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Bha mi ag innse eachdraidh Sheumais Mhic a’ Phearsain, an ceatharnach ainmeil à Bàideanach. Thàinig latha a chrochaidh ri taobh crois na margaidh ann am Banbh air an t-siathamh latha deug dhen t-Samhain anns a’ bhliadhna seachd ceud deug (1700).

Thathar ag ràdh anns an ear-thuath, chun an latha an-diugh, gun robh teachdaire air an rathad a Bhanbh air muin-eich, le stad-breith. Bha sin a’ tighinn bho chùirt nas àirde is nas urramaiche ann an Obar Dheathain. Bha fios aig an t-siorram gun robh e air an rathad. Chunnaic an siorram an teachdaire leis an stad-breith na làimh, ga chrathadh.

 Cha robh e deònach feitheamh oir bha e ag iarraidh gum biodh Mac a’ Phearsain marbh, agus dh’òrdaich e gum biodh an cloc ann am meadhan Bhanbh air a chur air adhart cairteal na h-uarach. Mar sin, thàinig uair a’ chrochaidh – a rèir a’ chloc co-dhiù – mus do ràinig an teachdaire meadhan a’ bhaile. Bha mòran daoine air an tàmailteachadh mu dheidhinn.

Fhad ʼs a bha e sa phrìosan, a’ feitheamh ri latha a chrochaidh, chruthaich Seumas òran, a’ dèanamh iomradh air a bhàs. Aig an àm sin, bhiodh cead aig daoine a bha fo bhinn-bhàis òraid a ghabhail mus biodh iad air an cur air a’ chroich. Ach, an àite òraid, ghabh Seumas òran, ann am Beurla a thuigeadh muinntir an ear-thuath, agus e a’ seinn na fìdhle aig an aon àm. Tha diofar riochdan air briathran an òrain san latha an-diugh, agus seo fear dhiubh:

Fareweel ye dungeons dark and strang, fareweel, fareweel tae ye,MacPherson’s time will nae be lang on yonder gallows tree

Sae rantinly, sae wantonly, sae dauntinly gaed heHe played a tune and he danced it aroon below the gallows tree

It was by a woman’s treacherous hand I was condemned tae deeAboon a ledge at a window she sat, a blanket she threw ow’r me

There’s some come here tae see me hang, and some tae buy my fiddleBut before that I wid part wi’ her I'd brak her through the middle

He took the fiddle intae baith o his hands and he brak it ower a staneSayin, nay ither hand shall play on thee when I am dead and gane

The reprieve was comin’ ow’r the Brig o Banff tae set MacPherson free,But they pit the clock a quarter afore, and they hanged him frae the tree.

Anns an òran, thathar ag ràdh gun do bhris Seumas fhidheall air clach. Ach dh’aithris cuid gun do thog e an ionnsramaid an-àirde. Dh’fhaighnich e am biodh duine sam bith dhen t-sluagh a bha a’ coimhead ga gabhail bhuaithe, air a’ chùmhnant ʼs gun cluicheadh e no i an aon phort oirre aig taigh-aire dha. Cha robh duine deònach an fhidheall a ghabhail air a’ chùmhnant sin, le tòrr nàimhdean aig Seumas an làthair. Mar sin, bhris Seumas an fhidheall thairis air a ghlùin. Dh’èigh e nach cluicheadh duine eile i. An uair sin, chaidh a chrochadh gu bàs.

Bha càirdean aig Seumas am measg an t-sluaigh, agus thug fear dhiubh an fhidheall bhriste air ais a Bhàideanach. Tha i a-nise ann an Taigh-tasgaidh Clann Mhic a’ Phearsain ann am Baile Ùr an t-Slèibh. Ged a tha an fhidheall briste, tha an t-òran agus an sgeulachd beò, slàn fhathast.

Faclan na Litreach: Seumas Mac a’ Phearsain: James MacPherson; ceatharnach: freebooter; stad-breith: reprieve; Obar Dheathain: Aberdeen; ionnsramaid: instrument.

Abairtean na Litreach: Thàinig latha a chrochaidh: the day of his hanging came; ri taobh crois na margaidh: beside the mercat cross; thathar ag ràdh anns an ear-thuath: it’s said in the north-east; chunnaic an siorram an teachdaire leis an stad-breith na làimh, ga chrathadh: the sheriff saw the messenger with the reprieve in his hand, shaking it; cha robh e deònach feitheamh: he wasn’t willing to wait; gum biodh an cloc air a chur air adhart cairteal na h-uarach: that the clock be put forward a quarter of an hour; air an tàmailteachadh: horrified; bhiodh cead aig daoine a bha fo bhinn-bhàis òraid a ghabhail: condemned people would be allowed to give a speech; mus biodh iad air an cur air a’ chroich: before they were put on the gibbet; ann am Beurla a thuigeadh muinntir an ear-thuath: in a language that the people of the north-east would understand; agus e a’ seinn na fìdhle aig an aon àm: and playing the fiddle at the same time; air a’ chùmhnant ʼs gun cluicheadh e no i an aon phort oirre aig taigh-aire dha: on the condition that he or she would play the same tune on it at his wake; le tòrr nàimhdean aig Seumas an làthair: with many of James’s enemies present; bhris Seumas an fhidheall thairis air a ghlùin: James broke the fiddle over his knee; Taigh-tasgaidh Clann Mhic a’ Phearsain ann am Baile Ùr an t-Slèibh: The Clan MacPherson Museum in Newtonmore.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: air an rathad a Bhanbh air muin-eich: on the way to Banff on horseback. Are you familiar with the preposition ‘a’ (‘to’) which incurs lenition? Learners often prefer ‘g³Ü’ (no lenition), but ‘a’ is very idiomatic. Tha mi a’ dol a Phort Rìgh ‘I’m going to Portree’. The preposition ‘àâ¶Ä™, with an accent and more open pronunciation, means ‘from’ and does not incur lenition. Thàinig e à Banbh ‘he came from Banff’.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: a’ dèanamh iomradh air a bhàs: giving an account of his death.