大象传媒

An t-seachdain 鈥檚 a chaidh, gheall mi dhuibh gun innsinn dhuibh criomag de sheann sgeulachd an t-seachdain-sa. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� oirre Sgeulachd a鈥� Ghille Charaich, Mac na Banntraich. Agus seo am p脿irt far a bheil an gille carach a鈥� deanamh a鈥� ch霉is air a鈥� bhuachaille. Aig toiseach ghnothaich, bu ch貌ir dhomh m矛neachadh gu robh an gille carach air a chur roimhe a bhith na mh猫irleach agus gu robh e a鈥� fuireach c貌mhla ri fear a bha a鈥� teagasg na sgilean sin dha 鈥� an gadaiche dubh.

Co-dhi霉, bha fear beartach anns a鈥� bhaile a fhuair cuireadh dhol gu banais agus dh鈥檌arr e air a鈥� bhuachaille aige falbh don mhonadh airson caora a thoirt dhachaigh mar phr猫asant-bainnse. Nise, bha an gille carach a鈥� cumail s霉il air a鈥� bhuachaille, agus thuirt e ris a鈥� ghadaiche dubh, 鈥淐uiridh mi geall gun goid mi a鈥� chaora sin mus ruig am buachaille an taigh aige.鈥� Agus dh鈥檉halbh e a-mach. Bha aig a鈥� bhuachaille ri dhol tro choille agus ruith an gille carach air thoiseach air. Shalaich e t猫 de na br貌gan aige agus dh鈥檉h脿g e ann am meadhan an rathaid i. An uairsin chaidh e am falach.

Nuair a r脿inig am buachaille a鈥� bhr貌g, thuirt e, 鈥淣am biodh do leth-bhreac ann, thogainn thu is ghlanainn thu.鈥� Ach cha robh aon bhr貌g gu m貌ran feum dha, gu h-脿raidh leis gu robh i salach, agus chaidh e seachad oirre.

Bha an gille carach air a h-uile facal dheth sin a chluinntinn. Thog e a鈥� bhr貌g shalach, is ruith e mar a鈥� pheilear tron choille gus am faigheadh e air thoiseach air a鈥� bhuachaille a-rithist. An uairsin, chuir e a bhr貌g eile ann am meadhan an rathaid. Nuair a r脿inig am buachaille an t-脿ite, thuirt e ris fh猫in, 鈥溾�檚 e seo leth-bhreac na br貌ige salaich.鈥� Dh鈥檉hag e a鈥� chaora ann a sin, agus ruith e air ais airson a鈥� bhr貌g shalach a thogail gus am biodh paidhir aige.

Agus fhad 鈥檚 a bha e air falbh, ruith an gille carach a-mach 脿s a鈥� choille, thog e an darna br貌g agus a鈥� chaora agus theich e dhachaigh gu luath.

Uill, cha robh an duine beartach ro thoilichte, ach dh鈥檌arr e air a鈥� bhuachaille dhol a-mach don mhonadh a-rithist airson gobhar fhaighinn. Agus nuair a chunnaic an gille carach am buachaille, thuirt e ris a鈥� ghadaiche dubh, 鈥淐uiridh mi geall gun t猫id agam air an gobhar a ghoid bhuaithe mus ruig e an taigh aige.鈥�

A-rithist, b鈥� fheudar don bhuachaille dhol tron choille agus ruith an gille carach air thoiseach air. Chaidh e am falach agus, nuair a bha am buachaille faisg air, th貌isich e air m猫ilich, a鈥� deanamh fuaim mar a bhios caora. 鈥淥,鈥� ars鈥� am buachaille ris fh猫in, 鈥溾�檚 e sin a鈥� chaora a chaill mi an-d猫.鈥� Cheangail e an gobhar ri craobh, agus dh鈥檉halbh e a lorg na caorach.

Agus fhad 鈥檚 a bha e air falbh, ghoid an gille carach an gobhar agus chaidh e dhachaigh leis. 鈥楽 e a bha carach, se貌lta gun teagamh!

Tha an sgeulachd a鈥� leantainn, leis a鈥� ghille carach a鈥� d猫anamh a鈥� ch霉is air m貌ran eile. Ach bha a mh脿thair air a bhith ri f脿idhearachd mu dheidhinn a bh脿is bho bha e na bhalach 貌g, nan cumadh e a鈥� dol mar mh猫irleach. Thuirt i gun d鈥檙achadh a chrochadh ann an Eirinn. Agus, anns an sgeulachd, tha an gille carach a鈥� dol a dh鈥橢irinn. Ach d猫 thachras dha mu dheireadh? Uill, mholainn gun leugh sibh an sgeulachd fh猫in ann am Popular Tales of the West Highlands, Leabhar a h-aon. Tha i an d脿 chuid ann am Beurla is G脿idhlig agus chan eil rian nach c貌rd i ribh.

gadaiche: thief,robber; banais: weeding; buachaille: herdsman; shalaiche: he dirtied; theich e: he fled.

Sgeulachd a Ghille Charaich, Mac na Bantraich: the Story of theShifty Lad, the Widows Son; far a bheil X a deanamh a ch霉is air Y: where X gets the better ofY; mus ruig am buachaille an taigh aige: before the herdsman reaches his house; bha aig abhuachaille ri dhol tro choille: the herdsman had to go through a wood; ruith X air thoiseachair: X ran ahead of him; chaidh e am falach: he hid; nam biodh do leth-bhreac ann, thogainnthu is ghlanainn thu: if the other one of your pair was here, I would pick you up and clean you;gu m貌ran feum dha: of much use to him; ruith e mar a pheilear: he ran like the wind (lit. likethe bullet); th貌isich e air m猫ilich: he started to bleat; s e sin a chaora a chaill mi an-d猫: thatsthe sheep I lost yesterday; s e a bha carach, se貌lta gun teagamh: its him that was shifty andcunning without doubt; bha a mh脿thair air a bhith ri f脿idhearachd mu dheidhinn a bh脿is: hismother had been prophesying about his death; gun drachadh a chrochadh ann an Eirinn: thathe would be hanged in Ireland; chan eil rian nach c貌rd i ribh: there is no way you will not enjoyit.

bu ch貌ir dhomh m矛neachadh gu robh an gille carach air achur roimhe a bhith na mh猫irleach: I should explain that the shifty lad had determined onbeing a robber. If we look at this expression in the past tense, it is chuir e roimhe he put infront of him. It is an idiomatic Gaelic equivalent to he made up his mind to.. and should beemployed rather than the English-influenced rinn e suas inntinn which is not a Gaelic idiom.To employ this phrase you must have a good grasp of the phases of the prepositional pronounsassociated with ro (before) ie romham, romhad, roimhe, roimhpe, romhainn, romhaibh andromhpa. Here are some other examples: Chuir mi romham a bhith nam fhiaclair (I decided tobecome a dentist); Chuir i roimhpe cuideam a chall (she decided to lose weight); chuir iadromhpa a bhith modhail (they decided to be polite). How would you say in Gaelic when didyou decide to go in for the ministry??

cuiridh mi geall gun goid mi a chaora: I bet Ill steal thesheep. This is the best idiomatic way of saying I bet or Ill wager. Chuir i geall gumbuannaicheadh i (she bet she would win). Cuiridh mi geall gun t猫id agam air an gobhar a ghoid(I bet Ill manage to steal the goat).