Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 1403

'S iomadh rud a tha ag adhbharachadh buidhre. A bheil sibh a’ tuigsinn sin? Many things cause deafness. 'S iomadh rud a tha ag adhbharachadh buidhre. Tubaist, cus fuaim, tinneas ... agus eile. Ach bha fear uaireigin a’ fuireach ann an Ìle – co-dhiù a rèir beul-aithris – agus bha e bodhar air adhbhar annasach.

'S e ‘Iain’ a bh’ air an duine mar ainm. 'S ann à Muile a bha e. Bha e a’ fuireach leis fhèin faisg air a’ chladach. Bha eathar aige agus bhiodh e a’ falbh a dh’iasgach gu tric. Latha a bha seo, air dha a bhith ag iasgach greis, chunnaic spùinneadairean e. Aig an àm sin, bha spùinneadairean cumanta ann an uisgeachan taobh an iar na h-Alba.

Chaidh na spùinneadairean far an robh e, ghoid iad a h-uile càil a bh’ aige agus chuir iad an eathar aige fodha. ‘Tha sinn a’ dol gad mharbhadh,’ thuirt an ceannard aca. ‘Ach bheir sinn roghainn dhut. Thèid do shàthadh le sgian. No bidh thu air do chur beò ann am baraille a bhios air a dhùnadh. Agus thèid am baraille a thilgeil don fhairge. Dè a b’ fheàrr leat?’

Chan e ‘roghainn’ a bh’ ann! Ach shaoil Iain – nam biodh e air a shàthadh le sgian, gur ann marbh a bhitheadh e. Anns a’ bharaille, bhiodh e fhathast beò – airson greis co-dhiù. Roghnaich e am baraille. Ach dh’iarr e air na spùinneadairean toll beag a dhèanamh ann gus am biodh èadhar aige. Dh’aontaich iad.

Cha do mhothaich na spùinneadairean gun robh sgian bheag aig Iain. Nuair a bha e air bhog anns a’ bharaille, chùm e an toll beag gu h-àrd os cionn na mara. Agus thòisich e air an toll a mheudachadh. 

Thug e ùine mhòr ach, mu dheireadh thall, bha an toll mòr gu leòr airson a làmh a chur troimhe. Chùm e air agus bha an toll a-nise mòr gu leòr airson a ghàirdean gu lèir a chur troimhe. Thug e sùil tron toll agus chunnaic e cladach creagach nach do dh’aithnich e. Bha e an dùil gun robh e air a dhol astar mòr agus nach e cladach Mhuile a bh’ ann.

Chunnaic Iain crodh ag ionaltradh air feamainn. Nam measg bha tarbh mòr. Bha coltas làidir air. Cha robh fios aig an tarbh gun robh duine am broinn a’ bharaille. Thàinig an tarbh cho faisg air a’ bharaille 's gun do ghreimich Iain air earball. Tharraing e tron toll e agus thug e draghadh mòr air.

Ghabh an tarbh eagal a bheatha agus thug e a chasan leis aig astar. Bha am baraille a’ bualadh air na creagan agus thòisich e air briseadh ann am pìosan. An dèidh greis de dh'othail is fothail, bha an tarbh cho sgìth 's gun do stad e. Bha am baraille na spealgan. Bha croitear ag obair faisg air làimh. Chuala e guth duine a’ tighinn bho sprùilleach a’ bharaille.

Chaidh e sìos agus tharraing e Iain a-mach. Dh’inns e do dh’Iain gun robh e ann an Ìle. Ach cha chuala Iain facal dheth. Dh’fhàg an ùpraid e cho bodhar ri creag. Sheatlaig Iain ann an Ìle ach cha do thill a chlaisneachd. Bha muinntir an eilein eòlach air mar ‘Iain Bodhar’.

Faclan na Litreach: Muile: Mull; eathar: boat; air bhog: floating; tarbh: bull; sprùilleach: debris, fragments; a chlaisneachd: his hearing.

Abairtean na Litreach: Tubaist, cus fuaim, tinneas: an accident, too much noise, illness; bha e bodhar air adhbhar annasach: he was deaf for a strange reason; bha spùinneadairean cumanta ann an uisgeachan taobh an iar na h-Alba: pirates were common in the waters of the west of Scotland; ghoid iad a h-uile càil a bh’ aige: they stole everything he had; chuir iad an eathar aige fodha: they sank his boat; tha sinn a’ dol gad mharbhadh: we’re going to kill you; bheir sinn roghainn dhut: we’ll give you a choice; thèid do shàthadh le sgian: you’ll be stabbed with a knife; bidh thu air do chur beò ann am baraille a bhios air a dhùnadh: you’ll be put alive in a barrel that will be shut; thèid am baraille a thilgeil don fhairge: the barrel will be thrown into the sea; dè a b’ fheàrr leat?: what would you prefer?; dh’iarr e air X toll beag a dhèanamh ann gus am biodh èadhar aige: he asked X to make a small hole in it so he would have air; chùm e an toll beag gu h-àrd os cionn na mara: he kept the small hole up above the sea [level]; thòisich e air an toll a mheudachadh: he started to expand the hole; mòr gu leòr airson a ghàirdean gu lèir a chur troimhe: big enough to put his entire arm through it; chunnaic e cladach creagach nach do dh’aithnich e: he saw a rocky shore that he did not recognise; crodh ag ionaltradh air feamainn: cattle grazing on seaweed; gun robh duine am broinn a’ bharaille: that there was a man inside the barrel; thug e draghadh mòr air: he gave it a big yank; thug e a chasan leis aig astar: it took off at speed; an dèidh greis de dh’othail is fothail: after a period of tumult and uproar; bha am baraille na spealgan: the barrel was in pieces; cho bodhar ri creag: as deaf as a post [‘rock’].

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Latha a bha seo, air dha a bhith ag iasgach greis: one day, after he had been fishing for a while. Air here represents the old word ‘iar’ (still meaning ‘west’ but also ‘behind’) and it can be translated ‘after’. Dha is the third person singular masculine prepositional pronoun for the preposition ‘do’.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Chaidh X far an robh e: X went [to] where he was.