麻豆约拍

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha sinn anns an Tulaich ann an Siorrachd Obair Dheathain. Faisg air a鈥� bhaile sin tha 脿ite ris an canar M貌ine Ailtridh. Anns an t-seachdamh linn deug, bha duine a鈥� fuireach ann a bha ainmeil. B鈥� esan D貌mhnall 脪g MacFhearchair. Bha e ainmeil airson a bhith sgileil leis a鈥� chlaidheamh.

Ann an sia ceud deug is ceathrad (1640), chaidh D貌mhnall a Lunnainn. A r猫ir beul-aithris, choisinn e cli霉 a bharrachd dha fh猫in ann an Lunnainn, far an robh m貌ran a鈥� bruidhinn mu dheidhinn Eadailteach anns a鈥� bhaile. Bha am fear sin sgileil leis a鈥� chlaidheamh. Bha e a鈥� cumail a-mach gum b鈥� esan an claidheamhair a b鈥� fhe脿rr air an t-saoghal.

Cha robh muinntir Lunnainn measail idir air an Eadailteach. Bha e cus ro 脿rdanach. Bhiodh e a鈥� spaidsearachd air na sr脿idean c貌mhla ri luchd-taic. Bhiodh drumair a鈥� coiseachd air thoiseach air. Chuireadh an drumair d霉bhlan ro dhuine sam bith a bha timcheall 鈥� thig is feuch do chlaidheamh an aghaidh mo mhaighstir! Leis gu robh e cho 脿rdanach bha gr脿in eadhon aig an r矛gh air an Eadailteach a bha seo. Ged a bha m貌ran airson sabaid na aghaidh, bha an t-eagal orra roimhe. Bha iad dhen bheachd gu robh draoidheachd aige, agus nach b鈥� urrainn do dhuine sam bith a鈥� ch霉is a dh猫anamh air.

L脿 a bha seo, bha an r矛gh a鈥� gearain mu dheidhinn. Thog cuideigin ainm an Albannaich, D貌mhnall 脪g MacFhearchair 脿 M貌ine Ailtridh. Saoil an d猫anadh esan a鈥� ch霉is air an Eadailteach, oir bha e cho sgileil leis a鈥� chlaidheamh? Fhuair an r矛gh fios gu robh D貌mhnall ann an Lunnainn. Dh鈥檌arr e air D貌mhnall a dhol a thadhal air. Air an rathad don l霉chairt, thachair D貌mhnall air an Eadailteach agus a luchd-leantainn. Bha an drumair a鈥� cur d霉bhlan ron t-sluagh 鈥� thig is feuch do chlaidheamh an aghaidh mo mhaighstir!

Chuir sin fearg air D貌mhnall. Tharraing e a chlaidheamh agus mharbh e an drumair. Chuir an t-Eadailteach d霉bhlan ro Dh貌mhnall. Chuir iad air d貌igh gum biodh iad a鈥� sabaid air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach. Nuair a dh鈥檌nnis D貌mhnall seo don r矛gh, bha an r矛gh air leth toilichte. Gheall e duais don Albannach nan d猫anadh e a鈥� ch霉is air an Eadailteach.

Air an oidhche sin, lorg D貌mhnall fear-frithealaidh an Eadailtich. Fhuair e a-mach bhuaithe gu robh an draoidheachd aig a mhaighstir ag obair mar a leanas: nuair a sh脿thadh duine le claidheamh e, cho luath 鈥檚 a bha an claidheamh air a tharraing a-mach 脿s a鈥� bhodhaig aige, thigeadh leigheas air an lot. 鈥橲 ann mar sin a bha an t-Eadailteach a鈥� d猫anamh a鈥� ch霉is air a h-uile duine.

Th脿inig an l脿rna-mh脿ireach agus th脿inig a鈥� ch貌mhrag eadar an dithis. Sh脿th D貌mhnall 脪g an t-Eadailteach le chlaidheamh. 鈥淭arraing do chlaidheamh a-mach!鈥� dh鈥櫭╥gh an t-Eadailteach air. Ach bha cuimhne aig D貌mhnall air na thuirt am fear-frithealaidh. Dh鈥檉h脿g e an claidheamh ann, agus thuit an t-Eadailteach marbh.

Thug an r矛gh poca 貌ir do Dh貌mhnall mar dhuais. Nuair a chuala an sluagh mu dheidhinn, ge-t脿, bha iad m矛-thoilichte. 鈥淪eall air an d矛ol-dh猫irce Albannach a鈥� cur 貌r Sasannach na ph貌caid,鈥� dh鈥櫭╥gh iad. Chuir sin fearg air D貌mhnall. Thilg e na buinn don fheadhainn a bha ag 猫igheachd air, leis na faclan, 鈥渃ha do choisinn na coin Sasannach an t-貌r dhaibh fh猫in, ach bhuannaich Albannach air an son e.鈥�

Thill D貌mhnall a dh鈥橝lba. Bha cogadh a鈥� dol eadar Muinntir a鈥� Ch霉mhnaint agus luchd-taic an r矛gh. Dh矛on D貌mhnall agus Clann 鈥檌c Fhearchair baile Obair Dheathain an aghaidh feachd de luchd a鈥� Ch霉mhnaint. Ach fhuair saighdearan C霉mhnantach gr猫im air D貌mhnall agus mharbh iad e. Thathar ag r脿dh gun deach a thiodhlacadh ann an Obar Dheathain.

Faclan na Litreach: M貌ine Ailtridh: Monaltrie; D貌mhnall 脪g MacFhearchair: Donald 鈥溍抜g鈥� Farquharson; sgileil: skilful; a鈥� spaidsearachd: sauntering; draoidheachd: magic; l霉chairt: palace; fear-frithealaidh: manservant.

Abairtean na Litreach: choisinn e cli霉 a bharrachd dha fh猫in ann an Lunnainn: he further developed his reputation in London; sgileil leis a鈥� chlaidheamh: skilful with the sword; gum b鈥� esan an claidheamhair a b鈥� fhe脿rr: that he was the best swordsman; bhiodh drumair a鈥� coiseachd air thoiseach air: a drummer would walk ahead of him; chuireadh X d霉bhlan ro dhuine sam bith: X would challenge anyone; bha gr脿in eadhon aig an r矛gh air: even the king hated him; bha an t-eagal orra roimhe: they were scared of him; saoil an d猫anadh esan a鈥� ch霉is air: perhaps he would defeat; thachair D貌mhnall air an Eadailteach: Donald happened upon the Italian; chuir iad air d貌igh gum biodh iad a鈥� sabaid air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: they organised to fight the next day; gheall e duais don Albannach nan d猫anadh e a鈥� ch霉is air: he offered the Scot a reward if he would defeat; fhuair e a-mach bhuaithe: he found out from him; cho luath 鈥檚 a bha an claidheamh air a tharraing a-mach 脿s a鈥� bhodhaig aige: as soon as the sword was withdrawn from his body; thigeadh leigheas air an lot: the wound would heal: a鈥� ch貌mhrag eadar an dithis: the duel; seall air an d矛ol-dh猫irce Albannach a鈥� cur 貌r Sasannach na ph貌caid: look at the Scottish beggar putting English gold in his pocket; cha do choisinn na coin Sasannach an t-貌r dhaibh fh猫in: the English dogs did not earn the gold for themselves; bhuannaich Albannach air an son e: a Scot won it for them; Muinntir a鈥� Ch霉mhnaint: the Covenanters; fhuair saighdearan C霉mhnantach gr猫im air: Covenanter soldiers got hold of; gun deach a thiodhlacadh: that he was buried.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Bha e cus ro 脿rdanach: he was much too arrogant. You might not have seen cus used a great deal in this way and the dictionaries barely mention it. Cus is a masculine noun meaning a sufficiency or surfeit eg dh鈥檌th mi cus (I ate too m霉ch), rinn e cus mhearachdan (he made too many mistakes). But it can also be used as an adverb, directly qualifying comparative adjectives or, as in the Litir, qualifying an adverb-adjective combination. Other examples of the latter are: bha e cus ro dhoirbh dhomh (it was much too difficult for me); bha sin cus ro sh矛mplidh (that was much too easy). The former are exemplified by: tha iad cus nas fhe脿rr a-nise (they are much better now); bha e cus na bu mhiosa na bha mi 鈥檔 d霉il (it was much worse than I [had] expected); tha thu cus nas ghlice na chleachd [thu a bhith]! (you are much wiser than you used to be!)

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: gu robh an draoidheachd aig a mhaighstir ag obair mar a leanas: that his master鈥檚 magic worked as follows. Mar a leanas: as follows.