大象传媒

Tha dualchas G脿idhealach air leth inntinneach aig m貌ran 脿iteachan ann an Siorrachd Obair Dheathain. Am measg nan 脿iteachan sin, tha an Tulaich, faisg air Bealadair. Bu mhath leam s霉il a thoirt air tr矛 ainmean 脿ite anns an sg矛re sin. Is iad sin Sliabh a鈥� Bheannachaidh, Dail a鈥� Mhallachaidh agus 脿ite 矛osal air an talchan ri taobh Uisge D猫 air a bheil Poll na h-Iuchrach. Tha e coltach gu robh Poll na h-Iuchrach uaireigin mar ph脿irt dhen abhainn. A r猫ir beul-aithris, tha na h-ainmean sin uile co-cheangailte ri naomh a bha uaireigin ainmeil anns an sg矛re sin.

B鈥� esan Nachlan. Bha e be貌 anns an t-seachdamh linn, agus bha e d矛leas do dhualchas Chaluim Chille. Thathar dhen bheachd gur e Cruithneach a bh鈥� ann, gum buineadh e don sg矛re sin, agus gu robh e 脿 teaghlach beartach. Tha seann tobhta anns an Tulaich air a bheil Cill Nachlain. 鈥橲 e sin l脿rach na h-eaglaise a bh鈥� aig Nachlan o shean. Chaidh eaglais eile a thogail air an l脿raich o chionn fhada 鈥� agus tha sin fh猫in na tobhta a-nise.

Choisinn Nachlan cli霉 dha fh猫in mar fhear practaigeach a bha uabhasach sgileil le bhith a鈥� f脿s b脿rr. Bhiodh e a鈥� dol timcheall na sg矛re, a鈥� sealltainn do dhaoine mar a b鈥� fhe脿rr a dh鈥檉h脿sadh iad b脿rr dhaibh fh猫in 鈥� e貌rna is coirce is a leithid sin. Nuair a bhiodh e a鈥� f脿ilneachadh air daoine eile arbhar math a bhith aca, bha b脿rr math an-c貌mhnaidh aig Nachlan. Bhiodh e a鈥� toirt taing do Dhia.

Bliadhna a bha seo, bha gort ann. Cha robh biadh gu le貌r aig na daoine. Gu fortanach bha st貌ras de dh鈥檃rbhar aig Nachlan. Thug e sin do na daoine airson an cumail be貌. Ge-t脿, chleachd iad uiread dhen st貌ras aige, 鈥檚 nach robh s矛ol air fh脿gail airson cur as t-earrach. Bha a h-uile duine a-nise ann an staing.

A r猫ir na sge貌il, chuir Nachlan earbsa ann am freastal Dh猫. Dh鈥檌arr e air a luchd-taic gainmheach a thoirt 脿 Uisge D猫 agus a sgaoileadh air na h-achaidhean. Nuair a bha sin d猫ante, chaidh Nachlan gu a ghl霉inean agus bheannaich e an t-脿ite. Gu h-iongantach, dh鈥檉h脿s b脿rr math air a鈥� bhliadhna sin.

As t-fhoghar, th脿inig daoine cruinn c貌mhla airson am b脿rr a bhuain. Nuair a bha iad deiseil airson t貌iseachadh, dh鈥櫭╥rich stoirm. Sh猫id i an t-arbhar thairis gus an robh e na laighe air an talamh. Dh鈥檉h脿s Nachlan feargach agus choirich e Dia airson na thachair.

An ceann greis chi霉inich an stoirm, agus chaidh an t-arbhar a bhuain math gu le貌r. Ach bha Nachlan ga ithe fh猫in airson na thuirt e ri Dia, agus mar a dh鈥檉h脿s e feargach leis. Ghabh e aithreachas, agus chuir e peanas air fh猫in. Cheangail e a gh脿irdean deas do chois agus chuir e glas air. Thilg e an iuchair do dh鈥橴isge D猫. Bha sin anns an 脿ite ris an canar, chun an l脿 an-diugh, Poll na h-Iuchrach. Thuirt Nachlan nach fhuasgladh e a鈥� ghlas gus am biodh e air tadhal air an R貌imh. Tha cuid dhen bheachd gu robh e airson maitheanas iarraidh bhon Ph脿p fh猫in. Tha cuid eile ag r脿dh gu robh e airson tadhal air na comhain aig na Naoimh Peadar is P貌l.

Nuair a bha e san R貌imh, thachair Nachlan ri balach a bha a鈥� reic 猫isg. Cheannaich an t-Albannach iasg bhuaithe agus thug e air ais e airson a dh矛nnearach. Nuair a bha e ga chutadh, lorg e rudeigin meatailt na bhroinn. D猫 bh鈥� ann? A, uill, innsidh mi sin dhuibh an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Siorrachd Obair Dheathain: Aberdeenshire; An Tulaich: Tullich; Bealadair: Ballater; naomh: saint; Nachlan: Nathalan, Nachlan; an-c貌mhnaidh: always; gort: famine.

Abairtean na Litreach: Sliabh a鈥� Bheannachaidh, Dail a鈥� Mhallachaidh: the moor of blessing, the dale of cursing; air an talchan ri taobh Uisge D猫: on the haugh beside the River Dee; Poll na h-Iuchrach: the pool of the key; uaireigin mar ph脿irt dhen abhainn: at one time part of the river; d矛leas do dhualchas Chaluim Chille: loyal to the Columban heritage; thathar dhen bheachd gur e Cruithneach a bh鈥� ann: it is thought he was a Pict; tha sin fh猫in na thobhta a-nise: that is now a ruin; choisinn Nachlan cli霉 dha fh猫in: Nachlan developed a reputation; mar fhear practaigeach a bha uabhasach sgileil le bhith a鈥� f脿s b脿rr: as a practical man who was extremely skilful in growing crops; e貌rna is coirce is a leithid sin: barley and oats and things like that; nuair a bhiodh e a鈥� f脿ilneachadh air daoine eile: when other people failed; st貌ras de dh鈥檃rbhar: a store of corn; chleachd iad uiread: they used so much; 鈥檚 nach robh s矛ol air fh脿gail airson cur as t-earrach: that there was no seed left to plant in spring; ann an staing: in a bad situation; chuir Nachlan earbsa ann am freastal Dh猫: Nachlan was confident of God鈥檚 providence: bheannaich e an t-脿ite: he blessed the place; airson am b脿rr a bhuain: to harvest the crop; sh猫id i an t-arbhar thairis: it blew the corn over; choirich e Dia: he blamed God; chi霉inich an stoirm: the storm abated; ghabh e aithreachas, agus chuir e peanas air fh猫in: he regretted it, and he punished himself; cheangail e a gh脿irdean deas do a chois: he tied his right arm to his leg; nach fhuasgladh e a鈥� ghlas gus am biodh e air tadhal air an R貌imh: that he would not release the lock until he had visited Rome; na comhain aig na Naoimh Peadar is P貌l: the shrines of Saints Peter and Paul; airson a dh矛nnearach: for his dinner; nuair a bha e ga chutadh: when he was gutting it; rudeigin meatailt na bhroinn: something metal inside it.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: a鈥� sealltainn do dhaoine mar a b鈥� fhe脿rr a dh鈥檉h脿sadh iad b脿rr dhaibh fh猫in: showing [to] people how best they could [would] grow crops for themselves. Mar a b鈥� fhe脿rr is a useful adverbial phrase 鈥� note how it is used and where it appears in the sentence. Here is another example of its use. Sheall mi dhaibh mar a b鈥� fhe脿rr a chutadh iad iasg: I showed them the best way to gut a fish. It often appears with urrainn eg dh鈥檌nnis i dhomh mar a b鈥� fhe脿rr a b鈥� urrainn dhomh a dh猫anamh (she told me how best to do it). The same sentence in English might be translated as dh鈥檌nnis i dhomh mar a b鈥� fhe脿rr a dh猫anainn e. Note that in all these cases, the verbs following the phrase are in the conditional.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: bha Nachlan ga ithe fh猫in airson na thuirt e ri Dia: Nachlan was sorely vexed (lit. 鈥渨as eating himself鈥�) about what he [had] said to God.