1316: Calum agus Màiri (1)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Calum agus Màiri (1)
Tha mi a’ dol a dh’innse sgeul dhuibh, no co-dhiù geàrr-chunntas de sgeul. Tha e mu dheidhinn muinntir nan ròn. Tha e a’ tighinn bhon leabhar ‘Tales of the Seal People’ le Donnchadh MacUilleim. Chaidh innse dha le fear Aonghas MacNèill a bha ag obair mar ribear choineanach ann an Earra-Ghàidheal. Fhuair e an sgeul ann an Gàidhlig bho a sheanmhair.
Tha cladh ann am baile beag air taobh an iar na Gàidhealtachd. Tha clach-uaghach anns a’ chladh, ann an cumadh cridhe, air a bheil ceithir faclan sgrìobhte: ‘To Malcolm and Mary’. Gu Calum agus Màiri. Bha an sgrìobhadh ann am Beurla. Tha mi a’ dol a mhìneachadh a’ ghnothaich dhuibh. Tha e car annasach.
O chionn fhada bha teaghlach a’ fuireach taobh a’ chladaich faisg air a’ bhaile. Bha iad ri croitearachd agus iasgach. Bha dithis chloinne aca – càraid. ’S e Calum a bh’ air a ghille mar ainm, agus ʼs e Màiri a bh’ air a phiuthar.
Bha an dithis a’ faighinn air adhart gu math, agus ʼs e clann èasgaidh a bh’ annta. Bha iad gu math taiceil dom pàrantan. Thàinig dìreach aon rud eatarra. Bhiodh Màiri a’ tarraing à Calum airson coltas òrdaig-coise air a chois dheis. Bha i air leth mòr. ‘Mo chreach, a Chaluim,’ chanadh i, ‘tha coltas sgreataidh air an òrdaig mhòir agad.’
‘Chan eil leasachadh air,’ chanadh a bràthair. ‘ʼS ann mar seo a rugadh mi.’
Nise, bha Calum fìor mhath air snàmh. Uaireannan bhiodh e a’ snàmh am measg nan ròn a thigeadh timcheall air.
‘A Chaluim,’ chanadh Màiri, ‘mura sguir thu, chan fhada gus am bi thu fhèin nad ròn!’ Agus chanadh Calum gum biodh e air leth toilichte nan tachradh sin.
Dh’fhàs a’ chlann suas agus dh’fhàg iad an sgoil aig aois ceithir-deug. Chaidh Calum a chuideachadh athair leis an eathar. Rinn iad iasgach leis na lìn-mhòra.
Feasgar a bha seo, aig àm a’ chiaraidh, chaidh Calum agus athair a-mach anns an eathar. Dh’èirich stoirm gun rabhadh. Thionndaidh iad am bàta agus rinn iad iomradh a dh’ionnsaigh na tìre. Ach cha robh iad luath gu leòr. Chaidh an soitheach a chur bun-os-cionn.
Bha athair Chaluim math gu leòr air snàmh agus bha fios aige gun robh Calum fhèin fìor chomasach mar shnàmhadair. ‘Gach fear dha fhèin!’ dh’èigh e. ‘Snàmh gu tìr!’ Ge-tà, nuair a ràinig e an cladach, cha robh sgeul air a mhac.
Chaidh e dhachaigh. Ruith a bhean agus a nighean ga ionnsaigh, toilichte gun robh e fhathast beò. ‘Càit a bheil Calum?’ thuirt iad. ‘Nach eil e còmhla riut?’ Mhìnich an duine gun robh Calum caillte aig muir. Airson latha an dèidh latha an dèidh latha, chaidh muinntir an àite a choimhead airson a’ ghille no co-dhiù airson a chuirp. Ach cha do lorg iad dad.
An dèidh grunn seachdainean, thàinig atharrachadh air Màiri. Cha bhruidhneadh i ri duine. Chan itheadh i a biadh. Chaill i cuideam. Cha dèanadh i càil ach coiseachd air an tràigh, a’ coimhead a-mach gu muir. Bha a cridhe briste.
Lorg a h-athair an t-eathar aige air a’ chladach. Bha e fhathast slàn. Thill an duine don iasgach. Ach bha Màiri bhochd beò ann am mulad. Cha robh i ag iarraidh bruidhinn ri duine. Latha a bha seo, ge-tà, dh’atharraich cùisean agus innsidh mi dhuibh mu dheidhinn anns an ath Litir.
Faclan na Litreach: Donnchadh MacUilleim: Duncan Williamson; Aonghas MacNèill: Angus MacNeil; a sheanmhair: his grandmother; bun-os-cionn: upside-down.
Abairtean na Litreach: co-dhiù geàrr-chunntas de sgeul: at least a summary of a story; muinntir nan ròn: the seal people (seals that can change into human form); ribear choineanach ann an Earra-Ghàidheal: a rabbit trapper in Argyll; tha clach-uaghach anns a’ chladh, ann an cumadh cridhe: there is a gravestone in the cemetery, in the shape of a heart; air a bheil ceithir faclan sgrìobhte: on which are written four words; bha dithis chloinne aca – càraid: they had two children – twins; ’s e Calum a bh’ air a ghille mar ainm: he was called Malcolm; ʼs e clann èasgaidh a bh’ annta: they were obliging children; taiceil dom pàrantan: helpful to their parents; thàinig dìreach aon rud eatarra: just one thing came between them; tha coltas sgreataidh air an òrdaig mhòir agad: your big toe looks awful; chanadh a bràthair: her brother would say; ʼs ann mar seo a rugadh mi: this is how I was born; uaireannan bhiodh e a’ snàmh am measg nan ròn: sometimes he would swim among the seals; chan fhada gus am bi thu fhèin nad ròn: it won’t be long until you are a seal; gum biodh e air leth toilichte nan tachradh sin: that he would be delighted if that were to happen; a chuideachadh athair leis an eathar: to help his father with the boat; rinn iad iasgach leis na lìn-mhòra: they went fishing with the longlines; rinn iad iomradh a dh’ionnsaigh na tìre: they rowed towards the land; fìor chomasach mar shnàmhadair: very capable as a swimmer; gach fear dha fhèin: every man for himself; chaidh muinntir an àite a choimhead airson a’ ghille no co-dhiù airson a chuirp: the local people went to look for the lad or at least for his body; bha Màiri bhochd beò ann am mulad: poor Mary was afflicted by deep sadness.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Bhiodh Màiri a’ tarraing à Calum airson coltas òrdaig-coise air a chois dheis: Mary would be teasing Calum for the appearance of the big toe on his right foot. Cas ‘foot’ is a feminine noun which traditionally slenderises in the dative singular case (which it is here after the preposition ‘air’). ‘On the foot’ is air a’ chois; ‘on his foot’ is air a chois. The adjective follows the noun and similarly is lenited and slenderised so ‘on his right foot’ is air a chois dheis.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Chan eil leasachadh air: it can’t be helped (changed).
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 1012
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