302: Iain Breac
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Iain Breac
Nach math na sgeulachdan a tha ag innse mar a bhios amadan a’ dèanamh a’ chùis air daoine eile. Seo agaibh tè air mar a rinn amadan Iain Bhric a’ chùis air mèirleach ann an Coille Tharbhaidh.
Tha coille mhòr fhathast ann an Tarbhaidh, a tha suidhichte ann am meadhan Siorrachd Rois, eadar Ulapul agus Inbhir Pheofharain. Anns an t-seachdamh linn deug bha a’ choille mòr is dorch is cunnartach. Agus bhiodh mòran robairean ri spùinneadh innte. Nuair a bha Iain Breac na cheann-cinnidh do Chloinn ’ic Leòid Dhùn Bheagain, chaill e mòran airgid innte.
Seo mar a thachair e. Chuir Iain Breac a sheumarlan a dh’Inbhir Nis, ann an cuideachd dithis eile, airson airgead fhaighinn a phàigheadh airson obair-càraidh air a’ chaisteal aige ann an Dùn Bheagan – an dearbh chaisteal a tha feumach air càradh an là an-diugh.
Fhuair an triùir a dh’Inbhir Nis gu sàbhailte agus fhuair iad an t-airgead. Chuir iad ann am poca e. Air an rathad dhachaigh, thàinig mèirlich orra ann an Coille Tharbhaidh. Thug na robairean gunnaichean a-mach is dh’òrdaich iad don triùir an cuid airgid gu lèir a thoirt seachad. Thug iad am poca seachad. B’ fheudar don t-seumarlan agus a chompanaich cumail a dol don Eilean Sgitheanach airson innse do dh’Iain Breac gun do chaill iad an t-airgead gu lèir.
Bha Iain feumach air an airgead, ge-tà, agus chuir e teachdaire eile, le companaich thapaidh, a dh’Inbhir Nis airson tuilleadh fhaighinn. Ach, air an rathad dhachaigh, ann an Coille Tharbhaidh, thachair an dearbh rud a thachair don fheadhainn eile. Is ràinig iad Dùn Bheagan gun sgillinn ruadh air fhàgail aca.
Thàinig an leann-dubh air Iain Breac. Cha b’ urrainn eadhon a phìobaire, a chlàrsair no a bhàrd inntinn a thogail. Mhothaich an t-amadan gu robh a mhaighstir gu math ìosal is chaidh e a bhruidhinn ris. Dh’fhaighnich e dheth gu dè a bha a’ cur air. Mhìnich Iain Breac na thachair agus thuirt an t-amadan ris, “Na gabhaibh dragh. Sùim sam bith a tha sibh ag iarraidh faighinn, gheibh mise i. Bheir mi dhachaigh gu sàbhailte i.”
Cha robh Iain Breac a’ cur cus earbsa ann am beachd an amadain. Ach lean an t-amadan air, ag ràdh gun dèanadh esan a’ chùis far an do dh’fhailnich air feadhainn eile. Agus, mu dheireadh, dh’aontaich an ceann-cinnidh an cothrom a thoirt dha. Bha Iain Breac airson an t-each as fheàrr aige a thoirt don amadan, ach cha robh an t-amadan air a shon idir. Thagh esan seann làir nach robh gu mòran feum tuilleadh. Agus dh’fhalbh e.
Nuair a ràinig e Coille Tharbhaidh, thachair e ri mèirleach a dh’fhaighnich dheth cà’ robh e a’ dol. “Tha mi a’ dol a dh’Inbhir Nis airson airgead fhaighinn do mo mhaighstir”, thuirt an t-amadan.
“Agus am bi companaich agad nuair a thilleas tu?” dh’fhaighnich am fear eile.
“O cha bhi,” fhreagair an t-amadan.
“Uill, cumaidh mise sàbhailte thu,” thuirt am mèirleach, “oir bidh daoine olc a’ tadhal air a’ choille seo.” Dh’fhaighnich e dhen amadan cuin’ a bhiodh e a’ tilleadh, agus thuirt e gun coinnicheadh e ris anns a’ choille air an là sin.
Chum an t-amadan a’ dol a dh’Inbhir Nis agus fhuair e an t-airgead. Chuir e an t-airgead ann am poca. Ach fhuair e poca eile, dhen aon seòrsa, agus lìon e sin le sligean maoraich. Bha, mar sin, dà phoca aige, ach chum e am falach iad, fo chleòca. Chaidh e air muin na seann làire agus rinn e air an taobh an iar. Agus innsidh mi dhuibh mar a rinn e a’ chùis air a’ mhèirleach anns an ath Litir.
Faclan na Litreach: Tarbhaidh: Tarvie (near Garve, mid-Ross); Inbhir Pheofharain: Dingwall; breac: pock-marked (from smallpox); seumarlan: chamberlain; an leann-dubh: depression (of the mind); olc: evil.
Abairtean na Litreach: nach math na sgeulachdan: aren’t the stories good; anns an t-seachdamh linn deug: in the 17th Century; bhiodh mòran robairean ri spùinneadh innte: many robbers were engaged in plundering in it [in the wood]; na cheann-cinnidh do Chloinn ’ic Leòid Dhùn Bheagain: a clan chief of the Macleods of Dunvegan; ann an cuideachd dithis eile: in the company of two others; a phàigheadh airson obair-càraidh air a’ chaisteal aige: which would pay for repairs on his castle; an dearbh chaisteal: the same castle; thàinig mèirlich orra: thieves came upon them; an cuid airgid gu lèir a thoirt seachad: to give over their entire money; gun do chaill iad an t-airgead: that they lost the money; gun sgillinn ruadh air fhàgail aca: without a single penny left [to them]; cha b’ urrainn eadhon a phìobaire inntinn a thogail: even his piper couldn’t improve his mental state; mhothaich an t-amadan gu robh a mhaighstir gu math ìosal: the fool noticed his master was very low in spirits; bheir mi dhachaigh gu sàbhailte i: I will bring it safely home; cha robh X a’ cur cus earbsa ann am Y: X didn’t have too much confidence in Y; thagh esan seann làir nach robh gu mòran feum tuilleadh:he chose an old mare that was no longer of much use; am bi companaich agad nuair a thilleas tu?:will you have companions when you return?; lìon e sin le sligean maoraich: he filled that with sea shells; air muin na seann làire: on the back of the old mare; chum e am falach iad, fo chleòca: he kept them hidden under his cloak.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: mar a bhios amadan a’ dèanamh a’ chùis air daoine eile:how a fool outwits other people. Those of you who think deeply about grammar might have thought – “why is it not a’ dèanamh na cùise ” because cùis is a feminine singular noun which goes in the genitive case following a verbal noun. So you might expect us to say rinn mi a’ chùis ort but bha mi a’ dèanamh na cùise ort. This might have been the case historically but with the gradual weakening of the genitivisation of nouns following a verbal noun, it is no longer the case with this idiom, although we would still use the possessive genitive eg deireadh na cùise.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: dh’fhaighnich e dheth gu dè a bha a’ cur air: he asked him what was wrong with him. Dè tha a’ cur ort?: what is wrong/up with you?
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