Â鶹ԼÅÄ

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu bhoireannach à taobh Loch Raineach. Bha an dà shealladh aice. Sgrìobh an t-Urramach Iain Mac na Ceàrdaich, ministear ann an Ceann Loch Raineach, dàn mu a deidhinn. Nochd e ann an clò ann an naoi ceud deug ’s a còig (1905). Ghabh e ‘Sarah’ air a’ bhoireannach mar ainm.

Tha mi airson tuilleadh innse dhuibh mu dheidhinn Sarah agus mun fhàidheadarachd aice. Latha a bha seo, chaidh am muillear à Camas Fheàrnain a dhìth. Chaill e a rathad air a shlighe dhachaigh air oidhche dhorch. Tha Uisge Thatha a’ sruthadh bho Chamas Fheàrnain gu Obar Pheallaidh (agus nas fhaide). ’S e abhainn mhòr a th’ innte. Bha dùil gun robh am muillear air tuiteam don abhainn. Rinn sgioba rannsachadh. Fhuair iad lorg air a bhonaid ach cha robh sgeul air a chorp.

Chaidh buidheann a-null a Raineach a bhruidhinn ri Sarah. Bha fios aice ro làimh gun robh iad a’ tighinn agus dè bha fa-near dhaibh. Nise, cha robh Sarah air a bhith ann an Obar Pheallaidh riamh roimhe. Mar sin, cha robh i air an drochaid iongantach a thog an Seanalair Wade fhaicinn. Bidh an drochaid a’ gabhail trafaig fhathast.

Rinn Sarah sgeidse dhen drochaid agus sheall i do na daoine far an robh corp a’ mhuilleir. Dh’iarr i orra cabhag a dhèanamh, air eagal ’s gum biodh an corp air a sguabadh air falbh leis an uisge. Nuair a chaidh na daoine ann, bha corp a’ mhuilleir aig bonn na drochaid mar a thuirt Sarah.

Turas eile, bha tubaist eile ann an Uisge Thatha. Bha fear à Gar Tulaich a bha, a rèir aithris, na ribear. Chan urrainn dhomh a ràdh am biodh e a’ ribeadh bhìobhairean. Tha gu leòr dhiubh ann an Uisge Thatha a-nise. Ach chan urrainn dhomh a ràdh an robh iad fhathast ann am bith ann an Alba aig an àm sin.

Co-dhiù, thuit an ribear don abhainn air oidhche dhorch. Chaidh a bhàthadh agus chaidh a chorp a sguabadh air falbh leis an t-sruth. Chaidh triùir à Gar Tulaich a bhruidhinn ri Sarah mun chùis. Thuirt i riutha gum faigheadh iad lorg air corp an duine air beulaibh togalach anns an robh mòran uinneagan.

Thill na fir dhachaigh agus ged as e Latha na Sàbaid a bh’ ann, rinn iad rannsachadh airson a’ chuirp. Dh’iarr iad air a’ mhinistear a choit a chur gu feum anns an abhainn. Ach cha robh am ministear toilichte mun iarrtas. Cha tug e cead dhaibh. 

Bha argamaid ann an uair sin. Thuirt fear de na daoine ris a’ mhinistear gun robh eisimpleirean ann dhen dà-shealladh anns a’ Bhìoball. Aig a’ cheann thall, dh’aontaich am ministear a choit a thoirt dhaibh. Ach ged a rannsaich na daoine fad an latha, cha do lorg iad an corp. 

An ath latha, chaidh iad a-mach a-rithist agus lorg iad an corp air beulaibh togalach eile anns an robh mòran uinneagan. B’ fheudar don mhinistear – a rèir a’ mhinisteir eile a sgrìobh an dàn – aideachadh gun robh rudeigin dha-rìribh anns an dà-shealladh. 

A rèir choltais, chleachd Sarah copan no cuach de sheòrs air choreigin nuair a bha i ri fàidheadaireachd. Chitheadh i rudeigin anns a’ chopan. Gu mì-fhortanach, dh’fhalbh an copan à fianais an dèidh a bàis.

Faclan na Litreach: ro-ràdh: foreword; an t-Urramach Iain Mac na Ceàrdaich: the Rev John Sinclair; dàn: poem; fàidheadarachd: soothsaying; Uisge Thatha: The River Tay; sgeidse: sketch.

Abairtean na Litreach: taobh Loch Raineach: Loch Rannoch-side; ghabh e ‘X’ air a’ bhoireannach mar ainm: he called the woman ‘X’; chaidh am muillear à Camas Fheàrnain a dhìth: the miller from Camserney went missing; a rathad air a shlighe dhachaigh air oidhche dhorch: his way on his route home on a dark night; gun robh am muillear air tuiteam don abhainn: that the miller had fallen into the river; cha robh X air a bhith ann an Obar Pheallaidh riamh roimhe: X had never been in Aberfeldy; an drochaid iongantach a thog an Seanalair Wade: the amazing bridge that General Wade built; fear à Gar Tulaich a bha, a rèir aithris, na ribear: a man from Grandtully who was, according to report(s), a trapper; chan urrainn dhomh a ràdh am biodh e a’ ribeadh bhìobhairean: I can’t say if he would be trapping beavers; an robh iad fhathast ann am bith: were they still in existence; chaidh a bhàthadh: he was drowned; air beulaibh togalach anns an robh mòran uinneagan: in front of a building which had many windows; ged as e Latha na Sàbaid a bh’ ann, rinn iad rannsachadh airson a’ chuirp: although it was the Sabbath Day, they searched for the body; dh’iarr iad air a’ mhinistear a choit a chur gu feum: they asked the minister for the use of his (small) boat; cha tug e cead dhaibh: he did not give them permission; gun robh eisimpleirean ann dhen dà-shealladh anns a’ Bhìoball: that there were examples of the second sight in the Bible; b’ fheudar don mhinistear aideachadh gun robh rudeigin dha-rìribh anns an dà-shealladh: the minister had to admit there was certainly something in the second sight; chitheadh i rudeigin anns a’ chopan: she would see something in the cup; dh’fhalbh an copan à fianais an dèidh a bàis: the cup disappeared after her death.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Bha fios aice ro làimh gun robh iad a’ tighinn agus dè bha fa-near dhaibh: she knew beforehand that they were coming and what they had in mind. Fa-near means ‘under consideration’. Thoir fa-near means ‘take note (of). With the preposition do/dha (and usually the verb bi), it can be used for an expression of intention or consideration.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: air eagal ’s gum biodh an corp air a sguabadh air falbh: in case the body would be swept away.