Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh, le Ruairidh MacIlleathain
Uilleam Uallas (1)
Each week the West Highland Free Press publishes the text for Ruairidh ‘s “Letter to Gaelic Learners” on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal (103.5-105 FM). Broadcasts are as follows: 10.00 pm on Sunday, following the Gaelic Learners’ programme ‘Beag air Bheag’, with a repeat at 10.30 pm on Wednesday. This is Litir 1,091. There is also a simpler version – An Litir Bheag – which is broadcast at 4.03 pm each Sunday. Litir Bheag 787 corresponds to Litir 1,091. The Litir is also available at www.bbc.co.uk/litir and www.learngaelic.scot/litir.
Tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu fhear a tha ainmeil ann an eachdraidh na h-Alba. Tha mi a’ dol a thoirt tuairisgeul dheth dhuibh. Agus tha mi an dòchas gum bi beachd agaibh cò th’ ann. Chaidh an tuairisgeul a sgrìobhadh ann an Gàidhlig anns a’ bhliadhna ochd ceud deug, seasgad ʼs a seachd (1867). Seo na sgrìobh an t-ùghdar – air a chur gu Gàidhlig an latha an-diugh. ‘Bu duine neo-chumanta calm’ e. Ann am pearsa, garbh-chnàmhach; aghaidh fhada shoilleir; falt soilleir donn; sùilean soilleir geur-sheallach, sgor air taobh clì na smiogaid, coltas a ghnùis smuaireanach, dubhach.’
ʼS e ‘duine sònraichte’ a bh’ ann. ʼS e ‘garg-churaidh’ a bh’ ann. Bha e ‘air a dhùsgadh suas mar leòmhann … a rùnaich, le co-chuideachadh a luchd-dùthcha, gun rotadh e mach, aig roinn na beugaileid, a h-uile Sasannach a bha eadar ceann a tuath agus ceann a deas na h-Alba.’
Tuigidh sibh gun robh an duine beò o chionn fhada – o chionn còrr is seachd ceud bliadhna. Cò bh’ ann ach Uilleam Uallas. Tha mi cinnteach gun cuala sibh ainm. Bha e an sàs gu mòr ann an cogaidhean neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba.
Tha an cunntas anns an leabhar ‘Eachdraidh na h-Alba’. B’ e ùghdar an leabhair Aonghas MacCoinnich à Geàrrloch. Bha e inntinneach dhomh gun do sgrìobh e gun robh coltas gnùis Uilleim Uallais ‘smuaireanach, dubhach’. Dejected and gloomy. Smuaireanach, dubhach. ʼS dòcha, leis mar a bha cùisean ann an Alba aig an àm, gun robh gu leòr ann a dhèanadh e smuaireanach agus dubhach.
An do thuig sibh an còrr dhen tuairisgeul dheth? Bha e neo-chumanta calma. He was unusually brave. Bha e neo-chumanta calma. Bha e garbh-chnàmhach. Gu litreachail, ‘he was rough-boned’, a’ ciallachadh ‘heavy boned’, tha mi cinnteach. Bha falt soilleir donn aige, agus sùilean soilleir geur-sheallach. He had light-brown hair; his eyes were bright and sharp-sighted. Agus bha sgor air taobh clì na smiogaid. There was a gash on the left side of the chin.
Chan urrainn dhuinn a bhith cinnteach gu bheil an fhìrinn ghlan againn mu Uilleam Uallas. Tha tòrr dhen fhiosrachadh againn a’ tighinn bho dhàn a dh’fhàg am bàrd Eanraig Dall. Sgrìobh e sin faisg air dà cheud bliadhna an dèidh bàs Uallais. Agus tha gu leòr ann a tha dhen bheachd nach e an fhìrinn a bh’ aige.
Tha mi a’ dol a dh’innse dhuibh naidheachd no dhà mu dheidhinn Uilleim Uallais on leabhar aig Aonghas MacCoinnich. Co-dhiù tha iad a’ riochdachadh na fìrinn gus nach eil, chan eil mi cinnteach.
Rugadh Uilleam timcheall na bliadhna dà cheud deug is seachdad (1270). Aig an àm sin, bha Alasdair III air an rìgh-chathair. Nuair a bha Uilleam na dheugaire, thuit an rìgh far muin-eich agus chaochail e. B’ i oighre a’ chrùin Mairead, a’ Mhaighdean Lochlannach. B’ ise ban-ogha Alasdair.
Ge-tà, bha Mairead na pàiste, agus bha i a’ fuireach ann an Nirribhidh. Chaidh buidheann a chur air chois airson Alba a riaghladh anns an eadar-àm. Nuair a chaidh Mairead a dh’Alba, dh’fhàs i tinn air an turas. Chaochail i ann an Arcaibh. Bha Alba a-nise gun rìgh no banrigh. Bha Uilleam Uallas mu fhichead bliadhna a dh’aois. Innsidh mi tuilleadh mu dheidhinn an-ath-sheachdain.
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Faclan na Litreach: garbh-chnàmhach: heavy-boned; garg-churaidh: a rugged hero; Uilleam Uallas: William Wallace; Aonghas MacCoinnich: Angus Mackenzie; Geàrrloch: Gairloch; Eanraig Dall: Blind Harry; ban-ogha: grand-daughter; Arcaibh: Orkney.
Abairtean na Litreach: mu fhear a tha ainmeil ann an eachdraidh na h-Alba: about a man who is famous in the history of Scotland; tha mi an dòchas gum bi beachd agaibh cò th’ ann: I hope you will have an opinion as to who it is; bu duine neo-chumanta calm[a] e: he was an unusually brave man; aghaidh fhada shoilleir: a long, clear face; falt soilleir donn: light brown hair; sùilean soilleir geur-sheallach: clear, sharp-sighted eyes; sgor air taobh clì na smiogaid: an indentation on the left side of the chin; coltas a ghnùis smuaireanach, dubhach: the appearance of his countenance dejected and gloomy; air a dhùsgadh suas mar leòmhann: awakened like a lion; a rùnaich, le co-chuideachadh a luchd-dùthcha: who resolved, with the support of his compatriots; gun rotadh e mach, aig roinn na beugaileid: that he would drive out, at the point of a bayonet; cogaidhean neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba: the Scottish wars of independence; chan urrainn dhuinn a bhith cinnteach gu bheil an fhìrinn ghlan againn: we can’t be sure that we know the complete truth; bha Alasdair III air an rìgh-chathair: Alexander III was on the throne; nuair a bha Uilleam na dheugaire, thuit an rìgh far muin-eich agus chaochail e: when William was a teenager, the king fell from horseback and died; b’ i oighre a’ chrùin Mairead, a’ Mhaighdean Lochlannach: the heir to the throne was Margaret, the Maid of Norway; chaidh buidheann a chur air chois: a group was established; dh’fhàs i tinn air an turas: she became ill on the journey.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Co-dhiù tha iad a’ riochdachadh na fìrinn gus nach eil: whether or not they represent the truth. This might also be expressed co-dhiù tha iad a’ riochdachadh na fìrinn no nach eil. This construction is useful in some circumstances for translating English ‘whether’. Bidh mi ann, co-dhiù bi i grianach gus nach bi ‘whether or not it will be sunny’. But be careful not to use it too slavishly. You might translate this alternatively: bidh mi ann, a’ ghrian ann no às; bidh mi ann, co-dhiù bidh i grianach no gruamach; bidh mi ann, eadhon ged nach bi sgeul air a’ ghrèin.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: airson Alba a riaghladh anns an eadar-àm: to govern Scotland in the interim.
Tha “Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh” air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA