麻豆约拍

Tha sinn a鈥� fuireach anns an ear-thuath an t-seachdain seo. Bha 脿ite ann am Br脿igh Mh脿rr a bha uaireigin ainmeil. B鈥� e sin Caisteal Ceann na Drochaid, agus bha e ainmeil a chionn 鈥檚 gum biodh r矛ghrean na h-Alba gu tric a鈥� fuireach ann. Rachadh na r矛ghrean ann airson sealg.

Nuair a bha Calum a鈥� Chinn Mh貌ir air cathair r矛oghail na h-Alba, bhiodh esan a鈥� fuireach ann an Caisteal Ceann na Drochaid bho 脿m gu 脿m. Bha an t-uachdaran, leis an robh an caisteal, a鈥� cumail torc nimhe, gu s貌nraichte airson an r矛gh a thoileachadh. Bha an torc uabhasach m貌r. Ghlac an t-uachdaran e turas a bha e a鈥� sealg ann an Gleann Chuaich, faisg air Br脿igh Mh脿rr. Chladhaich e toll don torc taobh a-muigh a鈥� chaisteil aige. Bha sin air bruaich Uisge Chluainidh. Bha an torc a鈥� fuireach san toll. Bhiodh an r矛gh a鈥� dol a choimhead air gach turas a bha e san sg矛re.

Bha an torc ainmeil. 鈥橲 e Tad-Losgann an t-ainm a bh鈥� air. Ged a bha an r矛gh measail air Tad-Losgann, cha robh muinntir na sg矛re measail air idir. 鈥橲 e a bu choireach ri sin gu robh am beathach cho acrach is cho sanntach. Bha e ag ithe uiread, 鈥檚 gun do dh鈥檌arr an t-uachdaran air a h-uile teaghlach san sg矛re beathach mairt a thoirt seachad dha. Cha robh dol-脿s aca.

Th脿inig an l脿 nuair a b鈥� fheudar do bhanntrach bhochd an aona bh貌 a bh鈥� aice a thoirt seachad don uachdaran, airson Tad-Losgann a bhiathadh. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a bh鈥� air a鈥� bhoireannach a鈥� Bhanntrach NicLe貌id. Bha i a鈥� fuireach ann an Gleann an t-Slugain. Ach cha robh i a鈥� fuireach leatha fh猫in. Bha gille aice, aois c貌ig bliadhn鈥� deug, air an robh Sanndaidh mar ainm, is bha esan a鈥� fuireach c貌mhla rithe.

Bha athair Shanndaidh air a mharbhadh nuair a bha Sanndaidh na leanabh. Mar sin, bha an gille gu math e貌lach air bochdainn. Thug e bliadhnaichean do a mh脿thair airgead gu le貌r a chaomhnadh airson a鈥� bh貌 aice a cheannach. Agus bha an t-uachdaran d矛reach a鈥� dol ga toirt bhuaipe ann am priobadh na s霉la. Bha 脿mhghar air a鈥� Bhanntrach NicLe貌id. Nuair a bha i san leabaidh air an oidhche, dh鈥櫭╥gh i, nan robh an duine aice fhathast be貌, gu robh e air saighead a chur tro chridhe an tuirc. Bha e ainmeil mar bhoghadair.

Bha Sanndaidh fhathast na dh霉isg, agus chuala e a mh脿thair. Chuir e roimhe an torc nimhe a mharbhadh e fh猫in, airson b貌 a mh脿thar a sh脿bhaladh. Bha Sanndaidh fh猫in sgileil mar bhoghadair mar a bha athair roimhe. Bha e na bhuachaille agus, air l脿ithean fada an t-samhraidh sa mhonadh, bha cothrom aige boghachan is saighdean a dh猫anamh, agus losgadh air e貌in is ainmhidhean.

Nuair a dh鈥櫭╥rich Sanndaidh air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach, rinn e tr矛 saighdean 霉ra is chaidh e suas air a鈥� Ch脿rn Liath. Mharbh e capall-coille agus thill e dhachaigh leis. Chum e an capall-coille am falach bho a mh脿thair, agus chaidh e a leabaidh.

Dh鈥櫭╥rich e tr脿th, mus robh sgeul air a鈥� ghr猫in, thug e an capall-coille a-mach 脿s an 脿ite-fhalaich aige, agus rinn e air a鈥� chaisteal. Fhuair e tarsainn Uisge D猫, chum e a鈥� dol gu Ach an Droighinn, agus lean e air gus an d鈥� r脿inig e 脿ite mu choinneimh toll an tuirc, ach air taobh thall Uisge Chluainidh bhuaithe. Chunnaic e freiceadan air b脿rr balla a鈥� chaisteil. Agus innsidh mi dhuibh mar a thachair an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Br脿igh Mh脿rr: Braemar; torc nimhe: wild boar; Gleann Chuaich: Glen Quoich; sanntach: greedy; Sanndaidh: Sandy; bochdainn: poverty; 脿mhghar: distress, anguish; boghadair: bowman, archer; freiceadan: sentry, guard.

Abairtean na Litreach: Caisteal Ceann na Drochaid: Kindrochit Castle; a chionn 鈥檚 gum biodh r矛ghrean na h-Alba a鈥� fuireach ann: because the kings of Scotland would stay there; rachadh X ann airson sealg: X would go there for hunting; nuair a bha Calum a鈥� Chinn Mh貌ir air cathair r矛oghail na h-Alba: when Malcolm Canmore was on the throne of Scotland; chladhaich e toll: he dug a pit; air bruaich Uisge Chluainidh: on the bank of Clunie Water (river); cha robh muinntir na sg矛re measail air idir: the local people were not at all keen on him; 鈥檚 e a bu choireach ri sin: that was because [caused by]; bha e ag ithe uiread: he ate so much; beathach mairt a thoirt seachad dha: to give him a cow; cha robh dol-脿s aca: they had no escape; bha esan a鈥� fuireach c貌mhla rithe: he was living with her; thug e bliadhnaichean do a mh脿thair airgead gu le貌r a chaomhnadh: his mother took years to save enough money; airson a鈥� bh貌 aice a cheannach: to buy her cow; bha an t-uachdaran d矛reach a鈥� dol ga toirt bhuaipe: the landlord was just going to take it [fem.] from her; gu robh e air saighead a chur tro chridhe an tuirc: that he would have put an arrow through the boar鈥檚 heart: chuir e roimhe an torc nimhe a mharbhadh: he decided to kill the wild boar; bha e na bhuachaille: he was a herdsman; bha cothrom aige losgadh air e貌in is ainmhidhean: he had an opportunity to fire on birds and animals; chum e an capall-coille am falach: he kept the capercaillie hidden; mus robh sgeul air a鈥� ghr猫in: before there was any sight of the sun; a-mach 脿s an 脿ite-fhalaich aige: out of his hiding place; tarsainn Uisge D猫: across the River Dee; chum e a鈥� dol gu Ach an Droighinn: he kept going to Auchendryne (in Braemar).

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: ann am priobadh na s霉la: in the wink [blink] of an eye. S霉la is one of those genitive singulars of feminine nouns which are broadened from the slender nominative form, not the norm in modern Gaelic. The nominative is s霉il. Not only is the vowel broadened, but so is the quality of the 鈥渓鈥�. Here are some parts of the eye in which the genitive of s霉il appears: rosgan na s霉la (eyelashes), toiseach na s霉la (the end of the eye adjacent to the nose), deireadh na s霉la (the end of the eye farthest from the nose), dubh na s霉la (pupil), cearcall na s霉la (iris), ball na s霉la (eyelid), clach na s霉la (eyeball), geal na s霉la (white of the eye).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: lean e air gus an d鈥� r脿inig e 脿ite mu choinneimh toll an tuirc: he followed on until he reached a place opposite the boar鈥檚 pit. Lean e air (he continued); lean mi orm (I continued).