Witchy Ways

selchieproductions:

A’ MHAIGHDEANN-MHARA AGUS FEAR A’ BHATA

Latha brèagha air choireigin, sheòl fear-bàta à Leòdhas faisg air cladach Uig latha a-mhàin, nuair a chunnaic e gu h-obann boireannach òg bòidheach air an tràigh. Bha i a’ seinn dhan chuan, ach cha b’e bhoireannach àbhaisteach a bha innte, ach ban-ròn, neo maighdeann-mhara.

One day a sailor from Lewis was sailing close to the coastline of Uig, when he suddenly saw a young beautiful woman on the beach, singing as she was to the sea, but this was not an ordinary woman, but a Selkie or a Mermaid.


Cha chuala a’ mhaighdeann-chuain fear a’ bhàta na shuidhe anns a’ bhàta bheag, agus chan fhaca i e nas motha nuair a bha i a’ seinn, agus gu h-obann chunnaic am fear craiceann ròin faisg air an neach-ròn, agus thuig e nach b’ urrainn dhi dol ar ais dhan chuan as aonais a craiceann, is mar sin ghoid e.

The mermaid neither heard nor saw the sailor in his little boat as she was singing, and then suddenly the man saw the skin of a seal by the Selkie and he knew – selkies cannot return to the sea without their skins, and so he stole it.

Nuair a chunnaic am boireannach gun do ghoid am fear a craiceann, thòisich i a chaoineadh: “Obh! obh! Carson an do ghoid thu m’ anam agus mo thaigh? Thoir dhomh mo chraiceann agus bheir mi dhut na bhios tu ag iarraidh!” Ach dh’fhreagair am fear “Cha toir mi do chraiceann dhut, o chionn’s nach eil mi ag iarraidh dad ach do ghaol - agus ma bheir mi do chraiceann dhut, tha fhios agam gum falbh thu gu bràth. Chùm i oirre caoineadh (literally, she kept on crying), ach cha do dh’atharraich sin dad - bha gaol aig an fhear air a’ mhaighdinn-mhara, agus mar sin phòs i e.

When the woman saw that the man had stolen her skin, she began to cry; ‘Oh why! Oh why! Why do you steal my soul and my home? Give me my skin and I will give you whatever you desire!’ but the man answered ‘I will not give you your skin, because I desire nothing but your love – and if I give you your skin, I know that you will leave forever’. The Selkie cried but without result – the man was in love with the mermaid, and so she married him.

Chaidh tòrr bhliadhnaichean seachad agus rugadh seachdnar phàistean iongantach dhan fhear agus dhan mhaighdinn-mhara; bha falt cho dubh ri feamainn no ri falt each-uisge orra, agus as-dèidh bliadhna, dh’ fhàs gaol mòr eadar am fear agus a bhean, ach rinn am fear air dìochuimhneachadh. Càite an do chuir e an craiceann air falach, mar sin bha feagal air gum faigheadh a’ mhaighdeann-mhara e latha air choireigin agus gun tilleadh i dhan dùthaich aice fon chuan.

Many years passed and the sea man and his Mermaid got seven wonderful children, all with eyes as greenish blue as the sea, and hair as black as the sea weed, or that of a Kelpie, and over the year a great affection had grown between the man and his wife, but the man had forgotten where he had hid the skin so he feared one day the Selkie would find it and return to her native home.

Cha b’ fhada gus an tàinig an latha sin nuair a bha a’ chlann a’ cluich fhuair fear aca lorg craiceann ròin, agus ruith e, cho luath ‘s a ghabhas, gus a shealltainn dhan mhàthair, oir bha e cho pròiseil às.

The day was not far away, one day as the children were playing, one of them found a sealskin and proudly ran with it to his mother.

Thòisich i a sheinn òrain aoibhnich, ach bha deuran a’ ruith sìos bho a sùilean fhathast, bhon a bha aice ri falbh agus gaol cho mòr aice air a pàistean. “A phàistean, is e creutair na mara a tha annam agus is e an rud ceudna a tha annaibh-se, agus a-nis feumaidh mir ur fàgail, agus bidh mi a’ snàmh còmhla ri mo mhuinntir a-rithist. Bithidh mi gur n-ionndrainn agus ag ionndrainn ur n-athar, ach bha fhios aige gun tigeadh an latha seo. Mo shunnd leibh a leanabhan, mo shunnd leibh”, agus ged a bha deuran na sùilean fhathast thug i leum mar ròn sìos dhan chuan mhòr.

She began to sing a joyous song, but tears were running from her eyes because now she had to leave and she loved her children so much. ‘My children, I am a creature of the Sea and so are you as well, and now I have to leave you to swim with my family … I will miss you and your father, but he knew this day would come. Farewell my beloved ones, farewell’, and with tears still running from her eyes she lept as a seal into the ocean.

Chuala am fear òran a mhnatha bho chèin agus thòisich a ruith, ach bha e ro anmoch. Chunnaic e agus a phàistean a’ mhaighdeann-mhara, agus an dòigh a ghabh i a beannachadh ri ròin eile anns a’ bhàgh, agus ged a chaoin iad, bha fhios aige nach robh deireadh sam bith eile leis an sgial ach am fear seo.

The man had heard his wife‘s song from a distance and started to run, but it was too late. He and his children saw the Selkie and how she was being greeted by other seals out in the bay, and although he cried he knew this was the only possible ending.

Thigeadh a’ mhaighdeann-mhara a dhèanamh cèilidh air a pàistean agus air a fear gach oidhche agus bhon àm sin thathar a’ toirt Bàgh nam Maighdeann-Mara air a’ chuid sin dha dh’ Uig. Ach chan fhuiricheadh i air talamh a thuilleadh agus cha tug am fear gaol dha mhnaoi sam bith eile.

The Selkie would come and visit her children and human husband every night and so this part of Uig became the Beach of the Selkies – but she would never reside on land again and the man never found a new love.

The band Albannach has a lovely rendition of this.