大象传媒

Seo criomag de dh鈥櫭瞨an 脿 sg矛re Loch Carrann ann an Ros an Iar. Saoil c貌 air a tha e a-mach?听

Fhuair sinn nuas bho 脌rd Mhic Shimidh,听

B貌 mhaol dhubh 鈥檚 i air leth-shine,听

鈥橲 iomadh fear a thig le sgilig,听

Dh鈥檌arraidh dileag de 鈥檆uid bainne.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Uill, tha e a鈥� coimhead coltach gur ann air 产貌 is bainne a tha e a-mach. Ach An ann? Seo an d脿rna rann:听

Latha air dhomh bhith 鈥檔 C脿rn nan Ruadhbhan, Bu mhaith air mo ghillean buaile, B貌 mhaol dhubh le adharc 鈥檚 cluais,听

鈥橲 ann mun cuairt oirr鈥� bhiodh na feara.听

Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh gum biodh na fir mun cuairt air a鈥� bhoin mhaoil dhuibh. Carson, ge-t脿?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha mi cinnteach gu bheil sibh a鈥� tuigsinn nach e 产貌 a tha am facal 鈥湶�貌鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh. Tha e a鈥� seasamh airson rudeigin eile. Tha a h-uile c脿il a鈥� tighinn am follais anns an treas rann:听

Siud far an robh a鈥� bh貌 bha ne貌nach,听

Bidh luchd mionaich innte an-c貌mhnaidh,听

鈥橲 tric a thug mi fh猫in mo le貌r dhith,听

S霉gh an e貌rn鈥� as fhe脿rr san talamh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Aha! S霉gh an e貌rn鈥� as fhe脿rr san talamh. Uill, nach eil sin ag innse dhuinn mu chuspair an 貌rain. S霉gh an e貌rna 鈥� uisge-beatha! 鈥橲 e a鈥� bho mhaol dhubh a鈥� phoit dhubh 鈥� an uidheamachd a bh鈥� aig na seann daoine airson uisge-beatha a dh猫anamh gu m矛-laghail. Bhiodh na poitean dubha aca a-muigh sa mhonadh. Agus bha 鈥渂ainne鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渦isge-beatha鈥�.

Ach d猫 mu dheidhinn na loidhne anns a鈥� chiad rann 鈥� 鈥橲 iomadh fear a thig le sgilig? Bha mise a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh sin a鈥� ciallachadh gun robh iad a鈥� tighinn le airgead 鈥� sgillinn no sgillig 鈥� airson mac-na-bracha a cheannach. Ach, a r猫ir faclair Dwelly, tha am facal sgilig ann agus tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渟helled grain鈥�. An tigeadh daoine le 鈥檔 cuid gr脿in airson uisge-beatha a dh猫anamh? Ge-t脿, dh鈥檉heumadh an gr脿n a bhith air a bhrachadh mus 诲猫补苍迟别 uisge-beatha leis. Saoilidh mi fhathast gu bheil e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渁irgead鈥� 鈥� ach ma tha sibh e貌lach air gn矛omhachas an uisge-bheatha 鈥� laghail no m矛-laghail 鈥� 鈥檚 d貌cha gum bi beachd eile agaibhse.

Chaidh an t-貌ran 鈥� 脪ran na Poite Duibhe 鈥� a chruinneachadh le Arthur Geddes bho fhear Fionnladh MacCalmain. Cha d鈥� fhuair mi a-mach c脿鈥� robh a鈥� phoit dhubh anns an 貌ran. Ach tha an t-s猫ist ag ainmeachadh 鈥渇ear donn a鈥� bhealaich鈥�. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gum b鈥� esan an t-uachdaran no fear-taca 鈥� is gun robh e taiceil don ghnothach: H霉g o air fear donn a鈥� bhealaich, 脪igear sunndach, s霉rdach, fearail, H霉g o air fear donn a鈥� bhealaich.

Bha an t-eagal air luchd-d猫anaimh an uisge-bheatha gun tigeadh na g猫idsearan is gun cuireadh iad stad orra, oir bha e an aghaidh an lagh. Tha sin a鈥� tighinn am b脿rr anns a鈥� cheathramh rann:听

Nuair a theann sinn air cur foidhpe,听

Bha a鈥� bh貌 dhubh agus laogh 貌g aic鈥�,听

鈥橲 eagal oirnn gun tig na se貌id,听

鈥橲 gum f脿g iad sinn gun bh貌 鈥檚 gun bhainne.

Ach, ged a bha an t-貌ran a鈥� moladh na poite duibhe, bha an t-霉ghdar mothachail gum bi deoch l脿idir a鈥� d猫anamh cron cuideachd. F脿gaidh mi sibh leis an rann mu dheireadh: 鈥橲 tric a thug i air fear st貌lda, A bhith gleadhrach, bruidhneach, 貌lmhor, 鈥橲 tric a thug i air fear g貌rach, A bhith str矛 ri dh貌rn a tharraing.

Saoil c貌 air a tha e a-mach?: what do you reckon it鈥檚 on about?; nuas bho 脌rd Mhic Shimidh: down from Fraser of Lovat鈥檚 Aird [perhaps meaning they got the still on the Fraser lands at the Aird, Beauly Firth]; air leth-shine: with half an udder; bu mhaith air mo ghillean buaile: my lads would like a cattle fold; a鈥� tighinn am follais anns an treas rann: becoming obvious in the third verse; bidh luchd mionaich innte an-c貌mhnaidh: she always carries a belly load; 鈥檚 tric a thug mi fh猫in mo le貌r dhith: many a time I got my fill of her; s霉gh an e貌rn鈥� as fhe脿rr: the best barley juice; an uidheamachd airson uisge-beatha a dh猫anamh gu m矛-laghail: the equipment to make whisky illegally; airson mac-na-bracha a cheannach: to buy [single malt] whisky; tha an t-s猫ist ag ainmeachadh 鈥渇ear donn a鈥� bhealaich鈥�: the chorus names 鈥渢he brown-haired lad of the pass鈥�; 貌igear sunndach, s霉rdach, fearail: contented, cheerful, manly young man; nuair a theann sinn air cur foidhpe: when we began to put her under [away]; 鈥檚 eagal oirnn gun tig na se貌id: with us afraid that the lads [gaugers] would come; bha an t-霉ghdar mothachail gum bi deoch l脿idir a鈥� d猫anamh cron cuideachd: the author was also aware that strong drink causes damage; 鈥檚 tric a thug i air fear st貌lda a bhith gleadhrach, bruidhneach, 貌lmhor: many a time it caused a sober, steady man to become noisy, talkative and keen on drink; 鈥檚 tric a thug i air fear g貌rach a bhith str矛 ri dh貌rn a tharraing: it often caused a foolish man to put up his fists.

dh鈥檉heumadh an gr脿n a bhith air a bhrachadh mus 诲猫补苍迟别 uisge-beatha leis: the grain would have to be malted before whisky could [would] be made with it.

听

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