麻豆约拍

Tha sinn a鈥� ruigsinn na h-earrainn mu dheireadh dhen t-seann sgeulachd Fionn ann an Taigh a鈥� Bhl脿ir Bhuidhe an t-seachdain seo. Chaidh a chl脿radh bho Alasdair Camshron ann an 脌ird nam Murchan aig deireadh an naoidheamh linn deug. Bidh sibh a鈥� cuimhneachadh, 鈥檚 d貌cha, mar a dh鈥檉halbh Fionn is c脿ch cuide ri gille fuadain agus mar a chaidh an glacadh ann an Taigh a鈥� Bhl脿ir Bhuidhe gun chomas 猫irigh, agus iad a鈥� leantainn ri ballachan is 霉rlar an taighe.

Cha robh n矛 air bith a dh鈥檉huasgladh iad ach fuil tri霉ir chloinne R矛gh Innis T矛le air a s矛oladh tro amalan airgid ann an cupaichean 貌ir. Nuair a th脿inig ciaradh an fheasgair, thuirt Fionn ri Oscar, 鈥淏iodh d鈥� amalan agus do chupaichean leat a-nochd.鈥� Dh鈥檉halbh an d脿 laoch gu beul-atha na h-abhainn airson a bhith deiseil aig 脿m dol fodha na gr猫ine.

Cha robh iad ach goirid a鈥� feitheamh nuair a th脿inig sluagh m貌r. Bha tri霉ir chloinne R矛gh Innis T矛le air an l脿imh dheis, agus deiseachan uain鈥� orra. Thuirt Laoghaire, 鈥淏heir mise an aghaidh air mic R矛gh Innis T矛le agus bheir thu fh猫in an aghaidh air an t-sluagh mh貌r.鈥�

Nuair a th脿inig iad dl霉th, ghlaodh an sluagh m貌r, 鈥淐貌 iad an d脿 luidealach mh貌r mh矛-sgiamhach a tha nan seasamh anns an anmoch? Tha an t-脿m dhaibh teicheadh.鈥� 鈥淭r矛 trian durn-eagal a bhith oirbh fh猫in,鈥� ars鈥� Oscar, 鈥溾�檚 gun dad idir dheth oirnne.鈥� Thug e an aghaidh air an t-sluagh mh貌r agus thug Laoghaire an aghaidh air tri霉ir mhac an R矛gh.
Bha buaidh aig Oscar is cha do dh鈥檉h脿g e aon duine be貌. Chaidh e le cabhaig far an robh Laoghaire. Bha mic an R矛gh air an d脿 ghl霉in aig Laoghaire agus bha Laoghaire air a leth-ghl霉n聽acasan. Chunnaic Oscar gun robh l脿mh-an-uachdair aig Laoghaire. Mar sin, bha aire aige air an fhuil, oir bha i a鈥� taomadh gu bras air an l貌n. Th貌isich e air a s矛oladh tro na h-amalan聽airgid anns na cupaichean 貌ir, ach mun robh na cupaichean l脿n dh鈥檉h脿s na cuirp chorag agus nach sileadh tuilleadh asta.

Dh鈥檉halbh an d脿 laoch leis na bh鈥� aca de dh鈥檉huil a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an taigh san robh Fionn agus a dhaoine. Thuirt Fionn, 鈥淪uathaibh an fhuil ris a h-uile m矛r dhibh a bheanas dontaigh, o mhullach ur cinn gu buinn ur cas.鈥� Rinn iad sin agus chaidh iad a-staigh.聽

Th貌isich iad air na daoine fhuasgladh le bhith a鈥� suathadh fuil ri gach m矛r dhiubh a bha a鈥� leantainn ris nah-脿iteachan-suidhe, no ris a鈥� bhalla, no ris an 霉rlar. Dh鈥檉huasgail iad mar sin gach duine a bha a-staigh ach Conan. Cha robh fuil gu le貌r air fh脿gail air a shon-san. Bha c霉l a chinn ceangailte ri leac an teine. Cha robh d貌igh aca ach fh脿gail far an robh e.
Dh鈥檉halbh Fionn agus a dhaoine dhachaigh ro thoilichte gun d鈥� fhuair iad 脿s. Cha deach iad ro fhada nuair a sheall iad nan d猫idh. Chunnaic iad Conan a鈥� tighinn. Sheas iad far an robh iad. Th脿inig C貌nan. Bha e gun fhalt no craiceann eadar mullach a chinn agus c霉l amhaich.

Nuair a dh鈥檉hairich e gun do dh鈥檉halbh c脿ch agus gun do dh鈥檉h脿g iad e nan d猫idh, thug e slaodadh m貌r air a cheann. Dh鈥檉h脿g e fhalt is a chraiceann ceangailte ri leac an teine. On latha聽sin a-mach, b鈥� e a theireadh daoine ris, 鈥淐onan Maol gun Fhalt鈥�.
R脿inig Fionn agus a dhaoine an dachaigh. Thug Fionn b貌id nach cuireadh emuinntireas air gille fuadain tuilleadh.

cabhag: haste; l脿mh-an-uachdair: the upper hand; dh鈥檉hairich: sensed; slaodadh: pull.

mar a dh鈥檉halbh Fionn is c脿ch cuide ri gille fuadain: how Fionn and聽the others left along with a wandering lad; mar a chaidh an glacadh: how they were caught; a鈥櫬爈eantainn ri ballachan is 霉rlar an taighe: stuck to the walls and floor of the house; cha robh n矛聽air bith a dh鈥檉huasgladh iad: there was nothing that would free them; fuil tri霉ir chloinne R矛gh聽Innis T矛le: the blood of the three children of the King of Iceland; air a s矛oladh tro amalan聽airgid ann an cupaichean 貌ir: filtered through silver rings into golden cups; gu beul-atha na h-abhainn:聽to the ford-mouth of the river; cha robh iad ach goirid a鈥� feitheamh: they were only聽waiting a short time; bheir mise an aghaidh air X: I鈥檒l attack X; tha an t-脿m dhaibh teicheadh:聽it is time for them to flee; tr矛 trian dur n-eagal a bhith oirbh fh猫in: may three thirds of your fear聽be upon yourselves; gun dad idir dheth oirnne: without any of it on us; bha X air an d脿 ghl霉in聽aig Y agus bha Y air a leth-ghl霉n acasan: Y had X on their two knees and X had Y on one knee聽(see last week鈥檚 Puing-ch脿nain); tha an t-脿m dhaibh a bhith a鈥� gabhail an eagail: it鈥檚 time for聽them to get scared; d脿 thrian d鈥� ur n-eagal a bhith oirbh fh猫in: two thirds of your fear be on聽yourselves; bha aire aige air an fhuil: he was paying attention to the blood; bha i a鈥� taomadh聽gu bras air an l貌n: it was pouring out rapidly on the meadow; dh鈥檉h脿s na cuirp cho rag agus聽nach sileadh tuilleadh asta: the bodies grew so stiff that no more would flow from them;聽suathaibh an fhuil ris a h-uile m矛r dhibh a bheanas don taigh: wipe the blood on every part of聽you which will touch the house; dh鈥檉huasgail iad: they freed; air a shon-san: for him; nan聽d猫idh: behind them; gun fhalt no craiceann eadar mullach a chinn agus c霉l amhaich: without聽hair or skin between the top of his head and the back of his neck; b鈥� e a theireadh daoine ris,聽鈥淐onan Maol gun Fhalt鈥�: people would call him Bald Conan without Hair.

C貌 iad an d脿 luidealach mh貌r mh矛-sgiamhach a tha nan聽seasamh anns an anmoch?: who are the two big uncomely slobs who are standing in the聽evening? I dealt with this in the gn脿ths-cainnt last week but can you explain a grammatical聽point 鈥� why the two adjectives are lenited even though luidealach is a masculine noun? If you聽read Litir 362 last year (09.06.06) you might recall why. It is because luidealach follows d脿聽and is actually in an old dual case which is equivalent to the dative singular in form.聽Similarly, we would say iasg beag geal (a small white fish) but d脿 iasg bheag bh脿n (two small聽white fish[es]), with the adjectives lenited (iasg obviously cannot lenite).

Thug Fionn b貌id nach cuireadh e muinntireas air gille fuadain聽tuilleadh: Fionn vowed that he would never again engage a wandering lad in service. Thug聽mi b貌id: I vowed, took an oath.