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Litir 278: Craobh-òir agus Craobh-airgid

An t-seachdain seo bu mhath leam tòiseachadh air seann sgeulachd a chaidh a chruinneachadh anns an naoidheamh linn deug ann an Eilean Eige. ’S e an t-ainm a th’ air an sgeulachd “Craobh-òir agus Craobh-airgid”. Nì mi beagan nas giorra i na bha i bho thùs, agus rud beag nas sìmplidhe, ach cumaidh mi cho faisg air an t-seann chainnt ’s as urrainn.

Bha rìgh ann uaireigin. Bha bean aige air an robh Craobh-airgid mar ainm. Bha nighean aige cuideachd, agus ’s e an t-ainm a bh’ oirrese Craobh-òir. Là de na làithean, chaidh Craobh-òir agus Craobh-airgid gu ruige gleann far an robh tobar.Anns an tobar bha breac.

Bhruidhinn Craobh-airgid ris a’ bhreac. “A bhricein bhig bhòidhich,” thuirt i, “nach mise a’ bhànrigh as brèagha san t-saoghal?”

“O gu dearbh, cha tu!” ars’ am breac.

“Cò eile?” dh’fhaighnich a’ bhànrigh.

“Tha Craobh-òir, do nighean.”

Chaidh Craobh-airgid dhachaigh, agus an caothach ga dalladh. ’S e an aon rud a shàsaicheadh i – nam faigheadh i cridhe agus gruthan Chraoibh-òir, a nighean, ri ithe. Am beul na h-oidhche thàinig an rìgh dhachaigh agus dh’innseadh dha gu robh a bhean, Craobh-airgid, tinn. Chaidh e far an robh i agus dh’fhaighnich e dhith gu dè a bha ceàrr oirre.

“Chan eil rud sam bith a b’ urrainn dhomh dhèanamh,” thuirt an rìgh, “nach dèanainn dhut.”

“Ma gheibh mi cridhe agus gruthan Chraoibh-òir ri ithe, bidh mi slàn,” fhreagair Craobh-airgid.

Dh’fhalbh an rìgh agus chuir e a chuid ghillean a-mach a dh’iarraidh boc-goibhre. Thug e a chridhe is a ghruthan do bhean airson ithe. Dh’èirich i gu slàn fallain.

Dè thachair mun àm seo ach gun do nochd mac rìgh mhòir. Bha e ag iarraidh Craobh-òir a phòsadh. Thug an rìgh a chead agus dh’fhalbh an cupall a-null thairis.

Bliadhna an dèidh seo, chaidh Craobh-airgid don ghleann far an robh an tobar anns an robh am breac.

“A bhricein bhig bhòidhich,” thuirt i, “nach mise a’ bhànrigh as brèagha san t-saoghal?”

“O, gu dearbh, cha tu.”

“Cò eile?”

“Tha Craobh-òir, do nighean.”

“Ge-tà, is fhada bho nach robh ise beò,” thuirt a’ bhànrigh. “Tha bliadhna ann bho dh’ith mi a cridhe agus a gruthan.”

“O, gu dearbh,” ars’ am breac, “is ise nach eil marbh. Tha i pòsta aig prionnsa mòr thall thairis.”

Chaidh Craobh-airgid dhachaigh agus dh’iarr i air an rìgh an long-fhada a chur air dòigh, oir bha i a’ dol a choimhead a h-eudail, Craobh-òir. Chaidh an long-fhada a chur air dòigh agus dh’fhalbh iad.

’S i Craobh-airgid fhèin a bh’ air an stiùir. Cha robh iad fada sam bith air a’ chuan oir bha an long luath. Nuair a ràinig iad an taobh thall, bha am prionnsa a-muigh a’ sealg. Chunnaic Craobh-òir long a h-athar agus thuirt i ri a seirbheiseach, “tha mo mhàthair a’ tighinn agus marbhaidh i mi.”

“Cha mharbh idir”, thuirt an seirbheiseach. “Glasaidh sinn a-staigh ann an seòmar thu far nach fhaigh i nad chòir.”

’S ann mar sin a bha e. Nuair a thàinig Craobh-airgid air tìr, thòisich i air èigheachd, “Trobhad seo, tha do mhàthair air tighinn gad choimhead.” Chaidh a’ bhànrigh don doras.

“Nach cuir thu do mheur a-mach air toll na h-iuchrach,” thuirt i, “’s gun toir do mhàthair pòg dhi.”

Chuir Craobh-òir a meur a-mach air toll na h-iuchrach. Agus innsidh mi dhuibh dè thachair dhi an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: Eilean Eige: The Isle of Eigg; Craobh-òir: Gold Tree; Craobh-airgid: Silver Tree; sìmplidh: simple; oirrese: on her (emphatic); breac: trout; cridhe: heart; gruthan: liver; ithe: eating: cupall: couple; long-fhada: longship; stiùir: tiller; luath: fast; sealg: hunting; trobhad: come here; meur: finger.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: seann sgeulachd a chaidh a chruinneachadh: an old story that was collected; nì mi beagan nas giorra i: I will make it [fem.]a bit shorter: cho faisg air an t-seann chainnt ’s as urrainn: as close to the old speech as possible; gu ruige gleann far an robh tobar: to a glen where there was a well; a bhricein bhig bhòidhich: o, little bonny trout (vocative); nach mise a’ bhànrigh as brèagha: am I not the most beautiful queen?; o, gu dearbh, cha tu!: you are certainly not!; a shasaicheadh i: that would satisfy her; am beul na h-oidhche: at dusk; dh’innseadh dha: he was told; nach dèanainn dhut: that I wouldn’t do for you; ma gheibh mi: if I get; a dh’iarraidh boc-goibhre: to get a billy goat; gun do nochd mac rìgh mhòir: that the son of an important king arrived; is ise nach eil marbh: she is not dead [lit. it is her that is not dead]; bha i a’ dol a choimhead a h-eudail: she was going to see her darling; far nach fhaigh i nad chòir: where she won’t get near you; a-mach air toll na h-iuchrach: out through the keyhole.

Puing-chĂ nain na seachdaine

Puing-chànain na seachdaine: Ge-tà, is fhada bho nach robh ise beò: but it is a long time since she was alive. Do you notice the difference here from the sentence structure for the equivalent in English? In Gaelic we say literally “it is [a] long [time] from she wasn’t alive”. Note that the verb is a negative interrogative one. Similarly, if you meet a Gaelic-speaking friend whom you haven’t seen for a long time, he might say to you, “is fhad’ o nach fhaca mi thu”, using the same structure (the o being equivalent to bho), where you might expect him to say, “is fhad’ o chunnaic mi thu”. Although bho/o is usually given as meaning “from” it is here better translated as “since”.

GnĂ ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gnàths-cainnt na seachdaine: Tha i pòsta aig prionnsa mòr thall thairis: she is married to an important prince overseas. Tha X pòsta aig Y: X is married to Y. Not the use of the preposition aig in this idiom.

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