738: Leitir Fura (2)
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.
Leitir Fura (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu thuras a ghabh mi a Leitir Fura ann an ceann a deas an Eilein Sgitheanaich. Tha tobhtaichean ann an-diugh far an robh baile an ìre mhath mòr uaireigin. Tha Leitir a’ ciallachadh ‘leathad’ a tha gu math tric os cionn uisge. Ach dè tha Fura a’ ciallachadh?
Feumaidh sinn a dhol gu beul-aithris airson fuasgladh. Thathar ag ràdh gun robh uaireigin dà chraoibh dharaich a’ fàs anns a’ bhaile – Fura Mhòr agus Fura Bheag. ’S e sin na h-ainmean a bh’ orra. Bhathar ag ràdh gun robh Fura Mhòr cho mòr ’s gum b’ urrainn suas ri caogad mart a bhith còmhla fo sgàil a duillich.
Latha a bha seo, ge-tà, bha cuid de chloinn a’ bhaile a’ cluich le teine. Chuir iad falaisgear thuige faisg air Fura Mhòr agus chaidh a’ chraobh a losgadh gu làr. Air sàillibh sin, chaidh dà theaghlach – MacAonghais a bh’ orra – a chur a-mach às a’ bhaile. Bha e cruaidh, ach tha e a’ dearbhadh, ma tha an stòiridh fìor, gun robh na daoine a’ cur luach anns na craobhan is coilltean aca.
Chan eil an t-Eilean Sgitheanach cho craobhach an-diugh ’s a bha e uaireigin. Ri linn Chaluim Chille, bha coilltean gu leòr ann. Às dèidh don naomh ainmeil a bhith anns an eilean, dh’fhàg e sagartan a leanadh air an obair a rinn e. Bha feadhainn dhiubh stèidhichte ann am Pabaigh, eilean còmhnard torrach faisg air an Ath Leathann.
Co-dhiù, a rèir beul-aithris, goirid às dèidh do Chalum Cille tilleadh a dh’Eilean Ì, chaidh fear de na sagartan Pabach don Eilean Sgitheanach airson tadhal air daoine. Ràinig e innis anns a’ choille anns an robh corra clach an siud ’s an seo. ’S dòcha gun robh i faisg air Leitir Fura ach chan urrainn dhomh a bhith cinnteach.
Cha robh aig an t-sagart ach an t-aodach a bha uime agus bachall. B’ e am bachall an aon rud saoghalta a bhuineadh don t-sagart agus bha e prìseil dha. Chaidh a dhèanamh dha le sagart eile faisg air a’ mhanachainn aige air tìr-mòr na h-Alba. Bha e air a dhèanamh de dh’fhiodh uinnsinn.
Bha an sagart sgìth agus rinn e suidhe airson beagan fois a ghabhail. Chuir e am bachall ri a thaobh. Fhad ’s a bha e a’ gabhail fois, dh’fhairich e fuaimean agus gluasadan anns a’ choille a bha ceithir-timcheall air. Bha e dhen bheachd gun robh e a’ cluinntinn ghuthan, ach bha iad beag agus cha bhuineadh iad do mhac-an-duine.
Choimhead e suas agus cò bha air a bheulaibh ach sluagh mòr de dhaoine beaga. Bha iad eadar trì is ceithir troighean a dh’àirde. Ach a-mhàin sin, bha iad coltach ri daoine àbhaisteach.
Chlisg e agus, airson a dhìon fhèin, rinn e comharra na croise. Ach cha do chuir sin eagal air an t-sluagh. Thàinig fear dhiubh – bodach beag le feusag liath – air adhart agus chaidh e air a ghlùinean. ‘Tha mi ag iarraidh,’ ghuidh e, ‘gum beannaich sibh na daoine agam.’ Bha an sagart air coinneachadh ris na sìthichean. Chì sinn dè thachair anns an ath Litir.
Faclan na Litreach: tobhtaichean: ruined buildings; leitir, leathad: slope; Pabaigh: Pabay; Lochlannaich: Vikings; bachall: staff; manachainn: monastery; chlisg e: he started (was alarmed); ghuidh e: he implored.
Abairtean na Litreach: far an robh baile an ìre mhath mòr uaireigin: where there was once a substantial village; gu beul-aithris airson fuasgladh: to oral tradition for a solution; caogad mart: fifty cows; chuir iad falaisgear thuige: they lit a ground fire; air sàillibh sin, chaidh dà theaghlach – MacAonghais a bh’ orra – a chur a-mach às a’ bhaile:because of that two families – they were called MacInnes – were expelled from the village; a’ cur luach anns na craobhan is coilltean aca: valuing their trees and forests; cho craobhach an-diugh ’s a bha e uaireigin: as well endowed with trees today as it once was; ri linn Chaluim Chille: in St Columba’s day; dh’fhàg e sagartan a leanadh air an obair a rinn e: he left priests who would continue the work he did; eilean còmhnard torrach faisg air an Ath Leathann: a flat fertile island near Broadford; goirid às dèidh do X tilleadh a dh’Eilean Ì: shortly after X returned to Iona; ràinig e innis anns a’ choille: he reached a clearing in the forest; an aon rud saoghalta a bhuineadh don t-sagart: the one worldly thing the priest possessed; air a dhèanamh de dh’fhiodh uinnsinn: made of ash wood; rinn e suidhe airson beagan fois a ghabhail: he sat down to take some rest; dh’fhairich e fuaimean agus gluasadan anns a’ choille a bha ceithir-timcheall air:he detected sounds and movements in the forest that surrounded him; cha bhuineadh iad do mhac-an-duine: they didn’t belong to humankind; cò bha air a bheulaibh ach sluagh mòr: what was in front of him but a great host; eadar trì is ceithir troighean a dh’àirde: between three and four feet high; rinn e comharra na croise: he made the sign of the cross; gum beannaich sibh na daoine agam: that you will bless my people.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Cha robh aig an t-sagart ach an t-aodach a bha uime:the priest only had the clothes on (‘about’) him. If you read the Bible you will be familiar with uime but it is perhaps not used so much in general speech these days. It is the third person masculine prepositional pronoun of the preposition mu ‘about’. So uime literally means ‘about him’. The feminine form is uimpe ‘about her’. Here are the other forms: umam ‘about me’, umad ‘about you’, umainn ‘about us’, umaibh ‘about you’ and umpa ‘about them’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: fo sgàil a duillich : under the shade of the foliage.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 434
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