大象传媒

Thairis air na bliadhnaichean tha mi air tighinn tarsainn air d脿 chraoibh air a bheil ainm G脿idhlig, gun ainm Beurla a bhith orra. Tha Craobh an Tillidh ann an Rat Mhurchais faisg air an Aghaidh Mh貌ir. 鈥橲 e sin a鈥� chiad chraobh a chitheadh na buachaillean is c矛obairean nuair a thilleadh iad bho na monaidhean len cuid spr猫idh.

Gu sear air sin, thairis air na beanntan, tha Craobh an 脪ir. Sin far an do chuir uachdaran ciste 貌ir ann an d矛omhaireachd anns an t-seann aimsir. Nuair a chladhaich ea鈥� chiste suas, thugadh an t-ainm air a鈥� chraoibh. No 鈥檚 e sin an st貌iridh co-dhi霉. Ma tha sibh fh猫in e貌lach air craobh air a bheil ainm G脿idhlig b鈥� fh矛or thoigh leamcluinntinn bhuaibh.

Bha mi ann an Cataibh o chionn ghoirid, ann am Bun Ilidh. Chuala mi mu dheidhinn craobh anns an sg矛re air a bheil, no air an robh, The L脿mh Tree. 鈥橲 e l脿mh am facal G脿idhlig air am bi sibh uile e貌lach. Cha d鈥� fhuair mi a-mach d猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a bh鈥� air a鈥� chraoibh bho th霉s, ach tha mi a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gur e Craobh na L脿imhe a bhiodh ann.聽
Tha e inntinneach gur e The L脿mh Tree a th鈥� aig daoine, seach The Hand Tree.
Bha a鈥� chraobh a鈥� f脿s faisg air seann drochaid air an rathad mh貌r gu deas air Bun Ilidh l脿imh ri 鈥� mas urrainn dhomh sin a r脿dh 鈥� Loids Ghartaidh. Tha st貌iridh ann, a tha be貌 ann am beul-aithris na sg矛re, a tha a鈥� m矛neachadh mar a fhuair a鈥� chraobh a h-ainm.

Iomadh bliadhna air ais bha gille ag obair anns an loids mar chonbhair. 鈥橲 e sin neach a bhios a鈥� coimhead 脿s d猫idh nan con. Cha robh olc sam bith sa ghille ach bha ecrotach. Air s脿illibh sin, bha eagal air na bana-shearbhantan 貌ga roimhe. Bha aon t猫 鈥揵anarach a bh鈥� innte 鈥� air an robh Annabel. Bha i a鈥� fuireach cuide ri a p脿rantan ann antaigh faisg air an loids. Gach oidhche, 脿s d猫idh dhi a鈥� bhleoghann a dh猫anamh, bhiodh ia鈥� falbh dhachaigh tarsainn na drochaid.

Oidhche a bha seo bha f矛or dhroch sh矛de ann. Bha g猫ile is uisge m貌r ann. Agus bha tuil san allt. Chaidh an drochaid a sguabadh air falbh leis an tuil. Bha fios aig a鈥� chonbhair air na thachair agus chaidh e a-mach a chur fios air Annabel nach robh an drochaid ann.聽
Stad e faisg air an allt. Chaidh e an taic craobh airson beagan fasgaidh fhaighinn.
Nuair a r脿inig Annabel an t-脿ite, chuir an conbhair a l脿mh a-mach airson stad a chur oirre dhol faisg air an allt. Bha i a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh an gille a鈥� toirt ionnsaigh oirre. Ruith i air falbh aig peilear a beatha a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na drochaid. Thuit i don allt agus chaidh a b脿thadh.

Air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach lorgadh an gille marbh aig bonn na craoibhe. Bhathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun t脿inig cuairt air. Ach bha lorg l脿imhe loisgte air a鈥� chraoibh. Bha daoine ag r脿dh gun tug an conbhair mallachd air a鈥� chraoibh mus do chaochail e. 脌s d猫idh sin, cha d鈥� rachadh duine faisg air a鈥� chraoibh. Chaidh rathad eile a dh猫anamheadar an loids agus an t-allt.

Agus a bheil i fhathast ann 鈥� Craobh na L脿imhe? Chaidh mi a choimhead air a son. Tha m貌ran chraobhan anns an 脿ite a-nise agus cha d鈥� fhuair mi lorg air seann t猫 le lorg l脿imhe oirre. Agus chuala mi 脿s d猫idh l脿imh gun do thuit i ann an stoirm m貌ran bhliadhnaichean air ais. Is m貌r am beud.

Craobh an Tillidh: the tree of the returning; Craobh an 脪ir: the tree of the gold; Cataibh: Sutherland; Bun Ilidh: Helmsdale; Loids Ghartaidh: [West] Garty Lodge; banarach: milking maid; mallachd: curse.

tha mi air tighinn tarsainn air d脿 chraoibh: I鈥檝e come across two trees; a chitheadh na buachaillean is c矛obairean: that the herdsmen and shepherds would see; bho na monaidhean len cuid spr猫idh: from the hills with their livestock; far an do chuir uachdaran ciste 貌ir ann an d矛omhaireachd: where a laird put a kist of goldin secret; thugadh an t-ainm air a鈥� chraoibh: the tree was named; l脿imh ri: close to; charobh olc sam bith sa ghille ach bha e crotach: there was no harm in the lad but he wasa hunchback; bha eagal air na bana-shearbhantan 貌ga roimhe: the young female servants were scared of him; 脿s d猫idh dhi a鈥� bhleoghann a dh猫anamh: after she had done the milking; chaidh an drochaid a sguabadh air falbh leis an tuil: the bridge was washed away by the flood; chaidh e an taic craobh: he leaned against a tree; gun robhan gille a鈥� toirt ionnsaigh oirre: that the lad was attacking her; ruith i air falbh aig peilear a beatha: she ran away at great speed; chaidh a b脿thadh: she was drowned; bha lorg l脿imhe loisgte air a鈥� chraoibh: there was a hand-print burned onto the tree; cha d鈥檙achadh duine faisg air a鈥� chraoibh: nobody would go near the tree; a choimhead air a son: to look for it [fem]; is m貌r am beud: great is the pity.

bha gille ag obair aig an loids mar chonbhair: there was a lad working at the lodge as a dog-handler or 鈥渄og-boy鈥�. If you鈥檙e familiar with the map of Gaelic Scotland, you鈥檒l know the word conbhair. There are at least five features on the 1:50,000 OS maps, all in Highland Council area, which carry the word in their name eg Sg霉rr nan Conbhairean (the peak of the dog-handlers) near Glen Affric andAllt Loch C脿rn nan Conbhairean (the burn of the loch of the rocky hill of the dog handlers)on the eastern boundary of Assynt. I can鈥檛 emphasize strongly enough how much Gaelic 鈥� vocabulary, grammar and cultural heritage 鈥� can be derived from an intimate knowledge of the Highland landscape. Get to know your maps!

Bhathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun t脿inig cuairt air: it was thought he took a fit/turn.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA