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Anns an Litir mu dheireadh, bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun d脿n 鈥� 鈥橲 Math an C貌caire an t-Acras, a chaidh a sgr矛obhadh, a r猫ir aithris, le Alasdair Sti霉bhart, Iarla Mh脿rr, ann an ceithir cheud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a h-aon (1431), 脿s d猫idh Bl脿r Inbhir L貌chaidh. An t-seachdain seo tha mi airson tuilleadh innse dhuibh mu mar a sgr矛obh an Sti霉bhartach an d脿n. Ach mus d猫an mi sin, seo e a-rithist:

鈥橲 math an c貌caire an t-acras,

鈥橲 mairg a n矛 tarcais air biadh,

Fuarag e貌rn鈥� 脿 s脿il mo bhr貌ige

Biadh as fhe脿rr a fhuair mi riamh.

Oidhche dhomh bhith ann ad theach

Air mh貌ran b矛dh 鈥檚 air bheag eudaich;

Fhuaras s脿th m貌r de dh鈥檉he貌il air droch bhruich

O 脫 Birein sa Bhreugaich

Bha am batail ann an Inbhir L貌chaidh 鈥� ann an Loch Abar 鈥� eadar feachd aig an R矛gh 鈥� Seumas I 鈥� agus feachd mh貌r aig na D貌mhnallaich. Bha Iarla Mh脿rr air taobh an R矛gh. Ach chaill iad. A r猫ir aithris chaidh an t-iarla a le貌n na shliasaid. Theich e fh猫in is sgalag aige bhon bhl脿r. Chuir iad seachad d脿 latha air allaban ann am monaidhean Loch Abar gun bhiadh sam bith.

Thachair iad an uair sin ri boireannaich a bha ri buachailleachd. Dh鈥檌arr iad air na boireannaich biadh a thoirt dhaibh. Agus mar a thathar ag r脿dh air an treas loidhne dhen chiad rann, mheasgaich iad min-e貌rna le uisge ann am br貌g an iarla. Am biadh as fhe脿rr a fhuair e riamh oir is math an c貌caire an t-acras.

Chuir an t-iarla aodach boireannaich air agus rinn e air Gleann Ruaidh. Air an oidhche sin fhuair e cuid-oidhche bho neach-taice ris an cante 脫 Birein anns a鈥� Bhriagaich. Fhuair e fe貌il ach bha i air a droch bhruich 鈥� mar a dh鈥檃ithris e anns an d脿n. Air madainn an l脿rna-mh脿ireach, thuirt an t-iarla ri 脫 Birein, nan tigeadh ainneart sam bith air, nach leigeadh e leas ach thighinn chun a鈥� chaisteil aige ann an Cionn Droma agus gheibheadh e taic.

Uill, tro th矛de, thachair sin. Bha 脫 Birein ann an suidheachadh truagh agus chaidh e a Chionn Droma. Ach cha leigeadh an dorsair a-steach e. Dh鈥檉hairich an t-iarla fuaim a鈥� chonnsachaidh eadar 脫 Birein agus an dorsair, agus chaidh e a-mach. A r猫ir aithris, rinn e ath-chruthachadh air d脿rna rann an d脿in. Seo na thuirt e:

Oidhche dhomh bhith ann ad theach

Air mh貌ran b矛dh 鈥檚 air bheag eudaich;

鈥橲 ionmhainn am fireann鈥� a tha a-muigh

脫 Birein 脿s a鈥� Bhreugaich

Chuir an t-iarla f脿ilte is furan air 脫 Birein agus chuir e dhachaigh e le tr矛 fichead de chrodh bainne.

Uill, 鈥檚 e sin an d脿n, agus an seanfhacal. Ach bu mhath leam rudeigin a r脿dh mu Bhl脿r Inbhir L貌chaidh fh猫in. Bha d脿 bhl脿r ainmeil air an l脿raich sin 鈥� fear ann an ceithir cheud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a h-aon (1431) agus fear eile ann an sia ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1645). An-dr脿sta, tha mi d矛reach airson s霉il a thoirt air an fhear anns a鈥� ch貌igeamh linn deug.

Ann an ceithir cheud deug, fichead 鈥檚 a seachd (1427) chaidh iarraidh air na cinn-chinnidh Gh脿idhealach coinneachadh ann an Inbhir Nis. Bha an R矛gh gu bhith an l脿thair. Bha na cinn-chinnidh a鈥� smaoineachadh gum biodh an R矛gh a鈥� cur f脿ilte orra. Ach 鈥檚 ann air a鈥� chaochladh a bha e. Chaidh na ceannardan G脿idhealach a chur an gr猫im. Bha iad dhen bheachd gun deach an car a thoirt asta. Ch矛 sinn mar a dh鈥櫭╥rich Bl脿r Inbhir L貌chaidh 脿s a sin anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: Iarla Mh脿rr: The Earl of Mar; Bl脿r Inbhir L貌chaidh: The Battle of Inverlochy; Gleann Ruaidh: Glen Roy; cuid-oidhche: a night鈥檚 lodging; Cionn Droma: Kildrummy (near Alford in Aberdeenshire); dorsair: doorman (also used for a school janitor).

Abairtean na Litreach: 鈥橲 Math an C貌caire an t-Acras: hunger is a good cook; tha mi airson tuilleadh innse dhuibh: I want to tell you more; oidhche dhomh bhith ann ad theach: one night [when] I was in your house; air mh貌ran b矛dh 鈥檚 air bheag eudaich: on plenty food and little clothing; fhuaras s脿th m貌r de dh鈥檉he貌il air droch bhruich: a fill was got of badly cooked meat; chaidh an t-iarla a le貌n na shliasaid: the earl was wounded in his thigh; theich e fh猫in is sgalag aige: he and a servant of his fled; air allaban: wandering; a bha ri buachailleachd: who were herding cattle; mheasgaich iad min-e貌rna le uisge: they mixed barley meal with water; am biadh as fhe脿rr a fhuair e riamh: the best food he ever got; nan tigeadh ainneart air: if he were to suffer oppression; nach leigeadh e leas ach thighinn chun a鈥� chaisteil aige: that he would only have to come to his castle; dh鈥檉hairich an t-iarla fuaim a鈥� chonnsachaidh: the earl heard the noise of the argument; an l脿thair: present; chaidh X a chur an gr猫im: X were arrested; gun deach an car a thoirt asta: that they were [had been] deceived.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: 鈥橲 ionmhainn am fireann鈥� a tha a-muigh: dear is the man who is outside. Last week I told you of the origins of the adverbs a-steach and a-staigh. This week it鈥檚 the turn of their opposite numbers 鈥� a-mach and a-muigh. According to MacBain鈥檚 Etymological Dictionary, the Early Irish form of a-mach was immach which was derived from in,鈥渋nto鈥� and magh, a 鈥渇ield鈥� ie literally 鈥渋nto the field鈥� 鈥� using mach, the accusative form of magh (we don鈥檛 have separate accusatives any more). A-muigh was immaig, with magh in its dative form meaning 鈥渋n the field鈥�. If that interpretation is correct, the individual meanings of a-mach (movement out) and a-muigh (the state of being outside) are very long-standing.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: 鈥檚 ann air a鈥� chaochladh a bha e: it was otherwise.