麻豆约拍

Leig Deirdre an sealgair a-steach don bhothan. Nuair a chunnaic an sealgair Deirdre, agus i cho b貌idheach, cha robh an t-acras air tuilleadh. Cha robh muime Deirdre toilichte. 鈥淐霉m do bheul d霉inte agus do theanga balbh,鈥� thuirt i ris.

鈥淯ill,鈥� ars鈥� an sealgair ris a鈥� mhuime, 鈥渇aodaidh mi sin a dh猫anamh. Ach nam faiceadh cuid eile de shluagh an t-saoghail a鈥� bhoinne fala a th鈥� agad falaichte an seo, chan fhada a bhiodh i agad.鈥�

鈥淎gus c貌 na daoine sin?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Deirdre.

鈥淚nnsidh mi sin dhut,鈥� ars鈥� an sealgair. 鈥淚s iad Naois mac Uisne, agus Aillean is 脌rdan, a dhithis bhr脿ithrean.鈥�

鈥淎gus d猫 an coltas a th鈥� orra?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Deirdre.

鈥淭ha l矛 an fhithich air am falt is tha an gruaidhean mar fhuil an laoigh bhric dheirg,鈥� thuirt an sealgair. 鈥淭ha an l霉th agus an leum mar bhradan a鈥� bhoinne-bhrais agus mar fhiadh a鈥� bhearraidh bhric.鈥�

Dh鈥檉halbh an sealgair. Smaoinich e ris fh猫in mu Chonachar, R矛gh Uladh, a bha gun bhean. Chaidh e gu l霉chairt an R矛gh. Bhruidhinn e ris an R矛gh. 鈥淐hunnaic mi a鈥� bhoinne fala as b貌idhche ann an 脠irinn,鈥� thuirt e.

鈥淐貌 i, agus c脿ite a bheil i?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich an R矛gh. Dh鈥檃ontaich an sealgair an rathad don bhothan a shealltainn don R矛gh air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach.

Nuair a r脿inig iad am bothan, ghnoig an R矛gh an doras. Thuirt am boireannach nach fhaigheadh duine a-steach.

鈥淔osgail an doras,鈥� dh鈥櫭╥gh an R矛gh.

鈥淏hithinn nur comain,鈥� thuirt am boireannach, 鈥渘an innseadh sibh dhomh c貌 sibh.鈥�

鈥淚s mise Conachar, R矛gh Uladh,鈥� fhreagair am fear eile. Agus nuair a chual鈥� i sin, leum am boireannach chun an dorais agus dh鈥檉hosgail i e.

Nuair a chunnaic an R矛gh Deirdre, shaoil e nach fhac鈥� e riamh ann an c霉rsa an latha no ann an aisling na h-oidhche boinne fala cho b貌idheach rithe. Cha robh dad air aire ach Deirdre a thoirt air falbh leis, co-dhi霉 bhiodh i de貌nach gus nach bitheadh. Agus 鈥檚 e sin a thachair. Thug an R矛gh Deirdre agus a muime air falbh don l霉chairt aige.

Bha an R矛gh ag iarraidh Deirdre a ph貌sadh an l脿rach nam bonn. Ach bha dragh air Deirdre nach robh fios aice d猫 na bhiodh aice ri dh猫anamh mar bhean. Bha i aineolach mu ghnothaichean saoghal nan daoine. Thuirt i ris an R矛gh gum biodh i fada na chomain nan toireadh e dhi latha agus bliadhna. Dh鈥檃ontaich an R矛gh ri sin cho fad 鈥檚 a ghealladh Deirdre gum p貌sadh i e aig deireadh na bliadhna. Gheall i sin.

Fhuair Conachar bean-ionnsachaidh do Dheirdre. Agus fhuair e maighdeannan grinn, modhail, m矛n a bhiodh a鈥� c貌mhradh is a鈥� cluich leatha. Latha a bha seo bha Deirdre is na mnathan sin a-muigh air cnoc, a鈥� gabhail sealladh is ag 貌l na gr猫ine. C貌 chunnaic iad ach tri霉ir fhear. Nuair a dhl霉thaich na fir riutha, chuimhnich Deirdre faclan an t-sealgair. Thuirt i rithe fh猫in gum b鈥� iad seo tri霉ir mhac Uisne. Agus gum b鈥� e sin Naois. Cha do choimhead na fir air na mnathan, ach ghabh Deirdre gr脿dh air Naois. Cha b鈥� urrainn dhi fuireach. Dh鈥檉halbh i 脿s a dh猫idh.

Bha Aillean is 脌rdan air cluinntinn mun bhoireannach a bh鈥� aig Conachar, R矛gh Uladh. Smaoinich iad, nam faiceadh Naois i, gum biodh esan ga h-iarraidh, oir cha robh i p貌sta aig an R矛gh. Chunnaic iad am boireannach 貌g a鈥� tighinn gan ionnsaigh agus dh鈥檌arr iad air cach a ch猫ile coiseachd na bu luaithe. Ch矛 sinn mar a thachair an uair sin anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: muime: foster-mother; l霉chairt: palace; ghnoig: knocked; R矛gh Uladh: King of Ulster; aineolach: ignorant.

Abairtean na Litreach: c霉m do bheul d霉inte agus do theanga balbh: keep your mouth closed and your tongue speechless; faodaidh mi sin a dh猫anamh: I might do that; nam faiceadh cuid eile a鈥� bhoinne fala a th鈥� agad falaichte: if some others were to see the blood-drop [beautiful woman] you have [here] hidden; chan fhada a bhiodh i agad: you wouldn鈥檛 have her long; a dhithis bhr脿ithrean: his two brothers; l矛 an fhithich: the colour of the raven; fuil an laoigh bhric dheirg: the blood of the red speckled fawn; tha an l霉th agus an leum: their vigour and spring (leap); bradan a鈥� bhoinne-bhrais: the salmon of the rapid stream; fiadh a鈥� bhearraidh bhric: the deer of the speckled slope; an rathad a shealltainn air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: to show the road the next day; nach fhaigheadh duine a-steach: nobody would get in; nan innseadh sibh dhomh c貌 sibh: if you would tell me who you are; ann an c霉rsa an latha no ann an aisling na h-oidhche: in the course of a day or in a dream of the night; co-dhi霉 bhiodh i de貌nach gus nach bitheadh: whether she were willing or not; d猫 na bhiodh aice ri dh猫anamh: what she would have to do; cho fad 鈥檚 a ghealladh X gum p貌sadh i e: as long as X promised she would marry him; maighdeannan grinn, modhail, m矛n: elegant, polite, gentle maidens; a鈥� gabhail sealladh is ag 貌l na gr猫ine: looking at the view and drinking [enjoying] the sun[shine]; ghabh X gr脿dh air Y: X fell in love with Y; 脿s a dh猫idh: after him; nam faiceadh X i: if X saw her; dh鈥檌arr iad air cach a ch猫ile coiseachd na bu luaithe: they urged each other to walk more quickly.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Thuirt i ris an R矛gh gum biodh i fada na chomain nan toireadh e dhi latha agus bliadhna: she said to the King that she would be much obliged to him if he gave her a year and a day. Comain means obligation or debt and it is used in this idiom as follows, tha mi fada nad chomain (I am much obliged to you [sing]), fada na comain (to her), fada nar comain (to us), fada nur comain (to you [pl]), fada nan comain (to them). Fada is not obligatory here 鈥� it strengthens the phrase but you might say tha mi nad chomain (I鈥檓 obliged to you). Or you might replace it with another strengthener eg tha mi gu m貌r nad chomain. If a noun is included, it is used as follows: tha mi an comain a mh脿thar (I鈥檓 obliged to his mother), tha mi an comain Dh貌mhnaill (I鈥檓 obliged to Donald). It鈥檚 a nice phrase and very polite 鈥� try to use it as soon as you can.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: an l脿rach nam bonn: immediately, on the spot.