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29/06/2015

Cluinnidh sinn sgeulachd bho dhualchas na Cumraigh bho Ruaraidh MacIllEathain anns an litir bheag aige. The week's letter for learners.

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Mon 29 Jun 2015 19:00

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An Litir Bheag 529

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun t-seann sgeulachd Chuimrich, 鈥楳ath Mac Mhathonwy鈥. Rugadh dithis leanabh do dh鈥橝rianrhod 鈥 Dylan (fear a鈥 chuain) agus fear eile a bha gun ainm.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Latha a bha seo, bha br脿thair Arianrhod, Gwydion, a鈥 d猫anamh air caisteal a pheathar, Caer Arianrhod. Bha an d霉n ri taobh a鈥 chladaich.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha an gille gun ainm cuide ris. Nuair a r脿inig iad an caisteal, thuirt Arianrhod, 鈥楥貌 e an gille seo?鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楧o mhac fh猫in,鈥 fhreagair Gwydion. Bha Arianrhod m矛-thoilichte gun tuirt e sin. 鈥楧猫 an t-ainm a tha air?鈥 ars ise.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楥han eil ainm air fhathast,鈥 dh鈥檃idich Gwydion.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楢gus chan fhaigh e ainm,鈥 thuirt Arianrhod, 鈥榤ura toir mi fh矛n ainm dha.鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha fearg air Gwydion. Dh鈥檉halbh e leis a鈥 ghille. Rinn iad b脿ta draoidheil le feamainn. Ghabh iad riochd ghreusaichean orra fh猫in. Rinn iad air Caer Arianrhod.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chuir Arianrhod teachdairean chun a鈥 bh脿ta. Dh鈥檌nns iad dh矛 gur e greusaichean a bha air b貌rd.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楾hoiribh tomhas meud mo chasan dhaibh,鈥 ars Arianrhod. 鈥業arraibh orra br貌gan a dh猫anamh dhomh.鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 Rinn Gwydion na br貌gan. Ach rinn e ro mh貌r iad.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楾ha iad ro mh貌r,鈥 thuirt Arianrhod. 鈥業arraibh air na greusaichean br貌gan nas lugha a dh猫anamh.鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 Rinn Gwydion paidhir eile dhi. Bha iad ro bheag. Thill na teachdairean a dh鈥檌nnse dha gun robh iad ro bheag.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥楥ha d猫an mi paidhir eile dhi gus am faic mi a casan,鈥 thuirt Gwydion.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Th脿inig Arianrhod chun a鈥 bh脿ta. Nochd dreathan-donn. Thilg an gille 貌g clach air. Bhuail a鈥 chlach an dreathan-donn eadar f猫ith-l霉thaidh agus cn脿imh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥樷橲 ann aig Lleu, an gille b脿n sin, a tha l脿mh sgileil,鈥 ars Arianrhod.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥樷橲 ann,鈥 dh鈥檃ontaich Gwydion, 鈥榓gus tha thu air ainm a thoirt dha ge b鈥 oil leat. Is esan Lleu Llaw Gyffes, an 鈥済ille b脿n le l脿mh sgileil鈥.鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 Taobh a-staigh ceithir cilemeatair de chladach na Cuimrigh, tha 脿iteachan ann a tha ag ainmeachadh Dylan, Lleu agus Arianrhod. Tha Dylan air a chuimhneachadh ann an carraig mh貌r air a bheil Maen Dylan. Tha seann d霉n os cionn na tr脿ghad air a bheil Dinas Dinlle 鈥 鈥檚 e sin D霉n Lleu.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus aig muir, chithear sgeir aig 矛sle-mhara air a bheil Caer Arianrhod. Anns na m矛le bliadhna mu dheireadh, tha a鈥 mhuir air an seann d霉n aig Arianrhod a shlugadh.

The Little Letter 529

I was telling you about the old Welsh story, 鈥楳ath, Son of Mathonwy鈥. Arianrhod gave birth to two babies 鈥 Dylan (man of the ocean) and another that had no name.

听听听听听听听 One day, Arianrhod鈥檚 brother, Gwydion, was making for his sister鈥檚 castle, Caer Arianrhod. The fort was next to the seashore.

听听听听听听听 The unnamed lad was with him. When they reached the castle, Arianrhod said, 鈥榃ho is this lad?鈥

听听听听听听听 鈥榊our own son,鈥 replied Gwydion. Arianrhod was displeased that he said that. 鈥榃hat is his name?鈥 she said.

听听听听听听听 鈥楬e doesn鈥檛 have a name yet,鈥 admitted Gwydion.

听听听听听听听 鈥楢nd he won鈥檛 get a name,鈥 said Arianrhod, 鈥榠f I don鈥檛 give him a name myself.鈥

听听听听听听听 Gwydion was angry. He left with the lad. They made a magic boat with seaweed. They made themselves look like shoemakers. They made for Caer Arianrhod.

听听听听听听听 Arianrhod sent messengers to the boat. They told her that it was shoemakers that were on board.

听听听听听听听 鈥楪ive them my foot measurements,鈥 said Arianhod. 鈥楢sk them to make me shoes.鈥

听听听听听听听 Gwydion made the shoes. But he made them too big.

听听听听听听听 鈥楾hey鈥檙e too big,鈥 said Arianrhod. 鈥楢sk the shoemakers to make smaller shoes.

听听听听听听听 Gwydion made her another pair. They were too small. The messengers returned to tell him that they were too small.

听听听听听听听 鈥業 won鈥檛 make another pair for her until I see her feet,鈥 said Gwydion.

听听听听听听听听 Arianrhod came to the boat. A wren appeared. The young lad threw a stone at it. The stone struck the wren between tendon and bone.

听听听听听听听 鈥楲leu, that fair-haired lad, has a skilful hand,鈥 said Arianrhod.

听听听听听听听 鈥榊es,鈥 agreed Gwydion, 鈥榓nd you鈥檝e given him a name, despite yourself. He is Lleu Llaw Gyffes, 鈥渢he fair-haired lad with skilful hand鈥.鈥

听听听听听听听 Within four kilometres of Welsh coastline, there are places that name Dylan, Lleu agus Arianrhod. Dylan is remembered in a large rock called Maen Dylan. There is an old fort above the beach called Dinas Dinlle 鈥 that鈥檚 the fort of Lleu.

听听听听听听听 And at sea, one can see a skerry at low-tide called Caer Arianrhod. In the last thousand years, the sea has swallowed up Arianrhod鈥檚 old fort.

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  • Mon 29 Jun 2015 19:00

All the letters

Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.

Podcast: An Litir Bheag

The Little Letter for Gaelic Learners

An Litir Bheag air LearnGaelic

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