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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 302: Iain Breac

Nach math na sgeulachdan a tha ag innse mar a bhios amadan a鈥 d猫anamh a鈥 ch霉is air daoine eile. Seo agaibh t猫 air mar a rinn amadan Iain Bhric a鈥 ch霉is air m猫irleach ann an Coille Tharbhaidh.

Tha coille mh貌r 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鈥 choille m貌r is dorch is cunnartach. Agus bhiodh m貌ran robairean ri sp霉inneadh innte. Nuair a bha Iain Breac na cheann-cinnidh do Chloinn 鈥檌c Le貌id Dh霉n Bheagain, chaill e m貌ran airgid innte.

Seo mar a thachair e. Chuir Iain Breac a sheumarlan a dh鈥橧nbhir Nis, ann an cuideachd dithis eile, airson airgead fhaighinn a ph脿igheadh airson obair-c脿raidh air a鈥 chaisteal aige ann an D霉n Bheagan 鈥 an dearbh chaisteal a tha feumach air c脿radh an l脿 an-diugh.

Fhuair an tri霉ir a dh鈥橧nbhir Nis gu s脿bhailte agus fhuair iad an t-airgead. Chuir iad ann am poca e. Air an rathad dhachaigh, th脿inig m猫irlich orra ann an Coille Tharbhaidh. Thug na robairean gunnaichean a-mach is dh鈥櫭瞨daich iad don tri霉ir an cuid airgid gu l猫ir a thoirt seachad. Thug iad am poca seachad. B鈥 fheudar don t-seumarlan agus a chompanaich cumail a dol don Eilean Sgitheanach airson innse do dh鈥橧ain Breac gun do chaill iad an t-airgead gu l猫ir.

Bha Iain feumach air an airgead, ge-t脿, agus chuir e teachdaire eile, le companaich thapaidh, a dh鈥橧nbhir Nis airson tuilleadh fhaighinn. Ach, air an rathad dhachaigh, ann an Coille Tharbhaidh, thachair an dearbh rud a thachair don fheadhainn eile. Is r脿inig iad D霉n Bheagan gun sgillinn ruadh air fh脿gail aca.

Th脿inig an leann-dubh air Iain Breac. Cha b鈥 urrainn eadhon a ph矛obaire, a chl脿rsair no a bh脿rd inntinn a thogail. Mhothaich an t-amadan gu robh a mhaighstir gu math 矛osal is chaidh e a bhruidhinn ris. Dh鈥檉haighnich e dheth gu d猫 a bha a鈥 cur air. Mh矛nich Iain Breac na thachair agus thuirt an t-amadan ris, 鈥淣a gabhaibh dragh. S霉im sam bith a tha sibh ag iarraidh faighinn, gheibh mise i. Bheir mi dhachaigh gu s脿bhailte i.鈥

Cha robh Iain Breac a鈥 cur cus earbsa ann am beachd an amadain. Ach lean an t-amadan air, ag r脿dh gun d猫anadh esan a鈥 ch霉is far an do dh鈥檉hailnich air feadhainn eile. Agus, mu dheireadh, dh鈥檃ontaich an ceann-cinnidh an cothrom a thoirt dha. Bha Iain Breac airson an t-each as fhe脿rr aige a thoirt don amadan, ach cha robh an t-amadan air a shon idir. Thagh esan seann l脿ir nach robh gu m貌ran feum tuilleadh. Agus dh鈥檉halbh e.

Nuair a r脿inig e Coille Tharbhaidh, thachair e ri m猫irleach a dh鈥檉haighnich dheth c脿鈥 robh e a鈥 dol. 鈥淭ha mi a鈥 dol a dh鈥橧nbhir Nis airson airgead fhaighinn do mo mhaighstir鈥, thuirt an t-amadan.

鈥淎gus am bi companaich agad nuair a thilleas tu?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich am fear eile.

鈥淥 cha bhi,鈥 fhreagair an t-amadan.

鈥淯ill, cumaidh mise s脿bhailte thu,鈥 thuirt am m猫irleach, 鈥渙ir bidh daoine olc a鈥 tadhal air a鈥 choille seo.鈥 Dh鈥檉haighnich e dhen amadan cuin鈥 a bhiodh e a鈥 tilleadh, agus thuirt e gun coinnicheadh e ris anns a鈥 choille air an l脿 sin.

Chum an t-amadan a鈥 dol a dh鈥橧nbhir Nis agus fhuair e an t-airgead. Chuir e an t-airgead ann am poca. Ach fhuair e poca eile, dhen aon se貌rsa, agus l矛on e sin le sligean maoraich. Bha, mar sin, d脿 phoca aige, ach chum e am falach iad, fo chle貌ca. Chaidh e air muin na seann l脿ire agus rinn e air an taobh an iar. Agus innsidh mi dhuibh mar a rinn e a鈥 ch霉is air a鈥 mh猫irleach anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: 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 seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: nach math na sgeulachdan: aren鈥檛 the stories good; anns an t-seachdamh linn deug: in the 17th Century; bhiodh m貌ran robairean ri sp霉inneadh innte: many robbers were engaged in plundering in it [in the wood]; na cheann-cinnidh do Chloinn 鈥檌c Le貌id Dh霉n Bheagain: a clan chief of the Macleods of Dunvegan; ann an cuideachd dithis eile: in the company of two others; a ph脿igheadh airson obair-c脿raidh air a鈥 chaisteal aige: which would pay for repairs on his castle; an dearbh chaisteal: the same castle; th脿inig m猫irlich orra: thieves came upon them; an cuid airgid gu l猫ir 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 fh脿gail aca: without a single penny left [to them]; cha b鈥 urrainn eadhon a ph矛obaire inntinn a thogail: even his piper couldn鈥檛 improve his mental state; mhothaich an t-amadan gu robh a mhaighstir gu math 矛osal: the fool noticed his master was very low in spirits; bheir mi dhachaigh gu s脿bhailte i: I will bring it safely home; cha robh X a鈥 cur cus earbsa ann am Y: X didn鈥檛 have too much confidence in Y; thagh esan seann l脿ir nach robh gu m貌ran 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?; l矛on e sin le sligean maoraich: he filled that with sea shells; air muin na seann l脿ire: on the back of the old mare; chum e am falach iad, fo chle貌ca: he kept them hidden under his cloak.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: mar a bhios amadan a鈥 d猫anamh a鈥 ch霉is air daoine eile: how a fool outwits other people. Those of you who think deeply about grammar might have thought 鈥 鈥渨hy is it not a鈥 d猫anamh na c霉ise鈥 because c霉is 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鈥 ch霉is ort but bha mi a鈥 d猫anamh na c霉ise 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 c霉ise.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: dh鈥檉haighnich e dheth gu d猫 a bha a鈥 cur air: he asked him what was wrong with him. D猫 tha a鈥 cur ort?: what is wrong/up with you?

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