大象传媒

O chionn fhada bha fear air an robh Calum Beag mar ainm a鈥� fuireach ann an 脌ird Chlach. Bha taigh aige faisg air Uisge 脠ireann, far a bheil an talamh 脿rd, garbh ag 猫irigh bhon talamh 矛osal, thorrach. Tha ainm s貌nraichte air a鈥� che脿rnaidh sin ann am Beurla 鈥� The Streens. Tha mi cinnteach nach cuir e iongnadh sam bith oirbh nuair a dh鈥檌nnseas mi dhuibh gur ann bhon Gh脿idhlig a th脿inig an t-ainm.

Gu mionaideach tha na Streens 鈥� no Streens of Findhorn 鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh p脿irt dhen abhainn 鈥� sin Uisge 脠ireann, no the Findhorn River. Agus seo na sgr矛obh an s脿r-e貌laiche, Uilleam MacBh脿tair, mun ghnothach: Na Srianaibh, the Streens of Findhorn, the Bridles, dative-locative plural of srian, a bridle 鈥� a graphic and appropriate name for this remarkable gorge. Leis gu bheil an tuiseal tabhartach iolra, the dative plural, air a dhol 脿 bith ann an G脿idhlig, chanainn gur e Na Srianan a bu n脿darraiche a ghabhadh sinn air an 脿ite sin an-diugh. Agus, gu dearbh, 鈥檚 e sin a th鈥� aig Iain Mac an T脿illeir air an liosta aigesan de dh鈥檃inmean-脿ite, a ghabhas leughadh air an eadar-l矛on: Na Srianan. 鈥淭he Restraint鈥� referring to narrows in the River Findhorn.

Co-dhi霉, air ais gu Calum Beag. Bha Calum cli霉iteach 鈥� no 鈥檚 d貌cha m矛-chli霉iteach 鈥� airson nam pl貌ighean a bh鈥� aige, agus e a鈥� goid spr猫idh. Bhiodh e tric a鈥� faighinn gr猫im air mart, a bha le cuideigin eile, agus a鈥� teicheadh leis gu 脿ite faisg air an taigh aige fh猫in. Cha chumadh e a h-uile p矛os dhen fhe貌il dha fh猫in, ge-t脿. Bha e gu math fialaidh 鈥� do mhuinntir nan Srianan co-dhi霉. Agus mar sin fhuair e taic gu le貌r bho mhuinntir an 脿ite.

Nuair a bha e na ghille, bha Calum ag obair mar bhuachaille do dh鈥橣hear Chaladair aig Caisteal Chaladair. Latha samhraidh a bha seo, bha e a鈥� buachailleachd treud de chrodh G脿idhealach nuair a th脿inig c貌mhlan de cheatharnaich a-nuas air. Chuir iad an gr猫im e. Th貌isich na ceatharnaich air slighe a dh鈥檌onnsaigh taobh an iar na G脿idhealtachd. Bha an crodh ann an toiseach, an uair sin Calum, leis na creachadairean aig an deireadh. D猫 fon ghr猫in a bha Calum a鈥� dol a dh猫anamh?

Uill, bha breacan air a bhiodh aithnichte don a h-uile duine anns an sg矛re. Th貌isich e air m矛rein dhen bhreacan a ghearradh dheth is a leigeil don talamh. Cha do mhothaich na ceatharnaich do na bha e a鈥� d猫anamh. Air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach bha muinntir Chaladair a-muigh, a鈥� coimhead airson a鈥� chruidh, nuair a lorg fear p矛os breacain. Thuig e gur e p矛os de bhreacan Chaluim a bh鈥� ann. Chaidh d脿rna p矛os a lorg agus mar sin lean iad an rathad a ghabh Calum is na ceatharnaich.

Fhuair iad lorg orra ann an ceann shuas Srath 脠ireann. Bha na ceatharnaich, agus am pr矛osanach, nan suidhe ann an lagan, a鈥� r貌stadh mart. Fhuair muinntir Chaladair an crodh air ais agus fhuair Calum Beag duais bhon uachdaran airson na rinn e. Ge-t脿, cha b鈥� fhada gus am biodh e fh猫in a鈥� goid crodh!

Nuair a chaochail a ph脿rantan, fhuair Calum an taigh aca anns na Srianan. Bha sin ann an 脿ite ris an canar Straneorn ann am Beurla. Tha mi a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gur e sin Srath an E貌rna. Ph貌s Calum t猫 bhon talamh 矛osal ach bha i gu math d矛leas dha a thaobh na d貌igh-beatha aige. Lean Calum air le bhith a鈥� faighinn gr猫im air spr猫idh a bhuineadh do dhaoine eile. Bheir sinn s霉il a bharrachd air a bheatha anns an ath Litir.

脌ird Chlach: Ardclach; Uisge 脠ireann: Findhorn River; 肠别脿谤苍补颈诲丑: locality; 尘矛-肠丑濒颈霉颈迟别补肠丑: infamous; 蝉辫谤猫颈诲丑: livestock; mart: cow, steer; fialaidh: generous; Caisteal Chaladair: Cawdor Castle; 辫丑貌蝉: married.

fear air an robh Calum Beag mar ainm: a man called wee Calum; ag 猫irigh bhon talamh 矛osal, thorrach: rising from the low, fertile country; nach cuir e iongnadh sam bith oirbh: that it won鈥檛 surprise you at all; seo na sgr矛obh an s脿r-e貌laiche, Uilleam MacBh脿tair: this is what the expert, William J Watson, wrote; air a dhol 脿 bith: has become extinct; chanainn gur e X a bu n脿darraiche a ghabhadh sinn air: I鈥檇 say that it is X that we would most naturally call; airson nam pl貌ighean a bh鈥� aige: for his ploys; a bha le cuideigin eile: which belonged to somebody else; cha chumadh e a h-uile p矛os dhen fhe貌il dha fh猫in: he wouldn鈥檛 keep all the meat to himself; bha e a鈥� buachailleachd treud de chrodh G脿idhealach: he was tending a herd of Highland cattle; th貌isich na ceatharnaich air slighe a dh鈥檌onnsaigh taobh an iar na G脿idhealtachd: the caterans started on a route towards the West Highlands; th貌isich e air m矛rein dhen bhreacan a ghearradh dheth: he started to cut small pieces of the plaid; chaidh d脿rna p矛os a lorg: a second piece was found; ann an ceann shuas Srath 脠ireann: at the upper end of Strathdearn; nan suidhe ann an lagan, a鈥� r貌stadh mart: sitting in a hollow, roasting a cow, steer; duais bhon uachdaran: a reward from the laird; ge-t脿, cha b鈥� fhada gus am biodh e fh猫in a鈥� goid crodh: however, it wasn鈥檛 long until he would be stealing cattle himself; nuair a chaochail a ph脿rantan: when his parents died; bha i gu math d矛leas dha a thaobh na d貌igh-beatha aige: she was very loyal to him with regard to his way of life; lean X air le bhith a鈥� faighinn gr猫im air spr猫idh a bhuineadh do dhaoine eile: X continued to capture livestock which belonged to other people.

Bha an crodh ann an toiseach, leis na creachadairean aig an deireadh: the cattle were at the front, with the plunderers at the rear. Note the use of toiseach for front and deireadh for rear. In a boat, the toiseach is the bow, while the stern is the deireadh. We say ann an toiseach a鈥� ch脿ir for 鈥渋n the front of the car鈥� and ann an deireadh a鈥� ch脿ir for 鈥渋n the rear of the car鈥�. Both of these nouns commonly appear in their genitive forms as adjectives. For example an animal鈥檚 front legs are casan toisich; its rear legs are casan deiridh.

lean iad an rathad a ghabh Calum is na ceatharnaich: they followed the route that Calum and the caterans took. Gabhaidh mi an rathad m貌r: I鈥檒l take the main road.