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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 263: A Chaora Bhiorach Ghlas

Is fhada o nach robh sgeulachd againn ann an Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh, agus bu mhath leam t猫 innse dhuibh an-diugh. 鈥橲 e t猫 thraidiseanta a th鈥 innte air a bheil 鈥淎 Chaora Bhiorach Ghlas鈥.

Bha R矛gh agus B脿nrigh ann, agus bha nighean aca. Chaochail a鈥 Bh脿nrigh agus ph貌s an R矛gh teile. Ach bha an t猫 seo olc. Bhiodh i a鈥 gabhail air a鈥 bhana-phrionnsa, agus ga cur a-mach air an doras. B鈥 fheudar don nighinn falbh a-mach a bhuachailleachd nan caorach fad an t-siubhail. Agus chan fhaigheadh i rud sam bith ri ithe. Bha a鈥 Bh脿nrigh 霉r an d貌chas gum faigheadh i b脿s le cion b矛dh.

Ach gu h-iongantach mhair i be貌. Cha robh fios aig a鈥 Bh脿nrigh, ach bha aon chaora san treud a鈥 cuideachadh na h-矛ghne. Bha i a鈥 toirt biadh dhi. B鈥 e sin a鈥 chaora bhiorach ghlas.

Cha robh fios aig a鈥 Bh脿nrigh mar a bha an nighean a鈥 faighinn biadh agus dh鈥檌nnis i mun dragh a bh鈥 oirre do chailleach nan cearc. Chuir cailleach nan cearc a nighean fh猫in a-mach a bhuachailleachd nan caorach cuide ri nighean an R矛gh, feuch faighinn a-mach ciamar a bha i a鈥 faighinn biadh. Ach fhad 鈥檚 a bha a鈥 chaileag seo ann, cha tigeadh a鈥 chaora bhiorach ghlas faisg air a鈥 bhana-phrionnsa le biadh.

Bha a鈥 bhana-phrionnsa a鈥 gabhail fadachd airson a鈥 bh矛dh aice, agus thuirt i ri nighean cailleach nan cearc, 鈥淐uir do cheann air mo ghl霉in agus fasgabhaidh mi thu.鈥 Tha sin a鈥 ciallachadh gun cuireadh i falt na h-矛ghne ann an 貌rdugh. Agus chuir nighean cailleach nan cearc a ceann air gl霉n an teile. Bha i sg矛th, agus chaidil i an sin. Agus fhad 鈥檚 a bha i na cadal, th脿inig a鈥 chaora bhiorach ghlas a dh鈥檌onnsaigh nighean an R矛gh le biadh dhi.

Ach bha s霉il ann an c霉l ceann nighean cailleach nan cearc agus bha i sin fosgailte. Chunnaic an nighean na bha a鈥 tachairt, ged a bha i na cadal. Nuair a dh霉isg i, dh鈥檉halbh i dhachaigh agus dh鈥檌nnis do a m脿thair gu d猫 bh鈥 air tachairt, 鈥檚 gur e a鈥 chaora bhiorach ghlas a bha a鈥 toirt biadh don bhana-phrionnsa. Agus chaidh cailleach nan cearc don l霉chairt airson a鈥 ch霉is aithris don Bh脿nrigh.

Bha a鈥 Bh脿nrigh feargach, agus thuirt i gum marbhadh iad a鈥 chaora bhiorach ghlas. Ach chuala a鈥 chaora mu dheidhinn a鈥 phlana. Chaidh i a dh鈥檌onnsaigh nighean an R矛gh, agus thuirt i rithe, 鈥淭ha iad a鈥 dol gam mharbhadh. Ach goid thusa mo chraiceann. Trus mo chn脿mhan is mo ladhran agus roilig nam chraiceann iad. Agus thig mi be貌 a-rithist, agus thig mi gad ionnsaigh a-rithist.鈥

Mar a dh鈥檌nnis a鈥 chaora e, 鈥檚 ann a thachair e, cha mh貌r. Chaidh a marbhadh, agus ghoid a鈥 bhana-phrionnsa a craiceann is a cn脿mhan. Roilig i na cn脿mhan sa chraiceann agus theich i. Ach dh矛ochuimhnich i mu na ladhran. Agus nuair a th脿inig a鈥 chaora be貌 a-rithist bha i cr霉bach. Cha robh comas aice tuilleadh biadh fhaighinn airson nighean an R矛gh.

Gu fortanach, bha prionnsa anns an n脿baidheachd. Bha e a鈥 sealg. Thachair e ris an nighinn agus ghabh e gaol dhi. Ach chunnaic nighean cailleach nan cearc e, agus dh鈥檌nnis i do a m脿thair mu dheidhinn. Agus chaidh cailleach nan cearc a dh鈥檌nnse mu dheidhinn don Bh脿nrigh.

Dh鈥檌arr a鈥 Bh脿nrigh air nighean an R矛gh thighinn a-steach don l霉chairt airson a bhith na searbhant dhi. Agus chuir i an nighean aice fh猫in a-mach a bhuachailleachd, gus an tachradh i ris a鈥 phrionnsa an ath-thuras a thigheadh e a shealg. Agus innsibh mi dhuibh d猫 thachair an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: teile: another female (it comes from t猫 eile); olc: evil; gl霉n: knee; chaidil i: she slept; roilig: roll; dh矛ochuimhnich i: she forgot; cr霉bach: lame; n脿baidheachd: vicinity.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: bhiodh i ga cur a-mach air an doras: she would put her out the door; b鈥 fheudar don nighinn falbh a-mach a bhuachailleachd nan caorach: the daughter/girl had to go out and herd the sheep; fad an t-siubhail: all the time; gum faigheadh i b脿s le cion b矛dh: that she would die because of a lack of food; cha tigeadh a鈥 chaora bhiorach ghlas faisg: the sharp grey sheep wouldn鈥檛 come close; bha i a鈥 gabhail fadachd: she was getting weary; nighean cailleach nan cearc: the daughter of the hen-woman; fasgabhaidh mi thu: I will dress your hair (archaic); falt na h-矛ghne: the girl鈥檚 hair; th脿inig i a dh鈥檌onnsaigh nighean an R矛gh: it (she) came up to the king鈥檚 daughter; dh鈥檌nnis do a m脿thair: she told her mother; gum marbhadh iad a鈥 chaora: that they would kill the sheep; goid thusa mo chraiceann: [you] steal my skin; trus mo chn脿mhan is mo ladhran: gather up my bones and hooves; ghabh e gaol dhi: he fell in love with her; airson a bhith na searbhant dhi: to be a servant to her; gus an tachradh i ris a鈥 phrionnsa: so she would meet the prince; an ath-thuras a thigeadh e a shealg: the next time he came [would come] to hunt.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: If you are reading this without listening to the broadcast version, you might well have done a 鈥渄ouble take鈥 on the following sentence: Cha robh comas aice tuilleadh biadh fhaighinn airson nighean an R矛gh. With your knowledge of grammar (now finely honed, I hope!), you might have thought, 鈥渨ell, tuilleadh commands a noun in the genitive so it should be tuilleadh b矛dh instead of tuilleadh biadh.鈥 (just as we say beagan b矛dh or taigh-b矛dh). But does tuilleadh here command the noun? In fact it doesn鈥檛 because it is not a noun, but an adverb qualifying the clause 鈥渃ha robh comas aice鈥. I was saying 鈥渟he no longer had the ability to get food for the king鈥檚 daughter鈥. If tuilleadh were here a noun, then I would have said 鈥渢uilleadh b矛dh鈥 and the sentence would have meant 鈥渟he didn鈥檛 have the ability to get more food...鈥 Of course (and you will note that the Litir is deliberately a bimedia exercise), the spoken version would tell you what is meant by its placing of emphasis relative to the meaning, something which is not immediately obvious on the page.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Bhiodh i a鈥 gabhail air a鈥 bhana-phrionnsa: she would beat the princess.

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