24/08/2012

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mar a fhuair Coinneach Odhar an dà-shealladh. Tha stòiridh eile ann a tha car coltach. Fhuair màthair Choinnich clach bheag dhubh bho thaibhs na bana-phrionnsa Lochlannaich. Cha robh Coinneach air a bhreith aig an àm. Thuirt an taibhs rithe, “Thoir a’ chlach seo don ghille a bhios agad fhathast, nuair a tha e seachd bliadhna a dh’aois.”

            Air an t-seachdamh co-latha-breith aig Coinneach, thug a mhàthair a’ chlach dha. Agus cho luath ’s a thog Coinneach a’ chlach, chunnaic e sealladh.

            Tha stòiridh eile à Leòdhas ag innse mar a lorg Coinneach a’ chlach ann an nead fithich. Seo mar a tha a leithid ag obair, a rèir beul-aithris. Ma lorgas sibh nead fithich, thoiribh na h-uighean dhachaigh. Bruichibh iad agus, nuair a tha iad fionnar a-rithist, thoiribh air ais iad don nead. Feuchaidh a’ chearc-fhithich rin gur.

            Leis nach eil càil a’ tachairt, bidh a’ chearc-fhithich a’ falbh, feuch Clach na Buaidh a lorg. Nuair a lorgas i Clach na Buaidh, cuiridh i anns an nead i – airson taic a thoirt do na h-uighean tighinn gu ìre. An ath thuras a dh’fhalbhas a’ chearc-fhithich bhon nead, goidibh a’ chlach. Leis a’ chloich, bidh sibh soirbheachail ann an cogadh. Agus bheir i an dà-shealladh dhuibh. ’S e sin an rud a rinn Coinneach Odhar.

            Tha stòiridh eile ann mun dòigh san d’ fhuair Coinneach a chomasan. Bha e air gluasad gu timcheall Loch Ùsaidh, faisg air Brathann. Bha e ag obair air tuathanas mar sgalag. Cha robh e fhèin is bean an tuathanaich a’ faighinn air adhart. Chuir i roimhpe a mharbhadh.

            Latha a bha seo, bha Coinneach ag obair air a’ pholl-mhònach. Bha am poll ro fhad’ air falbh bhon taigh airson a dhol dhachaigh gu dinnear. Mar sin, chuir bean an tuathanaich biadh a-mach thuige. Agus chuir i puinnsean ann.

            Bha am biadh fada gun Coinneach a ruigsinn. Bha Coinneach air a bhith ag obair gu cruaidh agus ghabh e fois. Thuit e na chadal. Ach dhùisg e gu h-obann, oir bha e a’ faireachdainn rudeigin fuar air a bhroilleach. Dè bh’ ann ach clach bheag gheal le toll troimhpe.

            Thug Coinneach sùil tron toll agus chunnaic e sealladh. Anns an t-sealladh bha bean an tuathanaich a’ cur puinnsean anns a’ bhiadh aige. Airson tomhas co-dhiù bha fìrinn sam bith anns an t-sealladh, thug e a dhinnear don chù aige. Fhuair an cù bàs uabhasach, agus thuig Coinneach – leis a’ chloich – gun robh an dà-shealladh aige.

            Tha stòiridh eile ann, car coltach. Bha Coinneach pòsta agus bha a bhean a’ toirt biadh a-mach dha, agus e a’ buain na mònach fada bhon taigh. Fhad ’s a bha e a’ feitheamh rithe, thuit e na chadal. Dhùisg e, agus e a’ faireachdainn rudeigin air choreigin cruaidh fo a cheann. ’S e clach a bh’ ann, le toll innte.

            Thug Coinneach sùil tron chloich agus chunnaic e gun robh biadh puinnseanta aig a bhean dha, ged nach i a chuir am puinnsean ann. Ach nuair a choimhead e tron toll, chaill e a fhradharc anns an t-sùil sin. Agus bho sin a-mach bha e cam. Bha an dà-shealladh aige. Ach bha a’ chiad shealladh aige dìreach ann an aon sùil.

bho thaibhs na bana-phrionnsa: from the ghost of the princess; air a bhreith aig an àm: born at the time; don ghille a bhios agad fhathast: to the son you will yet have; ma lorgas sibh nead fithich, thoiribh na h-uighean: if you find a raven’s nest, take the eggs; bruichibh iad agus, nuair a tha iad fionnar a-rithist: boil them and, when they are cool again; feuchaidh a’ chearc-fhithich rin gur: the hen raven will try to hatch them; feuch Clach na Buaidh a lorg: to find the Victory Stone; mar sgalag: as a labourer; cha robh e fhèin is bean an tuathanaich a’ faighinn air adhart: he and the farmer’s wife did not see eye to eye; bhiodh esan sgaiteach dhi: he would use satire against her ; ghabh i dubh-ghràin air: she loathed him; chuir i roimhpe a mharbhadh: she decided to kill him; chuir i puinnsean ann: she put poison in it; rudeigin fuar air a bhroilleach: something cold on his breast; le toll troimhpe: with a hole through it [fem]; chaill e a fhradharc anns an t-sùil sin: he lost his sight in that eye; bha a’ chiad shealladh aige dìreach ann an aon sùil: he had normal [the first as opposed to the second] sight in just one eye.

’S e clach a bh’ ann, le toll innte: it was a stone with a hole in it. Are you clear as to why I say ’s e clach a bh’ ann but le toll innte, with the second part making clear that I understand that clach is a feminine noun? One might also say bha clach ann, agus toll innte. Although the preposition ann is being used in both instances, the usage is not identical. In the second, having established that we are considering clach, a feminine noun, I had to use innte [“in her”] rather than ann [“in him”]. In the case of leabhar, a masculine noun, I’d have said ’s e leabhar a bh’ ann, le toll ann. But in the first part of the clause, I am simply commenting on the object’s existence so uninflected ann applies in all cases. I might also say, relating to plural objects, bha clachan ann, agus tuill annta “it was stones [that existed there], with holes in them”.

Bha am biadh fada gun Coinneach a ruigsinn: the food was a long time in reaching Coinneach [lit. a long time without reaching Coinneach].

Tha “Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh” air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA