麻豆社

Aig deireadh na Litreach mu dheireadh, thug mi t貌imhseachan dhuibh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Cailleach bheag a鈥� ch貌ta bh脿in,

聽聽 Mar as tighe thig i bh脿n,

聽聽 鈥橲 ann as fhe脿rr a laigheas i.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha mi an d霉il gun robh sin furasta gu le貌r. Sneachd, nach e? C貌ta b脿n a bhios a鈥� laighe air ar d霉thaich bho 脿m gu 脿m.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bidh sneachd gu le貌r a鈥� laighe uaireannan air mullaichean nam beann. Agus bu mhath leam ur toirt an-dr脿sta gu beanntan Loch Abar. Ann am meadhan nam beann gu sear air a鈥� Ghearasdan, tha Stob Coir鈥� na Ceannain. Tha i eadar An Gearasdan agus Loch Tr猫ig, deas air Drochaid Ruaidh, ann an sg矛re a tha l脿n beul-aithris. 鈥橲 ann anns an sg矛re sin a bha D貌mhnall MacFhionnlaigh nan D脿n a鈥� fuireach. Sgr矛obh esan d脿n ainmeil 鈥� 脪ran na Comhachaig 鈥� aig deireadh an t-siathamh linn deug. Eun a dh鈥檉h脿sas cianail sean, a r猫ir beul-aithris. Bu mhath leam naidheachd innse dhuibh 脿s an sg矛re sin, anns a bheil comhachag.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha Stob Coir鈥� na Ceannain a鈥� faighinn a h-ainm bhon choire 鈥� Coir鈥� na Ceannain. Anns a鈥� choire, tha lochan. 鈥橲 e an ainm mo sge貌il Breac na h-Aona S霉l鈥� ann an Coir鈥� na Ceannain.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha greis mh貌r ann bhon a thachair seo. Tha e cho fada on a bha breac anns an lochan sin 鈥檚 gun robh G脿idhlig na h-e貌in agus aig a h-uile rud a bha be貌 aig an 脿m sin. Canaidh cuid gu bheil G脿idhlig aig a鈥� bhr矛dean agus aig an fhitheach is feadhainn eile fhathast. Ach, an uair sin, bha i aig a h-uile eun. Nuair a bha G脿idhlig aig na h-e貌in, b鈥� e sin linn an 脿igh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha iolaire ann agus bha an latha uabhasach fuar. 鈥楥ha d鈥� fhairich mi riamh i cho fuar,鈥� thuirt i. 鈥楢ch th猫id mi a-null a Shrath Oisein, thar a鈥� mhonaidh,鈥� thuirt i, 鈥榦ir tha seann damh a鈥� fuireach sa mhonadh sin. Tha e gu math sean. Th猫id mi ga fhaicinn, agus cuiridh mi a鈥� cheist air 鈥� 鈥渁n d鈥� fhairich thu a leithid seo de dh鈥檉huachd riamh?鈥濃��

听听听听听听听听听听听 Thachair an iolaire ris an damh. 鈥楴is, a charaid,鈥� thuirt an iolaire, 鈥榓n d鈥� fhairich thu riamh a leithid seo de dh鈥檉huachd?鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楥ha d鈥� fhairich,鈥� thuirt e. 鈥楥ha d鈥� fhairich mi riamh a leithid de dh鈥檉huachd. Ach innsidh mi seo dhut, thalla s矛os gu dachaigh na comhachaig. Tha mise ceithir fichead bliadhna 鈥檚 a deich, ach tha ise fada nas sine na sin.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chaidh an iolaire s矛os a鈥� bheinn. Thachair i ris a鈥� chomhachaig.聽 Chuir i an aon cheist air a鈥� chomhachaig 鈥檚 a chuir i air an damh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥極,鈥� ars鈥� a chomhachag, 鈥榗ha d鈥� fhairich mise riamh a leithid seo de dh鈥檉huachd.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥�Cha d鈥� fhairich no mise,鈥� dh鈥檃ontaich an iolaire.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楢ch trobhad seo,鈥� ars a鈥� chomhachag, 鈥榯ha seann bhreac ann an Lochan Coir鈥� na Ceannain a tha air aon s霉il. Cuir an aon cheist airsan.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥檉halbh an iolaire a bhruidhinn ris an t-seann bhreac. Chuir an iolaire a鈥� cheist air, 鈥榓n d鈥� fhairich thu riamh a leithid de dh鈥檉huachd?鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楧h鈥檉hairich,鈥� fhreagair am breac. 鈥楧h鈥檉hairich mi aon latha a bha na b鈥� fhuaire na seo. Bha mi cho fuar anns an lochan 鈥檚 gun robh mi a鈥� gabhail r貌idean mun cuairt, feuch an cuirinn teas orm fh矛n. Bhuail mi air sg貌r creige agus 鈥檚 e sin a dh鈥檉h脿g mi gus an latha an-diugh air aon s霉il.鈥�

Faclan na Litreach: sneachd: snow; Loch Abar: Lochaber; iolaire: eagle; damh: stag.

Abairtean na Litreach: cailleach bheag a鈥� ch貌ta bh脿in: the old woman of the white coat; mar as tighe thig i [a-]bh脿n: the thicker she comes down; 鈥檚 ann as fhe脿rr a laigheas i: the better she lies; mullaichean nam beann: the summits of the mountains; deas air Drochaid Ruaidh: south of Roybridge; sg矛re a tha l脿n beul-aithris: an area which is full of oral tradition; aig deireadh an t-siathamh linn deug: at the end of the sixteenth century; eun a dh鈥檉h脿sas cianail sean: a bird that grows extremely old; bu mhath leam naidheachd innse dhuibh, anns a bheil comhachag: I鈥檇 like to tell you a short tale, in which there is an owl; Breac na h-Aona S霉l鈥�: the one-eyed trout; tha e cho fada on a bha breac anns an lochan: it鈥檚 such a long time since there was a trout in the lochan; th猫id mi a-null a Shrath Oisein, thar a鈥� mhonaidh: I鈥檒l go over to Strath Ossian, across the hill(s); th猫id mi ga fhaicinn, agus cuiridh mi a鈥� cheist air: I鈥檒l go to see him, and I鈥檒l ask him; an d鈥� fhairich thu a leithid seo de dh鈥檉huachd riamh?: have you ever felt cold like this?; fada nas sine na sin: much older than that; ach trobhad seo: but look here; aon latha a bha na b鈥� fhuaire na seo: one day that was colder than this; cho fuar 鈥檚 gun robh mi a鈥� gabhail r貌idean mun cuairt: so cold that I was jumping around; feuch an cuirinn teas orm fh矛n: trying to warm myself up; bhuail mi air sg貌r creige: I banged into a sharp projection of rock; 鈥檚 e sin a dh鈥檉h脿g mi air aon s霉il: that鈥檚 what left me with one eye.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: 鈥�Cha d鈥� fhairich no mise,鈥� dh鈥檃ontaich an iolaire: 鈥�Nor did I,鈥� agreed the eagle. To create this structure, we have to use the verb that was used previously. Here are some examples: Chan fhaca mi a leithid riamh 鈥業 never saw the like鈥�; chan fhaca no mise 鈥榥or did I鈥�. Cha t脿inig mi dhachaigh ann an 脿m 鈥業 didn鈥檛 come home in time鈥�; cha t脿inig no mise 鈥榥or did I鈥�. Cha do rugadh mi anns an d霉thaich seo 鈥業 wasn鈥檛 born in this country鈥�; cha do rugadh no mise 鈥榥or was I鈥�.

Seanfhacal na Litreach: Nuair a bha G脿idhlig aig na h-e貌in, b鈥� e sin linn an 脿igh: when the birds spoke Gaelic, that was the age of joy.