大象传媒

Rugadh P脿druig Moireasdan ann an Griomasaigh ann an ochd ceud deug, ochdad鈥檚 a naoi (1889). Air an latha mu dheireadh dhen Ch猫itean naoi ceud deug 鈥檚 a h-aon-deug (1911), bha e ag obair air b貌rd b脿ta ann am Beal Feirste. Agus chunnaic e le a sh霉ilean fh猫in an soitheach m貌r, an Titanic, a鈥� dol air bhog. Tha mi a鈥� dol a leigeil le P脿druig innse na thachair air an latha sin, an 矛re mhath na fhaclan fh猫in.鈥橲 e an t-ainm air an st貌iridh aige Manadh air an Titanic:

An suidheachadh air an robh sinne ag obrachadh air a鈥� bh脿ta: nuair a bha sinn ga nighe s矛os sa mhadainn, bha sinn an uair sin a鈥� gabhail biadh sinn fh矛n 鈥檚 bha an c貌rr dhen latha againn gu ceithir uairean feasgar. Dh鈥檉haodamaid a dhol a chadal no dhol gu t矛r...

Ach an latha seo 鈥� latha leainseadh na Titanic 鈥� cha deach duine a leabaidh no gu t矛r.聽
Bha sluagh a鈥� bhail鈥� uileag a鈥� tionndadh s矛os gu bruaich na h-aibhneadh. B鈥� e sin an taobh air an robh sinn dhen abhainn cuideachd: 鈥檚 ann air an taobh muar coinneamh a bha an g脿rradh-iarainn far an deach is鈥� a thogail agus 鈥檚 ann 脿s a bhiodh i a鈥� slaighdeadh a-mach dhan t猫 a bha gu bhith na m脿thair dhi 鈥� an cuanm貌r.

Bha iad cho tiugh mu choinneamh a鈥� gh脿rraidh 鈥檚 a鈥� bh脿ta, s矛os taobh na h-aibhneadh. Bha sinne sh矛os ann a shiud cuideachd ... a dh脿 no tr矛 an siud 鈥檚 a dh脿 no tr矛 an 脿it鈥� eile. Bhathar a鈥� feitheamh gun fhacal airson greis mhath de dh鈥櫭筰ne, a鈥� cluinnteil glagadaich taobh eile na h-aibhneadh agus a鈥� faicinn gluasadan sluaigh agus m貌ran de shluagh air gach taobh dhen gh脿rradh a bharrachd air na bha staigh ann...

Agus chuala sinn an seo ann am Beurla 鈥淭here she goes! There she goes!鈥� Bha d矛reach a鈥� chiad ghluasad aice, a鈥� dol gu na seirbheis airson 鈥檔 do rinneadh i. Bha d脿 bhodach bheag 脠ireannach, fear aca cha mh貌r nach robh e a鈥� suathadh na mo ghualainn dheas. Bha companach an tacsa ris-san air an taobh adeas dheth, p矛ob ghoirid chr猫adhach am beul gach fir aca 鈥檚 currac d脿-bhil鈥� orr鈥�. Chan eil cuimhn鈥� a鈥檓 d猫 鈥檔 se貌rsa cl貌 ach 鈥檚 e cl貌 a bha sna seacaidean a bh鈥� orra,ge b鈥� e d猫 bha sna briogaisean.

Dh鈥檉halbh am b脿ta sin cho s猫imh 鈥檚 cho br猫agha ri dad a b鈥� urrainn dh貌mhsa no dhan sgiobadh againn fhaicinn. Chaidh i dhan mhuir. Chuir na cuideaman stad, chuir iad stad oirre nuair a bha i air flod. Ach thionndaidh am bodach beag a b鈥� fhaisge dh貌mhsa ri chompanach 鈥檚 thug e a ph矛ob 脿s a bheul.Thuirt e mar seo:

鈥淢ark my word, Pat,鈥� ars鈥� esan, 鈥渟he鈥檒l be an unlucky ship.鈥濃�橲 bha i sin, an Titanic, 鈥檚 b鈥� e siud an latha a chaidh a leainseadh. Bha sinn鈥� a鈥� bruidhinn 霉ineachan is 霉ineachan nuair a thill sinn air ais dhan bh脿t鈥� againn fh矛n. B鈥� e siud an c貌mhradh againn airson l脿ithean: gu d猫 chunnaic am bodach. Saoil an robh ciall aige no toinisg aig an rud a thuirt e ri chompanach,鈥淢ark my word, Pat, she鈥檒l be an unlucky ship.鈥濃�橲 ann m矛-shealbhach a bha i.

Ma tha 霉idh agaibh anns na st貌iridhean aig P脿druig Moireasdan, chuir Comann Coimhearsnachd Ghriomasaigh cruinneachadh tarraingeach dhiubh ann an cl貌 a-rithist o chionn ghoirid. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm air an leabhar Thugam agus Bhuam. Agus sin e bhuams鈥� an-dr脿sta.

Beal Feirste: Belfast; manadh: omen, supernatural warning;聽slaighdeadh: sliding; tiugh: thick [densely packed]; glagadaich: chatter.

Rugadh P脿druig Moireasdan ann an Griomasaigh: Peter聽Morrison was born in Grimsay; le a sh霉ilean fh猫in: with his own eyes; a鈥� dol air聽bhog: being launched; ga nighe s矛os sa mhadainn: washing her down in the聽morning; dh鈥檉haodamaid a dhol a chadal no dhol gu t矛r: we could go to sleep or go聽on [to] land; latha leainseadh na Titanic: the day of the Titanic鈥檚 launch; bha聽sluagh a鈥� bhail鈥� uileag [uile] a鈥� tionndadh s矛os gu bruaich na h-aibhneadh: the聽entire population of the city were going down to the river bank; mu ar coinneamh聽a bha an g脿rradh-iarainn far an deach is鈥� a thogail: opposite us was the shipyard聽where she was built; dhan t猫 a bha gu bhith na m脿thair dhi 鈥� an cuan m貌r: to the聽thing that was going to be her mother 鈥� the great ocean; bhathar a鈥� feitheamh gun fhacal: it was awaited silently; gu na seirbheis airson 鈥檔 do rinneadh i: to the service for which she was made; cha mh貌r nach robh e a鈥� suathadh na mo ghualainn dheas: he was almost touching my right shoulder; bha companach an tacsa ris-san: he had a companion beside him; 鈥檚 currac d脿-bhil鈥� [d脿-bhileach] orr鈥�:[with] a twin-peaked [deerstalker鈥檚] cap on them ; 鈥檚 e cl貌 a bha sna seacaidean:the jackets were tweed; ge b鈥� e d猫 bha sna briogaisean: whatever their trousers were [happened to be made of]; bha sinn鈥� a鈥� bruidhinn 霉ineachan is 霉ineachan: we were speaking for a long time; saoil an robh ciall aige no toinisg aig an rud a thuirte: I wonder if he made sense or if there was sense in what he said.

p矛ob ghoirid chr猫adhach [ann] am beul gach fir聽aca: [with] a short clay pipe in the mouth of each of them. Gach commands a noun聽in the singular so 鈥渂oth [individuals] of them鈥� would be gach fear aca. But fear is聽here in the genitive or possessive case. As it is singular, it takes the form fir (eg聽bonaid an fhir, the man鈥檚 hat, bonaid fir, a man鈥檚 hat). Many Gaelic speakers聽today would say ann am beul gach fear aca but P脿druig Moireasdan鈥檚 Gaelic wasof an older variety and would cling more closely to traditional grammatical usage.

nuair a bha i air flod: when she was floating (the聽Gaelic term may be derived from Old Norse, rather than English).

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA