蜜芽传媒

Bha D貌mhnall MacAoidh ann an ge貌la faisg air Inbhir The貌rsa. Bha e fh猫in is feadhainn eile a鈥� dol a dh鈥檉haighinn uisge ann am baraillean airson an t-soithich aca. Bha D貌mhnall air a thoirt am bruid ceithir bliadhna roimhe. A-nise bha e faisg air an dachaigh aige ann an D霉thaich MhicAoidh.

C貌 chunnaic e ann am b脿ta eile ach feadhainn bhon sg矛re aige fh猫in. Dh鈥檃ithnich e iad agus dh鈥檃ithnich iadsan esan. Dh鈥櫭╥gh iad air a ch猫ile. Cho luath 鈥檚 a thachair sin, thionndaidh na maraichean an ge貌la. Chaidh iad air ais don luing. Chuir iad an se貌l an 脿irde agus dh鈥檉halbh iad.

Chaidh tr矛 bliadhna eile seachad mus do rinn D貌mhnall dol-脿s. Bha e a-nise naoi bliadhn鈥� deug a dh鈥檃ois. Bha e air a dhol a-null gu soitheach eile beagan mh矛osan roimhe. Cha robh an criutha 霉r cho e貌lach air eachdraidh.

Co-dhi霉, bha iad a鈥� se貌ladh faisg air costa mu thuath na h-Alba. Bha uisge a dh矛th orra is chaidh iad gu Loch Eurabol. B鈥� e sin an loch far an deach D貌mhnall a thoirt am bruid seachd bliadhna roimhe. Chuir e roimhe teicheadh dhachaigh.

Bha fios aige nach fhaigheadh e a thuarastal ach bu choma leis sin. Bha aodach is gnothaichean pearsanta aige air b貌rd, ge-t脿. Chuir e aodach eile fon aodach obrach aige agus l矛on e a ph貌caidean le rudan. Bha e an d貌chas nach mothaicheadh duine do na bha e a鈥� d猫anamh.

Chaidh e fh猫in is fear eile gu t矛r ann an ge貌la. Nuair a bha na baraillean l脿n uisge, dh鈥檌arr D貌mhnall air an fhear eile leum a-steach don bh脿ta. Tharraing D貌mhnall an d脿 r脿mh a-mach 脿s na buthail-r脿imh agus phut e an ge貌la gu muir. Cha robh comas sn脿imh aig an fhear eile. Dh鈥櫭╥gh e don fheadhainn air an t-soitheach mh貌r, 鈥淒h鈥檉halbh am balach bho th矛r-m貌r!鈥�

Dh鈥櫭╥gh D貌mhnall airsan, 鈥淏eannachd leat!鈥� Agus theich e. Air mullach cnuic choimhead e air ais. Bha an fheadhainn air an luing a鈥� leigeil ge貌la eile. Rinn D貌mhnall cabhag ach bha e uabhasach teth leis na bh鈥� air de dh鈥檃odach. Bha am fallas air. Lorg e imir coirce. Bha adagan ann. Thug e sguab air falbh bho adag. Chaidh e am falach am broinn na h-adaig. Chuir e an sguab air ais na h-脿ite.

L脿igh e gu s脿mhach. Chuala e na maraichean a鈥� ruith seachad air. An ceann greis, thill iad. L脿igh D貌mhnall gu s脿mhach airson greis a bharrachd. An uair sin, dh鈥櫭╥rich e a-mach 脿s an adaig. Cha robh sgeul air duine.

Chaidh e gu mullach cnuic. Chunnaic e na maraichean a鈥� cur nan ge貌laichean air b貌rd na luinge. 脌s d猫idh seachd bliadhna bha D貌mhnall saor.

An l脿rna-mh脿ireach r脿inig e Armadal. Chunnaic e athair ag obair anns an t-sabhal. Bha e air a dhol liath. Chunnaic an croitear an srainnsear 貌g seo a鈥� coiseachd dha ionnsaigh. Cha do dh鈥檃ithnich e e. Dh鈥檌arr D貌mhnall cuid na h-oidhche air 鈥� rud a bha cumanta gu le貌r sna l脿ithean ud.

鈥淐eart gu le貌r,鈥� thuirt athair, 鈥渁ch feumaidh mi bruidhinn ris a鈥� bhean agam.鈥� Chaidh iad a-steach c貌mhla agus th脿inig m脿thair Dh貌mhnaill a-steach. Cha do dh鈥檃ithnich ise e na bu mhotha.

Cha b鈥� urrainn do Dh貌mhnall na bha e a鈥� faireachdainn a chumail dha fh猫in tuilleadh. 鈥淥 mo mh脿thair!鈥� dh鈥櫭╥gh e. 鈥淣ach eil sibh gam aithneachainn?!鈥� Uill, dh鈥檃ithnich an uair sin agus, 脿s d猫idh seachd bliadhna de dh鈥檌onndrainn, tha mi cinnteach gu robh de貌ir an toileachais a鈥� sruthadh gu l脿idir.

Faclan na Litreach: D霉thaich MhicAoidh: The Mackay Country [N Sutherland]; dol-脿s: escape; Armadal: Armadale; srainnsear: stranger.

Abairtean na Litreach: ann an ge貌la faisg air Inbhir The貌rsa: who in a dinghy close to Thurso; ann am baraillean airson an t-soithich aca: in barrels for their vessel; bha X air a thoirt am bruid ceithir bliadhna roimhe: X was kidnapped four years earlier; dh鈥檃ithnich e iad agus dh鈥檃ithnich iadsan esan: he recognised them and they recognised him; cho luath 鈥檚 a thachair sin: as soon as that happened; chaidh iad air ais don luing: they went back to the ship; bha e air a dhol a-null gu soitheach eile: he had gone over to another vessel; cha robh an criutha 霉r cho e貌lach air eachdraidh: the new crew weren鈥檛 so aware of his history; bha uisge a dh矛th orra: they were in need of water; chuir e roimhe teicheadh dhachaigh: he decided to flee [for] home; nach fhaigheadh e a thuarastal: that he wouldn鈥檛 get his wages; nach mothaicheadh duine do na bha e a鈥� d猫anamh: that nobody would notice what he was doing; tharraing D貌mhnall an d脿 r脿mh a-mach 脿s na buthail-r脿imh: Donald pulled the two oars out of the rowlocks; dh鈥檉halbh am balach bho th矛r-m貌r: the boy from the mainland left (he obviously only knew that D貌mhnall was a mainland lad and didn鈥檛 know he came from that particular area!); aig mullach cnuic choimhead e air ais: at the summit of a hill he looked back; bha an fheadhainn air an luing a鈥� leigeil ge貌la eile: the ones on the ship were lowering another dinghy; bha am fallas air: he was sweating; imir coirce: field of oats; adagan: stooks; am falach am broinn na h-adaig: hiding inside the stook; chuir e an sguab air ais na h-脿ite: he put the sheaf back in its place; l脿igh X gu s脿mhach airson greis a bharrachd: X lay quietly for a little longer; cha robh sgeul air duine: there was no sign of anybody; air b貌rd na luinge: on board the ship; bha e air a dhol liath: he had gone grey; dh鈥檌arr X cuid na h-oidhche air: X asked him for a night鈥檚 lodging; cha do dh鈥檃ithnich ise e na bu mhotha: she didn鈥檛 recognise him either; nach eil sibh gam aithneachainn?!: don鈥檛 you recognise me?!; 脿s d猫idh seachd bliadhna de dh鈥檌onndrainn: after seven years of missing [each other]; de貌ir an toileachais: the tears of happiness.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: rud a bha cumanta gu le貌r sna l脿ithean ud: a thing that was common enough in those days. Gaelic has three demonstrative (or 鈥減ointing鈥�) pronouns 鈥� seo, sin and siud, meaning here, there and yonder. Seo is sometimes reduced to sa (eg na h-霉bhlan sa = these apples). And siud is sometimes reduced to ud eg an fheadhainn ud (those ones yonder). If you can see a hill in the distance you might call it an cnoc ud thall (鈥測on hill over there鈥�). Ud can also be used for conceptual distance and can refer to distant past events on a timescale (as in the Litir).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: bu choma leis sin: he didn鈥檛 care about that.