688: An Gille agus an Gobha (2)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
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An Gille agus an Gobha (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an stòiridh An Gille agus an Gobha. Chunnaic Iain, an gobha, mar a chàirich am fear òg ceann a’ bhoireannaich. Bha a ceann tromach air shearrach. Chuir Iain a ghàirdeanan timcheall guailnean a mhnà, Magaidh, aig an robh droch nàdar agus snìomh na h-amhaich.
“Leig às mi,” dh’èigh i. Ach thog Iain sgian mhòr, chuir e ceann Magaidh air an innean agus gheàrr e dheth e. Ach cha robh e idir mar a bha e don fhear òg. Bha fuil a’ sruthadh air feadh làr na ceàrdaich.
Lean Iain air. Mar a rinn am fear òg leis a’ bhoireannach, chuir e ceann a mhnà don teine. Dh’obraich e am balg-sèididh gus am biodh an teine teth. Nuair a bha an ceann loisgte, chuir e air ais air an innean e. Phronn e e gus nach robh dad ann dheth ach duslach. Rinn e smugaid – ’s e smugaid tombaca a bh’ ann oir bhiodh e a’ cagnadh tombaca – agus mheasgaich e sin leis an duslach. Chuir e an taois air amhaich Magaidh ach cha do thachair dad. Cha do dh’fhàs a ceann às ùr.
Dè bha e a’ dol a dhèanamh? Bha e air a bhean a mhurt. Cha robh roghainn aige ach teicheadh. Smàl e an teine, chuir e corp a mhnà fon ghual agus theich e. Chaidh dà bhliadhna seachad, agus Iain air seachran ann an àiteachan far nach robh duine eòlach air. Chunnaic e fear na shuidhe air being. Bha an turach air Iain. “Cha bhiodh spiolag tombaca agad, a charaid, am bitheadh?” thuirt Iain.
“Bheir mi spiolag dhut,” thuirt am fear eile. “Cà’l thu a’ dol?”
“Don bhaile,” fhreagair Iain.
“Dè an dreuchd a th’ agad?”
“Tha mi nam ghobha.”
“O, tha obair gu leòr ann do ghobha,” thuirt am fear eile. “Ach tha cùisean duilich an-dràsta air sàillibh nighean an Rìgh, a’ bhana-phrionnsa òg.”
“Dè thachair dhi?” dh’fhaighnich Iain.
“Tha a ceann tromach air shearrach,” ars am fear eile. “Bheir an Rìgh duais mhòr do dhuine sam bith a chuireas ceart i.”
“Seadh, uill, tapadh leibh,” thuirt Iain, agus dh’fhalbh e a dh’ionnsaigh a’ bhaile. Chaidh e gu lùchairt an Rìgh. Fhuair e cothrom a dhol a bhruidhinn ris an Rìgh fhèin.
“Dè an dreuchd a th’ agad?” dh’fhaighnich an Rìgh.
“Tha mi nam ghobha,” fhreagair Iain.
“Chan eil sin gu feum sam bith dhomh,” thuirt an Rìgh. “’S e buidseach a tha dhìth orm, seach gobha.”
“Cuiridh mise ur nighean ceart,” gheall Iain.
“Mura cuir,” fhreagair an Rìgh, “thig do cheann far do ghuailnean cho luath ’s nach fhairich thu dad.”
“Na gabhaibh dragh, ur mòrachd,” thuirt Iain. “Ma bheir sibh ur nighean chun na ceàrdaich agaibh, nì mi fhìn an còrr.”
“Fàgaidh mi dithis fhreiceadan taobh a-muigh doras na ceàrdaich,” thuirt an Rìgh. “Ma thachras dad do mo nighinn, thig do cheann far do ghuailnean cho luath ’s nach fhairich thu dad.”
Chaidh Iain don cheàrdaich agus dh’obraich e am balg-sèididh gus an robh an teine teth. Thàinig na freiceadain a-steach le caileag bhrèagha. Bha a ceann tromach air shearrach. Dh’fhalbh na freiceadain a-mach, ach dh’fhan iad taobh a-muigh an dorais.
Dh’iarr Iain air a’ bhana-phrionnsa a ceann a chur air an innean. Thug e sgian mhòr gheur far a’ bhalla. Gheàrr e ceann na bana-phrionnsa dheth, agus – leanaidh an stòiridh an-ath-sheachdain!
Faclan na Litreach: gobha: blacksmith; innean: anvil; loisgte: burnt; phronn: ground, pulverized (verb); duslach: dust; smugaid: spit; dreuchd: profession; ur mòrachd: your majesty; dithis fhreiceadan: two guards.
Abairtean na Litreach: mar a chàirich am fear òg ceann a’ bhoireannaich: how the young man fixed the head of the woman; chuir Iain a ghàirdeanan timcheall guailnean a mhnà: John put his arms around his wife’s shoulders; aig an robh droch nàdar agus snìomh na h-amhaich:who was bad-tempered and had a twist in her neck; leig às mi: let me go; bha fuil a’ sruthadh air feadh làr na ceàrdaich: blood was flowing across the floor of the smiddy; chuir e ceann a mhnà don teine: he put his wife’s head on the fire; dh’obraich e am balg-sèididh: he worked the bellows; bhiodh e a’ cagnadh tombaca: he would be chewing tobacco; mheasgaich e sin: he mixed that; cha do thachair dad: nothing happened; bha e air a bhean a mhurt: he had murdered his wife; cha robh roghainn aige ach teicheadh:he had no choice but to flee; smàl e an teine: he extinguished the fire; chuir e corp a mhnà fon ghual:he put his wife’s body under the coal; air seachran: wandering; cha bhiodh spiolag tombaca agad, a charaid, am bitheadh?:you wouldn’t have a chew of tobacco, would you, friend?; cà’l thu a’ dol?: where are you going?; tha mi nam ghobha:I’m a blacksmith; air sàillibh nighean an Rìgh: because of the King’s daughter; ’s e buidseach a tha dhìth orm, seach gobha:I need a wizard, not a blacksmith; thig do cheann far do ghuailnean cho luath ’s nach fhairich thu dad; your head will come off your shoulders so quickly you won’t feel anything; taobh a-muigh doras na ceàrdaich: outside the smiddy door; gheàrr e ceann na bana-phrionnsa dheth: he cut off the princess’s head.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Chuir e an taois air amhaich Magaidh: he put the paste on Maggie’s neck. Taois normally stands for dough and refers to bread-making (the verb taoisinn means to leaven bread’). But the consistency of dough allows the same word to be used for paste’, and it is given this sense in Dwelly’s dictionary; he he also lists taois-cailc as putty’. Interestingly, the English word paste’ underwent a similar evolution; it originated in the Latin pasta meaning dough’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Bha an turach air: he had a craving for tobacco (and was in a bad mood because of it!).
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 384
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