21/06/2013

Thòisich mi air an stòiridh thraidiseanta Am Fear a Fhuair na Trì Comhairlean an t-seachdain sa chaidh. B’ e a’ chiad chomhairle – gabh an rathad fada glan, seach an rathad goirid salach. Nuair a thàinig ar caraid agus am marcaiche don ghobhal anns an rathad, ghabh am marcaiche an rathad goirid. Ach thachair e ri robairean agus ghoid iad a h-uile sgillinn a bh’ aige. Leis gun robh am fear eile air an rathad fada a ghabhail, cha robh trioblaid sam bith aige.

Ràinig e taigh san anmoch. Bha seann duine a’ fuireach ann, agus boireannach òg. Chuimhnich e an dàrna comhairle – gun a bhith a’ cur seachad oidhche ann an taigh far an robh seann duine agus bean òg. Ghabh e biadh aca, agus bha iad a’ seanchas tacan. An uair sin, dh’èirich e airson falbh. Cha robh e a’ dol a chur seachad na h-oidhche an sin.

Chaidh e gu sabhal an taighe, far an deach e am falach am broinn cruach-feòir. Thàinig feadhainn eile don taigh. Thachair gun deach iad don t-sabhal cuideachd. Bha fear dhiubh an taic ris a’ chruach-fheòir. Bha siosar beag ann am pòcaid ar caraid. Leis an t-siosar, gheàrr e bìdeag à cota an fhir eile. Cha d’ fhairich am fear eile dad.

Dh’èirich ar caraid nuair a thàinig solas an latha. Nuair a ràinig e am baile faisg air làimh, bha ùpraid mhòr ann. Dh’fhaighnich e de chuideigin gu dè bha a’ dol. Dh’innseadh dha gun robh dithis sheòladairean ann an grèim. Bha iad fo amharas gun do mhuirt iad seann duine ann an taigh faisg air làimh an oidhche roimhe. Thuig am fear gun robhar a’ bruidhinn mun taigh far an robh e fhèin an oidhche roimhe.

‘Am faod mi a dhol a choimhead a’ ghnothaich?’ dh’fhaighnich e.

‘Faodaidh, gu dearbh,’ thuirt fear ris, ‘Tha iad ann an taigh na cùirte shìos an rathad.’

Chaidh am fear gu taigh na cùirte ’s chaidh e a-steach. Bha fear an sin a’ dìteadh nan seòladairean bochda. Bha ar caraid dhen bheachd gun robh iad neoichiontach. Nuair a bha na seòladairean ann an cunnart gum biodh iad air an dìteadh airson murt, dh’èirich e na sheasamh. Dh’fhaighnich e an toireadh iad cead dha beagan a ràdh mun chùis. Fhuair e cead fianais a thoirt seachad.

Thuirt e nach iad na seòladairean a bu choireach ris a’ mhurt an oidhche roimhe. Dh’fhaighnich iad gu dè an dearbhadh a bh’ aige. Thuirt e nach robh iadsan air làrach a’ mhuirt, ach gun robh e an dùil gun robh cuideigin eile anns a’ chuideachd an làthair. Mhìnich e mar a thug e bìdeag à còta an fhir le siosar.

‘Tha i agam an seo,’ thuirt e. ‘Duine sam bith a fhreagras a’ bhìdeag seo ann an cùl a’ chòt’ aige, sin an duine a bh’ ann a-raoir.’

Bha am fear ciontach an làthair. Rinn e airson teicheadh, ach chaidh stad a chur air. Dh’fheuch iad a’ bhìdeag clò air a chòta gus, gu dearbh, b’ e sin am pìos a chaidh a ghearradh dheth. ’S e fear de mhuinntir an àite a rinn am murt, agus bha na seòladairean gu tur neoichiontach. Shàbhail ar caraid am beatha leis gun do lean e an dàrna comhairle a fhuair e. Agus an treas comhairle – uill thig sin am bàrr an-ath-sheachdain.

Am Fear a Fhuair na Trì Comhairlean: the man who got the 3 pieces of advice; nuair a thàinig ar caraid agus am marcaiche don ghobhal anns an rathad: when our friend and the horse rider came to the fork in the road; thachair e ri robairean agus ghoid iad a h-uile sgillinn a bh’ aige: he met robbers and they stole every penny he had; chuimhnich e an dàrna comhairle: he remembered the second piece of advice; ghabh e biadh aca: he took food at their house; bha iad a’ seanchas tacan: they were chatting for a while; cha robh e a’ dol a chur seachad na h-oidhche an sin: he wasn’t going to spend the night there; far an deach e am falach am broinn cruach-feòir: where he hid inside a haystack; bha siosar beag ann am pòcaid ar caraid: there was a small pair of scissors in our friend’s pocket; gheàrr e bìdeag à cota an fhir eile: he cut a small piece out of the other man’s coat; cha d’ fhairich am fear eile dad:

the other man didn’t feel anything;dh’fhaighnich e de chuideigin gu dè bha a’ dol: he asked somebody what was happening; gun robh dithis sheòladairean ann an grèim: that two sailors were under arrest; fo amharas gun do mhuirt iad X: under suspicion that they murdered X; gun robhar a’ bruidhinn mun taigh far an robh e fhèin: that the house where he was himself was being talked about; taigh na cùirte shìos an rathad: the court house down the road; fhuair e cead fianais a thoirt seachad: he obtained permission to give evidence; dh’fhaighnich iad gu dè an dearbhadh a bh’ aige: they asked him what proof he had; làrach a’ mhuirt: the site of the murder; duine sam bith a fhreagras a’ bhìdeag seo ann an cùl a’ chòt’ aige, sin an duine a bh’ ann a-raoir: any man, the back of whose coat fits this piece, that’s the man that was there last night.

Ràinig e taigh san anmoch: he reached a house during the evening. You will be familiar with anmoch as an adjective meaning ‘late in the day’ but note that is also a noun meaning ‘evening, night’. It is the opposite of moch, which is an adjective meaning ‘early in the day’ but can likewise be used as a noun meaning ‘early morning, dawn’. Dh’èirich mi sa mhoch ‘I rose at dawn’. But the use of both these words as nouns is tending to go out of fashion and might be viewed as ‘traditional’ usage, particularly suited for storytelling.

gun a bhith a’ cur seachad oidhche: not to spend a night.

Tha “Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh” air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA