大象传媒

O chionn beagan is d脿 bhliadhna bha mi ann an New Zealand, no Sealan Nuadh, a鈥� d猫anamh pr貌gram telebhisein airson a鈥� BhBC. B鈥� e cuspair a鈥� phr貌graim am fear-poilitigs Sir Iain MacCoinnich. Ch貌rd e rium a bhith a鈥� leantainn st貌iridh a bheatha eadar an t-脿ite san do thogadh e agus an t-脿ite san do dh鈥檉h脿s e cli霉iteach. Ri a linn, b鈥� esan an d脿rna fear a bu chudromaiche is a bu chumhachdaiche ann an Sealan Nuadh.

Rugadh e air oighreachd 脌ird Rois, faisg air Alanais ann an Ros an Ear, ann an ochd ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a naoi (1839). Aig an 脿m sin bha a鈥� Gh脿idhlig l脿idir ann an Ros an Ear agus 鈥檚 e G脿idhlig a bh鈥� aig Iain mar chiad ch脿nan. Bha e na Gh脿idheal do chridhe.

Nuair a bha e c貌ig bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois chunnaic e rudeigin a bha a鈥� dol a dh鈥檃tharrachadh a bheatha gu tur. Bha e c貌mhla ri athair anns a鈥� Chr貌ic. Tha eaglais ainmeil an sin far an robh muinntir Ghleann Chailbhidh a鈥� gabhail fasgadh 鈥� anns a鈥� chladh ri taobh na h-eaglaise 鈥� 脿s d猫idh gun deach am fuadachadh bhon dachannan. Sgr矛ob feadhainn dhiubh an ainmean ann an glainne uinneagan na h-eaglaise. Agus chithear na sgr矛oban sin fhathast.

C貌 nar measg nach fh脿s feargach nuair a ch矛 sinn a leithid an-diugh? A鈥� chiad turas a chunnaic mise na h-uinneagan sin, feumaidh mi aideachadh gun robh fearg orm. Ciamar a b鈥� urrainn do dh鈥檜achdaran a bhith cho an-iochdmhor? Uill, chunnaic Iain MacCoinnich an t-ana-ceartas, chan ann c貌rr math is ceud bliadhna 脿s d猫idh l脿imh, ach nuair a bha e a鈥� tachairt.

Choisich e fh猫in is athair seachad air an eaglais agus chunnaic Iain na daoine anns a鈥� chladh, agus iad a鈥� fulang d貌rainn 鈥� ged nach do rinn iad dad ce脿rr. Bha a chuimhne air an tachartas sin gu bhith aige fad a bheatha. Agus thug i buaidh mh貌r air fheallsanachd phoilitigeach. Bha Iain airson a bhith cinnteach nach tachradh fuadaichean de a leithid ann an Sealan Nuadh. Agus, mar sin, bha e an s脿s gu m貌r ann an ceist ath-leasachadh an fhearainn anns an d霉thaich sin.

Bha athair Iain na thuathanach. Nuair a bha Iain na dheugaire, bha iad ann am Baile an D霉in. Tha an taigh aca na sheasamh fhathast. Gheibhear seallaidhean math鈥� 脿s de Bheinn Uais.

Cha robh Iain 鈥檚 a theaghlach cho bochd ri feadhainn eile. Ach chaill e a mh脿thair nuair a bha e 貌g. Agus bha leanabh aige le boireannach 貌g anns an sg矛re nuair a bha e naoi bliadhna deug a dh鈥檃ois. Dh鈥檌arr Iain air m脿thair na h-矛ghne a dhol a Shealan Nuadh c貌mhla ris. Ach dhi霉lt i. Ge-t脿, ghabh e ris gu poblach gur ann leis-san a bha an nighean, agus ghabh ise a chinneadh-san. B鈥� e Johan MacKenzie a bh鈥� oirre ann am Beurla, ged nach urrainn dhomh a r脿dh an e Johan no Seonag a bh鈥� oirre ann an G脿idhlig. Gheall Iain gu poblach gun toireadh e ceithir notaichean gach bliadhna airson deich bliadhna mar thaic-airgid dhi. Agus rinn e sin.

Ph貌s Iain t猫ile 脿s an sg矛re ann an ochd ceud deug is seasgad (1860). Bha Anna Rothach sia bliadhna na bu shine na Iain, agus bha i m貌ran na bu lugha. Bha esan sia troighean is ceithir 貌irlich a dh鈥櫭爄rde. Cha robh ise eadhon c貌ig troighean a dh鈥櫭爄rde! Ach tha e coltach, ann an gnothaichean na dachaigh, gun robh i gu math cinnteach aiste fh猫in. Innsidh mi dhuibh an ath-sheachdain mar a dh鈥櫭╥rich dhaibh nuair a r脿inig iad Sealan Nuadh.

Faclan na Litreach: Sealan Nuadh: New Zealand (but a Gaelicized form of the English is also widely used); Sir Iain MacCoinnich: Sir John McKenzie [the spelling in NZ where he is best known]; 脌ird Rois: Ardross; Alanais: Alness, Ros an Ear: Easter Ross; A鈥� Chr貌ic: Croick; Gleann Cailbhidh: Glencalvie; ana-ceartas: injustice; Baile an D霉in: Baldoon; dhi霉lt: refused; Anna Rothach: Ann Munro.

Abairtean na Litreach: b鈥� e cuspair a鈥� phr貌graim am fear-poilitigs: the subject of the programme was the politician; st貌iridh a bheatha: the story of his life; an t-脿ite san do thogadh e: the place in which he was raised; san do dh鈥檉h脿s e cli霉iteach: in which he became famous; ri a linn: in his day; an d脿rna fear a bu chudromaiche: the second most important man; a bha a鈥� dol a dh鈥檃tharrachadh a bheatha gu tur: that was going to completely change his life; a鈥� gabhail fasgadh anns a鈥� chladh: taking shelter in the graveyard; 脿s d猫idh gun deach am fuadachadh: after they were evicted; chithear na sgr矛oban: the scratchings can be seen; feumaidh mi aideachadh gu robh fearg orm: I must admit that I was angry; ciamar a b鈥� urrainn do dh鈥檜achdaran a bhith cho an-iochdmhor?: how could a landlord be so merciless?; a鈥� fulang d貌rainn: suffering anguish; thug i buaidh mh貌r air fheallsanachd phoilitigeach: it had a great impact on his political philosophy; nach tachradh fuadaichean: that clearances wouldn鈥檛 happen; ath-leasachadh an fhearainn: land reform; gheibhear seallaidhean math鈥� 脿s de Bheinn Uais: good views are obtained from it of Ben Wyvis; bha leanabh aige le boireannach 貌g: he had a child with a young woman; ghabh e ris gu poblach gur ann leis-san a bha X: he admitted publicly that X was his; ghabh i a shloinneadh-san: she took his surname; na bu shine: older; m貌ran na bu lugha: much smaller; sia troighean is ceithir 貌irlich: six feet and four inches; cinnteach aiste fh猫in: assertive, certain of herself.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Dh鈥檌arr Iain air m脿thair na h-矛ghne a dhol a Shealan Nuadh c貌mhla ris: John asked the girl鈥檚 mother to go to New Zealand with him. Nighean can mean either 鈥済irl鈥� or 鈥渄aughter鈥� (originally it was 鈥渄aughter鈥�), and it has two alternative genitive singular forms 鈥� [na] nighinne and [na h-]矛ghne. The second form, which often comes across as strange to Gaelic learners, is a relic of the original nominative form of the noun 鈥� inghean (in铆on in Irish Gaelic and inneen in Manx, both meaning 鈥渄aughter鈥�). The 鈥渃orruption鈥� of inghean (as Macbain describes it in his etymological dictionary) is probably a result of the effect of the terminal 鈥渘鈥� on the singular article on the initial vowel in the noun ie an inghean became an nighean, which is now the standard nominative form.