625: Leum MhicGriogair
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.
Leum MhicGriogair
Tha sinn fhathast ann an Gleann Lìomhann ann an Siorrachd Pheairt. Gu siar air Fairtirchill, tha an rathad a’ leantainn na h-aibhne gu dlùth. Tha coille thiugh bhrèagha timcheall na h-aibhne agus tha an abhainn a’ fàs bras is cumhang. ’S e àite brèagha a th’ ann. Ann am meadhan na coille, tha an abhainn ann an glòm. Tha i cumhang gu leòr airson ’s gum bi e ann an comas duine leum bho bhruach gu bruach, no bho chreag àrd air an dàrna taobh dhith don bhruach ìosal air an taobh eile. Ach cha bu mhath leam fhèin a dhèanamh, feumaidh mi ràdh!
Air a’ mhapa, ’s e Macgregor’s Leap a th’ air an àite. Leum MhicGriogair. Ach cò an Griogarach a bh’ ann agus carson a bha e a’ leum? Uill, seo na fhuair mi a-mach mu dheidhinn. ’S e Griogar MacGriogair a bh’ air agus bha e na cheann-cinnidh do Ghriogaraich Ghleann Sreith anns an t-siathamh linn deug. Bha sin mus robh casg air a chur air an ainm MacGriogair airson faisg air dà cheud bliadhna.
Às dèidh meadhan-oidhche, air an aonamh latha deug dhen Ògmhios còig ceud deug, seasgad ’s a còig (1565), chaidh dithis a bhuineadh do na Griogaraich a mhurt. B’ iad Griogar eile, mac Deadhan Lios Mòr, agus fear Raibeart MacConaill. A rèir choltais, ’s e murtair proifeiseanta a mharbh an dithis. Agus rinn e sin às leth Caimbeulaich Ghleann Urchaidh. Chaidh ainm a’ mhurtair a chlàradh mar “James McGestalcar”. Chan eil mi cinnteach dè a’ Ghàidhlig cheart air sin. Mac an Stàlcair, ’s dòcha? Co-dhiù, a rèir choltais, ’s e droch dhuine a bh’ ann.
Beagan seachdainean às dèidh murt na dithis, bha am murtair fhèin air a mharbhadh. Bha sin air an t-seachdamh latha fichead dhen Iuchar agus ’s e Griogar MacGriogair, an ceann-cinnidh, a rinn e. Fhuair e dìoghaltas ach a-nise bha Caimbeulaich Ghleann Urchaidh air a thòir. B’ fheudar dha falbh a dh’fhuireach anns na coilltean.
Cha robh e am falach anns na coilltean fad na h-ùine, ge-tà. Bha a’ bhean aige na nighinn do cheann-cinnidh eile a bha na Chaimbeulach – Caimbeulach Ghleann Lìomhann. Bho àm gu àm bhiodh Griogar ’s a bhean a’ coinneachadh ri chèile ann an caisteal a h-athar. Ach chuala Caimbeulaich Ghleann Urchaidh mu dheidhinn agus chùm iad sùil air a’ chaisteal.
Latha a bha seo, fhuair na Caimbeulaich lorg air Griogar. Chuir iad na coin aca air a thòir. Ruith Griogar air falbh aig peilear a bheatha. Chaidh e thar a’ mhonaidh is tro na coilltean gus an d’ ràinig e bruach a tuath na h-aibhne. Bha e a’ ruith aig astar agus bha taghadh aige – leum far na creige agus ’s dòcha adhbrann a bhriseadh – no eadhon a mharbhadh fhèin – no a bhith air a mharbhadh gu cinnteach leis na Caimbeulaich. Leum e, ràinig e taobh thall na h-aibhne, cha do bhris e adhbrann agus rinn e a dhol-às gu deas air an abhainn. Agus tha “Leum MhicGriogair” air a bhith air an àite sin bhon latha sin a-mach.
Bha Griogar saor airson greis ach, ann an còig ceud deug is seachdad (1570), chaidh a mharbhadh leis na Caimbeulaich. Ach an e Griogar MacGriogair an aon duine riamh a dh’fheuch an leum sin? Uill, chan e, mar a chì sinn anns an ath Litir.
Faclan na Litreach: Gleann Lìomhann: Glenlyon; Fairtirchill: Fortingall; glòm: gorge, ravine; Leum MhicGriogair: MacGregor’s Leap; Griogaraich Ghleann Sreith: The MacGregors of Glenstrae; taghadh: choice.
Abairtean na Litreach: tha coille thiugh bhrèagha timcheall na h-aibhne: there is a beautiful thick wood around the river; bras is cumhang: rapid and narrow; gum bi e ann an comas duine leum bho bhruach gu bruach: that it’s possible for a person to leap from bank to bank; bho chreag àrd air an dàrna taobh dhith don bhruach ìosal air an taobh eile: from a high rock on one bank [of it] to the low bank on the other side; chaidh dithis a bhuineadh do na Griogaraich a mhurt: two people who belonged to the MacGregor clan were murdered; mac Deadhan Lios Mòr: the son of the Dean of Lismore; às leth Caimbeulaich Ghleann Urchaidh: on behalf of the Campbells of Glenorchy; ’s e droch dhuine a bh’ ann: he was a bad man; beagan seachdainean: a few weeks; fhuair e dìoghaltas ach bha X air a thòir: he [had] got revenge but X were after him; b’ fheudar dha falbh a dh’fhuireach anns na coilltean: he had to go and live in the woods; a’ coinneachadh ri chèile ann an caisteal a h-athar: meeting each other in her father’s castle; chùm iad sùil air: they kept an eye on; chuir iad na coin aca air a thòir: they sent their dogs in pursuit of him; aig peilear a bheatha: at great speed; leum far na creige agus ’s dòcha adhbrann a bhriseadh: jump from the rock and perhaps break his ankle; rinn e a dhol-às gu deas air an abhainn: he made his escape to the south of the river.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Bha a’ bhean aige na nighinn do cheann-cinnidh eile a bha na Chaimbeulach: his wife was a daughter of [to] another clan chief who was a Campbell. This sentence uses the dative twice to express identity, rather than employing the assertive verb (is) as I think it allows it to flow a bit better. It translates literally as “his wife was in her daughter to another clan chief who was in his Campbell.” The initial “n” of nighinn is unlenited (ask your Gaelic teacher to say it for you because it’s a tricky one for learners and we don’t show the lenited “n” in writing). This is because it means “her daughter”. However Caimbeulach is lenited (to Chaimbeulach) because we are saying “his Campbell”. If we wanted to say “she is a Campbell”, we’d say “tha i na Caimbeulach” and leave the “C” unlenited.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: a’ leantainn na h-aibhne gu dlùth: following the river closely.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 321
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