Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 1399

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun òran ghaoil ‘Mo Rùn Geal Dìleas’. Bha e air a sgrìobhadh le Iain MacIllEathain, fear-taca an Torr Loisgte ann am Muile. Bha e ag iarraidh Iseabail Chaimbeul, à Bail’ an Àbaidh ann an Ìle, a phòsadh. 

Dhiùlt Iseabail freagairt a thoirt dha sa mhionaid. Air sàillibh sin, thainig mulad air, agus trom-inntinn. Thug càirdean Iain comhairle dha faighinn air falbh airson greis airson math a shlàinte-inntinn. Chaidh e a-null thairis airson naoi mìosan.

Nuair a thill e dhachaigh, dh’iarr e cead bho phàrantan Iseabail an nighean aca a phòsadh. Dhiùlt iad. Agus, a rèir beul-aithris, chaill Iain a chiall agus chaidh a chur ann an taigh-cuthaich.

Tha an duine sin air a chuimhneachadh fhathast ann am beul-aithris nam Muileach. Tha cunntas mu leigheas a rinneadh air anns an leabhar ‘Hebridean Healers: The Beatons of Mull’. Tha dreach dhen sgeul clàraichte air làrach-lìn Thobar an Dualchais. ʼS e fear Dòmhnall Moireasdan à Àird Tunna, faisg air Bun Easain, a tha ga aithris. Seo agaibh dreach dheth.

Bha Fear an Torr Loisgte gun a bhith gu math. Bha dotairean Gallta a’ frithealadh dha. Ach cha robh e a’ dol am feabhas. Chuir e fios air Iain Peutan, an t-Ollamh Muileach. Thàinig e is thug e sùil air MacIllEathain. Dh’iarr e air na dotairean Gallta fuireach a-muigh.

Thuig an t-Ollamh Muileach gur e an rud a bha a’ dèanamh an fhir eile tinn – lionnach no neasgaid [an abscess] a bha shìos san amhaich aige. Bha e cho fada sìos ʼs gum biodh e do-dhèante a ruigsinn le inneal sam bith. Ciamar a bha e a’ dol a bhriseadh an lionnaich?

Thuig e gur e gluasad bras de na fèithean san amhaich an dòigh a b’ fheàrr. ’S e lachanaich no dìobhairt a dhèanadh sin.

Seo far am bi an sgeul a’ fàs neònach. Dh’ìslich an lighiche a bhriogais – air beulaibh an fhir eile a bha na laighe sa leabaidh. Thog e sluasaid-teine agus dh’fhalmhaich e innidh ann. Ròst e am buachar. Nuair a bha e tioram, rinn e pùdar dheth. 

Bha MacIllEathain a’ coimhead air a h-uile càil. Cha robh e a’ creidsinn a shùilean! Phasgaich an lighiche am buachar tioram ann am pàipear agus chuir e air bòrd e. Dh’iarr e an uair sin air na dotairean Gallta tilleadh a-steach.

Thug iad sùil air a’ phasgan air a’ bhòrd. ‘Dè an stuth-leighidh a tha seo?’ dh’fhaighnich iad. Bha fàileadh neònach air, ceart gu leòr. Cha robh na dotairean air a leithid seo de dh’ìocshlaint fhaicinn riamh roimhe!

Mu dheireadh fhliuch fear dhiubh a chorrag na bheul. Chuir e a-steach don phùdar i, agus an uair sin air ais na bheul airson blasad fhaighinn dhen stuth. Uill, cha robh comas aig Fear an Torr Loisgte smachd a chumail air fhèin tuilleadh. Thòisich e air lachanaich.

Bhris sin an lionnach na amhaich agus thòisich e air a dhol am feabhas cha mhòr sa mhionaid. Ghabh na dotairean Gallta iongantas mun leigheas Ghàidhealach a chunnaic iad ann am Muile! Agus goirid an dèidh sin, agus a shlàinte air tilleadh, sgrìobh Iain MacIllEathain an t-òran ‘Mo Rùn Geal Dìleas’.

Faclan na Litreach: Mo Rùn Geal Dìleas: my faithful fair one; fear-taca: tacksman; Bail’ an Àbaidh: Ballinaby; dhiùlt: refused; Ìle: Islay; Àird Tunna: Ardtun; Bun Easain: Bunessan; cliùmhor: renowned; lachanaich no dìobhairt: uproarious laughter or vomiting; ìocshlaint: cure.

Abairtean na Litreach: Dhiùlt Iseabail freagairt a thoirt dha sa mhionaid: Ishbel refused to give him an instant reply; air sàillibh sin, thainig mulad air, agus trom-inntinn: because of that, he suffered great sadness, and depression; math a shlàinte-inntinn: the good of his mental health; chaill Iain a chiall agus chaidh a chur ann an taigh-cuthaich: John lost his reason and was placed in a mental institution; tha cunntas mu leigheas a rinneadh air anns an leabhar: there is an account of a treatment that was performed on him in the book; bha dotairean Gallta a’ frithealadh dha: Lowland doctors were treating him; cha robh e a’ dol am feabhas: he wasn’t improving; chuir e fios air Iain Peutan, an t-Ollamh Muileach: he sent for John Beaton, the ‘Ollamh Muileach’; shìos san amhaich aige: down in his throat; cho fada sìos ʼs gum biodh e do-dhèante a ruigsinn le inneal sam bith: so far down that it would be impossible to reach with any instrument; ciamar a bha e a’ dol a bhriseadh an lionnaich?: how was he going to burst the abscess?; gur e gluasad bras de na fèithean san amhaich an dòigh a b’ fheàrr: that a violent movement of the muscles in the throat was the best way; dh’ìslich an lighiche a bhriogais: the physician lowered his trousers; thog e sluasaid-teine agus dh’fhalmhaich e innidh ann: he picked up a fire shovel and emptied his bowels onto it; ròst e am buachar: he roasted the faeces; rinn e pùdar dheth: he made a powder of it; dè an stuth-leighidh a tha seo?: what is this medicine?; cha robh comas aig X smachd a chumail air fhèin tuilleadh: X could no longer contain himself; ghabh X iongantas mu: X marvelled at.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Chaidh e a-null thairis: he went overseas. Note that in Gaelic we differentiate between being overseas and moving or travelling overseas. For the former we say thall thairis ‘the state of being overseas’. Tha e a’ fuireach thall thairis a-nise ‘he lives overseas now’. For the latter we say a-null thairis ‘moving overseas’. Bidh e a’ dol a-null thairis an ath mhìos ‘he’ll be going overseas next month’.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Bha Fear an Torr Loisgte gun a bhith gu math: the Laird of Torloisk was unwell.