麻豆约拍

Bha mi a鈥� leughadh leabhar an latha eile a ch貌rd rium glan. Leabhar do chloinn a th鈥檃nn, air a bheil Sr脿id na h-Eala. Chaidh a sgr矛obhadh le Mairi Anna NicDh貌mhnaill agus tha e mu dheidhinn dithis chloinne a th鈥檃ir an toirt air falbh o Alba le Lochlannaich anns an t-seann aimsir. Tha iad nan tr脿illean agus tha iad a鈥� dol a dh鈥橝imearaga a Tuath leis na Lochlannaich.

Chan eil an st貌iridh f矛or ach, nan robh, 鈥檚 d貌cha gur e a bh鈥檃nnta a鈥� chiad fheadhainn 脿s Alba a chaidh a-riamh a dh鈥橝imearaga. Ach chan urrainn a bhith cinnteach 脿s a sin. 鈥橲 d貌cha gu robh Albannach air choreigin am measg nan G脿idheal Eireannach air b貌rd b脿ta Naoimh Bhriannain fada ro linn nam maraichean Lochlannach.

Ach tha cuid a鈥� cumail a-mach gur e a鈥� chiad duine 脿s Alba a chuir a chas air t矛r ann an Aimearaga a Tuath fear Henry St Clair 脿s Arcaibh. Thuirt mi 鈥渁鈥� chiad duine 脿s Alba鈥� seach 鈥渁鈥� chiad Albannach鈥� agus innsidh mi dhuibh carson ro dheireadh na litreach.

Dh鈥檉haodamaid an t-ainm G脿idhealach, Eanraig Mac na Ce脿rdaich, a chur air, ach cha b鈥檈 G脿idheal a bh鈥檃nn agus, mar sin, canaidh mi 鈥淗enry St Clair鈥� ris. B鈥檈 St Clair Iarla Arcaibh, a鈥� chiad duine air an robh an tiotal sin. Chaidh Iarla a dheanamh dheth ann an tr矛 cheud deug, tr矛 fichead 鈥檚 a naoi-deug (1379).

Bha mi ann an Arcaibh o chionn ghoirid agus chuala mi ann a sin mu dheidhinn St Clair. Tha na h-Arcaich a鈥� cumail a-mach gun do she貌l e thar a鈥� chuain le dusan long is dh脿 neo thr矛 cheud duine anns a鈥� bhliadhna tr矛 cheud deug, ceithir fichead 鈥檚 a h-ochd-deug. R脿inig iad t矛r air an taobh thall, agus thathar a鈥� deanamh dheth gur e Alba Nuadh a bh鈥檃nn. Ach a bheil fianais sam bith aca?

Uill, beagan. Bha fear Eadailteach c貌mhla ri St Clair, air an robh Antonio Zen mar ainm, agus sgr矛obh e mu dheidhinn a鈥� ghnothaich. Chaidh seann ghunna a lorg ann an cala ann an Eilean Cheap Bhreatainn 鈥� gunna de she貌rsa nach robhar a鈥� d猫anamh as deidh a鈥� cheathramh linn deug.

Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun do chuir St Clair seachad geamhradh ann an Alba Nuaidh mus do she貌l gu deas, gu Massachusetts, agus an uairsin dhachaigh. Faisg air baile Westford ann am Massachusetts tha clach air an deach iomhaigh de ridire a shnaigheadh. Thathar a鈥� deanamh dheth gun deach a dh猫anamh ann am meadhan a鈥� cheathramh linn deug. Tha cuid a鈥� deanamh dheth gur e a th鈥檃nn Sir Seumas Gunna, fear 脿 Gallaibh a bha c脿irdeach do Henry St Clair.

Agus ann an Alba, anns an t-seann chill ris an canar an Rosslyn Chapel, faisg air D霉n Eideann, tha iomhaighean ann de lusan Aimearaganach, a鈥� gabhail a-steach arbhar Innseanach, air an snaigheadh ann an cloich. Ach, agus seo an rud inntinneach, chaidh a鈥� chill a thogail leth-cheud bliadhna mus do she貌l Cr矛sdean Columbus gu ruig鈥� Aimearagaidh. 鈥橲 e treas Iarla Arcaibh a thog i.

Uill, sin e, a-reir nan Arcach. D矛ochuimhnich Columbus. Bha Henry St Clair ann cha mh貌r ceud bliadhna roimhe. A鈥� chiad duine 脿s Alba a chaidh ann le cinnt, neo 脿s Alba mar a tha i an-diugh. Thuirt mi na bu tr脿ithe nach e Albannach a bh鈥檃nn. Ri linn bha Arcaibh fhathast fo smachd na Danmharg, a bha an uairsin cuideachd a鈥� smachdachadh Nirribhidh. Agus cha t脿inig na h-Eileanan Arcach fo smachd na h-Alba gus an do ghabh R矛gh Seumas a Tr矛 thairis iad tr矛 fichead bliadhna as d猫idh do St Clair a chasan, mas fh矛or, a chur air t矛r ann an Aimearaga a Tuath.

Lochlannaich: Vikings (or modern Scandinavians); tr脿illean: slaves;Aimearaga a Tuath: North America; st貌iridh: story; Arcaibh: Orkney; dh'fhaodamaid: wecould; Alba Nuadh: Nova Scotia; Eadailteach: Italian; cala: harbour; Eilean CheapBhreatainn: Cape Breton Island; Sir Seumas Gunna: Sir James Gunn; cill: religiouscell,chapel; arbhar Innseanach: maize; cha mh貌r: almost; smachd, a' smachdachadh:control,controlling.

a ch貌rd rium glan: which I enjoyed immensely; chan urrainn abhith cinnteach 脿s a sin: one cant be certain of that; Albannach air choreigin: some Scot orother; b脿ta Naoimh Bhriannain: St Brendans boat; chaidh Iarla a dheanamh dheth: he wasmade an Earl; thar a' chuain le dusan long: over the ocean with a dozen ships (thar commandsthe genitive); air an deach iomhaigh de ridire a shnaigheadh: on which an image of aknight was engraved; a bha c脿irdeach do: who was related to; gu ruig' Aimearagaidh: toAmerica (genitive after compound preposition); na bu tr脿ithe: earlier; ri linn: in his day;mas fh矛or: if its true.

('S e) leabhar do chloinn a th'ann (in conversation 's e issometimes left out): it's a book for children. Do is sometimes used where you might betempted to say airson or aig. Note also that the feminine singular noun clann (a' chlann)becomes cloinn in the dative. Do lenites it so we get do chloinn. Aig does not lenite thefollowing noun so we would get aig cloinn (or often, colloquially, as it does not contain thearticle, aig clann). With the articles we get don chloinn, aig a' chloinn. Thoir seo donchloinn (give this to the children); tha beachd aig a' chloinn air a h-uile n矛 (the children havean opinion on everything). The Litir also contains the phrase dithis chloinne (two children).Cloinne (of children) is the genitive form which is used with the special numerals like dithisand tri霉ir and in many other instances. Bha mi a' teagasg na cloinne (I was teaching thechildren); seo leabhraichean na cloinne (here are the childrens books). Ask your teacherfor clarification if you are confused, but do remember that the nominative is always clanneg tha a' chlann fadalach (the children are late).

tha na h-Arcaich a cumail a-mach: the Orcadians maintain(make out, claim). Tha cuid a' cumail a-mach (some people reckon, claim). This is a commonphrase in conversation as is a deanamh dheth which has a similar meaning. Thathara' d猫anamh dheth (it is reckoned).