195: Coirneal Baillie
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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Coirneal Baillie
Cha chreid mi gun do dh’fhairich mi taibhse idir ach bha e car neònach a bhith ann an toll-dubh anns na h-Ìnnseachan o chionn ghoirid, ged a bha mi ann le mo thoil fhèin, feumaidh mi ràdh! Cha b’ ann len toil fhèin, ge-tà, a bha saighdearan Breatannach, feadhainn Ghaidhealach nam measg, air an cumail ann aig deireadh an ochdamh linn deug.
“Seo a-nisd,” thuirt am bodach a bha gam threòrachadh, “seo an t-àite far an robh an Coirneal Baillie air a chumail.” Sheas e le dhruim ris a’ bhalla, agus na gàirdeanan aige air an sìneadh a-mach air gach taobh dheth mar gu robh iad ceangailte don bhalla le slabhraidhean. “Seo far an robh an Coirneal Baillie airson bliadhnaichean,” thuirt e gun toileachas no bròn na ghuth.
An là an-diugh tha an toll-dubh glan is leth-fhosgailte don t-solas is don eadhar, ach cuiridh mi geall nach ann mar sin a bha e nuair a bha an Coirneal Baillie ann. Is cinnteach gu robh e teth, dorch is salach – agus gu math mì-chalair. Tha e an-diugh mar phàirt de làrach ghlèidhte co-cheangailte ris an fhear mu dheireadh de na prionnsaichean Innseanach a sheas an aghaidh cumhachd Bhreatainn ann an ceann a deas na dùthcha – Tippu Sultan. Bha Tippu gu math cumhachdach, agus cianail fhèin beartach. B’ e am prìomh bhaile aige àite mòr mòr air cùl bhallachan àrda tiugha air eilean ann an abhainn faisg air Mysore – baile ris an canar Srirangapatinam.
Rinn na Breatannaich a’ chùis air Tippu aig a’ cheann thall, agus bha saighdearan Gàidhealach gu mòr an sàs anns na cogaidhean na aghaidh. Bha ceithir cogaidhean ann eadar na Breatannaich agus Mysore – rìoghachd na bu mhò na Alba agus, aig an toiseach, bha Tippu agus athair roimhe, soirbheachail gu leòr. Ann an seachd-deug is ochdad (1780) sheas da fheachd na aghaidh, a bha le chèile fo stiùir Albannaich. A bharrachd air a’ Choirneal Baillie, bha feachd eile ann le ceannard Gàidhealach aig a ceann. B’ esan Sir Eachann Rothach a bhuineadh do Thaigh an Fhuamhair ann an Ros an Ear.
Tha mi air a leughadh gun diùltadh an Rothach agus Baillie còd sgrìobhte a chleachdadh nuair a chuireadh iad teachdaireachdan a dh’ionnsaigh chach-a-chèile. An àite sin, ged nach urrainn dhomh seo a dhearbhadh le cinnt, chaidh aithris gun sgrìobhadh iad ri chèile ann an Gàidhlig. Co-dhiù tha sin fìor gus nach eil, cha do rinn e cus feum do Bhaillie, oir chaidh an fheachd aige a chuairteachadh le saighdearan Innseanach agus, ged a bha feachd an Rothaich dìreach beagan mhìltean air falbh, cha d’ fhuair e taic bhuapa.
Chaidh feachd Bhaillie a sgrios agus chaidh Baillie fhèin a chur an greim. Chaidh a thoirt gu Srirangapatinam – agus don toll-dhubh anns an robh mi. Fhuair Sir Eachann Rothach air ais a Mhadras gu sàbhailte, ged a chaill e tòrr dhaoine air an rathad, agus saighdearan Mhysore a’ toirt ionnsaigh orra. Lean e na dhreuchd agus chaidh gu math leis ann an seachd-deug, ochdad ’s a h-aon (1781) nuair a rinn e a’ chùis air na Duitsich aig Nagapatinam air costa na dùthcha.
Agus dh’fhàg sin carragh-chuimhne car annasach againn air mullach cnuic air taobh sear na Gàidhealtachd. Air Cnoc Faoighreis, faisg air Alanais, thog Sir Eachann mac-samhail de gheatachan Nagapatinam. Tha e ann fhathast, gabhaidh e faicinn gu furasta bhon rathad mhòr, an A9, agus tha ceum-coiseachd brèagha a’ dol ga ionnsaigh. Cnoc Faoighreis agus Srirangapatinam – àite fionnar Albannach is fear teth Innseanach, monadh àrd is toll fon talamh, na mìltean de mhìltean air falbh o chèile, ach ceangailte gu sìorraidh le eachdraidh fhuilteach.
Faclan na Litreach: toll-dubh: dungeon; a’ treòrachadh: guiding; slabhraidhean: chains; mì-chalair: unpleasant; mu dheireadh:last; cianail fhèin beartach: filthy rich; Sir Eachann Rothach: Sir Hector Munro; Taigh an Fhuamhair: Novar (in Easter Ross); còd sgrìobhte: written code; carragh-chuimhne: stone memorial; Cnoc Faoighreis: Fyrish Hill; Alanais: Alness; mac-samhail: replica; fionnar: cool; eachdraidh fhuilteach: a bloody history.
Abairtean na Litreach: cha chreid mi gun do dh’fhairich mi taibhse: I don’t reckon I sensed a ghost; le mo thoil fhèin: by my own volition; seo a-nisd:here we are; sheas e le dhruim ris a’ bhalla: he stood with his back against the wall; agus na gàirdeanan aige air an sìneadh a-mach:with his arms extended; tha e mar phàirt de làrach ghlèidhte: it is part of a reserved (conserved) site; air cùl bhallachan àrda tiugha: behind high thick walls; baile ris an canar X: a town, settlement which is called X; rinn X a’ chùis air Y: X defeated Y; na bu mhò na Alba: bigger than Scotland; agus athair roimhe: and his father before him; le ceannard Gàidhealach aig a ceann:with a Highland leader at its (fem.) head; nuair a chuireadh iad teachdaireachdan a dh’ionnsaigh chach-a-chèile: when they sent (would send) messages to each other; co-dhiù tha sin fìor gus nach eil: whether that is true or not; cha do rinn e cus feum do X: it wasn’t of much use to X; chaidh an fheachd aige a chuairteachadh: his force was surrounded; chaidh gu math leis:he was successful; air mullach cnuic: on the top of a hill; gabhaidh e faicinn: it can be seen; ceangailte gu sìorraidh: linked for ever.
Puing-ghràmair na Litreach: sheas dà fheachd na aghaidh, a bha le chèile fo stiùir Albannaich:two forces stood against him, each of which was under the command of a Scotsman. Did you realise immediately that Albannaichrefers to only one person here? It is not the nominative plural form, but the genitive singular (of Albannach,a Scotsman). The genitive here is formed in the common manner by slenderisation of the final vowel ie –ach to –aich. If I had said fo stiùir Albannach, it would have meant “under the command of Scotsmen (plural)”, because it would have been the genitive plural form which, in the case of a word which pluralises in its nominative form by slenderisation (Scotsmen is Albannaich, not Albannachan), is identical to the nominative singular. Be aware that many younger native speakers today do not apply these grammatical rules as strictly as previous generations. In the case of doubt, some prefer to use a dative or nominative form by rearranging the sentence eg “sheas dà fheachd na aghaidh, agus bha Albannach aig ceann gach tè dhiubh.”
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: ged nach urrainn dhomh seo a dhearbhadh le cinnt: although I cannot verify this (with certainty).
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