麻豆社

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu Ph脿draig Grannd, no 鈥淒ubrach鈥�, am fear mu dheireadh a chaochail a bh鈥� air a bhith a鈥� sabaid aig Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair. Thogadh e ann am Br脿igh Mh脿rr ach chaidh e a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Gleann Lethnochd ann am Br脿igh Aonghais. Bha e rudeigin ainmeil gu h-ionadail ach dh鈥檉h脿s e na b鈥� ainmeile buileach nuair a fhuair e cuireadh nochdadh mu choinneamh an R矛gh.

Timcheall na bliadhna ochd ceud deug is fichead (1820) bha dithis mharsantach 脿 Mon Rois a鈥� coiseachd a鈥� mhonaidh faisg air Gleann Lethnochd. Thachair iad ri P脿draig faisg air an taigh aige. Bha e c貌rr is ceud bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois ach bha e gu math sgiobalta air a chasan fhathast. Thug e cuireadh don dithis dhol a-steach don taigh aige far an do dh鈥檌nnis e dhaibh mu a bheatha. Bha 霉idh mh貌r aig na marsantaich ann an eachdraidh iongantach a鈥� bhodaich.

Chaidh iad a ch猫ilidh air ministear na sg矛re agus chuir an tri霉ir romhpa athchuinge a chur ri ch猫ile. Bha am Morair Panmure de貌nach an athchuinge a chur don R矛gh, feuch peinnsean r矛oghail fhaighinn do Ph脿draig. Ach bha P脿draig fhathast na Sheumasach! D猫 chanadh an R矛gh?!

Cha robh aig P脿draig ri dhol a Lunnainn oir chaidh an R矛gh, De貌rsa IV, a dh鈥橝lba ann an ochd ceud deug, fichead 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1822). Chaidh cuireadh a thoirt do Ph脿draig nochdadh air a bheulaibh nuair a bha e ann an D霉n 脠ideann. D矛reach seachdain mus do th貌isich P脿draig air a shlighe don phr矛omh bhaile, chuir am Morair Panmure 猫ideadh s貌nraichte thuige 鈥� aodach a bhiodh freagarrach airson a bhith a鈥� nochdadh air beulaibh R矛gh.

Ach dhi霉lt am bodach gabhail ri sin a-muigh no mach. Chuir e air an dearbh aodach a bh鈥� air aig Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair 鈥� c貌ta tartain, f猫ileadh beag, br貌gan le putanan pr脿iseach agus bonaid Ghlinne Gharadh le ite iolaire oirre. Agus bha e a鈥� gi霉lain pic seachd troighean a dh鈥檉haid!

Nuair a chaidh e a bhruidhinn ris an R矛gh, dh鈥檌arr am Morair Panmure air a bhonaid a thoirt dheth. Ach dhi霉lt am bodach! Thuirt am Morair Panmure ris an R矛gh, 鈥淯r M貌rachd, tha an duine seo ceud is ochd (108) bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois agus 鈥檚 e a th鈥� ann a-nise an aon seann n脿mhaid a th鈥� agaibh air uachdar na Talmhainn. Nuair a bha e 貌g, agus beag toinisg aige, rinn e sabaid an aghaidh sinnsirean ur M貌rachd aig C霉il Lodair, ach tha e air a bhith na 矛ochdaran s矛theil is d矛leas bhon uair sin. D猫 toil ur M貌rachd a dh猫anamh leis a-nise?鈥�

Thuirt an R矛gh ri P脿draig, 鈥淎 bheil sibh duilich a-nise gun robh sibh cho g貌rach is neo-dh矛leas nur n-貌ige is gun deach sibh an s脿s ann an arm a鈥� Phrionnsa?鈥�

鈥淏hithinn a鈥� sabaid air a shon fhathast,鈥� fhreagair an Granndach ann an Albais (tha mi an d霉il gun robh G脿idhlig agus Albais aige). Cha do thuig an R矛gh buileach na thuirt am bodach.

鈥淐ha chreid mi nach e reubaltach a th鈥� ann fhathast,鈥� thuirt an R矛gh le g脿ire, 鈥渁gus bu ch貌ir peilear a chur ann. Ach faodaidh sibh peinnsean de leth-cheud not gach bliadhna a thoirt dha.鈥� 鈥橲 ann an uair sin a thog P脿draig a bhonaid, agus thug e taing don R矛gh.

Ach cha robh cus aig an riaghaltas ri ph脿igheadh oir chaochail P脿draig d脿 bhliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin aig aois ceud is deich (110) air ais ann am Br脿igh Mh脿rr, an t-seann d霉thaich aige. Agus le a bh脿s, dh鈥檉halbh an seann reubaltach mu dheireadh a bh鈥� air claidheamh a thogail as leth The脿rlaich 脪ig aig C霉il Lodair.

Faclan na Litreach: P脿draig Grannd: Peter Grant; Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair: The Battle of Culloden;猫ideadh: clothing; thuige: to him; neo-dh矛leas: disloyal; peinnsean: pension.聽

Abairtean na Litreach: thogadh e ann am Br脿igh Mh脿rr: he was raised in Braemar; Gleann Lethnochd ann am Br脿igh Aonghais: Glen Lethnot in upland Angus; dh鈥檉h脿s e na b鈥� ainmeile buileach: he became significantly more famous; cuireadh nochdadh mu choinneamh an R矛gh: an invitation to appear before the king; dithis mharsantach 脿 Mon Rois: two merchants from Montrose; sgiobalta air a chasan: sprightly on his feet; far an do dh鈥檌nnis e dhaibh mu a bheatha: where he told them about his life; eachdraidh iongantach a鈥� bhodaich: the old man鈥檚 amazing life story; chuir an tri霉ir romhpa athchuinge a chur ri ch猫ile: the three men decided to get together a petition; bha P脿draig fhathast na Sheumasach: Peter was still a Jacobite; seachdain mus do th貌isich X air a shlighe don phr矛omh bhaile: a week before X started his journey to the capital; dhi霉lt X gabhail ri sin a-muigh no mach: X absolutely refused to accept it; c貌ta tartain, f猫ileadh beag, br貌gan le putanan pr脿iseach: a tartan coat, kilt, brogues with brass buttons; bonaid Ghlinne Gharadh le ite iolaire oirre: a Glengarry bonnet with an eagle鈥檚 feather on it; pic seachd troighean a dh鈥檉haid: a seven-foot long pike; an aon seann n脿mhaid a th鈥� agaibh air uachdar na Talmhainn: the only old enemy you have living on the earth; 貌g, agus beag toinisg aige: young and thoughtless; d猫 toil ur M貌rachd a dh猫anamh leis?: what will your Majesty be pleased to do with him now?; bhithinn a鈥� sabaid air a shon fhathast: I鈥檇 fight for him still; cha chreid mi nach e reubaltach a th鈥� ann fhathast: I think he鈥檚 still a rebel; bu ch貌ir peilear a chur ann: he should be shot; a bh鈥� air claidheamh a thogail as leth The脿rlaich 脪ig: who鈥檇 raised a sword on behalf of Young Charles [Edward Stuart].

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: rinn e sabaid an aghaidh sinnsirean ur M貌rachd: the English used by Lord Panmure was reputedly, 鈥渉e fought against your Majesty's dynasty鈥�. A couple of English-Gaelic dictionaries give sliochd as the Gaelic for 鈥渄ynasty鈥�; alternatives are r矛gh-shliochd, gineal and cineal. The trouble with all of these translations is that they give the impression of referring to descendants of the king in question, and not his ancestors 鈥� which is obviously what Panmure meant. So I chose sinnsirean (鈥渁ncestors鈥�) as being an appropriate Gaelic alternative. If there is a lesson here for a learner, it is that you should always double check a word obtained in an English-Gaelic dictionary by looking it up in a Gaelic-English dictionary.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: tha e air a bhith na 矛ochdaran s矛theil is d矛leas: he has been a peaceful and loyal subject. An uachdaran is a superior; the word has come to mean 鈥渓andlord鈥� in Scotland. An 矛ochdaran is the opposite 鈥� an inferior or subject.