蜜芽传媒

Tha Naochadair Chlach na C霉dainn, Iain MacIlleathain, ag innse dhuinn mu charactar annasach ann an eachdraidh Inbhir Nis air an robh Ministear na Feusaig. Bha feusag mh貌r aige, ach cha robh e na mhinistear. Fhuair e am far-ainm leis nach robh dachaigh aige. Gach oidhche bhiodh e a鈥� fuireach ann an 脌rd-eaglais a鈥� bhaile.

Aig an 脿m ud, bha an t-seann eaglais ann an droch staid. Feasgar S脿baid a bha seo, thuit p矛os far a鈥� mhullaich, agus cho-dh霉in na h-霉ghdarrasan nach biodh e s脿bhailte do choitheanal a bhith na broinn. 鈥橲 e an samhradh a bh鈥� ann agus dh鈥檉h脿g an coitheanal G脿idhlig an eaglais acasan, a bha ri taobh na h-脌rd-eaglais, do luchd na Beurla. Fad an t-samhraidh bha na searmonan G脿idhlig air an cumail anns a鈥� chladh.

Nuair a th脿inig an geamhradh, bhiodh searmon G脿idhlig ga chumail anns an Eaglais Gh脿idhlig anns a鈥� mhadainn gach S脿baid. Agus thigeadh luchd na Beurla cruinn anns an Eaglais Gh脿idhlig gach feasgar S脿baid.

Cha robh airgead gu le貌r aig na h-霉ghdarrasan airson an 脌rd-eaglais a ch脿radh, agus thug e d脿 bhliadhna mus robh airgead gu le貌r aca. Thairis air an 霉ine sin, rinn Ministear na Feusaig a dhachaigh am broinn na h-eaglaise.

Cha robh fios aig duine gu d猫 an t-ainm a bh鈥� air. Bha e eadar caogad is seasgad bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois, agus tha Iain MacIlleathain ag innse dhuinn nach e d矛th aoigheachd am measg muinntir Inbhir Nis a bu choireach ris an t-suidheachadh anns an robh e, ach gu robh e air a chur roimhe gun a bhith a鈥� faighinn cadal ann an taigh-c貌mhnaidh no air leabaidh cheart. Nuair a chaidh e a chadal anns an eaglais cha robh aige mar leabaidh ach connlach air suidheachan faisg air a鈥� ch霉baid.

Tha e coltach gu robh e na dhuine s猫imh agus gu robh sp猫is aig muinntir Inbhir Nis dha. Bhiodh iad a鈥� faighneachd de chach a ch猫ile, 鈥淒猫 thug air a bhith mar seo? D猫 thachair dha?鈥� Ach cha robh fios aig duine. Bha cuid dhen bheachd gun do ghabh e trom ghaol air boireannach ach gun do dhi霉lt i a ph貌sadh agus, an d猫idh sin, gun do thr猫ig e an saoghal 脿bhaisteach. No an e gun do chaochail a鈥� bhean aige, agus iad air 霉r-ph貌sadh? No an do rinn e rudeigin ce脿rr na 貌ige, is an robh e air a chur roimhe am peanas seo a bhith aige bhon uair sin?

Chun an l脿 an-diugh chan eil fios aig duine d猫 a bu choireach. Ach eadhon air oidhcheannan fuara a鈥� gheamhraidh, nuair a bha sneachd air an talamh, bhiodh Ministear na Feusaig a鈥� d猫anamh air an eaglais. Dh鈥檉h脿s a chuid aodaich luideagach agus thug am ministear 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin am ministear ceart 鈥� aodach 霉r dha. Ach bha gnothaichean a鈥� tighinn gu ceann. Chuir muinntir na h-Eaglaise airgead gu le貌r ri ch猫ile airson an togalach a ch脿radh, agus chaidh luchd-obrach ann airson an obair a dh猫anamh.

Bha e follaiseach do Mhinistear na Feusaig gun robh an t-脿m aige falbh. Dh鈥檉h脿g e Inbhir Nis, agus chan eil fios aig duine c脿ite an deach e no d猫 dh鈥櫭╥rich dha. Bha Iain MacIlleathain dhen bheachd gur d貌cha gun do lorg e seann eaglais eile far an d猫anadh e leabaidh dha fh猫in, is far an leanadh e air an d貌igh-bheatha a bha e air a thaghadh 鈥� airson adhbhar air nach bi fios a-chaoidh.

Faclan na seachdaine: naochadair: nonagenarian; Ministear na Feusaig: [lit.] Minister of the Beard; suidheachan: pew; c霉baid: pulpit; cathrannach: charitable; bhuapa: from them; s猫imh: placid, mild-mannered; peanas: punishment.

Abairtean na seachdaine: ann an droch staid: in poor condition; thuit p矛os far a鈥� mhullaich: a piece fell from the roof; bha searmonan G脿idhlig air an cumail: Gaelic services were held; thigeadh luchd na Beurla cruinn gach feasgar Sabaid: the English-speakers would gather every Sunday afternoon; airson an eaglais a ch脿radh: to mend the church; bha e eadar caogad is seasgad: he was between 50 and 60; nach e d矛th aoigheachd a bu choireach: it wasn鈥檛 a lack of hospitality that was responsible; gu robh e air a chur roimhe: that he had decided/determined; cha robh aige mar leabaidh ach connlach: he only had straw for a bed; gun do ghabh e trom ghaol air boireannach: that he fell deeply in love with a woman; gun do dhi霉lt i a ph貌sadh: that she refused to marry him; gun do thr猫ig e: that he abandoned; dh鈥檉h脿s a chuid aodaich luideagach: his clothes grew ragged; gun robh an t-脿m aige falbh: that it was time for him to leave; d猫 dh鈥櫭╥rich dha: what happened to him; far an leanadh e air an d貌igh-bheatha: where he would follow the way of life; air nach bi fios a-chaoidh: which will never be known.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: You will see the word broinn appear twice in the text. You will probably know what it means, but can you explain its grammatical origins? It is in fact the dative singular of the feminine noun br霉 (belly, stomach). You will remember that feminine nouns traditionally slenderise in the dative singular (l脿mh becomes l脿imh, b貌 becomes boin) and this is just another example. Look firstly at its second occurrence in the Litir: rinn Ministear na Feusaig a dhachaigh am broinn na h-eaglaise (Ministear na Feusaig made his home inside the church). In this instance am broinn means literally 鈥渨ithin the belly of鈥� (and explains why eaglais is in the genitive). Br霉 becomes broinn following the preposition am (ann am). The first occurrence in the Litir is cho-dh霉in na h-霉ghdarrasan nach biodh e s脿bhailte do choitheanal a bhith na broinn (the authorities concluded that it would not be safe for a congregation to be within it). Na broinn means 鈥渨ithin her鈥� (because eaglais is feminine) and na here includes the third person singular feminine possessive article. This explains why it is na broinn (unlenited). Na bhroinn (within him) would refer to a masculine object.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: D猫 thug air a bhith mar seo?: what caused him to be like this? Tha X a鈥� toirt air Y rudeigin a dh猫anamh: X is compelling Y to do something.