麻豆约拍

Bha sinn ann an Canada an t-seachdain sa chaidh agus 鈥檚ann ann a sin a tha sinn a鈥� fuireach an t-seachdain-sa. Mar a bhios fios agaibh chaidh na h-uibhir de Ghaidheil a dh鈥檉huireach thall agus, ann an 脿iteachan mar Eilean Cheap Bhreatainn, bha an c脿nan agus an cultar gu math l脿idir.

Bha sgeulaichean gu le貌r ann agus, nam measg, bha E貌s N矛ll Bhig, no Joe Neil MacNeil, a bhuineadh don Rubha Mheadhanach. Chaidh a thogail le seann ch脿raid, nach bruidhneadh ach G脿idhlig aig an taigh. Gu dearbh, cha robh Beurla idir aig an t-seann bhean. Bha E貌s ann an suidheachadh cho Gaidhealach ri duine sam bith anns 鈥渁n t-seann d霉thaich鈥�.

Tha m貌ran de na sgeulachdan aige ann a leabhar a rinneadh leis an sgoilear Gh脿idhlig, Iain Seathach. Bha 鈥淪geul gu Latha鈥�, air fhoillseachadh le Oilthigh Dh霉n Eideann, agus tha e air leth math. Tha a鈥� Bheurla ann a bharrachd air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig is tha e feumail mar sin do luchd-ionnsachaidh. Bu mhath leam blasad beag a thoirt dhuibh de th猫 aca, ged a tha i nas fhe脿rr aig E貌s na tha i agam an seo, oir rinn mi na bu ghiorra agus na bu sh矛mplidh鈥� i.

Chaidh balach 貌g gu taigh a bha seo, agus bha nighean bheag na laighe anns a鈥� chreathail. Bha i a鈥� r脿naich is a鈥� caoineadh agus thuirt am balach nam faigheadh e a leithid de bhoireannach mar bhean, nuair a thigeadh e gu aois, gum b脿thadh e e fh猫in. Bha seann bhoireannach an l脿thair agus thuirt i ris, 鈥淐oma leat, a laochain. 鈥橲 d貌cha gur i an t猫 seo a ph貌sas tu fhathast.鈥�

Dh鈥檉h脿s iad suas anns an aon choimhearsnachd agus cha robh an gille toilichte mu na thuirt an seann bhoireannach. L脿 a bha seo, bha e fh猫in is an nighean a鈥� coiseachd c貌mhla thar drochaid. Thug e f脿inne a-mach as a ph貌caid. Sheall e am f脿inne don nighinn agus thilg e anns an abhainn e. 鈥淣a faiceam d鈥� aodann tuilleadh,鈥� thuirt e rithe, 鈥済us am bi am f脿inne agad dhomh.鈥�

Dh鈥檉halbh esan a dh鈥檉huireach ann am badeigin eile, agus dh鈥檉halbh ise a dh鈥檕bair ann am muinntireas do theaghlach faisg air loch no abhainn. Ghlac iad iasg l脿 a bha seo agus bha aice ri dheiseileachadh airson na dinnearach. Agus d猫 lorg i na bhroinn, ach am f脿inne.

Chum i s脿bhailte e agus, l脿 a bha seo, th脿inig an duine a thilg anns an abhainn e don taigh. Nuair a chunnaic i e a鈥� tighinn a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an dorais, theich i don t-se貌mar aice. Nuair a bha an duine a鈥� c貌mhradh, thuirt fear an taighe ris gu robh a鈥� bhan-貌glach air teicheadh nuair a chunnaic i e. 鈥淪eadh,鈥� ars鈥� an duine, 鈥渁m biodh e gu diofar ged a ch矛thinn i?鈥�

鈥淐ha bhitheadh,鈥� ars鈥� am fear eile, 鈥渢ha i anns an t-se貌mar sin sh矛os.鈥�

Nuair a chaidh an duine s矛os, dh鈥檃ithnich e am boireannach. 鈥淭ha mi a鈥� creidsinn,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥済un do dh鈥檌arr mi ort gun d鈥� aodann a nochdadh rium gus am biodh am f脿inne agad. Agus cha do dh鈥檉halaich thu d鈥� aodann.鈥�

鈥淥,鈥� ars鈥� ise, 鈥渢heirig a-null agus fosgail an dr脿thair beag. T貌g a鈥� chisteag bheag 脿s agus thoir dhomh an neapaigin a tha na broinn. Bidh fios agad an uairsin mar a tha c霉isean a鈥� dol.鈥�

Nuair a chaidh an neapaigin fhosgladh bha am f脿inne ann, agus dh鈥檃ithnich an duine e. 鈥淭ha mi a鈥� faicinn a-nist,鈥� ars鈥� esan, 鈥渘ach eil d貌igh againn air dealachadh.鈥� Thachair na bha an d脿n don dithis agus, goirid as d猫idh sin, ph貌s iad. Bha saoghal fada aighearach aca c貌mhla.

Faclan na seachdaine: na h-uibhir: a large number; sgeulaichean: storytellers; seann ch脿raid: an old couple; an l脿thair: present; f脿inne: ring; muinntireas: domestic service; na bhroinn: inside it (masc.); theich i: she fled; ban-貌glach: maidservant; dh鈥檃ithnich e: he recognised; cisteag: little chest, box (eg for keepsakes); neapaigin: handkerchief; na broinn: inside it (fem.); a-nist: now (equivalent to a-nis); ph貌s iad: they married.

Abairtean na seachdaine: 鈥檚 ann ann a sin a tha sinn a鈥� fuireach an t-seachdain-sa: it鈥檚 there that we are staying this week; a bhuineadh don Rubha Mheadhanach: who belonged to Middle Cape; nach bruidhneadh ach G脿idhlig aig an taigh: who only spoke Gaelic in the home; ann an leabhar a rinneadh leis an sgoilear Gh脿idhlig, Iain Seathach: in a book compiled by the Gaelic scholar, John Shaw; air fhoillseachadh le Oilthigh Dh霉n Eideann: published by Edinburgh University Press; tha e air leth math: it is excellent; bu mhath leam blasad beag a thoirt dhuibh de th猫 aca: I would like to give you a little taste of one (fem.) of them; na bu ghiorra is na bu sh矛mplidh鈥�: shorter and simplified; bha i a鈥� r脿naich is a鈥� caoineadh: she was wailing and weeping; gum b脿thadh e e fh猫in: that he would drown himself; coma leat, a laochain: don鈥檛 worry, lad; bha aice ri dheiseileachadh: she had to prepare it (masc.); tha i anns an t-se貌mar sin sh矛os: she鈥檚 in that room down there; gun d鈥� aodann a nochdadh rium gus am biodh am f脿inne agad: not to show me your face until you had the ring; theirig a-null agus fosgail an dr脿thair: go over and open the drawer; thachair na bha an d脿n don dithis: the two of them achieved their destiny; bha saoghal fada aighearach aca c貌mhla: they had a long happy life together.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: na faiceam d鈥� aodann tuilleadh gus am bi am f脿inne agad dhomh: don鈥檛 let me see your face againn until you have the ring for me. The 鈥�(e)am ending of faiceam is a virtual give-away that this construction is a first-person singular of a verb in the imperative mood. You will be familiar with this mood in the second person eg singular faic! (see!) and plural faicibh! (see!). It is less common in the other persons but here they are, for the verb 鈥渇aic鈥�: faiceam (let me see), faiceadh e (let him see), faiceadh i (let her see), faiceamaid (let us see), faiceadh iad (let them see). The imperative forms are usually built around the root of the verb (equivalent to the second personal singular imperative), in this case faic. Let us consider another verb 鈥� d猫an (do,make): we say d猫an seo for 鈥渄o this鈥� so d猫an is the root. Thus the imperative forms are as follows: d猫anam (let me do), d猫an (do), d猫anadh e, i (let him, her do), d猫anamaid (let us do), d猫anaibh (do), d猫anadh iad (let them do) 鈥� eg d猫anadh iad na thogras iad (let them do what they want).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: am biodh e gu diofar ged a ch矛thinn i?: would you mind if I saw her?