麻豆约拍

Anns an naoidheamh linn deug, dh鈥櫭╥st eadar seachd is ochd m矛le neach ann an Inbhir Nis ri 貌raid ann an G脿idhlig, a-muigh air latha fliuch, stoirmeil. Cha robh m貌ran a bharrachd na deich m矛le neach a鈥� fuireach anns a鈥� bhaile aig an 脿m. Carson, ma tha, a th脿inig na h-uibhir a-mach mar sin? An e ministear a bha a鈥� bruidhinn, neo fear-rannsachaidh a bh鈥檃ir tilleadh 脿 d霉thaich ch猫in? Chan e. 鈥橲 e murtair a bh鈥檃nn. Agus bhathar a鈥� dol ga chrochadh.

Bha Uisdean MacLe貌id, 脿s Asainte ann an Cataibh. Bha e bliadhna ar fhichead a dh鈥檃ois nuair a mhuirt e fear, Murchadh Grannd, ann an Asainte anns a鈥� bhliadhna ochd ceud deug is deich ar fhichead (1830). Bha Grannd air a bhith a鈥� dol bho thaigh gu taigh, a鈥� reic stuth. Agus bha airgead aige. Mhuirt MacLe貌id e agus ghoid e airgead is stuth eile a bh鈥檃ige.

Thilg MacLe貌id an corp ann an loch, agus chuir e clach mh貌r air airson a chumail fon uisge. Ach bha seo as t-earrach, anns a鈥� Mh脿rt agus, nuair a th脿inig an samhradh, dh鈥檉h脿s an loch eu-domhainn, agus chunnaic cuideigin an corp. Cha b鈥檉hada gus an robh Uisdean MacLe貌id fo chasaid gum b鈥檈san am murtair.

Bha a鈥� ch霉is gu bhith anns a鈥� ch霉irt as t-Sultain ann am bliadhna a鈥� mhuirt fh猫in, ach bha d脿il ann. Bha duilgheadas ann leis an di霉raidh, agus an uairsin theich fear dhen luchd-fianais. Chaidh bliadhna seachad agus, mu dheireadh, nochd MacLe貌id anns a鈥� ch霉irt as t-Sultain, ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a h-aon deug ar fhichead (1831), ann an Inbhir Nis.

Bha m貌ran dhen ch霉is ann an G脿idhlig. Thug tri fichead duine 鈥檚 a sia-deug (76) fianais anns a鈥� ch霉irt, agus cha robh ach G脿idhlig aig a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha aca. Bha Beurla aig d矛reach sianar neo seachdnar.

Thairis air a鈥� bhliadhna mus t脿inig a鈥� ch霉is gu c霉irt, cha do dh鈥檃idich Uisdean MacLe貌id idir gun do mhuirt e Murchadh Grannd. Ach, a dh鈥檃ndeoin sin, chaidh an di霉raidh na aghaidh. Bha e ciontach de mh猫irle agus de mhuirt. Agus, an d猫idh sin, nuair a bha e air ais anns a鈥� phr矛osan, agus nuair a bha fios aige gu robhar a鈥� dol ga chrochadh, dh鈥檃idich e am muirt.

Th脿inig latha a鈥� chrochaidh, an ceathramh latha fichead (24mh) dhen D脿mhair. Bha a鈥� chroich ann an Inbhir Nis air a鈥� chladach ann an sg矛re a Longman faisg air an 脿ite far a bheil p脿irc mh貌r sgioba ball-coise Chaledonian Thistle an-diugh. Bidh muinntir Chaley Thistle toilichte ma th猫id tr矛 m矛le neach a choimhead geam an-diugh. Ach bha seachd

neo ochd m矛le ann a鈥� coimhead crochadh Uisdein MhicLe貌id o chionn c貌rr is ceud gu leth bliadhna.

Mus d鈥檉huair e b脿s, bha cothrom aig a鈥� mhurtair bruidhinn ris an luchd-coimhead, agus rinn e sin, ann an G脿idhlig, fad c貌rr is cairteal na h-uarach. Bha G脿idhlig aig co-dhi霉 a h-uile darna neach ann an Inbhir Nis aig an 脿m. Agus dhi霉lt MacLe貌id dhol gu a bh脿s le Beurla air a bhilean.

鈥淐han eil b脿s duine gun ghr脿s duine,鈥� a-r猫ir an t-seanfhacail, agus dh鈥檌arr Uisdean MacLe貌id air an t-sluagh gun a bhith a鈥� dol ce脿rr mar a chaidh esan. 鈥淯isge-beatha,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥渦isge-beatha, boireannaich, briseadh na S脿baid agus cluich chairtean, 鈥檚 iad sin a thug don deireadh seo mi. Nam bithinn be貌 ceud bliadhna eile, cha chuirinn gloinne uisge-bheatha ri mo bhilean a-rithist.鈥�

Nuair a bheir sinn s霉il air a鈥� ch霉is an-diugh, feumaidh sinn a bhith onorach. Chan ann airson 貌raid Gh脿idhlig a chluinntinn a chaidh suas ri ochd m矛le neach ann, ach airson b脿s fhaicinn. Nach math gu bheil na l脿ithean sin seachad.

貌谤补颈诲: speech; na h-uibhir: a large number; c猫in: foreign; murtair: murderer; Asainte: Assynt; eu-domhainn: shallow; luchd-fianais: witnesses; ciontach: guilty; dh.aidich e: he admitted; croich: gibbet.

Cha b' fhada gus an robh X fo chasaid: it was not long until X was accused; cairteal na h-uarach: quarter of an hour.

Bhathar a' dol ga chrochadh; he was going to be hanged. "Bhathar" is the impersonal form of the verb "to be" and is used to make the verb passive. In other words, the action is done without saying who did it. It is constructed by adding "thar" to "bha" (the past tense of the verb "to be"). This can also be done with "tha" and "bidh". Thathar a' deanamh cheapairean: sandwiches are being made. Bithear a' togail taigh: a house will be built. In some dialects, the terminal "r" is replaced by "s" ie bhathas, thathas, bitheas. This construction is particularly common in "officialese" but it is also heard regularly in everyday speech. "...gu robhar a' dol ga chrochadh; ...that he was going to be hanged.

Chan eil b脿s duine gun ghr脿s duine: no man' s death is without favour. When you say "b脿s", make sure that you make the vowel a long one. "Bas" (with a short vowel and written without the accent) means the "palm of the hand." Failure to elongate the vowel could lead to an unfortunate misunderstanding! Note that "gun" lenites (or aspirates) the following consonant, if it is lenitable(ie for letters other than d, n and t). So we get "gun ghr脿s", not "gun gr脿s." The lenition, signified by an added "h", softens the sound of the g.