大象传媒

Th脿inig leabhar a-mach o chionn ghoirid le fiosrachadh inntinneach, luachmhor ann mu eilean ainmeil G脿idhealach. Tha an t-eilean an-diugh gun sluagh ach bha daoine uaireigin a鈥� fuireach ann. 鈥橲 e an t-eilean 鈥� Miughalaigh 鈥� deas air Barraigh, 脿s an do dh鈥檉halbh na daoine o chionn ceud bliadhna no mar sin. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm air an leabhar Muinntir Mhiughalaigh agus 鈥檚 i Lisa Storey a chuir ri ch猫ile e. B鈥� e athair Lisa Donnchadh Anndra Dhonnchaidh C矛obair agus rugadh esan ann am Miughalaigh.

鈥橲 iomadh seud a th鈥� anns an leabhar 鈥� a th鈥� ann an G脿idhlig air fad 鈥� agus cha bu mhath leam cus innse oir bu ch貌ir dhuibh a cheannach! Ach bu mhath leam earrann de st貌iridh innse dhuibh 鈥� fear de na st貌iridhean a chruinnich Lisa bho mhuinntir Mhiughalaigh.

鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air 鈥� Boban Saor. 鈥橲 e sin ainm an duine a tha aig meadhan an st貌iridh. Boban Saor. Tha mi a鈥� dol ga dh猫anamh beagan nas s矛mplidhe na bha e nuair a fhuair Lisa e.

Bha fear ann roimhe ris an canadh iad Boban Saor. Bha tri霉ir mhac aige. Dh鈥檉h脿s a鈥� bhean aige bochd. Bha i an galar a b脿is. Thuirt i ri Boban Saor gun robh tri霉ir mhac aige ach nach bu leis fh猫in ach dithis dhiubh. Cha tuirt Boban guth agus chaochail a bhean. Dh鈥檉h脿gadh an tri霉ir mhac mar a bha iad. Cha robh c脿il a dh鈥檉hios aca mu na thuirt am m脿thair.

An d猫idh don bhean aige falbh, thuirt Boban ris fh猫in, 鈥淣ach mis鈥� a tha g貌rach a鈥� dol a bheathachadh mac duine eile. Nach eil an fheadhainn agam fh矛n gu le貌r dhomh? Feumaidh mi faighinn a-mach c貌 am fear nach eil leam fh矛n. Cuiridh mi bhuam e.鈥�

Latha a bha seo, thug e a-mach tr矛 eich. Thug e each an t-aon do na gillean agus thuirt e riutha, 鈥淭hallaibh is thoiribh deoch dha na h-eich. Na toiribh dhaibh boinne ach far a bheil sruth an aghaidh 脿ird.鈥� A bheil sibh a鈥� tuigsinn sin 鈥� sruth an aghaidh 脿ird? Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渞unning uphill鈥�. Na toiribh dhaibh boinne ach far a bheil sruth an aghaidh 脿ird. Don鈥檛 give them a drop except where the water is running uphill.

Mmm. A bheil sibh a鈥� faicinn d猫 tha a鈥� dol a thachairt? Dh鈥檉halbh dithis de na mic agus, far an do chrom na h-eich, ag 貌l deoch, leig na gillean leotha. Dh鈥檉halbh an treas fear agus bha e a鈥� siubhal gach 脿ite gus am faigheadh e sruth an aghaidh 脿ird. Thill an dithis dhachaigh, agus na h-eich aca, agus thuirt Boban Saor riutha, 鈥淎n tug sibh deoch dha na h-eich?鈥�

鈥淭hug,鈥� fhreagair iad.

鈥淎n ann far an robh sruth an aghaidh 脿ird?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Boban Saor.

鈥溾�橲 ann,鈥� fhreagair na gillean, 鈥淣ach robh sruth an aghaidh 脿ird aca nuair a bha iad ga shluigeadh?鈥�

Thill an gille eile. Cha tug e deoch don each aige. Cha d鈥� fhuair e lorg air 脿ite far an robh sruth an aghaidh 脿ird. 鈥淎n tug thu deoch dhan each?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Boban Saor.

鈥淐ha tug,鈥� ars esan, 鈥淐ha d鈥� fhuair mise sruth an aghaidh 脿ird ann.鈥�

鈥淥 cha d鈥� fhuair,鈥� thuirt Boban, 鈥淢a-t脿, faodaidh tusa do cheithir rathad fichead a ghabhail. Chan eil turas againne riut.鈥�

Uill, bha sin cruaidh, ach 鈥檚 ann mar sin a fhuair Boban Saor a-mach c貌 an gille nach robh leis-san. Chuir e an gille air falbh. An ath-sheachdain cluinnidh sinn an aon st貌iridh an 矛re mhath 鈥� ach nach eil buileach cho cruaidh air a鈥� ghille. Agus bidh sin bho thaobh thall a鈥� chuain mh貌ir.

Faclan na Litreach: Miughalaigh: Mingulay; seud: gem; chaochail: died.

Abairtean na Litreach: gun sluagh: without a population; deas air Barraigh: south of Barra; bu ch貌ir dhuibh a cheannach: you should buy it; a chruinnich Lisa bho mhuinntir Mhiughalaigh: that Lisa collected from the Mingulay folk; bha fear ann roimhe ris an canadh iad: there was once a man they called; dh鈥檉h脿s a鈥� bhean aige bochd: his wife became ill; an galar a b脿is: suffering a terminal illness; nach bu leis fh猫in ach dithis dhiubh: only two of them were his; dh鈥檉h脿gadh an tri霉ir mhac mar a bha iad: the three sons were left as they were; a鈥� dol a bheathachadh mac duine eile: going to support another man鈥檚 son; gu le貌r dhomh: enough for me; c貌 am fear nach eil leam fh矛n: which one isn鈥檛 mine; cuiridh mi bhuam e: I鈥檒l send him away; thug e each an t-aon do na gillean: he gave each lad a horse; thallaibh is thoiribh deoch dha na h-eich: go and give a drink to the horses; far an do chrom na h-eich: where the horses bent down; leig na gillean leotha: the lads let them; bha e a鈥� siubhal gach 脿ite: he was travelling [looking] everywhere; nuair a bha iad ga shluigeadh: when they were swallowing it; cha d鈥� fhuair e lorg air 脿ite: he didn鈥檛 find a place; cha d鈥� fhuair mise sruth an aghaidh 脿ird ann: I didn鈥檛 find water running uphill [the 鈥渁nn鈥� is emphatic]; faodaidh tusa do cheithir rathad fichead a ghabhail: you can go your own way [lit. you can take your 24 roads]; chan eil turas againne riut: we won鈥檛 have anything to do with you [I didn鈥檛 say Boban Saor was a nice guy!]; nach robh leis-san: that wasn鈥檛 his; bho thaobh thall a鈥� chuain mh貌ir: from the other side of the great ocean.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: far a bheil sruth an aghaidh 脿ird: where the stream/current [ie water] runs uphill (which, of course, can happen by peristaltis of the oesophagus when a horse drinks). There are different ways of saying 鈥渦phill鈥� in Gaelic. The one in the Litir might be considered a little old-fashioned or 鈥渇ancy鈥� for normal speech, but it is in an ideal register for a traditional story. Other ways of saying 鈥渦phill鈥� are ri bruthach, ris a鈥� bhruthaich or an aghaidh a鈥� bhruthaich. Downhill can be expressed by le bruthach, leis a鈥� bhruthaich. Note that these refer to actual motion; different expressions would be used for 鈥済oing downhill鈥�(getting worse) or 鈥渁n uphill struggle鈥�.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: nach mis鈥� a tha g貌rach: am I not foolish? [lit. isn鈥檛 it myself that is foolish?]. Idiomatically, one might say in English 鈥渨hat a fool I am!鈥�