麻豆约拍

Ann an ochd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a h-ochd (1888) chaidh p脿ipear a leughadh aig coinneamh de Chomunn G脿idhlig Inbhir Nis. 鈥橲 e an t-Urramach Iain MacGriogair Caimbeul, ministear ann an Tiriodh, a sgr矛obh e. 鈥橲 e an tiotal a bh鈥� air Fionn鈥檚 Ransom agus 鈥檚 e a bh鈥� ann seann sgeulachd 脿 Tiriodh. Fhuair am ministear ann an G脿idhlig i bho fhear Iain MacIlleDhuinn. 鈥橲 e an tiotal a th鈥� oirre 脠irig Fhinn. Chan eil mi cinnteach an e Fionn鈥檚 Ransom an tiotal as fhe脿rr ann am Beurla. 鈥橲 d貌cha gur e Fionn鈥檚 Reparation as fhe脿rr. Co-dhi霉 seo an sgeulachd agus, leis gu bheil i fada, tha mi ga d猫anamh nas giorra agus nas s矛mplidhe.

L脿 a bha seo, chaidh Fionn 鈥檚 a thri霉ir cho-dhaltan don bheinn sheilg. B鈥� iad a cho-dhaltan an Ridire Dearg, Ridire a鈥� Ch霉irn agus Ridire a鈥� Chlaidheimh. Bha iad nan suidhe air cnocan b貌idheach, nuair a thuirt Ridire a鈥� Chlaidheimh, 鈥淎n robh e ann a-riamh fear a dh猫anadh t脿ir air Fionn Mac Cumhail, agus a thri霉ir cho-dhaltan c貌mhla ris?鈥�

Cho luath 鈥檚 a thuirt e sin, th脿inig marcaiche steud dhuibh 脿s an 脿ird an iar-thuath. Rinn e air Fionn is bhuail e mun bheul e. Chuir e tr矛 fiaclan a-mach gu h-脿rd is tr矛 fiaclan a-mach gu h-矛osal.

Thuirt Ridire a鈥� Chlaidheimh gum faigheadh iad 鈥溍坕rig Fhinn鈥�. Thuirt an d脿 cho-dhalta eile an aon rud. S矛os don chladach leotha far an do rinn iad long deiseil airson falbh. Chunnaic iad fear beag 矛osal lapanach a鈥� teannadh dl霉th. Dh鈥檉h脿iltich iad e. Dh鈥檉haighnich e de Ridire a鈥� Chlaidheimh am faigheadh e cead falbh leotha air an luing.

鈥淐han fhaigh,鈥� fhreagair an Ridire. 鈥淒猫 feum a dh猫anadh duine leibideach coltach riutsa falbh leinne?鈥�

Dh鈥檉haighnich am fear beag an aon cheist dhen dithis ridirean eile. Dhi霉lt iad e. Chaidh e gu Fionn. Leig Fionn leis dhol air b貌rd c貌mhla riutha. 鈥溾�橲 fhe脿rr thu na clach co-dhi霉,鈥� thuirt Fionn.

Chuir iad a-mach an long. Thug iad a toiseach ri muir is a deireadh ri t矛r. Thog iad na si霉il. Rinn Fionn Mac Cumhail i霉il na toiseach agus sti霉ir na deireadh. Shuidhich e a c霉rsa gu R矛oghachd nam Fear M貌ra.

An d猫idh d脿 l脿 aig muir, dh鈥檌arr Fionn air na ridirean sealltainn on chrann, feuch t矛r fhaicinn. Chaidh iad astar beag suas is thill iad. Thuirt iad nach robh dad ri fhaicinn.

Dh鈥櫭╥rich am fear beag 矛osal lapanach is thuirt e, 鈥淢ura d猫anadh sibh na b鈥� fhe脿rr na siud, bha e a cheart cho math dhuibh fuireach far an robh sibh.鈥� Leum e suas agus r脿inig e b脿rr a鈥� chrainn. Nuair a thill e, thuirt e ri Fionn, 鈥淭ha e m貌r a dh鈥檉heannag is beag a dh鈥檉hearann, ach cum romhad mar a tha thu.鈥�

An l脿rna-mh脿ireach bha iad sa chala ann an R矛oghachd nam Fear M貌ra. Ach chan fhaigheadh iad air t矛r. Bha tr矛 gathan teinnteach a鈥� cuairteachadh a鈥� chala. Chuir am fear beag 矛osal lapanach sgiath bhacaideach air a l脿imh chl矛 agus sgiath bhacaideach air a l脿imh dheis. Thug e leum nan tr矛 eang agus bha e air t矛r. Agus innsidh mi dhuibh d猫 thachair an uair sin an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine: Iain MacGriogair Caimbeul: John Gregorson Campbell; Iain MacIlleDhuinn: John Brown; long: ship; crann: mast.

Abairtean na seachdaine: chaidh p脿ipear a leughadh aig coinneamh de Chomunn G脿idhlig Inbhir Nis: a paper was read at a meeting of the Gaelic Society of Inverness; tha mi ga d猫anamh nas giorra agus nas s矛mplidhe: I am making it [fem] shorter and simpler; chaidh Fionn 鈥檚 a thri霉ir cho-dhaltan don bheinn sheilg: Fionn and his three foster-brothers went to the hunting mountain; Ridire a鈥� Ch霉irn agus Ridire a鈥� Chlaidheimh: The Knight of the Cairn and the Knight of the Sword; an robh e ann a-riamh fear a dh猫anadh t脿ir air X?: was there ever the man who would deride X?; th脿inig marcaiche steud dhuibh 脿s an 脿ird an iar-thuath: a rider of a black steed came from the north-west; chunnaic iad fear beag 矛osal lapanach a鈥� teannadh dl霉th: they saw a wee low feeble man coming close; dh鈥檉h脿iltich iad e: they welcomed him; d猫 feum a dh猫anadh duine leibideach coltach riutsa falbh leinne?: what good would an inept man like you do leaving with us?; 鈥檚 fhe脿rr thu na clach co-dhi霉: you鈥檙e better than a stone [ie ballast] anyway; thug iad a toiseach ri muir is a deireadh ri t矛r: they pointed her bow to the sea and her stern to the land; rinn X i霉il na toiseach agus sti霉ir na deireadh: X piloted her at the bow and took the helm at her stern; mura d猫anadh sibh na b鈥� fhe脿rr na siud, bha e a cheart cho math dhuibh fuireach far an robh sibh: if you couldn鈥檛 [wouldn鈥檛] do better than that, you would have been as well staying where you were; tha e m貌r a dh鈥檉heannag is beag a dh鈥檉hearann: it is [too] large for a crow and [too]small for land; bha tr矛 gathan teinnteach a鈥� cuairteachadh a鈥� chala: three fiery darts were going around the harbour; sgiath bhacaideach air a l脿imh chl矛: a defensive shield on his left hand; leum nan tr矛 eang: leap of three bounds (a great leap).

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: shuidhich e a c霉rsa gu R矛oghachd nam Fear M貌ra: he set her course for the Kingdom of the Big Men. Old stories are wonderful for their richness of language and construction and all learners should try to tackle them at some stage (but not until you can read, say, a newspaper article without too much trouble). They also provide a salutary reminder of the grammatical rules, and here is a good example. Fear in the nominative plural is fir. It is pluralised by slenderisation. The genitive plural is therefore identical to the nominative singular. For Kingdom of the Men we therefore say R矛oghachd nam Fear. Then we simply add the adjective. Kingdom of the Small Men would be R矛oghachd nam Fear Beaga.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: cum romhad mar a tha thu: keep going ahead of you (ie as you are). Romhad is the prepositional pronoun for the second person singular formed from ro (before).