大象传媒

Bidh sibh e貌lach air an fhacal nigheadaireachd. 鈥橲 e sin rud nach gabh seachnadh. Achsan latha an-diugh, tha innealan againn a n矛 an obair dhuinn.

Chan eil e air a bhith mar sin bho chionn 霉ine mh貌r. Tha map de dh鈥櫭宭e fosgailte air mo bheulaibh an-dr脿sta agus, faisg air Rubha an Lagain, tha loch beag ann. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm air an loch 鈥� Lochan na Nigheadaireachd. Feumaidh gur e sin 脿ite dham biodhan sluagh a鈥� dol anns an t-seann aimsir airson nigheadaireachd mh貌r a dh猫anamh.

Tha 脿ite eile ann an ceann a deas Asainte air a bheil Lochan Nigheadh. An e sin loch eile dham biodh daoine a鈥� dol airson nigheadaireachd a dh猫anamh? Agus an e f矛or dhroch latha a bhiodh ann nuair a rachadh na daoine ann airson am plaideachan a nighe? Uill, a r猫ir aon bhoireannaich a rinn a leithid na h-貌ige, chan e rud d貌rainneacha bh鈥� ann idir.
Bha mi a鈥� leughadh leabhar gu math tarraingeach o chionn ghoirid air a bheil C貌co is Cr霉bagan. 鈥橲 i Fl貌raidh NicDh貌mhnaill an t-霉ghdar agus tha an leabhar mu dheidhinn a h-脿raich ann an 脿ite iomallach ann am Beinn na Fadhla. Anns an leabhar tha Fl貌raidh ag innse mu latha na nigheadaireachd nuair a bha i 貌g. Tha i a鈥� sgr矛obhadh mu 鈥渓atha s貌nraichte ... latha nighe nam plangaidean aig an loch is latha m貌r a鈥� phicnic.鈥�
An toiseach tharraing iad na plaideachan 鈥� no plangaidean 鈥� far nan leapannan. Fhuair iad tuba sinc agus chuir iad na rudan a bha a dh矛th na bhroinn 鈥� f霉dar nigheadaireachd agus siabann. Chuir iad botal ammonia ann cuideachd 鈥� airson 鈥渁n sgolaidh mu dheireadh air na plangaidean. Chaidh innse dhuinn gum f脿gadh seo na plangaidean cho bog ri cl貌imhseach.鈥�

Bha iad cho trang ris na seangain air an latha sin, a鈥� cruinneachadh stuth airson teine a thogail. Nuair a bha an teine a鈥� dol, chuir iad poit mh貌r dhubh eanamail air. L矛on iad a鈥� phoit le uisge bhon loch. Nuair a bha an t-uisge teth, chaidh a dh貌rtadh don tuba.
Seo mar a tha Fl貌raidh a鈥� m矛neachadh na thachair an uair sin: 鈥淒h貌irt [Mamaidh] bucaid no dh脿 de dh鈥檜isge fuar a thug i 脿s an loch na cheann. L矛on i a鈥檖hoit le tuilleadh uisge is chuir i air ais air an teine i. Thomhais Mamaidh a-mach am f霉dar nigheadaireachd na bois is chaith i dhan tuba e. Sgol is sgaoil i am f霉dar le l脿imh gus an do leagh e san uisge. Bha an t-uisge a-nise na chop bog, geal.鈥�

Do Fhl貌raidh, bha an rud a lean air sin gu math tlachdmhor. 鈥淏鈥� e an ath rud plangaid a bhogadh,鈥� tha i a鈥� sgr矛obhadh. 鈥淭h脿inig oirnne an uair sin leum dhan tuba, duine aig gach ceann mu choinneamh a ch猫ile ... Bha sinn a鈥� bocadaich is a鈥� leumadaich is a鈥� stampadh. Bha sinn d矛reach mar yo-yos suas is s矛os sa chop gheal. Bha sinn ann an saoghal eile leis a鈥� chop bhog bhl脿th a鈥� diogladh tro na h-貌rdagan againn...鈥�
Bha Fl貌raidh uabhasach measail air na builgeanan. 鈥淭ha mo chridhe a鈥� l矛onadh le toileachas,鈥� 聽tha i a鈥� sgr矛obhadh, 鈥渘uair a chuimhnicheas mi air na builgeanan 脿lainn.鈥�

脌s d猫idh a鈥� ghlanaidh, bha aca ris na plaideachan a sgoladh san loch. Bha na plaideachan an uair sin air am f脿sgadh agus air an cur a-mach airson tiormachadh. Obair chruaidh? Gun teagamh. Ach obair a ch貌rd gu m貌r ri Fl貌raidh 貌g. Is iongantach mura ch貌rd e ri m貌ran Gh脿idheal eile thar nan linntean.

nigheadaireachd: washing; 脤le: Islay; Asainte: Assynt; f霉dar:powder; siabann: soap; sgoladh: rinsing; eanamail: enamel; thomhais: measured; cop:foam, froth; builgeanan: bubbles; tiormachadh: drying.

nach gabh seachnadh: that can鈥檛 be avoided; innealan a n矛 an obair dhuinn: machines that do the work for us; chan eil e air a bhith mar sin bho chionn 霉ine mh貌r: it鈥檚 not been like that for a long time; anns an t-seann aimsir: in the old days; an e f矛or dhroch latha a bhiodh ann?: would it be a terrible day?; nuair arachadh na daoine ann airson am plaideachan a nighe: when the people would go there to wash their blankets; a r猫ir aon bhoireannaich a rinn a leithid na h-貌ige: according to one woman who did such a thing in her childhood; mu dheidhinn a h-脿raich ann an 脿ite iomallach ann am Beinn na Fadhla: about her upbringing in a remote place in Benbecula; far nan leapannan: off the beds; tuba sinc: zinc bath; na rudan a bha a dh矛th na bhroinn: the things that were needed inside it; sgol is sgaoil i am f霉dar le l脿imh: she stirred the powder by hand; gus an do leagh e: until it dissolved; duine aig gach ceann mu choinneamh a ch猫ile: a person at each end opposite each other; a鈥� bocadaich is a鈥� leumadaich is a鈥� stampadh: bouncing and jumping and stamping; a鈥� diogladh tro na h-貌rdagan againn: tickling through our toes; tha mo chridhe a鈥� l矛onadh le toileachas: my heart fills with happiness; bha na plaideachan an uair sin air am f脿sgadh: the blankets were then wrung out; thar nan linntean: over the ages/centuries.

C貌co is Cr霉bagan (Cocoa and Crabs) by Flora聽MacDonald (Islands Books Trust 2009) is a very good book for advanced Gaelic聽learners (who are at the stage of reading Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh without too聽much difficulty). The book is bilingual but each language text is similar rather than聽identical. Flora writes with delightful passion about her childhood in Benbecula in聽clear Gaelic which is easily read. Her language is precise and grammatical, but also聽full of rich idiom with phraseology dealing with matters of day to day life that is sometimes difficult for a learner to access. It鈥檚 a warm and uplifting story and it comes with 2 CDs on which Flora reads her Gaelic text. I heartily recommend the聽publication.

cho bog ri cl貌imhseach (cl貌imhteach): as soft as down;聽cho trang ris na seangain: as busy as [the] ants.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA