麻豆约拍

Bha Fionn agus a laoich ann an Taigh a鈥� Bhl脿ir Bhuidhe. Ach cha robh sgeul air a鈥� chuirm a bha iad an d霉il fhaighinn. Dh鈥檌arr Fionn air fear aca dhol a-mach, feuch am faiceadh e duine sam bith a鈥� tighinn le biadh. Ach cha b鈥� urrainn do dhuine aca 猫irigh. Lean am m脿san ris na h-脿itean-suidhe, buinn an cas ris an 霉rlar agus an dromannan ris na ballachan. Ghlaodh Conan ri Fionn far leac an teine, agus a dhruim is fhalt a鈥� leantainn rithe, 鈥淣ach do dh鈥檌nnis mise tr脿th mar dh鈥櫭╥readh dhut?鈥�

Cha tuirt Fionn guth. Chuimhnich e air a dheud-fios 鈥� no knowledge teeth. Chuir e a mheur fodha. Fhuair e a-mach nach robh n矛 air bith a dh鈥檉huasgladh iad 脿s an 脿ite 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. Chuimhnich Fionn gun robh Laoghaire, Mac R矛gh nan Sealg, agus Oscar a dh矛th air a鈥� chuideachd an latha seo. Bha an Gurra-fiodha aige 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin f矛deag air a dh猫anamh de dh鈥檉hiodh. Cha do sh猫id e an Gurra-fiodha riamh ach nuair a bha e ann am f矛or 猫iginn. Nuair a sheinneadh e i, rachadh a fuaim tro sheachd iomaill an domhain. Nuair a chluinneadh Laoghaire agus Oscar am fuaim, thigeadh iad far an robh Fionn.

Sh猫id e an Gurra-fiodha tr矛 uairean. Mun d鈥� 猫irich a鈥� ghrian air an ath mhadainn bha Oscar a鈥� glaodhaich taobh a-muigh an taighe, 鈥淎 bheil thu an seo, Fhinn?鈥� 鈥淐貌 tha sin?鈥� thuirt Fionn on taobh a-staigh. 鈥淚s e an d脿 latha e nuair nach aithnich thu mo ghuth-sa agus nach eil ach leud balla taighe eadarainn,鈥� fhreagair Oscar. 鈥淭ha mise, Oscar, an seo, agus Laoghaire c貌mhla rium. Gu d猫 th鈥� againn ri dh猫anamh?鈥�

Dh鈥檌nnis Fionn dhaibh an cruaidh-ch脿s anns an robh iad, agus nach robh n矛 air bith a dh鈥檉huasgladh iad 脿s an 脿ite 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. Dh鈥檉haighnich Oscar c脿ite am faigheadh iad sin. Thuirt Fionn, 鈥淏heir thu aire mhath do bheul-atha na h-abhainn ud thall mu dhol fodha na gr猫ine.鈥� Ach 鈥檚 e a鈥� mhadainn a bh鈥� ann, agus bha an t-acras air na laoich. Dh鈥檌arr Fionn air Oscar is Laoghaire biadh fhaighinn dhaibh.

Chaidh Oscar is Laoghaire gu Taigh M貌r faisg air l脿imh. Chaidh iad a-steach. Nuair a r脿inig iad 脿ite na c貌caireachd chunnaic iad coltas ceatharnach fiadhaich a鈥� togail ceathramh f猫idh 脿 coire. Thuirt Oscar ri Laoghaire, 鈥淟ean mise agus thoir leat am biadh. Bheir mise an aghaidh air an duine.鈥� Nuair a chaidh Oscar a-steach, cha robh sgeul air an duine. Na 脿ite bha clamhan m貌r le sgiathan sgaoilte, deas gu leum a-nuas air a cheann. Bha craosnach 鈥� no dart 鈥� aig Oscar. Thilg e an craosnach air a鈥� chlamhan. Bhrist e sgiath dheth, agus thuit an clamhan air an 霉rlar, is chan fhacas tuilleadh e. Thug Oscar is Laoghaire leotha gach m矛r b矛dh air an d鈥� fhuair iad gr猫im.

R脿inig iad an taigh anns an robh Fionn. Rinn iad toll ann am balla an taighe, agus chuir iad am biadh a-steach. Thuirt Fionn gum biodh sluagh m貌r c貌mhla ri tri霉ir mhac R矛gh Innis T矛le aig beul-atha na h-abhainn aig dol fodha na gr猫ine. 鈥淐iamar a dh鈥檃ithnicheas sinn tri霉ir mhac R矛gh Innis T矛le?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Oscar.

鈥淏idh iad a鈥� coiseachd air leth air an t-sluagh air an l脿imh dheis, agus deiseachan uain鈥� orra,鈥� thuirt Fionn. Agus innsidh mi dhuibh gu d猫 dh鈥櫭╥rich dhaibh anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: f矛deag: whistle; cruaidh-ch脿s: adversity; ceatharnach: freebooter; craosnach: dart; deiseachan: suits, clothes.

Abairtean na Litreach: a bha iad an d霉il fhaighinn: that they were expecting to get; feuch am faiceadh e: to see if he could see; cha b鈥� urrainn do dhuine aca 猫irigh: none of them could get up; lean am m脿san ris na h-脿itean-suidhe: their backsides stuck to the sitting places; buinn an cas ris an 霉rlar: the bottom of their feet [stuck] to the floor; an dromannan ris na ballachan: their backs [stuck] to the wall; far leac an teine: from the hearthstone; agus a dhruim is fhalt a鈥� leantainn rithe: with his back and hair sticking to it; chuir e a mheur fodha: he put his finger under it [knowledge teeth 鈥� a singular word in Gaelic]; n矛 air bith a dh鈥檉huasgladh iad: anything that would free them; fuil tri霉ir chloinne R矛gh Innis T矛le: the blood of the three children of the King of Iceland; air a s矛oladh tro amalan airgid ann an cupaichean 貌ir: given by the collector as 鈥渇iltered through silver rings into cups of gold鈥�; ann am f矛or 猫iginn: in an emergency; rachadh a fuaim tro sheachd iomaill an domhain: its sound would pass through the seven borders of the world; sh猫id e X tr矛 uairean: he blew X three times; agus nach eil ach leud balla taighe eadarainn: and only the width of a house wall between us; nach robh n矛 air bith a dh鈥檉huasgladh iad: that there was nothing that would free them; bheir thu aire mhath do bheul-atha na h-abhainn ud thall: watch well the ford-mouth of the river yonder; a鈥� togail ceathramh f猫idh 脿 coire: lifting a quarter of a deer from a cauldron; bheir mise an aghaidh air: I鈥檒l attack; clamhan m貌r le sgiathan sgaoilte: a large buzzard with outspread wings; chan fhacas tuilleadh e: it was never seen again; ciamar a dh鈥檃ithnicheas sinn?: how will we recognise?; air leth air an t-sluagh: separate from the host.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Is e an d脿 latha e nuair nach aithnich thu mo ghuth-sa: a great change has come over you when you don鈥檛 recognise my voice. I would love to know the origin of this idiom (if you know please contact me). D脿 latha means a 鈥済reat change鈥� in this instance, not 鈥渢wo days鈥�. Here are other examples: nach ann air an d霉thaich seo a th脿inig an d脿 latha? (hasn鈥檛 this country changed enormously?); b鈥� e sin an d脿 latha (that was a great change). And here is a proverb: chan eil duine gun d脿 latha, ach duine gun latha idir (the only person who may not expect great changes in their life is a person with no life 鈥� ie we all experience times of great change).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: nach do dh鈥檌nnis mise tr脿th mar dh鈥櫭╥readh dhut?: didn鈥檛 I tell you in good time what would happen to you? The same idiom appears in the last sentence of the Litir: innsidh mi dhuibh gu d猫 dh鈥櫭╥rich dhaibh (I鈥檒l tell you what happened to them).