimbeulach: Campbell (informal); ArdSeile: Ardsheal; Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair: The Battle of Culloden; theich: fled; d矛omhaireachd:secrecy; Inhbir Aora: Inveraray; 脿rd-bhritheamh: senior judge; di霉raidh: jury; croich:gibbet; Bail鈥� a鈥� Chaolais: Ballachulish; a chn脿mhan: his bones; rabhadh: warning.

fo chasaid de mhurt: charged with murder; c貌 air bith iscoireach: whoever is responsible; gur e e fh猫in a bhiodh ciontach a r猫ir na c霉irte: that it washimself that would be guilty according to the court; f脿gaidh sinn an leabhar an darna taobh:we will put the book aside; chualas urchair-ghunna: a gunshot was heard; agus d脿 pheilearna dhruim: with two bullets in his back; mar bh脿illidh air na h-oighreachdan a chaidh aghabhail thairis: as factor on the estates which had been taken over; air sg脿th 鈥檚 gun tug nacinn-chinnidh taic do The脿rlach Og Sti霉bhart: because the clan chiefs helped Young CharlesStewart (ie Bonnie Prince Charlie); a bha le Sti霉bhartach eile: which was owned by anotherStewart; chaill e a chuid fearainn: he lost his land; as leth an riaghaltais: on behalf of thegovernment; chaidh e thairis do dh鈥檃rm nan Seumasach: he went over to the Jacobite army;bha iad airson cuideigin a pheanasachadh: they wanted to punish somebody; chuir iadcasaidean as leth lethbhr脿thair a鈥� chinn-chinnidh: they charged the chief鈥檚 half-brother; airan cumail ri ch猫ile le ueir: held together by wire.

Thuit fear far an eich a bha e a鈥� marcachd: a man fell fromthe horse he was riding. The preposition far (sometimes written bh脿rr and meaning 鈥渇rom鈥漮r 鈥渙ff鈥�) is an interesting one because it appears at first instance to be a simple one,requiring only the dative case in the following noun. But you will notice above that I said faran eich, not far an each. This shows that, in fact, it commands the genitive case, as docompound prepositions (those containing more than one element). The reason is that it was,historically, a compound preposition, de bh脿rr, meaning 鈥渇rom the top or surface of鈥�. So wesay 鈥渢h脿inig an carbad far an rathaid鈥� (the vehicle came off the road), not 鈥溾��far an rathad鈥�.Here are two other examples of the use of far; note the genitives: Th脿inig e far na c矛che aigbliadhna a dh鈥檃ois (he came off the breast, ie. was weaned, at one year old); Thuit e far aleapa air an oidhche (he fell off his bed during the night). How would you say in Gaelic 鈥渢hecup fell from the table鈥�

Mar as fhe脿rr a dh鈥檃ithnichear e: as he is best known. Youwill hear phrases of this type used in the funeral announcements on Radio nan Gaidheal,because people are still often best known in their own communities, and even outside them,by nicknames or patronymics, rather than by their 鈥渙fficial鈥� name.