10/03/2008

Bu mhath leam stòiridh innse dhuibh air a bheil Bàs a’ Bhaigeir no The Beggar’s Death. Tha e à Siorrachd Pheairt. Tha e a’ tachairt taobh Loch Tatha anns an taigh aig fear Donncha MacPhàrlain. Oidhche a bha seo, bha Donncha a’ leughadh a’ Bhìobaill. Bha e na shuidhe aig an teine. Bha a bhean san leabaidh.

Thàinig neul dorch, dubh a-steach air an doras. Thuit dà chathair don làr. Dh’èigh a bhean, “O Dhonncha, tha cudrom uabhasach orm.” Stad an gleoc. Thuit an gleoc don ùrlar. Bha e annasach. Bha e eagallach. Ach dè bha e a’ ciallachadh?

Beagan làithean an dèidh sin, fhuair duine bàs anns an taigh. ’S e feasgar samhraidh a bha ann. Bha am baigear bochd a bha seo anns an sgìre. Bha daoine eòlach air. Ach, an latha a bha seo, cha robh e gu math. Bha coltas a’ bhàis air.

Chaidh e gu taigh Dhonncha. Bha anail na uchd. Bha e aig an doras. Airson ùine cha b’ urrainn dha bruidhinn. Choimhead Donncha air a’ bhaigear bhochd. Bha fios aige nach robh an truaghan gu bhith fada beò. Ach ’s e duine còir a bha ann an Donncha. Dh’fhosgail e an doras.

“Thig a-steach,” thuirt e. Chaidh am bodach a-steach. Ach, mar a bha dùil, chaochail e air an oidhche sin. Nuair a dh’fhàg e an taigh, bha e ann an ciste.

Bha ciallachadh nan nithean a thachair an oidhche eile a-nise soilleir. Bha Donncha a’ tuigsinn carson a stad an gleoc is carson a thuit an gleoc. Oir fhuair e a-mach rudeigin inntinneach mun bhaigear. ’S e uaireadairiche a bha ann. A bheil sibh eòlach air an fhacal sin – uaireadairiche? Tha e a’ ciallachadh fear a bhios a’ dèanamh uaireadairean – a watchmaker or clockmaker. ’S e uaireadairiche a bha anns an duine mharbh. Bha Donncha cinnteach gur e rabhadh a bhàis a fhuair e air an oidhche roimhe.

Faclan is abairtean: Siorrachd Pheairt: Perthshire; Donncha MacPhàrlain: Duncan MacFarlane; bha Donncha a’ leughadh a’ Bhìobaill: Duncan was reading the Bible; na shuidhe aig an teine: sitting by the fire; bha a bhean san leabaidh: his wife was in bed; neul dorch: a dark cloud; a-steach air an doras: in through the door; thuit dà chathair don làr: two chairs fell onto the floor; dh’èigh: shouted; tha cudrom uabhasach orm: there is a terrible burden upon me; stad an gleoc: the clock stopped; eagallach: frightening; dè bha e a’ ciallachadh?: what was it meaning?; beagan làithean an dèidh sin: a few days after that; fhuair duine bàs anns an taigh: a man died in the house; baigear bochd: a poor beggar; bha coltas a’ bhàis air: the look of death was upon him; bha anail na uchd: he was out of breath; cha b’ urrainn dha bruidhinn: he couldn’t speak; nach robh an truaghan gu bhith fada beò: that the poor man wasn’t going to be alive long; ’s e duine còir a bha ann an Donncha: Duncan was a good man; mar a bha dùil, chaochail e air an oidhche sin: as was expected, he died that night; nuair a dh’fhàg e an taigh, bha e ann an ciste: when he left the house, he was in a coffin; ciallachadh nan nithean a thachair an oidhche eile: the meaning of the things that happened the other night; fhuair e a-mach rudeigin inntinneach mun bhaigear: he found out an interesting thing about the beggar; ’s e uaireadairiche a bha ann: he was a watchmaker/clockmaker; gur e rabhadh a bhàis a fhuair e: that it was a warning of his death he had; air an oidhche roimhe: [on] the other/previous night.