05/04/2013

Tha mi cinnteach gun cuala sibh iomradh air Iain Garbh – Iain Garbh Mac ’Ille Chaluim à Ratharsair. Bha e beò anns an t-seachdamh linn deug. ’S iomadh stòiridh a th’ ann mu dheidhinn. Seo agaibh fear dhiubh – stòiridh ris an canar MacLeòid Dhùn Bheagain agus Iain Garbh Ratharsair.

            Bha Iain Garbh a’ cumail Eilean Ratharsair dha fhèin. Bu chòir dha màl a phàigheadh do MhacLeòid Dhùn Bheagain air a shon. Ach cha tug Iain sgillinn ruadh don uachdaran. Bha e gu math làidir, agus cha robh an Leòdach deònach a dhol thuige airson an t-airgead iarraidh.

            Latha a bha seo, thàinig fear borb a Chaisteal Dhùn Bheagain. ’S e burraidh a bh’ ann. Bha e a’ dol a chur cìs air MacLeòid mura faigheadh an ceann-cinnidh cuideigin a dhèanadh a’ chùis air ann an sabaid.

            ‘Uill,’ arsa MacLeòid. ‘Tha duine agam a nì a’ chùis ort, ach chan eil e aig baile an-dràsta.’

            ‘Am bi e fada mus tig e?’ dh’fhaighnich am burraidh.

            ‘Trì latha,’ fhreagair am fear eile.

            ‘Fanaidh mi gus an tig e, ma-thà,’ thuirt am burraidh. Agus dh’fhan e sa chaisteal.

            Chuir MacLeòid gille le litir a Ratharsair. Anns an litir, dh’iarr MacLeòid air Iain Garbh dèanamh air Dùn Bheagain cho luath ’s a b’ urrainn dha, oir bha gnothach cudromach aige ris. Cha robh beachd aig Iain Garbh dè an gnothach a bhiodh ann, oir cha robh e fhèin is MacLeòid a’ faighinn air adhart le chèile.

            Dh’ith Iain a’ chairteal chuid de dhamh. An uair sin, dh’fhalbh e ann am bàta don Eilean Sgitheanach agus air chois a Dhùn Bheagain. Nuair a ràinig e an caisteal mòr, bha MacLeòid a’ feitheamh ris, agus chuir e fàilte chridheil air.          Rug e air làimh air Iain, agus thuirt e gun robh e gu math toilichte gun tàinig e. ‘Thig a-steach,’ thuirt e.

            ‘Mus tig mi a-steach,’ thuirt Iain, ‘carson a chuir sibh fios thugam?’

            ‘Gheibh thu sin a-mach fhathast,’ fhreagair MacLeòid.

            Bha Iain amharasach gun robh droch rùn aig MacLeòid dha. Dhiùlt e a dhol a-steach don chaisteal mura h-innseadh an Leòdach dè an gnothach a bh’ aige ris.

            ‘Thig a-steach agus innsidh mi dhut an uair sin,’ thuirt MacLeòid.

            ‘Mura faigh mi fios a-muigh,’ fhreagair Iain Garbh, ‘tillidh mi dhachaigh.’ Thionndaidh Iain air a shàil agus thill MacLeòid a-steach don chaisteal. Bha am burraidh a’ feitheamh ris.

            ‘An tàinig e?’ thuirt am burraidh.

            ‘Cha tàinig,’ fhreagair an ceann-cinnidh, ‘ach tha bleigeard a-muigh sin air an rathad. Ma thèid thu às a dhèidh ’s ma bheir thu deidhseag dha air a thòin, bheir mi còig nota dhut.’

            ‘Bheir mi deidhseag mhath dha,’ fhreagair am burraidh.

            Chaidh am burraidh sìos an rathad. Nuair a ràinig e Iain Garbh, thog e am fèilleadh a bh’ air agus thug e deidhseag mhath dha air a thòin.

            Thionndaidh Iain Garbh le fearg. Dh’fhàisg e am fear eile le ghàirdeanan. Bhris e a h-uile cnàimh na bhodhaig. Thuit am burraidh marbh.

            Cha do thuig Iain an toiseach cò bha anns a’ bhurraidh no gu dè bh’ air tachairt. ’S ann nuair a fhuair e dhachaigh a fhuair e a-mach gun robh MacLeòid Dhùn Bheagain air brath a ghabhail air. Bha an ceann-cinnidh air a bhith gu math seòlta. Nam biodh fios air a bhith aig Iain air cleas MhicLeòid, cha robh e air Ratharsair fhàgail!

gun cuala sibh iomradh air: that you’ve heard of; bu chòir dha màl a phàigheadh do MhacLeòid Dhùn Bheagain: he should have paid rent to MacLeod of Dunvegan; cha tug Iain sgillinn ruadh don uachdaran: Iain didn’t give the landlord a red penny; cha robh an Leòdach deònach a dhol thuige: MacLeod wasn’t willing to go to him; mura faigheadh an ceann-cinnidh cuideigin a dhèanadh a’ chùis air ann an sabaid: if the clan chief didn’t get somebody that would defeat him in a fight; a nì a’ chùis ort: who will defeat you; chan eil e aig baile: he’s not at home; fanaidh mi gus an tig e: I’ll wait until he comes; dèanamh air Dùn Bheagain cho luath ’s a b’ urrainn dha: to go to Dunvegan as quickly as he could; bha gnothach cudromach aige ris: he had important business with him; a’ faighinn air adhart le chèile: getting along with each other; a’ chairteal chuid de dhamh: a quarter of an ox; rug e air làimh air Iain: he shook Iain’s hand; amharasach gun robh droch rùn aig MacLeòid dha: suspicious that MacLeod had evil intentions towards him; thionndaidh Iain air a shàil: Iain turned on his heel; bheir mi còig nota dhut: I’ll give you £5; thog e am fèilleadh a bh’ air: he lifted up his kilt; dh’fhàisg e am fear eile le ghàirdeanan: he squeezed the other man with his arms; bhris e a h-uile cnàimh na bhodhaig: he broke every bone in his body; air brath a ghabhail air: had deceived him.

Bha e a’ dol a chur cìs air MacLeòid: He was going to levy a cess on MacLeod. MacBain gives the Latin census as the origin of the Gaelic word cìs ‘tribute, tax’. The census in ancient Rome was a register of the citizenry and their properties for the purpose of assessing taxation; the Latin verb censere means ‘to assess’. Thus, the Gaelic cìs and the English cess ‘tax’ are related, as cess is generally considered to be an abbreviation of ‘assessment’. Historically, a cess might be imposed on the population in order to support soldiers being maintained on their territory. The ‘bully’ in this story imposes a cess on MacLeod, which can only be lifted if a representative of the clan chief can defeat the bully in single combat.

thug e deidhseag mhath dha air a thòin: he gave him a good slap on the buttocks.

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