31/05/2015

Rinn an gobha bochd bargan leis an Droch Fhear. Bha tòrr airgid aige. Ach bhiodh aige ri falbh còmhla ris an Droch Fhear an ceann latha is bliadhna. Ciamar a bha e a’ dol a mhìneachadh sin do a bhean? Dh’fhan e gus an robh a’ chlann air a dhol a laighe. Chan e an fhìrinn ghlan a dh’inns e.

               ‘Bha mi ag obair anns a’ cheàrdaich,’ thuirt an gobha ri a bhean, ‘nuair a thàinig duine àrd a-steach. Bha sinn a’ còmhradh mun bhochdainn anns an rìoghachd – agus nar dachaigh fhèin. Dh’inns an coigreach dhomh gun robh pailteas òir is airgid air a thiodhlacadh fo ùrlar na ceàrdaich. ‘Cladhaich fon innean,’ thuirt e, ‘agus gheibh thu pailteas. A h-uile uair a bhios èis ort, thoir leat dhachaigh làn do phòcaidean de dh’òr is de dh’airgead.’

               Mar dhearbhadh gu robh e ag innse na fìrinn, thug an gobha làn a dhà chròige dhen òr ’s dhen airgead às a phòcaidean, agus thug e do a bhean e. Cha robh fios aig a bhean gu dè chanadh i. Chan fhaca i uibhir de dh’òr ’s de dh’airgead mu choinneimh a dà shùl riamh roimhe.

               Thog an gobha taighean ùra. Bha crodh is eich is caoraich aige. Bha airgead pailt na phòcaid. Ach cha b’ urrainn duine beò a dhèanamh a mach ciamar a bha e a’ tighinn cho math air adhart. Bha an sluagh ag ràdh gun robh an gobha ann an co-bhuinn ris an Droch Fhear.

               Bha an gobha gu nàdarra na dhuine fialaidh. Latha a bha seo, bha e a’ tighinn dhachaigh bho cheann eile na dùthcha. Faisg air an taigh aige, thachair seann duine liath ris. Chuir an gobha fàilte chridheil air an t-seann duine, agus dh’iarr e air a dhol chun an taighe maille ris. Thug an gobha agus a bhean cuid na h-oidhche dha.

               An làrna-mhàireach, nuair a bha an seann duine a’ falbh, chaidh an gobha maille ris gus a chur thairis air an allt faisg air an taigh. Nuair a bha an gobha a’ dealachadh ris, thuirt an seann duine, ‘Airson cho coibhneil ’s a bha thu rium, bheir mi dhut trì nithean sam bith a dh’iarras tu.’

               ‘ ’S e mo chiad iarrtas,’ ars an gobha, ‘gun lean làmhan fir sam bith a bheireas air an òrd mhòr ri cas an ùird, gun lean an t-òrd ris an innean agus gun lean an t-innean ris an ùrlar. ’S e mo dhàrna iarrtas gun lean fear sam bith a shuidheas air a’ chathair anns an t-seòmar ris a’ chathair, agus gun lean a’ chathair ris an ùrlar. Agus ’s e mo threas iarrtas, bonn airgid sam bith a chuireas mi dham sporan, nach tig e às gu bràth gus an toir mi fhèin às le mo làimh fhèin e.’

               ‘Ud, ud,’ ars an seann duine, ‘is bochd mar a dh’iarr thu. Carson nach do dh’iarr thu nèamh?’ Ghabh an seann duine roimhe air a thuras agus thill an gobha dhachaigh.

               Nuair a bha an latha is bliadhna seachad, thàinig an Droch Fhear. Bha an gobha anns a’ cheàrdaich.

               ‘Ceart, ma-thà,’ ars an Droch Fhear, ‘dèan deiseil ’s falbh còmhla rium.’ Agus chì sinn dè rinn an gobha an-ath-sheachdain.

ceàrdach: smiddy; bochdainn: poverty; maille ri: along with; cuid na h-oidhche: a night’s lodging. 

Rinn an gobha bochd bargan leis an Droch Fhear: the poor blacksmith made a pact with the Devil; ciamar a bha e a’ dol a mhìneachadh sin do a bhean?: how was he going to explain that to his wife?; dh’fhan e gus an robh a’ chlann air a dhol a laighe: he waited until the children had gone to bed; gun robh pailteas òir is airgid air a thiodhlacadh fo ùrlar na ceàrdaich: that plenty of gold and silver was buried under the floor of the smiddy; cladhaich fon innean: dig under the anvil; a h-uile uair a bhios èis ort: every time you are in need; ann an co-bhuinn ris an Droch Fhear: in league with the Devil; bha X gu nàdarra na dhuine fialaidh: X was naturally a generous man; seann duine liath: an old grey-haired man; gus a chur thairis air an allt: to help [put] him over the burn; gun lean làmhan fir sam bith a bheireas air an òrd mhòr ri cas an ùird: that the hands of any man who picks up the sledgehammer will stick to the hammer’s handle; gun lean a’ chathair ris an ùrlar: that the chair will stick to the floor; nach tig e às gu bràth: that it will never come out; gus an toir mi fhèin às le mo làimh fhèin e: until I myself take it out with my own hand; carson nach do dh’iarr thu nèamh?: why didn’t you ask for heaven?; ghabh X roimhe air a thuras: X continued on his journey; dèan deiseil ’s falbh còmhla rium: get [make] ready and come with me.

chan fhaca i uibhir de dh’òr ’s de dh’airgead mu choinneimh a dà shùl riamh roimhe: she had never seen as much gold and silver in front of her two eyes. Mu choinneimh is a compound preposition which commands a noun in the genitive. The genitive plural of sùil ‘eye’ is sùl (with a broad ‘l’). Dà is not lenited because it is commanded by the third person feminine possessive article/pronoun.

thug an gobha làn a dhà chròige dhen òr 's dhen airgead às a phòcaidean: the blacksmith took two handfuls of the gold and the silver from his pockets.