麻豆约拍

Bha sinn ann an 脌ird Chlach an t-seachdain sa chaidh 鈥� gu deas air Inbhir Narann. Bha mi aginnse dhuibh mun tarbh-uisge ann an Loch Buaile Fhiodhaid. Aig amannan, bhiodh an tarbh-uisge a鈥� f脿gail an locha, agus e miannach air fe貌il dhaoine. B鈥� urrainn dha a dhreach atharrachadh. Feasgar br猫agha a bha seo, dh鈥檉h脿g e an loch le coltas eich air 鈥� each a bha br猫agha, solt. Bha diollaid is srian air. Chunnaic e buidheann de chloinn a鈥� dol tarsainn nam boglaichean faisg air an loch.

Chunnaic a鈥� chlann an t-each br猫agha. Chaidh iad dha ionnsaigh. Leig an t-each leis a鈥� chloinn gr猫im a ghabhail air an t-srian aige. Leig e leotha dhol air a mhuin. Bha a鈥� chlann cho sona risan R矛gh. Cha robh amharas sam bith orra nach e each ceart a bh鈥� ann.

Nuair a bha a鈥� chlann a鈥� marcachd air, chaidh e faisg air lochan beag dubh. Bhathar agr脿dh mun lochan sin gun robh e uabhasach fh猫in domhainn. Bhathar ag r脿dh cuideachd gunrobh e ceangailte ri Loch Buaile Fhiodhaid tro amaran d矛omhair fon talamh. Gu h-obann, leum an t-each a-steach don lochan agus chaidh e 脿 fianais. Thug e a鈥� chlann leis. An uair sin dh鈥檃tharraich e a dhreach air ais gu bhith na tharbh-uisge. Dh鈥檌th e a鈥� chlann sa bhad. Thachair seo o chionn fhada ach aig toiseach an fhicheadamh linn, bhiodh cuid de sheann duine san sg矛re fhathast a鈥� gabhail 鈥淟och na Cloinne鈥� air an lochan sin.

Cha robh an tarbh-uisge an-c貌mhnaidh cunnartach, ge-t脿. Air l脿ithean teth samhraidh, bhiodh e a鈥� tighinn a-mach ag ionaltradh faisg air an loch. Uaireannan bhiodh e a鈥� dol a chadal ann an bl脿ths na gr猫ine. Bha sp貌rs an uair sin aig na gillean. Bhiodh gille a鈥� feuchainn ri faighinn faisg air an tarbh-uisge gun fhiosta don bheathach. Nam faigheadh e faisg gu le貌r, bhiodh e a鈥� tarraing gaoisidean far bian an tairbh mus biodh fios aig a鈥� chreutair d猫 bh鈥� air tachairt!

Bhiodh muinntir 脌ird Chlach ag r脿dh mu dheidhinn duine a rinn sin gum biodh beatha mhath aige. Bhiodh airgead gu le貌r aige is gheibheadh e deagh bhean. Bhiodh teaghlach m貌r aige agus bheireadh e buaidh air n脿mhaid sam bith a thigeadh na rathad. Ach chan eil sin a鈥檆iallachadh gum biodh a h-uile c脿il r猫idh. Chan fh脿gadh e an saoghal gu s矛theil. Gheibheadh eb脿s ann an tubaist obann, uabhasach.

Cha bu ch貌ir dhuinn d矛ochuimhneachadh gur e n脿dar de tharbh a bh鈥� ann, ged a bha e a鈥� fuireach fon uisge. Bhiodh e a鈥� f脿s aonaranach anns an dachaigh aige. Bho 脿m gu 脿m bhiodh ea鈥� falbh a-mach a鈥� sireadh b貌. Gheibheadh e cothrom as t-samhradh nuair a bhiodh treudan de chrodh sa mhonadh, uaireannan gun bhuachaille.

脌s an aonadh eadar b貌 talmhainn agus tarbh-uisge thigeadh laoigh a bha furasta gu le貌r aithneachadh. Bha na cluasan aca eagach, bha na h-earbaill aca goirid agus bha a鈥� bhian aca riabhach. Agus bha na ladhran aca dubh is gleansach. Bha coltas car fiadhaich air na s霉ilean aca cuideachd.

Bha d脿 laogh dhen t-se貌rsa sin aig tuathanach. Th脿inig an samhradh. Dh鈥檌omain an tuathanach na laoigh gu talamh ionaltraidh. Ach mhothaich e gu robh an d脿 laogh le c脿irdeasdon tarbh-uisge a鈥� f脿s m矛-shocrach. Latha a bha seo, theich iad. Ruith an tuathanach is a chompanaich 脿s an d猫idh ach bha iad ro luath. R脿inig iad Loch nan Doirb gun sg矛ths sam bith orra, leum a-steach don loch agus chan fhacas tuilleadh iad.

脌ird Chlach: Ardclach; Inbhir Narann: Nairn; tarbh-uisge: water-bull;Loch Buaile Fhiodhaid: Loch Belivat; amannan: times; solt: placid; diollaid: saddle; srian:bridle; amharas: suspicion; marcachd: riding; an-c貌mhnaidh: always; aonaranach: lonely;eagach: notched; dh鈥檌omain: drove; m矛-shocrach: uneasy; Loch nan Doirb: Lochindorb; sg矛ths:weariness.

miannach air fe貌il dhaoine: desirous of human flesh; b鈥� urrainn dha adhreach atharrachadh: he could change his appearance; le coltas eich air: bearing the appearance of a horse; tarsainn nam boglaichean: across the bogs, marshy ground; dha ionnsaigh: towards it; leig e leotha dhol air a mhuin: it let them go on its back; uabhasach fh猫in domhainn: exceptionally deep; bhathar ag r脿dh gun robh e ceangailte ri: it was said that it was linked to; amaran d矛omhair fon talamh: secret channels under the ground; chaidh e 脿 fianais: it disappeared; dh鈥檃tharraich e a dhreach air ais: it changed its appearance back; dh鈥檌th e a鈥檆hlann sa bhad: it ate the children immediately; bhiodh cuid a鈥� gabhail 鈥淟och na Cloinne鈥� air:some would call it 鈥淭he Loch of the Children鈥�; ag ionaltradh: grazing; gun fhiosta don bheathach: without the beast knowing; bhiodh e a鈥� tarraing gaoisidean far bian an tairbh: hewould pull hairs from the bull鈥檚 hide; bheireadh e buaidh air n脿mhaid sam bith a thigeadh na rathad: he would defeat any enemy who would come in his way; gum biodh a h-uile c脿il r猫idh:that everything would be smooth; chan fh脿gadh e an saoghal gu s矛theil: he wouldn鈥檛 leave theworld peacefully; gheibheadh e b脿s ann an tubaist obann: he would die in a sudden accident;cha bu ch貌ir dhuinn d矛ochuimhneachadh: we shouldn鈥檛 forget; treudan de chrodh sa mhonadh,uaireannan gun bhuachaille: herds of cattle on the hill, sometimes without a herdsman; 脿s anaonadh: from the union; bha a鈥� bhian aca riabhach: their hide was brindled; bha na ladhran acadubh is gleansach: their hooves were black and shiny.

Bha sp貌rs aig na gillean: the lads had fun. It鈥檚 interesting how aloan word from another language can either take on a new meaning or, alternatively, preservean older meaning or connotation that the word possessed in the donor tongue. Although sp貌rs(which came into Gaelic from English) is an equivalent to sport (as in football, shinty), it is justas likely to refer to fun or merriment (bha deagh sp貌rs againn 鈥� we had great fun). In Englishsport is thought to have originated as a variation of the noun disport which, according to myCollins Dictionary meant 鈥渁musement鈥�. Although sport still has that meaning in English, theconnection with fun and amusement is stronger in Gaelic. Similarly, the adjective sp貌rsail canmean both 鈥渇un-loving鈥� and 鈥渟porty鈥�.

cho sona ris an R矛gh: as happy as could be (lit. as happy as the King).