1159: MacCodruim nan Ròn (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.
MacCodruim nan Ròn (1)
Sin sibh a-rithist. Tha mi a’ dol a dh’innse sgeulachd ainmeil dhuibh. Tha i às na h-Eileanan an Iar. ʼS e an t-ainm a th’ oirre MacCodruim nan Ròn.
O chionn fhad an t-saoghail, bha iasgair anns na h-eileanan air an robh Niall MacCodruim mar ainm. Bha e a’ fuireach leis fhèin ann an taigh-croite eadar muir agus monadh. Bha an t-àite sàmhach ach a-mhàin gun cluinneadh Niall gairm nan eun-sgadain agus sluaisreadh nan tonn air a’ mhol. Tha fhios gun robh e aig amannan aonaranach, gu h-àraidh air oidhcheannan fada geamhraidh.
Feasgar earraich a bha seo, bha na fir a’ toirt an eathraichean gu tìr. Bha cliabh làn sgadan aig a h-uile iasgair. B’ e Niall am fear mu dheireadh a tharraing a bhàta suas am mol agus a chuir a chliabh air a ghualainn. Bha na fir eile air a dhol dhachaigh le ʼm mnathan. Ach cha robh bean aig Niall ann.
Bha e a’ smaoineachadh gun robh e leis fhèin air a’ chladach. Ach chuala e fuaim annasach. Bha e eadar-dhealaichte bho sgreadail nan eun. Chuala e a-rithist e. Bha e mar gàireachdaich – boireannaich a’ gàireachdaich.
Thug e a chliabh far a ghuailne agus dh’fhàg e air a’ mhol e. Chaidh e a dh’ionnsaigh an fhuaim eadar creagan mòra. Chaidh e am falach air cùl tè de na creagan. Agus chunnaic e rud a bha iongantach – seachdnar bhoireannach òga. Bha iad uile rùisgte agus bha falt fada aig a h-uile tè dhiubh. Bha an craiceann cho bàn ri eala air loch agus bha iad a’ dannsadh còmhla ann an cròileagan air a’ chladach.
An uair sin, chunnaic Niall rudeigin eile – meall de bhèin air creag faisg air na boireannach. Thuig e gur e maighdeannan-ròin a bh’ anns na boireannaich. Nuair a bha iad aig muir bha iad mar a bha ròin eile. Ach, nuair a thigeadh iad gu tìr, ʼs ann a chuireadh iad am bèin dhiubh. Bhiodh coltas boireannaich orra an uair sin.
Chrom Niall sìos a-nise agus shnàig e a dh’ionnsaigh nam bian. Gu socair, sàmhach ghabh e grèim air a’ chiad bhian agus chuir e fo achlais e. Ge-tà, chunnaic tè de na boireannaich e. Thug i èigh. Sguir iad uile a dhannsa. Ruith iad chun na creige, thog iad am bèin agus dh’fhalbh iad gu muir mar gur e ròin a bh’ annta a-rithist.
Ach a-mhàin aon tè. Sheas i air beulaibh Nèill. Bha a craiceann a’ deàlradh mar neamhnaid ann an solas na gealaich. An robh cainnt aice? Bha – agus bha Gàidhlig aice! Shìn i a làmh a dh’ionnsaigh Nèill. Thuirt i, ‘An toir thu thugam mo bhian? Le do thoil – mo bhian-ròin.’
Dhiùlt Niall sin a dhèanamh. Ghabh e ceum a dh’ionnsaigh na maighdinn-ròin. ‘Thig cuide rium,’ thuirt e. ‘Bheir mi dhut aodach ùr a chuireas tu ort.’ Cha robh taghadh aice. Agus ghabh i ri cùmhnant Nèill.
Phòs iad air latha brèagha aig àm fàs na gealaich agus lìonadh na tìde-mhara. Thàinig a h-uile duine anns a’ bhaile, agus bha biadh is deoch gu leòr aca. Bha Niall MacCodruim cho sona ri bròg. Ach a bhean ùr – uill, bha ise sàmhach mar gun robh i ag èisteachd ri fuaim na mara seach ceòl na fìdhle... Tuilleadh dhen sgeulachd an-ath-sheachdain.
Faclan na Litreach: cliabh làn sgadan: a creel full of herring; mol: shingle, shingly beach; mnathan: wives; fuaim annasach: a strange sound; sgreadail: screeching; gàireachdaich: laughter, laughing; iongantach: amazing, surprising; seachdnar bhoireannach òga: seven young women; rùisgte: naked; maighdeann-ròin: selkie, seal-woman; èigh: a shout.
Abairtean na Litreach: às na h-Eileanan an Iar: from the Western Isles; o chionn fhad an t-saoghail: a long, long time ago; bha iasgair air an robh Niall MacCodruim mar ainm: there was a fisherman called Neil MacCodrum; a’ fuireach leis fhèin: living by himself; taigh-croite eadar muir agus monadh: a crofthouse between sea and hill; sàmhach ach a-mhàin gun cluinneadh Niall gairm nan eun-sgadain agus sluaisreadh nan tonn air a’ mhol: quiet, except that Neil could [would] hear the call of the common guillemots and the swish of the waves on the shingle beach; feasgar earraich a bha seo: one Spring evening; bha na fir a’ toirt an eathraichean gu tìr: the men were taking their boats onto the land; chaidh e am falach air cùl tè de na creagan: he hid behind one of the rocks; bha an craiceann cho bàn ri eala air loch: their skin was as white as a swan on a loch; a’ dannsadh còmhla ann an cròileagan air a’ chladach: dancing together in a circle on the shore; meall de bhèin: a pile of skins/pelts; ʼs ann a chuireadh iad am bèin dhiubh: they would take off their skins; chrom X sìos: X bent down; shnàig e a dh’ionnsaigh nam bian: he crept towards the skins; chuir e fo achlais e: he put it under his arm; a’ deàlradh mar neamhnaid ann an solas na gealaich: shining like an oyster in the light of the moon; shìn i a làmh a dh’ionnsaigh: she stretched out her hand towards; an toir thu thugam?: will you give me?; phòs iad aig àm fàs na gealaich agus lìonadh na tìde-mhara: they married at the time of the waxing of the moon and a flowing/filling tide; cho sona ri bròg: really happy; ag èisteachd ri fuaim na mara seach ceòl na fìdhle: listening to the sound of the sea rather than fiddle music.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Thug e a chliabh far a ghuailne agus dh’fhàg e air a’ mhol e: he took the creel from his shoulder and he left it on the shingle. Far, despite its appearance, is a compound preposition and takes the genitive case. The genitive singular form of the feminine [in most dialects] noun gualann ‘shoulder’ is guailne.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Sin sibh a-rithist: Hello again [lit. ‘there you are again’].
Tha “Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh” air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 855
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