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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 343: D貌mhnall 脪g MacFhearchair

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha sinn anns an Tulaich ann an Siorrachd Obair Dheathain. Faisg air a鈥 bhaile sin tha 脿ite ris an canar M貌ine Ailtridh. Anns an t-seachdamh linn deug, bha duine a鈥 fuireach ann a bha ainmeil. B鈥 esan D貌mhnall 脪g MacFhearchair. Bha e ainmeil airson a bhith sgileil leis a鈥 chlaidheamh.

Ann an sia ceud deug is ceathrad (1640), chaidh D貌mhnall a Lunnainn. A r猫ir beul-aithris, choisinn e cli霉 a bharrachd dha fh猫in ann an Lunnainn, far an robh m貌ran a鈥 bruidhinn mu dheidhinn Eadailteach anns a鈥 bhaile. Bha am fear sin sgileil leis a鈥 chlaidheamh. Bha e a鈥 cumail a-mach gum b鈥 esan an claidheamhair a b鈥 fhe脿rr air an t-saoghal.

Cha robh muinntir Lunnainn measail idir air an Eadailteach. Bha e cus ro 脿rdanach. Bhiodh e a鈥 spaidsearachd air na sr脿idean c貌mhla ri luchd-taic. Bhiodh drumair a鈥 coiseachd air thoiseach air. Chuireadh an drumair d霉bhlan ro dhuine sam bith a bha timcheall 鈥 thig is feuch do chlaidheamh an aghaidh mo mhaighstir! Leis gu robh e cho 脿rdanach bha gr脿in eadhon aig an r矛gh air an Eadailteach a bha seo. Ged a bha m貌ran airson sabaid na aghaidh, bha an t-eagal orra roimhe. Bha iad dhen bheachd gu robh draoidheachd aige, agus nach b鈥 urrainn do dhuine sam bith a鈥 ch霉is a dh猫anamh air.

L脿 a bha seo, bha an r矛gh a鈥 gearain mu dheidhinn. Thog cuideigin ainm an Albannaich, D貌mhnall 脪g MacFhearchair 脿 M貌ine Ailtridh. Saoil an d猫anadh esan a鈥 ch霉is air an Eadailteach, oir bha e cho sgileil leis a鈥 chlaidheamh? Fhuair an r矛gh fios gu robh D貌mhnall ann an Lunnainn. Dh鈥檌arr e air D貌mhnall a dhol a thadhal air. Air an rathad don l霉chairt, thachair D貌mhnall air an Eadailteach agus a luchd-leantainn. Bha an drumair a鈥 cur d霉bhlan ron t-sluagh 鈥 thig is feuch do chlaidheamh an aghaidh mo mhaighstir!

Chuir sin fearg air D貌mhnall. Tharraing e a chlaidheamh agus mharbh e an drumair. Chuir an t-Eadailteach d霉bhlan ro Dh貌mhnall. Chuir iad air d貌igh gum biodh iad a鈥 sabaid air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach. Nuair a dh鈥檌nnis D貌mhnall seo don r矛gh, bha an r矛gh air leth toilichte. Gheall e duais don Albannach nan d猫anadh e a鈥 ch霉is air an Eadailteach.

Air an oidhche sin, lorg D貌mhnall fear-frithealaidh an Eadailtich. Fhuair e a-mach bhuaithe gu robh an draoidheachd aig a mhaighstir ag obair mar a leanas: nuair a sh脿thadh duine le claidheamh e, cho luath 鈥檚 a bha an claidheamh air a tharraing a-mach 脿s a鈥 bhodhaig aige, thigeadh leigheas air an lot. 鈥橲 ann mar sin a bha an t-Eadailteach a鈥 d猫anamh a鈥 ch霉is air a h-uile duine.

Th脿inig an l脿rna-mh脿ireach agus th脿inig a鈥 ch貌mhrag eadar an dithis. Sh脿th D貌mhnall 脪g an t-Eadailteach le chlaidheamh. 鈥淭arraing do chlaidheamh a-mach!鈥 dh鈥櫭╥gh an t-Eadailteach air. Ach bha cuimhne aig D貌mhnall air na thuirt am fear-frithealaidh. Dh鈥檉h脿g e an claidheamh ann, agus thuit an t-Eadailteach marbh.

Thug an r矛gh poca 貌ir do Dh貌mhnall mar dhuais. Nuair a chuala an sluagh mu dheidhinn, ge-t脿, bha iad m矛-thoilichte. 鈥淪eall air an d矛ol-dh猫irce Albannach a鈥 cur 貌r Sasannach na ph貌caid,鈥 dh鈥櫭╥gh iad. Chuir sin fearg air D貌mhnall. Thilg e na buinn don fheadhainn a bha ag 猫igheachd air, leis na faclan, 鈥渃ha do choisinn na coin Sasannach an t-貌r dhaibh fh猫in, ach bhuannaich Albannach air an son e.鈥

Thill D貌mhnall a dh鈥橝lba. Bha cogadh a鈥 dol eadar Muinntir a鈥 Ch霉mhnaint agus luchd-taic an r矛gh. Dh矛on D貌mhnall agus Clann 鈥檌c Fhearchair baile Obair Dheathain an aghaidh feachd de luchd a鈥 Ch霉mhnaint. Ach fhuair saighdearan C霉mhnantach gr猫im air D貌mhnall agus mharbh iad e. Thathar ag r脿dh gun deach a thiodhlacadh ann an Obar Dheathain.

Faclan na Litreach

Faclan na Litreach: M貌ine Ailtridh: Monaltrie; D貌mhnall 脪g MacFhearchair: Donald 鈥溍抜g鈥 Farquharson; sgileil: skilful; a鈥 spaidsearachd: sauntering; draoidheachd: magic; l霉chairt: palace; fear-frithealaidh: manservant.

Abairtean na Litreach

Abairtean na Litreach: choisinn e cli霉 a bharrachd dha fh猫in ann an Lunnainn: he further developed his reputation in London; sgileil leis a鈥 chlaidheamh: skilful with the sword; gum b鈥 esan an claidheamhair a b鈥 fhe脿rr: that he was the best swordsman; bhiodh drumair a鈥 coiseachd air thoiseach air: a drummer would walk ahead of him; chuireadh X d霉bhlan ro dhuine sam bith: X would challenge anyone; bha gr脿in eadhon aig an r矛gh air: even the king hated him; bha an t-eagal orra roimhe: they were scared of him; saoil an d猫anadh esan a鈥 ch霉is air: perhaps he would defeat; thachair D貌mhnall air an Eadailteach: Donald happened upon the Italian; chuir iad air d貌igh gum biodh iad a鈥 sabaid air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: they organised to fight the next day; gheall e duais don Albannach nan d猫anadh e a鈥 ch霉is air: he offered the Scot a reward if he would defeat; fhuair e a-mach bhuaithe: he found out from him; cho luath 鈥檚 a bha an claidheamh air a tharraing a-mach 脿s a鈥 bhodhaig aige: as soon as the sword was withdrawn from his body; thigeadh leigheas air an lot: the wound would heal: a鈥 ch貌mhrag eadar an dithis: the duel; seall air an d矛ol-dh猫irce Albannach a鈥 cur 貌r Sasannach na ph貌caid: look at the Scottish beggar putting English gold in his pocket; cha do choisinn na coin Sasannach an t-貌r dhaibh fh猫in: the English dogs did not earn the gold for themselves; bhuannaich Albannach air an son e: a Scot won it for them; Muinntir a鈥 Ch霉mhnaint: the Covenanters; fhuair saighdearan C霉mhnantach gr猫im air: Covenanter soldiers got hold of; gun deach a thiodhlacadh: that he was buried.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Bha e cus ro 脿rdanach: he was much too arrogant. You might not have seen cus used a great deal in this way and the dictionaries barely mention it. Cus is a masculine noun meaning a sufficiency or surfeit eg dh鈥檌th mi cus (I ate too m霉ch), rinn e cus mhearachdan (he made too many mistakes). But it can also be used as an adverb, directly qualifying comparative adjectives or, as in the Litir, qualifying an adverb-adjective combination. Other examples of the latter are: bha e cus ro dhoirbh dhomh (it was much too difficult for me); bha sin cus ro sh矛mplidh (that was much too easy). The former are exemplified by: tha iad cus nas fhe脿rr a-nise (they are much better now); bha e cus na bu mhiosa na bha mi 鈥檔 d霉il (it was much worse than I [had] expected); tha thu cus nas ghlice na chleachd [thu a bhith]! (you are much wiser than you used to be!)

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: gu robh an draoidheachd aig a mhaighstir ag obair mar a leanas: that his master鈥檚 magic worked as follows. Mar a leanas: as follows.

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