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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Uilleam Uallas. Bha e airson dìoghaltas a dhèanamh air an riaghladair Shasannach ann an Lannraig. Dhìrich e an staidhre gu seòmar-cadail an riaghladair. Ann am faclan an ùghdair, Aonghas MacCoinnich, ‘chuir e a neart an aghaidh an dorais, agus dh’fhàisg e a-steach roimhe e.’ 

Leum an Sasannach a-mach às an leabaidh. Ghlaodh e, ‘Cò tha a’ dèanamh na h-iorghail seo?’

‘Mise, Uilleam Uallas,’ fhreagair am fear eile, agus sgolt e ceann a nàmhaid le a chlaidheamh. Bha ùpraid ann an uair sin, air feadh sràidean a’ bhaile. Aig deireadh a’ ghnothaich, bha an t-uabhas de na saighdearan Sasannach marbh, agus bha Lannraig ann an làmhan luchd-strì na h-Alba.

Nuair a sgaoil an naidheachd mu na thachair ann an Lannraig, fhuair Uallas àireamh mhòr de dhaoine tapaidh ga leantainn. A rèir a’ chunntais, bha na Sasannaich, a bha a’ feuchainn ri smachd a chumail air Alba, a’ gabhail eagal ro Uallas. Ach bha iad seòlta. An àite a bhith ri cogadh na aghaidh, chuir iad cuireadh thuige coinneachadh riutha. Bha iad ag iarraidh bruidhinn ris, ma b’ fhìor, mu shìth. 

Bha a’ cho-labhairt ann an togalach mòr fiodha ann an Inbhir Àir. Tha an t-ùghdar ag innse dhuinn gun robh na h-Albannaich car faoin. Mar a tha an seanfhacal ag ràdh: Am fear nach bi olc air aire, cha smaoinich e air olc fear eile. Fhad ʼs a rachadh gach fear aig Uallas a-steach, fear mu seach, bha ròpa-crochaidh a’ feitheamh ris. Fear an dèidh fear, chaidh an crochadh. Bha an cuirp air an tilgeil air muin a chèile.

Bha Uallas fadalach. Nuair a ràinig e an t-àite, chuir boireannach stad air. Dh’inns i dha gu dè bha a’ tachairt am broinn an togalaich. Cha deach Uallas a-steach. Dhùin e fhèin is a chàirdean an togalach, agus chuir iad teine ris. Chaidh mòran a mharbhadh. ʼS ann mar sin a chrìochnaich ‘Pàrlamaid Dhubh Inbhir Àir’.

Rinn Uallas nàdar de chogadh-guerilla an uair sin. Mean air mhean, fhuair e smachd air a h-uile gearastan ann an Alba gu tuath air Abhainn Foirthe, ach a-mhàin Caisteal Dhùn Dè. Anns an Lùnastal dà cheud deug, naochad ʼs a seachd (1297), bha an t-arm aig Uallas a’ cuartachadh Caisteal Dhùn Dè.

An uair sin, chuala Uallas gun robh Iarla Shurraidh a’ tighinn na aghaidh. Rinn Uallas air Sruighlea airson coinneachadh ris na Sasannaich mus fhaigheadh iad tarsainn na drochaid an sin. B’ e sin an aon rathad furasta faighinn gu tuath. Gu sear air an drochaid, bha an abhainn ro leathann. Gu siar, bha boglach mhòr ann.

Tha an cunntas ag innse dhuinn gun robh Iarla Shurraidh ‘glè shean agus ann an droch shlàinte. B’ ann aig Ùisdean Cressingham, Fear-ionmhais Alba, a bha comannd an airm ann an dha-rìreabh’. Chaidh gu leòr de dh’uaislean na h-Alba a-null gu taobh Shasainn, oir cha robh iad a’ faicinn gum biodh Uallas soirbheachail. Cha robh anns an arm aige ach an treas cuid de dhaoine a bh’ aig Cressingham. Ciamar a dhèanadh arm na h-Alba an gnothach? Ge-tà, rinn, mar a chluinneas sinn an-ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Uilleam Uallas: William Wallace; Inbhir Àir: Ayr; car faoin: a bit naive; ròpa-crochaidh: hanging rope; Iarla Shurraidh: The Earl of Surrey; boglach: bog, mossland; uaislean: gentry; an treas cuid: a third.

Abairtean na Litreach: Bha e airson dìoghaltas a dhèanamh air an riaghladair Shasannach ann an Lannraig: he wanted to gain revenge on the English governor in Lanark; dhìrich e an staidhre gu seòmar-cadail an riaghladair: he climbed the stair to the governor’s bedroom; chuir e a neart an aghaidh an dorais, agus dh’fhàisg e a-steach roimhe e: he put his weight [strength] against the door, and pushed it in [in front of him]; cò tha a’ dèanamh na h-iorghail seo?: who is responsible for this outrage?; sgolt e ceann a nàmhaid le a chlaidheamh: he split his enemy’s head with his sword; ann an làmhan luchd-strì na h-Alba: in the hands of the Scottish campaigners; àireamh mhòr de dhaoine tapaidh ga leantainn: a large number of good men following him; a’ gabhail eagal ro Uallas: fearful of Wallace; togalach mòr fiodha ann an Inbhir Àir: a large wooden building in Ayr; bha an cuirp air an tilgeil air muin a chèile: their bodies were thrown on top of each other; chuir iad teine ris: they set on fire; gu tuath air Abhainn Foirthe, ach a-mhàin Caisteal Dhùn Dè: north of the River Forth, except for the Castle of Dundee; b’ e sin an aon rathad furasta faighinn gu tuath: that was the only easy way of going north; b’ ann aig Ùisdean Cressingham, Fear-ionmhais Alba, a bha comannd an airm ann an dha-rìreabh: the command of the army was actually in the hands of Hugh [de] Cressingham, the treasurer of [the English administration in] Scotland.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Bha iad ag iarraidh bruidhinn ris, ma b’ fhìor, mu shìth: they were wanting to speaking to him, or pretended to, about peace. You will hear this more commonly as mas fhìor ‘pretending to, allegedly’; it means literally ‘if it is true’. Because it contains the assertive verb ‘is’, the past tense form is ma b’ fhìor, which might be used for historical events, such as the one in the Litir, which took place centuries ago.

Seanfhacal na Litreach: Am fear nach bi olc air aire, cha smaoinich e air olc fear eile: the man who does not consider [perpetrating] evil, he won’t consider the evil of [perpetrated by] another.