麻豆约拍

An cuala sibh riamh mun bh脿rd Gh脿idhlig Uilleam Ruighe 鈥檔 Uidhe? William Gow ann am Beurla. Bha e be貌 aig deireadh an ochdamh linn deug. Bhuineadh e do Ruighe 鈥檔 Uidhe ann an Srath Sp猫 鈥� seann bhaile-fearainn eadar An Gleann M貌r agus Obar Neithich. Bha e gu math ainmeil ri a linn, gu h-脿raidh anns an sg矛re far am biodh e a鈥� sealg 鈥� Am Monadh Ruadh. Leis gun robh e na bh脿rd agus na shealgair, gu tric bhiodh e a鈥� sgr矛obhadh b脿rdachd mu shealg.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Uaireannan, bhiodh e ri sealg le cead an uachdarain, gu h-脿raidh air taobh an iar-thuath a鈥� Mhonaidh Ruaidh, ann an Rat Mhurchais is 脿iteachan mar sin. Ach bhiodh e ri poidseadh cuideachd, gu h-脿raidh air taobh eile a鈥� mhonaidh ann am M脿rr agus Doire. Bhiodh e a鈥� togail bothain sh矛mplidh dha fh猫in a-muigh sa mhonadh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tha mi a鈥� dol a leughadh p矛osan 脿 d脿n a sgr矛obh Uilleam mu dheidhinn sealg nam fiadh anns a鈥� Mhonadh Ruadh:

Och, gur mi tha muladach聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽

Sa mhonadh, 鈥檚 mi leam fh猫in,

鈥橲 mi bhi 鈥檛脿mh an cr貌dhan beag

Bothain 鈥檛hog mi 鈥檓 fheum;

Cha robh spaid no tuagh agam,

No ball mun cuairt dom l脿imh,

Ach a鈥� bhiodag l脿idir bharra-chaol

鈥橲 ann leatha bhuain mi 鈥檓 f脿l.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Anns an d脿rna rann, tha Uilleam ag ainmeachadh 鈥榓鈥� Bhan-Ghranndach鈥� 鈥� 鈥榯he Grant maiden鈥�. Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh a ghunna. 鈥橲 e an cleachdadh a bh鈥� aig na G脿idheil o shean a bhith a鈥� cur ainm boireann air gunna. Ch矛 sibh anns an rann seo gun robh p霉dar 鈥� no f霉dar 鈥� a鈥� ghunna feumail airson teine a chur thuige, agus gun robh i gu math fuar shuas sa mhonadh:

Tha na h-osanan air reothadh orm,

Mun t猫id a鈥� che貌thag suas,

Tha gaoth is cur is cathadh ann,

鈥橲 e gabhail domh sa chluais;

Ach glacaidh mis鈥� Bhan-Ghranndach seo,

A tha nam l脿imh san uair,

Is fadaidh is鈥� an teine dhomh,

Le f霉dar sgeireach cruaidh.

Nise, tha fios againn bho dh脿n ainmeil eile 鈥� 鈥楢llt an Lochain Uaine鈥� 鈥� gun do thog Uilleam bothan ri taobh an uillt sin 鈥� ann an ceann shuas Gleann Doire. Mu choinneimh sin, air taobh an ear a鈥� ghlinne, tha an Glas-allt. Ma leanas tu an Glas-allt suas, ruigidh tu m貌inteach 脿rd. Air an taobh eile dhen mh貌intich tha an Dubh-ghleann no Dubh-ghleannan, far a bheil coille-ghiuthais n脿darrach fhathast. Tha Uilleam ag ainmeachadh nan 脿iteachan sin anns a鈥� cheathramh rann. Mar sin, tha fios againn c脿鈥� robh e a鈥� sealg:

鈥橲聽 mur faigh anns a鈥� Ghlas-allt,

Na fir aigeannach tha bhuam,

Ma ruigeas mi an D霉bh-ghleannan,

Is br脿igh nan st霉c tha shuas;

Siridh mi gu cothromach

Gach coire dhiubh is bruthach,

鈥橲 cha chuir mi 脿s a h-aon dhiubh,

Ma dh鈥檉haodas le gaoth-chuairt.

Bha e a鈥� poidseadh air fearann a bhuineadh don Mhorair F矛obha 鈥� Lord Fife, a tha e ag ainmeachadh san d脿n. Bha e ann cho tric, 鈥檚 gun robh botal de dh鈥檜isge-beatha aige 鈥榝o shop aig bun bruthaich鈥�. Bhiodh e ga lorg gu furasta oir bha e mion-e貌lach air na beanntan sin. Seo an rann mu dheireadh:

鈥橲 nuair shuidheas mi air socair,

鈥橲 gun dosgainn bhith ri luaidh,

Bheir mi l脿mh air botal

Tha fon t-sop am bun na bruthaich;

鈥橲 ma thachras do na companaich

Bhith l脿imh rium anns an uair,

鈥淟ord Fife is damh na cr貌ice鈥� 鈥�

An deoch-sl脿inte th猫id mun cuairt.

Faclan na Litreach: Ruighe 鈥檔 Uidhe: Rynuie; Am Monadh Ruadh: The Cairngorms; Rat Mhurchais: Rothiemurchus; muladach: sad; 肠别貌迟丑补驳: small smoke; Gleann Doire: Glen Derry; 诲别辞肠丑-蝉濒脿颈苍迟别: toast (drink).听听

Abairtean na Litreach: deireadh an ochdamh linn deug: the end of the 18th Century; seann bhaile-fearainn eadar An Gleann M貌r agus Obar Neithich: an old farm between Glenmore and Abernethy; gun robh e na bh脿rd agus na shealgair: that he was a poet and hunter; cead an uachdarain: the landlord鈥檚 permission; bhiodh e ri poidseadh: he would go poaching; sa mhonadh, 鈥檚 mi leam fh猫in: on the mountain by myself; [a鈥橾 t脿mh an cr貌dhan beag, bothain 鈥檛hog mi 鈥檓 fheum: dwelling in a little pen of a bothy I built in my need; ball mun cuairt dom l脿imh: a tool around to my hand; a鈥� bhiodag l脿idir bharra-chaol: the strong, narrow-pointed dirk; bhuain mi 鈥檓 f脿l: I cut the turf; a bhith a鈥� cur ainm boireann air gunna: to give a gun a feminine name; airson teine a chur thuige: to light a fire; tha na h-osanan air reothadh orm: the hose have frozen on me; tha cur is cathadh ann: it is snowing and blizzarding; [a鈥橾 gabhail d[h]omh sa chluais: assailing me in the ear; fadaidh is鈥� an teine dhomh, le f霉dar sgeireach cruaidh: she will kindle the fire for me, with gritty hard powder; na fir aigeannach tha bhuam: the lively ones I want; br脿igh nan st霉c tha shuas: the upland of the jutting peaks to the west; cha chuir mi 脿s a h-aon dhiubh, ma dh鈥檉haodas le gaoth-chuairt: I won鈥檛 kill [only] one of them if I might with an eddying wind; fo shop aig bun bruthaich: under a wisp [of grass] at the bottom of a slope; gun dosgainn bhith ri luaidh: without recounting a misfortune; Lord Fife is damh na cr貌ice: [a toast to] Lord Fife and the antlered stag.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: fearann a bhuineadh don Mhorair F矛obha: land that belonged to Lord Fife. The lords of Fife were important in medieval Scotland and the title (Earl of Fife) was revived in the 18th Century. Their name appears to be preserved in a very important landmark in the Cairngorms 鈥� but not as F矛obh or Fife. Their family name was Duff or MacDuibh and it is likely that Scotland鈥檚 second highest mountain, Beinn MacDuibh, commemorates the clan.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: Bhith l脿imh rium anns an uair: to be near to me at that time.