麻豆约拍

Is fhada o nach robh st貌iridh beag laghach againn ann an Litir do Luchd-Ionnsachaidh. Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 d猫 cho laghach 鈥檚 a tha am fear a thagh mi an-diugh, ach tha e goirid gu le貌r airson a bhith seachad taobh a-staigh c貌ig mionaidean! Agus bidh fios agaibh gu bheil t貌rr sgeulachdan G脿idhlig a mhaireas m貌ran nas fhaide na sin!

Co-dhi霉, tha an st貌iridh seo a鈥� tighinn bhon st貌ras aig t猫 a bha ainmeil airson sgeulachdan is 貌rain 鈥� Nan NicFhionghain, Nan Eachainn Fhionnlaigh nach maireann, 脿 Bhatarsaigh, a chaochail o chionn fichead bliadhna am-bliadhna. Tha mi air a dh猫anamh beagan nas s矛mplidhe agus nas giorra. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air 鈥淣a s矛thichean a ghoid p脿iste.鈥� Mar ph脿irt dhen st貌iridh ch矛 sibh mar a bhiodh na seann daoine a鈥� creidsinn nach b鈥� urrainn do sh矛thichean dhol ann an s脿l 鈥� sin uisge na mara. Co-dhi霉 seo e:

Bhiodh na s矛thichean aig an 脿m ud, bhiodh iad a鈥� goid nam p脿istean is na cloinne bige. Bha boireannach a bha seo, nuair a thill i dhachaigh l脿 a bha seo don ph脿iste aice, mhothaich i nach e an leanabh aice fh猫in a bh鈥� ann. Nuair a bhiodh am p脿ist鈥� aice fh猫in a鈥� gabhail brochan, nuair a bheireadh i uiread a bha seo dha, bhiodh gu le貌r aige. Chan iarradh e tuilleadh. Ach ge brith gu d猫 na gheibheadh am p脿iste 霉r a bha seo, cha bhitheadh gu le貌r aige. 鈥淐ha chreid mi,鈥� ars鈥� a mh脿thair ri n脿baidh, 鈥渘ach e goid a rinneadh air.鈥�

鈥淒ad thus!鈥� arsa bodach anns a鈥� bhaile nuair a chuala e mu dheidhinn. 鈥淚nnsidh mise dhut ciamar a gheibh thu cinnt. A-m脿ireach, leig ort gu bheil thu a鈥� falbh on taigh agus f脿g an leanabh sa chreathail. Nuair a tha e a鈥� smaointinn gu bheil thu air falbh, coimhead air an uinneig gun fhiosta dha agus ch矛 thu c貌 th鈥� agad 鈥� seann bhodach s矛th an 脿ite do leanaibh fh猫in.鈥�

鈥橲 e sin a rinn i. Dh鈥檉halbh i a-mach agus gun fhiosta don ph脿iste, choimhead i air an uinneig. Chunnaic i bodach beag s矛th air uilinn sa chreathail, agus e a鈥� cluich feadan. Thill am boireannach don t-seann duine anns a鈥� bhaile agus thuirt i ris gur e an fh矛rinn a bh鈥� aige. 鈥淎ch d猫 a-nist,鈥� ars鈥� ise, 鈥渕ar a gheibh mi air falbh e?鈥�

鈥淚nnsidh mise dhut,鈥� ars鈥� esan. 鈥淎n ath-l脿 a bhios tu a鈥� dol dhan tr脿igh, thoir leat e, agus cuir air mullach sgeire e. T貌isich air a bhith a鈥� gearradh an todhair timcheall na sgeire agus leig leis an l脿n 猫irigh gus am bi an sgeir air a cuairteachadh agus am bodach s矛th fhathast oirre. Ach feuch nach beir an l脿n ort fh猫in.鈥�

鈥楽 e sin a rinn am boireannach. Ghe脿rr i an todhar 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin an fheamainn a bhiodh daoine a鈥� cleachdadh mar thodhar 鈥� agus leig i leis an l脿n 猫irigh gus an robh an sgeir air a cuairteachadh. Dh鈥櫭╥rich an leanabh gu chasan, chaidh e ann an riochd bodaich s矛th, agus th貌isich e air maoidheadh oirre is air maoidheadh oirre. Ach rinn i fh猫in deiseil airson falbh dhachaigh 脿s aonais.

Th脿inig na s矛thichean eile agus, mun do dh鈥檉halbh am boireannach, dh鈥櫭╥gh i air a鈥� bhodach bheag, 鈥淏idh thu ann a sin gus am faigh mi mo leanabh fh猫in air ais!鈥� Nuair a chunnaic na s矛thichean nach fhaigheadh am bodach far na sgeire, chaidh iad don bhoireannach leis an leanabh aice fh猫in agus thug iad dhi e. As d猫idh sin fhuair daoine 脿s a鈥� bhaile am bodach s矛th far na sgeire le b脿ta. Agus thill esan do na s矛thichean.

Faclan na seachdaine: Nan Eachainn Fhionnlaigh: Nan, daughter of Hector, who was son of Finlay; Bhatarsaigh: Vatersay; nas giorra: shorter; brochan: porridge; n脿baidh: neighbour; creathail: cradle; air uilinn: on his elbow; feadan: chanter; todhar: fertilizer (here referring to seaweed cut as fertilizer); an fheamainn: the seaweed; 脿s aonais: without him; s矛thichean: fairies.

Abairtean na seachdaine: a mhaireas m貌ran nas fhaide na sin: which last much longer than that; na s矛thichean a ghoid p脿iste: the fairies who stole a child; nach b鈥� urrainn do sh矛thichean dhol ann an s脿l: that fairies could not go in salt water; bhiodh iad a鈥� goid na cloinne bige: they would steal (the) little children; nuair a bheireadh i uiread a bha seo dha: when she would give him this particular amount; chan iarradh e tuilleadh: he wouldn鈥檛 want any more; ge brith gu g猫 na gheibheadh am p脿iste 霉r: whatever the new child would get; cha chreid mi nach e goid a rinneadh air: I reckon he was stolen (that it was stealing that was done on him); dad thus(a)!: never mind (also dad ort); ciamar a gheibh thu cinnt: how you can be certain; leig ort gu bheil thu a鈥� falbh: pretend you are leaving; coimhead air an uinneig gun fhiosta dha: look through the window without him knowing; d猫 a-nist mar a gheibh mi air falbh e?: how will I now get rid of him? (d猫 mar is an alternative to ciamar); cuir air mullach sgeire e: put him on top of a sea-rock; leig leis an l脿n 猫irigh: let the tide come in; feuch nach beir an l脿n ort: make sure the tide doesn鈥檛 catch you; gus an robh an sgeir air a cuairteachadh: until the sea-rock was surrounded (by water); chaidh e ann an riochd bodaich s矛th: he adopted the form of an old fairy man; far na sgeire: off the rock.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: a chaochail o chionn fichead bliadhna am-bliadhna: who died twenty years ago this year. Don鈥檛 get confused about am-bliadhna 鈥� it is an adverb and can only mean 鈥渢his year鈥�. Bliadhna is a feminine noun and, thus, 鈥渢he year鈥� (nominative case) would be a鈥� bhliadhna, not am bliadhna. Also, avoid the increasingly frequent mistake of saying am-bliadhna-sa, to emphasize 鈥渢his year鈥�. The 鈥搒a suffix is redundant because am-bliadhna already means 鈥渢his year鈥�. You could in theory say a鈥� bhliadhna-sa for 鈥渢his year鈥� but this is rarely heard: am-bliadhna is the one to go for. Practise it today! There are also special adverbs for 鈥渓ast year鈥� (an-uiridh, rather than a鈥� bhliadhna sa chaidh) and an ath-bhliadhna, rather than a鈥� bhliadhna sa tighinn.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Is fhada o nach robh st貌iridh beag laghach againn: it鈥檚 a long time since we had a nice wee story. Do you notice that it is the negative interrogative verbal form nach robh that is used in this very common Gaelic idiom, even though it has an affirmative meaning? This type of verbal situation is quite common, although it might sound a little strange at first to the foreign ear. Is fhada o nach fhaca mi thu: it鈥檚 a long time since I saw you. You might reply by saying, 鈥淚s fhada, gu dearbh.鈥�