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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Nant Gwrtheyrn – an t-àite sa Chuimrigh far a bheil ionad-cànain. Nuair a thàinig an triùir mhanach ann, rinn iad trì mallachdan. Nam measg bha seo – ‘cha phòs na fir à Nant Gwrtheyrn boireannaich à Nant Gwrtheyrn’.

            Air sgàth sin, bhiodh na fir a’ falbh a-mach à Nant Gwrtheyrn airson mnathan a lorg. Thàinig e nach robh ach trì bailtean-fearainn air fhàgail ann – Tŷ Hen (an seann taigh), Tŷ Canol (an taigh meadhanach) agus Tŷ Uchaf (an taigh àrd).

            Aig Tŷ Uchaf bha fear Rhys Maredydd a’ fuireach cuide ri a phiuthar, Angharad. ʼS e dìlleachdan a bh’ annta. Bha co-ogha aca – tè Meinir – a bha a’ fuireach ann an Tŷ Hen. Ghabh Rhys agus Meinir gràdh air a chèile.

            Bhiodh iad a’ suidhe còmhla aig bonn craobh-dharaich ³¾³óò°ù. Dh’iarr Rhys air Meinir a phòsadh agus dh’aontaich i. Ach, nuair a chaidh Rhys a’ bruidhinn ri a h-athair, cha do dh’aontaich esan idir.

            ‘Chan fhaod thu Meinir a phòsadh,’ thuirt e. ‘Cuimhnich a’ mhallachd. Chan fhaod fear à Nant Gwrtheyrn boireannach às an àite seo a phòsadh.’ Ge-tà, bha Meinir cho muladach ʼs gun do dh’atharraich a h-athair a bheachd. Air sgàth na mallachd, rinn iad co-dhùnadh gum biodh a’ bhanais ann an Eglwys Clynnog Fawr (eaglais na cuileannaich mhòir) pìos air falbh.

            Thàinig madainn na bainnse. ʼS e latha math samhraidh a bh’ ann agus choisich Rhys a-null gu baile-fearainn Meinir. Bha traidisean ann gum biodh bean na bainnse a’ dol am falach, agus gum biodh aig fear na bainnse ri a lorg. Mar sin, cha robh sgeul air Meinir. Bha i air teicheadh.

            Chaidh Rhys ga lorg anns an t-sabhal agus anns a’ bhàthaich, ach cha robh sgeul air Meinir. Chaidh e bho phàirc gu pàirc ach cha robh sgeul oirre. Bha an aimsir a’ fàs teth agus bha Rhys a’ fàs sgìth dhen ghèam. ‘ʼS dòcha gu bheil i air a dhol don eaglais ann an Clynnog Fawr,’ thuirt cuideigin.

            Choisich Rhys a-null gu Clynnog Fawr ach cha robh Meinir an sin. Thill e gu Nant Gwrtheyrn. Choisich na daoine thar a’ mhonaidh, agus thàinig dorchadas na h-oidhche. Ach cha do lorg iad Meinir. Chaidh na làithean, na seachdainean, na mìosan seachad, agus chan fhacas Meinir. Chaochail a h-athair agus bha Rhys troimhe-chèile. Gach feasgar, bhiodh e na shuidhe fon chraoibh-dharaich. Bhiodh e ag èigheachd, ‘A Mheinir, a Mheinir, càit a bheil thu?’

            Chaidh trithead bliadhna seachad. Cha do phòs Rhys tè eile. Cha robh duine air fhàgail ann an Nant Gwrtheyrn ach e fhèin. Oidhche a bha seo, bha e na shuidhe fon chraoibh-dharaich nuair a bha dealanaich ³¾³óò°ù ann. Bhuail beithir dealanaich a’ chraobh, ga sgàineadh ann an dà phìos. Agus dè chunnaic Rhys am broinn na craoibhe ach cnàimhneach le pìos de dhreasa bainnse air. Bha Meinir air a bhith am falach anns a’ chraoibh agus bha i air tuiteam a-steach gu toll innte. Agus cha d’ fhuair i a-mach a-chaoidh.

            Chaidh corp Rhys a lorg, agus grèim aige air cnàimhneach Meinir. Air sgàth na mallachd, bha Nant Gwrtheyrn a-rithist gun sluagh.

Faclan na Litreach: ionad-cànain: language centre; mallachdan: curses; bailtean-fearainn: farms; co-ogha: cousin; cuimhnich: remember; sabhal: barn; ²úà³Ù³ó²¹¾±³¦³ó: byre; chaochail: died; ³Ù°ù´Ç¾±³¾³ó±ð-³¦³óè¾±±ô±ð: bereft.

Abairtean na Litreach: triùir mhanach: three monks; cha phòs na fir à X boireannaich à X: the men from X won’t marry women from X; a’ fuireach cuide ri a phiuthar: living with his sister; aig bonn craobh-dharaich ³¾³óò°ù: at the base of a large oak tree; cha do dh’aontaich esan idir: he didn’t agree at all; cho muladach ʼs gun do dh’atharraich a h-athair a bheachd: so distraught that her father changed his mind; airson na bainnse: for the wedding; gum biodh bean na bainnse a’ dol am falach: that the bride would go into hiding; cha robh sgeul air Meinir: Meinir wasn’t to be found; thar a’ mhonaidh: across the hill; chan fhacas X: X wasn’t seen; bhiodh e na shuidhe fon chraoibh-dharaich: he would sit below the oak tree; cha do phòs Rhys tèile: Rhys didn’t marry another woman (tè eile); bhuail beithir dealanaich a’ chraobh, ga sgàineadh ann an dà phìos: a bolt of lightning hit the tree, splitting it into two pieces; dè chunnaic Rhys am broinn na craoibhe ach cnàimhneach le pìos de dhreasa bainnse air: what did Rhys see inside the tree but a skeleton with a bit of wedding dress on it; air a bhith am falach anns a’ chraoibh: had been hiding in the tree; bha i air tuiteam a-steach gu toll innte: she had fallen into a hole in it; cha d’ fhuair i a-mach a-chaoidh: she never got out; agus grèim aige air cnàimhneach X: holding onto X’s skeleton.

Puing-chànain na Litreach Eglwys Clynnog Fawr (eaglais na cuileannaich mhòir): the relationship between Welsh and Gaelic is fascinating, even to us non-scholars because we so often see echoes of one in the other. Eglwys has its cognate in eaglais; clynnog (or more commonly celynnog) is equivalent to cuileannach, meaning ‘a place where the cuileann or holly tree grows, a holly grove’ and fawr is cognate with ³¾³óò°ù, both being soft mutations, or lenited forms, of mawr and ³¾Ã²°ù ‘big’. The English ‘church of the big holly grove’ in contrast looks nothing like the Celtic forms.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: gum biodh aig fear na bainnse ri a lorg: that the bridegroom would have to find her.