03/02/2006

Tha sinn a’ fuireach anns an ear-thuath an t-seachdain seo. Bha àite ann am Bràigh Mhàrr a bha uaireigin ainmeil. B’ e sin Caisteal Ceann na Drochaid, agus bha e ainmeil a chionn ’s gum biodh rìghrean na h-Alba gu tric a’ fuireach ann. Rachadh na rìghrean ann airson sealg.

Nuair a bha Calum a’ Chinn Mhòir air cathair rìoghail na h-Alba, bhiodh esan a’ fuireach ann an Caisteal Ceann na Drochaid bho àm gu àm. Bha an t-uachdaran, leis an robh an caisteal, a’ cumail torc nimhe, gu sònraichte airson an rìgh a thoileachadh. Bha an torc uabhasach mòr. Ghlac an t-uachdaran e turas a bha e a’ sealg ann an Gleann Chuaich, faisg air Bràigh Mhàrr. Chladhaich e toll don torc taobh a-muigh a’ chaisteil aige. Bha sin air bruaich Uisge Chluainidh. Bha an torc a’ fuireach san toll. Bhiodh an rìgh a’ dol a choimhead air gach turas a bha e san sgìre.

Bha an torc ainmeil. ’S e Tad-Losgann an t-ainm a bh’ air. Ged a bha an rìgh measail air Tad-Losgann, cha robh muinntir na sgìre measail air idir. ’S e a bu choireach ri sin gu robh am beathach cho acrach is cho sanntach. Bha e ag ithe uiread, ’s gun do dh’iarr an t-uachdaran air a h-uile teaghlach san sgìre beathach mairt a thoirt seachad dha. Cha robh dol-às aca.

Thàinig an là nuair a b’ fheudar do bhanntrach bhochd an aona bhò a bh’ aice a thoirt seachad don uachdaran, airson Tad-Losgann a bhiathadh. ’S e an t-ainm a bh’ air a’ bhoireannach a’ Bhanntrach NicLeòid. Bha i a’ fuireach ann an Gleann an t-Slugain. Ach cha robh i a’ fuireach leatha fhèin. Bha gille aice, aois còig bliadhn’ deug, air an robh Sanndaidh mar ainm, is bha esan a’ fuireach còmhla rithe.

Bha athair Shanndaidh air a mharbhadh nuair a bha Sanndaidh na leanabh. Mar sin, bha an gille gu math eòlach air bochdainn. Thug e bliadhnaichean do a mhàthair airgead gu leòr a chaomhnadh airson a’ bhò aice a cheannach. Agus bha an t-uachdaran dìreach a’ dol ga toirt bhuaipe ann am priobadh na sùla. Bha àmhghar air a’ Bhanntrach NicLeòid. Nuair a bha i san leabaidh air an oidhche, dh’èigh i, nan robh an duine aice fhathast beò, gu robh e air saighead a chur tro chridhe an tuirc. Bha e ainmeil mar bhoghadair.

Bha Sanndaidh fhathast na dhùisg, agus chuala e a mhàthair. Chuir e roimhe an torc nimhe a mharbhadh e fhèin, airson bò a mhàthar a shàbhaladh. Bha Sanndaidh fhèin sgileil mar bhoghadair mar a bha athair roimhe. Bha e na bhuachaille agus, air làithean fada an t-samhraidh sa mhonadh, bha cothrom aige boghachan is saighdean a dhèanamh, agus losgadh air eòin is ainmhidhean.

Nuair a dh’èirich Sanndaidh air an làrna-mhàireach, rinn e trì saighdean ùra is chaidh e suas air a’ Chàrn Liath. Mharbh e capall-coille agus thill e dhachaigh leis. Chum e an capall-coille am falach bho a mhàthair, agus chaidh e a leabaidh.

Dh’èirich e tràth, mus robh sgeul air a’ ghrèin, thug e an capall-coille a-mach às an àite-fhalaich aige, agus rinn e air a’ chaisteal. Fhuair e tarsainn Uisge Dè, chum e a’ dol gu Ach an Droighinn, agus lean e air gus an d’ ràinig e àite mu choinneimh toll an tuirc, ach air taobh thall Uisge Chluainidh bhuaithe. Chunnaic e freiceadan air bàrr balla a’ chaisteil. Agus innsidh mi dhuibh mar a thachair an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Bràigh Mhàrr: Braemar; torc nimhe: wild boar; Gleann Chuaich: Glen Quoich; sanntach: greedy; Sanndaidh: Sandy; bochdainn: poverty; àmhghar: distress, anguish; boghadair: bowman, archer; freiceadan: sentry, guard.

Abairtean na Litreach: Caisteal Ceann na Drochaid: Kindrochit Castle; a chionn ’s gum biodh rìghrean na h-Alba a’ fuireach ann: because the kings of Scotland would stay there; rachadh X ann airson sealg: X would go there for hunting; nuair a bha Calum a’ Chinn Mhòir air cathair rìoghail na h-Alba: when Malcolm Canmore was on the throne of Scotland; chladhaich e toll: he dug a pit; air bruaich Uisge Chluainidh: on the bank of Clunie Water (river); cha robh muinntir na sgìre measail air idir: the local people were not at all keen on him; ’s e a bu choireach ri sin: that was because [caused by]; bha e ag ithe uiread: he ate so much; beathach mairt a thoirt seachad dha: to give him a cow; cha robh dol-às aca: they had no escape; bha esan a’ fuireach còmhla rithe: he was living with her; thug e bliadhnaichean do a mhàthair airgead gu leòr a chaomhnadh: his mother took years to save enough money; airson a’ bhò aice a cheannach: to buy her cow; bha an t-uachdaran dìreach a’ dol ga toirt bhuaipe: the landlord was just going to take it [fem.] from her; gu robh e air saighead a chur tro chridhe an tuirc: that he would have put an arrow through the boar’s heart: chuir e roimhe an torc nimhe a mharbhadh: he decided to kill the wild boar; bha e na bhuachaille: he was a herdsman; bha cothrom aige losgadh air eòin is ainmhidhean: he had an opportunity to fire on birds and animals; chum e an capall-coille am falach: he kept the capercaillie hidden; mus robh sgeul air a’ ghrèin: before there was any sight of the sun; a-mach às an àite-fhalaich aige: out of his hiding place; tarsainn Uisge Dè: across the River Dee; chum e a’ dol gu Ach an Droighinn: he kept going to Auchendryne (in Braemar).

Puing-chànain na Litreach: ann am priobadh na sùla: in the wink [blink] of an eye. Sùla is one of those genitive singulars of feminine nouns which are broadened from the slender nominative form, not the norm in modern Gaelic. The nominative is sùil. Not only is the vowel broadened, but so is the quality of the “l”. Here are some parts of the eye in which the genitive of sùil appears: rosgan na sùla (eyelashes), toiseach na sùla (the end of the eye adjacent to the nose), deireadh na sùla (the end of the eye farthest from the nose), dubh na sùla (pupil), cearcall na sùla (iris), ball na sùla (eyelid), clach na sùla (eyeball), geal na sùla (white of the eye).

Gnàths-cainnt na Litreach: lean e air gus an d’ ràinig e àite mu choinneimh toll an tuirc: he followed on until he reached a place opposite the boar’s pit. Lean e air (he continued); lean mi orm (I continued).