GF336i05  NAIDHEACHD DHÒMHNAILL WILKENS



Beulaiche: Alasdair mac Aonghais Y | Alec Dan MacLellan
Tar-Sgrìobhadh: Oighrig NicFhraing | Effie Rankin



Dar a bha sinn a' fuireach air an eilean, bha seann duine 'g iasgach a-mach ris an canadh 'ad Dòmhnall Wilkens. Agus b' e duine còir, gasda bh' ann; cha do rinn e sian de dh'obair eile riamh ach an t-iasgach agus a' cliùcaireachd fad a' gheamhraidh. Agus dh'fhàs e sin glé shean, sguir e thighinn dha 'n eilean; ach ghabh e sgrìob a-mach—sgrìob fo dheireadh, is chaidh e suas dh'ionnsaidh an taigh-sholaist. Bha m' athair—'s e bha cumail an t-solaist na bliadhnaichean ud 's o, chaidh toileachadh a dhèanamh le Dòmhnall agus o, chaidh tì a thoirt dha is eile 's dh'fhaighnich sin m' athair dha an gabhadh e deoch. 
"O, 's mi ghabhas." 
Is bha botal de ghrog aig m' athair 's fhuair e … fhuair e botal 's chuir e steall dheth ann an glainne 's chaidh e fo 'n a' robh e 's, "Uill a-nist, a Dhòmhnaill," thuirt e, "tha toil agam gun toir thu dhomh deoch slàinte nach cuala mi riamh roimhidh." 
"Uill, nì mi sin, Aonghais," thuirt esan. "An Spiorad Naomh a bhith còmh' riut an uair nach urrainn dhomhsa bhith ann!" Sin agad….sin agad a' chrìoch aice sin.



Translation:



DONALD WILKENS' STORY



When we were living on the island, an old man known as Donald Wilkens was out fishing. And he was a kind and good man; he never had any other occupation save fishing and mending nets all winter. Then he got very old, and he stopped coming to the island; but he made a trip out—the final trip, and he went up to the light-house. My father, he was looking after the light those years, and oh, Donald was made welcome, and oh, he was given tea and everything. Then my father asked him if he would take a drink. 
"Oh, indeed I will." 
And my father had a bottle of grog, and he got…he got the bottle and poured a splash of it in a glass and went to him and, "Well, now, Donald," he said, "I would like you to give me a toast which I never heard before." 
"Well, I'll do that, Angus," said he. "May the Holy Spirit be with you when I cannot be there!" There you have…that's the end of that one.