大象传媒

Tha sinn fhathast ann an Gallaibh, a鈥� toirt s霉il air dualchas G脿idhlig na sg矛re sin tro bheul-aithris.

O chionn ghoirid lorg mi comhairle Ghallach air a鈥� bhuaidh a bheir deoch l脿idir air duine. Tha a鈥� chomhairle ag innse mun bhuaidh a bheir aon ghlainne, d脿 ghlainne agus tr矛 glainneachan air neach. Tha mi a鈥� ciallachadh an sin glainneachan de dh鈥檜isge-beatha.

Mus toir mi a鈥� chomhairle dhuibh, seo agaibh abairt no dh脿: Is miste mi sin 鈥� 鈥淚鈥檓 the worse for that鈥�. Is fhe脿irrde mi sin 鈥� 鈥淚鈥檓 the better for that鈥�. Cha mhiste mi sin 鈥撯�淚鈥檓 not the worse for that鈥�. Agus chan fhe脿irrde mi sin 鈥� 鈥淚鈥檓 not the better for that鈥�.Seo a鈥� chomhairle, ma-th脿: Aon ghlainne, chan fhe脿irrde 鈥檚 cha mhiste. D脿 ghlainne, 鈥檚 fhe脿irrde 鈥檚 cha mhiste. Tr矛 glainneachan, 鈥檚 miste 鈥檚 chan fhe脿irrde. Tha mi an d貌chas gun聽do thuig sibh sin. Seo e ann am Beurla: One glass, not the better of it and not the worse of聽it. Two glasses, the better of it and not the worse of it. Three glasses, the worse of it and 聽not the better of it.

Lorg mi riaghailt eile dhen aon se貌rsa agus tha seo a鈥� tighinn 脿 Gallaibh cuideachd. Tha e a-mach air a鈥� chorp agus air an anam. The body and the soul. Seo a鈥� chomhairle: Aon ghlainne, chan fhe脿irrde 鈥檚 cha mhiste mo chorp no m鈥� anam e. D脿 ghlainne, 鈥檚 fhe脿irrde mo chorp e, 鈥檚 cha mhiste m鈥� anam e. Tr矛 glainneachan, 鈥檚 miste m鈥� anam e, 鈥檚 chan fhe脿irrde mo chorp e. Seo e a-rithist: Aon ghlainne, chan fhe脿irrde 鈥檚 cha mhiste mo聽chorp no m鈥� anam e. D脿 ghlainne, 鈥檚 fhe脿irrde mo chorp e, 鈥檚 cha mhiste m鈥� anam e. Tr矛聽glainneachan, 鈥檚 miste m鈥� anam e, 鈥檚 chan fhe脿irrde mo chorp e. Tha mi an d霉il gu bheil聽sibh ag aontachadh!

Nuair a bha mi ann an Gallaibh o chionn ghoirid chunnaic mi seann tobar ri taobh an rathaid mh貌ir eadar An t-脪rd Gallach agus Bearghdal. Tha feansa timcheall air. Agus tha clach ann air a bheil seo snaighte: 鈥淭he Grey Hen鈥檚 Well. Erected by the Duke of Portland 1934鈥�. Uill, bha mi airson faighinn a-mach ciamar a fhuair an tobar ainm. Agus bu mhath leam faighinn a-mach d猫 an t-ainm ceart air ann an G脿idhlig. Tobar na Circe Glaise, 鈥檚 d貌cha?

Rinn mi beagan rannsachaidh agus fhuair mi tr矛 diofar st貌iridhean. Tha cuid dhen bheachd gu bheil an t-ainm a-mach air cearcan a鈥� choilich-dhuibh a bhiodh a鈥� cruinneachadh anns an 脿ite sin. Tha cuid eile ag r脿dh gun robh uaireigin banntrach a鈥� fuireach faisg air an tobar. Bha grunn nighean aice agus bha iad uile air leth tarraingeach.

Bhiodh fleasgaich na sg矛re a鈥� dol a shuirghe leotha. Ach nuair a thigeadh ciaradh an fheasgair, bhiodh a鈥� bhanntrach a鈥� nochdadh airson iarraidh air a nigheanan a dhol dhachaigh. Bha i coltach ri seann chearc a鈥� trusadh a h-iseanan. Ach saoilidh mi gur e an st貌iridh mu dheireadh am fear as coltaiche. Bha banntrach a鈥� fuireach faisg air l脿imh. Bha an duine aice air a mharbhadh aig Bl脿r Bhatairli霉. B鈥� e a far-ainm 鈥淭he Grey Hen鈥� ann an G脿idhlig 鈥� a鈥� Chearc Ghlas, tha mi an d霉il. 脌s d猫idh a b脿is thuit an taigh aice 脿s a ch猫ile. Ach chaidh stairsneach an taighe a chur聽gu feum mar leac an tobair, far an cuir neach a ghl霉inean fhad 鈥檚 a tha e a鈥� tarraing uisge.

Agus m貌ran bhliadhnaichean 脿s d猫idh sin, chuir Di霉c Phortland a鈥� chlach shnaighte ann mar chuimhneachan air a鈥� bhanntraich.

uisge-beatha: whisky; corp: body; anam: soul; snaighte: engraved,cut into stone; banntrach: widow; cuimhneachan: memorial.

comhairle Ghallach air a鈥� bhuaidh a bheir deoch l脿idir air duine: Caithnessian advice on the influence strong drink has on a person; is miste mi sin: I鈥檓 the聽worse for that; cha mhiste mi sin: I鈥檓 not the worse for that; chan fhe脿irrde mi sin: I鈥檓 not the better for that; chan fhe脿irrde 鈥檚 cha mhiste mo chorp no m鈥� anam e: my body andsoul are not the better of it and not the worse of it; eadar An t-脪rd Gallach agus Bearghdal: between the Ord of Caithness and Berriedale; gu bheil an t-ainm a-mach air cearcan a鈥� choilich-dhuibh: that the name recalls hens of the blackcock; a bhiodh a鈥� cruinneachadh: that would gather; bhiodh fleasgaich na sg矛re a鈥� dol a shuirghe leotha: the聽young men of the area would go to court them; ciaradh an fheasgair: dusk; airson iarraidh聽air a nigheanan a dhol dhachaigh: to ask her daughters to go home; coltach ri seann chearc聽a鈥� trusadh a h-iseanan: like an old hen gathering her chicks; air a mharbhadh aig Bl脿r聽Bhatairli霉: killed at the Battle of Waterloo; 脿s d猫idh a b脿is thuit an taigh aice 脿s a ch猫ile:after her death, her house fell to pieces; chaidh stairsneach an taighe a chur gu feum mar聽leac an tobair: the house鈥檚 doorstep was used as the well鈥檚 slab; far an cuir neach a ghl霉inean fhad 鈥檚 a tha e a鈥� tarraing uisge: where a person places his knees while he is drawing water.

Bha grunn nighean aice agus bha iad uile air leth聽tarraingeach: she had several daughters and they were all exceptionally attractive. When anoun of quantity eg m貌ran, beagan, t貌rr, barrachd, tuilleadh is used to command another聽noun, the second goes in the genitive case. With singular examples, we鈥檇 say m貌ran聽airgid, beagan foghlaim, barrachd b矛dh, tuilleadh 貌ir, using the genitive forms of airgead,聽foghlam, biadh and 貌r. The same applies when the second noun is plural 鈥� it goes in the聽genitive plural eg m貌ran nighean, t貌rr bhodach, barrachd ch脿raichean, tuilleadh聽thruinnsearan. The [traditional] genitive plural form of nighean is the same as the聽nominative singular 鈥� we say dithis nighean for two daughters ie 鈥渢wo of daughters鈥�.

gur e an st貌iridh mu dheireadh am fear as coltaiche: that the final story is the likeliest (to be true).

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