麻豆约拍

An t-seachdain 鈥檚 a chaidh, thug mi an t貌imhseachan seo dhuibh.

Tri霉ir air muin tr矛

鈥橲 tr矛 nan d猫idh.

B鈥� iad sin tri霉ir bhr脿ithrean,

Dol a dh鈥檌arraidh bean dom m脿thair fh猫in.

Seo a-nise am fuasgladh. Bha na br脿ithrean air muin eich, agus bha na coin aca gan leantainn 鈥� sin agaibh an 鈥渢r矛 nan d猫idh鈥�. Bha na gillean ann an cabhaig cobhair fhaighinn dom m脿thair, a bha an impis leanabh a bhreith. Bha iad a鈥� dol a dh鈥檌arraidh bean-ghl霉in air a son. Is sin agaibh e.

Airson a鈥� ch貌rr dhen Litir an t-seachdain-sa, bu mhath leam st貌iridh innse dhuibh. Faodaidh sibh suidhe s矛os is gabhail air ur socair! Bha gille a bha seo a鈥� fuireach ann an Siorrachd Pheairt o chionn fhada. Th脿inig an latha nuair a bha aige ri falbh a dh鈥檌arraidh obair agus dh鈥檉h脿g e dhachaigh, is chaidh e don cheann a tuath. Mu dheireadh, fhuair e obair mar sgalag aig tuathanach.

Bha an obair cruaidh ach, a dh鈥檃indeoin sin, 鈥檚 e gl猫 bheag a fhuair an gille ri ithe. 鈥橲 e sp矛ocair a bha anns an tuathanach. Bhiodh an gille ag obair bho shia uairean sa mhadainn gu meadhan-latha gun c脿il idir fhaighinn agus, an uairsin, gheibheadh e bobhla l矛te. As d猫idh sin, chumadh e ris an obair aige gu seachd uairean feasgar gun rud sam bith eile ri ithe. An uairsin gheibheadh e bobhla bhunt脿ta le 矛m. Ach fe貌il? Chan fhaigheadh e eadhon f脿ileadh dhith.

Mhair e mar sin airson m矛os. Ach an uairsin, dh鈥檃tharraich c霉isean. Bh脿saich seann mhuc aig an tuathanach 鈥� t猫 mh貌r shalach ghr脿nda 鈥� ach cha robh fios aig an sgalaig co-dhiubh 鈥檚 e tinneas neo seann aois a chuir 脿s dhi. Thachair seo anns a鈥� mhadainn, agus air an dearbh oidhche sin fh猫in, bha fe貌il gu le貌r air an truinnsear. Muic-fhe貌il!

Mhair a鈥� mhuic-fhe貌il fad seachdain agus, mu dheireadh, shaoil an gille gu robh blas 脿raidh oirre. An uairsin, cha robh sgeul oirre agus bha an gille air ais gu diathad sh矛mplidh gach oidhche 鈥� bunt脿ta is 矛m. Bha e mar sin airson greis gus an cuala an gille gu robh seann reithe an tuathanaich air b脿s fhaighinn. Bh脿saich e anns a鈥� mhadainn, agus d猫 bha air a thruinnsear air an oidhche sin fh猫in ach muilt-fhe貌il.

Mhair an fhe貌il sin fad c貌ig latha agus, air a鈥� ch貌igeamh latha, bha blas car ne貌nach oirre. An uairsin bha c霉isean air ais mar a bha iad roimhe - l矛te aig meadhan-latha is bunt脿ta air an oidhche. As d猫idh greis, ge-t脿, bh脿saich seann bh貌. Agus bha mairt-fhe貌il aig a鈥� ghille airson deich latha.

Chum gnothaichean a dol mar sin. Bhiodh 霉ine aig a鈥� ghille gun rud sam bith ri ithe ach l矛te is bunt脿ta, an uairsin gheibheadh seann bheathach eile b脿s agus bhiodh fe貌il aige. Ach madainn a

bha seo chuala e naidheachd a chuir an t-uabhas air, agus dh鈥檉h脿lbh e sa spot. Rinn e air an rathad gu deas agus, mu dheireadh, th脿inig e don taigh aige fh猫in. Bha athair aig an doras.

鈥淐arson a thill thu?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e.

鈥淏鈥� fheudar dhomh tilleadh,鈥� thuirt an gille. 鈥淐huala mi f矛or dhroch naidheachd agus cha b鈥� urrainn dhomh fuireach na b鈥� fhaide.鈥�

鈥淒猫 bh鈥� ann?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich athair. 鈥淒猫 bh鈥� ann a thug ort falbh gu grad?鈥�

鈥淐huala mi,鈥� thuirt an gille, 鈥済un do chaochail m脿thair-ch猫ile an tuathanaich!鈥�

t貌imhseachan: riddle; fuasgladh: solution; Siorrachd Pheairt: Perthshire; sgalag: male farm worker (note that the word is feminine); l矛te: porridge; truinnsear: dinner plate; muic-fhe貌il: pork; blas: flavour; diathad: meal; muilt-fhe貌il:mutton; mairt-fhe貌il: beef.

bha na br脿ithrean air muin-eich agus bha na coin aca gan leantainn: the brothers were on horseback and their dogs were following them; bha na gillean ann an cabhaig cobhair fhaighinn dom m脿thair: the lads were in a hurry to get help for their mother; a bha an impis leanabh a bhreith: who was about to give birth; chaidh edon cheann a tuath: he went to the north (part of the country); 鈥檚 e gl猫 bheag a fhuair an gille ri ithe: the lad got very little to eat; chan fhaigheadh e eadhon f脿ileadh dhith: he wouldn鈥檛 even get a smell of it (fem.); mhair e mar sin airson m矛os: it remained like that fo ra month; cha robh fios aig X co-dhiubh 鈥檚 e tinneas neo seann aois a chuir 脿s dhi: X didn鈥� t know if it was illness or old age that did for her; gus an cuala X gu robh seann reithe an tuathanaich air b脿s fhaighinn: until X heard the farmer鈥檚 old ram had died; gheibheadh seann bheathach eile b脿s agus bhiodh fe貌il aige: another old animal would die and he would get meat; chuala e naidheachd a chuir an t-uabhas air: he heard news that horrified him; dh鈥檉halbh e sa spot: he left immediately; b鈥� fheudar dhomh tilleadh: I had to return; cha b鈥� urrainn dhomh fuireach na b鈥� fhaide: I couldn鈥檛 stay (any) longer; d猫 bh鈥� ann a thug ort falbh gu grad?: what was it that made you leave suddenly?

Chuala mi gun do chaochail m脿thair-ch猫ile an tuathanaich: I heard that the farmer鈥檚 mother-in-law died. C猫ile means 鈥渁 spouse鈥� and, although it is not used widely in normal conversation, it is met with frequently in phrases regarding 鈥渋n laws鈥�.Father-in-law is athair-ch猫ile; brother-in-law is br脿thair-ch猫ile and sister-in-law is piuthar-ch猫ile. It may be seen on Gaelic gravestones (an all too rare occurrence in Scotland, although common in the Irish Gaeltacht) in additions to an original inscription, such as Mar chuimhneachan air D貌mhnall Alasdair MacLe貌id鈥� agus a ch猫ile Mairead Ealasaid Nic a鈥� Ghobhainn. If the woman had been buried first, her spouse would have been added as 鈥渁 c猫ile鈥� (ie her spouse, non lenited). You will also be familiar with c猫ile in manyi diomatic guises eg thugadh 脿s a ch猫ile iad (they were rent asunder); cum o ch猫ile iad! (keep them apart!); bha M脿iri agus Iain a鈥� p貌gadh a ch猫ile (Mary and John were kissing each other). Note that, in the last example, the use of 鈥渃猫ile鈥� does not imply that Mary and John were actually married, although they may have been!

bha iad a鈥� dol a dh鈥檌arraidh bean-ghl霉in: they were going to fetch a midwife. You will be familiar with iarraidh meaning 鈥渨anting鈥� but it can also mean 鈥渇etching鈥� or 鈥渓ooking for鈥�. Bha aige ri falbh a dh鈥檌arraidh obair: he had to leave to seek work.