麻豆约拍

Bu toigh leam naidheachd 脿 Ceap Breatainn innse dhuibh. Tha i a鈥� tighinn bhon chruinneachadh Sgeul gu Latha le Iain Seathach. B鈥� e an sgeulaiche E貌s N矛ll Bhig nach maireann agus fhuair esan i bho th猫, Bean Mh矛cheil 始ic鈥橧lleain. 始S e an t-ainm a th' air an naidheachd 鈥楢n Oidhche a bha i a鈥� Sileadh na Lite鈥�. N矛 mi beagan nas giorra agus nas s矛mplidh鈥� i.

Bha banntrach ann agus cha robh aice ach aon mhac. 始S e se貌rsa de leth-ghloic a bh鈥� ann, ach bha e m貌r is l脿idir. Chuir a mh脿thair air falbh e gu margaidh le mart air ceann r貌pa.

Thachair e ri fear aig a鈥� mhargaidh. 鈥楧猫 tha thu ag iarraidh air a鈥� mhart?鈥� thuirt am fear eile.

鈥極,鈥� ars an gille, 鈥榯ha mi ag iarraidh rudeigin.鈥�

鈥楩osgail do l脿mh, ma-th脿,鈥� ars am fear eile. Thilg e smugaid na l脿imh. 鈥楽eo rudeigin,鈥� thuirt e.

鈥楢gus seo am mart,鈥� fhreagair an leth-ghloic. Thug e ceann an r貌pa don duine eile. Ch霉m e a dh貌rn d霉inte oir 始s ann an sin a bha an 鈥榬udeigin鈥� a fhuair e.

Air an rathad dhachaigh, bha e a鈥� dol tarsainn allt nuair a shleamhnaich e. Nuair a thuit e don uisge, dh鈥檉hosgail e a l脿mh agus dh鈥檉halbh an smugaid. Th貌isich an gille air r霉rach anns an allt, feuch am faigheadh e i. Aig an dearbh mhionaid th脿inig ceannaiche-paca, no mar a chanadh iad ann am Beurla, peddlar.

鈥楧猫 tha thu a鈥� d猫anamh?鈥� thuirt am peddlar.

鈥楾ha mi a鈥� coimhead airson rudeigin,鈥� ars an gille.

Dh鈥檉heuch am peddlar ri faighinn a-null agus shleamhnaich esan cuideachd. 鈥極, seo rudeigin,鈥� thuirt e gu h-aotrom.

鈥楲org thu mo rudeigin?鈥� thuirt an gille.

鈥楥ha do lorg,鈥� fhreagair am peddlar.

Bha an gille deimhinne gun do lorg am peddlar an 鈥榬udeigin鈥� aige. Ghabh iad am bad a ch猫ile agus mharbh an gille am peddlar. Thiodhlaic an gille a chorp. Thill e dhachaigh. Fhuair a mh脿thair a-mach d猫 bh鈥� air tachairt agus far an robh corp a鈥� cheannaiche. Dh鈥檌arr i air a mac norrag a ghabhail. Fhad 始s a bha e na chadal, rinn i lite thana. Chrath i an lite air an talamh taobh a-muigh an taighe.

Nuair a dh鈥櫭╥rich an gille, chaidh e a-mach. 鈥楾ha i a鈥� sileadh lite,鈥� thuirt e ri a mh脿thair. 鈥楾ha lite air an talamh.鈥�

鈥楢 bheil?鈥� ars ise. 鈥�Coma leat mu dheidhinn.鈥�

Nise, bha reithe aice. 始S e 鈥楶eddlar鈥� an t-ainm a bh鈥� air oir bhiodh e a' falbh air feadh na sg矛re aig amannan. Thug i an reithe don t-sloc far an robh corp a鈥� cheannaiche. Mharbh i an reithe. Chuir i a chlosach anns an t-sloc, agus ghluais i corp an duine gu 脿ite eile.

Goirid an d猫idh sin, th脿inig dithis phoileas don taigh. Dh鈥檉haighnich iad dhen ghille am fac鈥� e 鈥�peddlar鈥�.

鈥極,鈥� ars an leth-ghloic, 鈥榤harbh mi e.鈥�

鈥楥uin a bha sin?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich poileas.

鈥楢n oidhche a bha i a鈥� sileadh na lite,鈥� fhreagair an gille. Agus mh矛nich e far an robh corp a鈥� pheddlar.

Bha na poilis dhen bheachd nach robh sa ghille ach fear g貌rach. Ach thug iad s霉il air an 脿ite-thiodhlacaidh. Lorg iad reithe. 鈥楴ach tuirt mi riut gun robh e gun toinisg?鈥� thuirt fear de na poilis. 鈥楢n oidhche a bha a鈥� sileadh na lite! Sin am 鈥�peddlar鈥� a mharbh e.鈥� Agus sin agaibh mo naidheachd. Beannachd leibh.

Abairtean na Litreach: An Oidhche a bha i a鈥� Sileadh na Lite: the night it rained porridge; n矛 mi beagan nas giorra agus nas s矛mplidh鈥� i: I鈥檒l make it a bit shorter and simpler; 始s e se貌rsa de leth-ghloic a bh鈥� ann: he was a sort of half-wit; le mart air ceann r貌pa: with a cow at the end of a rope; d猫 tha thu ag iarraidh air a鈥� mhart?: what do you want for the cow?; thilg e smugaid na l脿imh: he spat in his hand; ch霉m e a dh貌rn d霉inte oir 始s ann an sin a bha an 鈥榬udeigin鈥� a fhuair e: he kept his fist closed because that was where the 鈥榮omething鈥� was that he got; th貌isich an gille air r霉rach anns an allt, feuch am faigheadh e i: the lad started to search in the burn to see if he could find it; aig an dearbh mhionaid th脿inig ceannaiche-paca: at that very moment a pack-merchant came; 鈥極, seo rudeigin,鈥� thuirt e gu h-aotrom: 鈥�Oh, here鈥檚 something,鈥� he said lightly; ghabh iad am bad a ch猫ile: they went at each other [fought]; dh鈥檌arr i air a mac norrag a ghabhail: she asked her son to take a nap; chrath i an lite air an talamh taobh a-muigh an taighe: she shook the porridge on the ground outside the house; bhiodh e falbh air feadh na sg矛re aig amannan: he would go wandering at times; chuir i a chlosach anns an t-sloc: she put its carcase in the pit; ghluais i corp an duine gu 脿ite eile: she moved the man鈥檚 body to another place; nach tuirt mi riut gun robh e gun toinisg?: didn鈥檛 I tell you he was without sense?

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: bho th猫, Bean Mh矛cheil 始ic鈥橧lleain: from a woman, the wife of Michael Maclean. This is an old way of naming a married woman which is disappearing today; it appears to have been retained more strongly on Cape Breton Island than in Scotland.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: Coma leat mu dheidhinn: don鈥檛 worry about it.