大象传媒

Tha sinn a鈥� leantainn air ar cuairt tro Chataibh is Gallaibh, st猫idhichte air st貌iridhean 脿 beul-aithris anns na diofar sg矛rean. Tha sinn an-diugh air a dhol thar cr矛och Ghallaibh 鈥揼u sg矛re Dh霉n Bheithe. Tha m貌ran de dhualchas na sg矛re seo st猫idhichte air dualchas nan聽G脿idheal oir bha a鈥� Gh脿idhlig ga bruidhinn ann fad 霉ine mh貌r. Agus seo agaibh st貌iridh聽air a bheil Na Tr矛 Snaidhmeannan. Tha snaidhmeannan a鈥� dol air ais fada ann an dualchas聽nan Ceilteach. Agus bha an 脿ireamh tr矛 rudeigin naomh do na seann Cheiltich. Tha an聽st貌iridh seo a鈥� t貌iseachadh ann an Liabost 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air Lybster 鈥� baile beag聽ann an taobh an earra-dheas Ghallaibh.

Thachair e ann am meadhan an naoidheamh linn deug nuair a bhathar ag iasgach an sgadain. Chaidh b脿ta 脿 Liabost gu ruige Port Mo Cholmaig ann an Siorrachd Rois airson cl脿ran-baraille a cheannach. Bha c霉bairean anns gach port a鈥� d猫anamh nam baraillean anns an cuireadh na h-iasgairean an sgadan. Nuair a dh鈥檉h脿g na h-iasgairean Liabost, bha an aimsir math agus lean i mar sin fad na slighe gu ruige Port Mo Cholmaig.

Nise, nuair a chanas mi gun robh an aimsir math, chan eil mi a鈥� ciallachadh gun robh i ci霉in. 鈥橲 ann le bhith a鈥� se貌ladh a bha na b脿taichean-iasgaich a鈥� falbh aig an 脿m sin, agus聽bha iad feumach air beagan gaoithe.

An ath latha, chuir iad an cargu air a鈥� bh脿ta agus rinn iad deiseil airson falbh air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach. Ach thairis air an oidhche, shocraich a鈥� ghaoth. Anns a鈥� mhadainn bha f猫ath nan eun ann. Bha an sgiobair 鈥� fear air an robh Seumas mar ainm 鈥� m矛-thoilichte. Bha e ag iarraidh a bhith air ais aig an taigh, agus a bhith ag iasgach. Bha Seumas a鈥� bruidhinn mun ch霉is ri caraid dha ann am Port Mo Cholmaig. Thuirt a charaid gum bu ch貌ir dha dhol a bhruidhinn ri bana-bhuidseach a bha a鈥� fuireach聽faisg air l脿imh. Dh鈥檉heumadh e leth-chr霉n a thoirt dhi. Chaidh Seumas gu taigh na banabhuidsich.聽Bha fios aice mu thr脿th d猫 bha a dh矛th air.

Thug i dha p矛os sn脿ithlein anns an robh tr矛 snaidhmeannan. Agus thug i 貌rdughan dha air na dh鈥檉heumadh e dh猫anamh. 鈥淣uair a tha sibh a鈥� falbh,鈥� thuirt i, 鈥渇uasgail a chiad shnaidhm. Thig beagan gaoithe airson ur cur a dol. Nuair a tha sibh p矛os math air falbh aig muir, fuasgail an d脿rna snaidhm agus thig barrachd gaoithe airson ur toirt dhachaigh gu luath. Ach na fuasgail 鈥� air chor sam bith 鈥� an treas snaidhm.鈥�

Bha Seumas gu math toilichte. Dh鈥檉halbh e don chala agus rinn e deiseil airson falbh dhachaigh a Liabost. Nuair a bha aodach a鈥� bh脿ta deiseil, dh鈥檉huasgail Seumas a鈥� chiad shnaidhm. Dh鈥櫭╥rich a鈥� ghaoth beagan bhon iar-dheas agus l矛on i na si霉il. She貌l iad聽gu snog a-mach 脿 cala Phort Mo Cholmaig.

Nuair a bha iad letheach-slighe air an rathad dhachaigh, dh鈥檉huasgail Seumas an d脿rna snaidhm. Dh鈥檉h脿s a鈥� ghaoth na bu l脿idire agus chaidh am b脿ta na bu luaithe buileach. Nuair a bha iad faisg air Liabost, dh鈥檌arr gille dhen chriutha air Seumas an treas聽snaidhm fhuasgladh. A dh鈥檃indeoin na thuirt a鈥� bhana-bhuidseach, dh鈥檉huasgail Seumas an treas snaidhm. Cho luath 鈥檚 a rinn e sin, thionndaidh a鈥� ghaoth, dh鈥櫭╥rich i gu 矛re g猫ile聽agus chaidh am b脿ta a sguabadh a-mach gu muir. Cha robh roghainn aig Seumas an uair聽sin ach am b脿ta a sti霉ireadh air ais gu Port Mo Cholmaig 鈥� am port a dh鈥檉h脿g iad deich聽uairean a th矛de roimhe.

naomh: sacred; Liabost: Lybster; cl脿ran-baraille: staves for barrels; c霉bairean: coopers; ci霉in: calm; cargu: cargo; letheach-slighe: halfway; roghainn:choice.

thar cr矛och Ghallaibh 鈥� gu sg矛re Dh霉n Bheithe: over the borderof Caithness 鈥� to the area of Dunbeath; Na Tr矛 Snaidhmeannan: The Three Knots; dualchas nan Ceilteach: the heritage of the Celts; nuair a bhathar ag iasgach an sgadain:聽when the herring were being fished; gu ruige Port Mo Cholmaig: to Portmahomack; anns聽an cuireadh na h-iasgairean an sgadan: in which the fishermen would put the herring;lean i mar sin fad na slighe: it continued like that all the way; 鈥檚 ann le bhith a鈥� se貌ladh a聽bha na b脿taichean-iasgaich a鈥� falbh: it is by sailing that the fishing boats would move; air聽an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: [on] the next day; shocraich a鈥� ghaoth: the wind subsided; gum bu聽ch貌ir dha dhol a bhruidhinn ri bana-bhuidseach: that he should go and speak to a witch;聽dh鈥檉heumadh e leth-chr霉n a thoirt dhi: he would need to give her a half-crown; bha fios聽aice mu thr脿th d猫 bha a dh矛th air: she already knew what he needed; p矛os sn脿ithlein anns聽an robh tr矛 snaidhmeannan: a piece of thread in which there were three knots; thug i聽貌rdughan dha air na dh鈥檉heumadh e dh猫anamh: he gave him orders on what he needed to聽do; fuasgail a chiad shnaidhm: loosen the first knot; thig barrachd gaoithe: more wind聽will come; aodach a鈥� bh脿ta: the boat鈥檚 sails; dh鈥櫭╥rich a鈥� ghaoth beagan bhon iar-dheas:聽the wind arose a little from the south-west; l矛on i na si霉il: it filled the sails; gu 矛re g猫ile:聽to gale force; chaidh am b脿ta a sguabadh a-mach gu muir: the boat was driven out to sea;聽deich uairean a th矛de roimhe: ten hours before.

f猫ath nan eun: conditions of complete tranquility. One of聽the things I love about the Gaelic language is its strong links to the environment around聽us. If you have been out in a boat in summer off the west coast when there is absolutely聽no wind, you will have noticed how the seabirds just sit around on the water, often in聽large groups 鈥� and it is easy to get close to them. This is f猫ath nan eun 鈥� 鈥渢he calmness of聽the birds鈥�. It鈥檚 a lovely expression. F猫ath can be used on its own (eg th脿inig f猫ath oirnn 鈥撀爓e were becalmed) but f猫ath nan eun is even calmer!

air chor sam bith: under any circumstance.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA