大象传媒

Chan fhaigh duine againn cadal math ma tha fuaim ann nach c貌rd rinn. Ach chan eil sin f矛or mu dheidhinn a h-uile fuaim. Ma tha thu a鈥� campachadh, cluinnidh tu a h-uile c脿il a tha a鈥� dol. Ma tha caoraich a鈥� m猫ilich no ma tha coileach a鈥� gairm, no ma tha do chompanach a鈥� d猫anamh srann, chan fhaigh thu cadal math. Ach ma tha thu ri taobh uisge a tha a鈥� gluasad, chan ann mar sin a tha e. Gheibh thu cadal f矛or mhath mar as trice.

Tha e gu h-脿raidh furasta cadal fhaighinn ri taobh allt no eas. No an cois na mara. Eadhon ma tha an t-uisge ann, tha e furasta gu le貌r cadal fhaighinn. Fhad 鈥檚 nach eil uisge ag ao-dion a-steach don teanta co-dhi霉!

鈥橲 e ce貌l cadail a tha sinn ag r脿dh ri a leithid de dh鈥檉huaim. Ce貌l cadail. Seo agaibh abairt 脿 Be脿rnaraigh Na Hearadh: 鈥橲 math an ce貌l cadail e, uisge bragadaich air 脿irigh. 鈥橲 math an ce貌l cadail e, uisge bragadaich air 脿irigh. Tha sin br猫agha, nach eil?

Ann an d貌igh tha an abairt seo car annasach. Anns a鈥� chuid as m貌 de bhothain-脿irigh bhiodh am mullach air a dh猫anamh de sgr脿than agus fraoch no cuilcean. Agus cha chluinneadh tu m貌ran am broinn bothan mar sin. Cha d猫anadh na boinnean uisge fuaim m貌r sam bith air a鈥� mhullach. Cha bhiodh uisge a鈥� bragadaich idir air bothan-脿irigh 脿bhaisteach. Ach buinidh an abairt seo do mhuinntir Bhe脿rnaraigh. Feumaidh gu robh rudeigin eadar-dhealaichte mu na bothain-脿irigh acasan.

Agus bha. Bha an t-eilean ro bheag airson 脿irighean a bhith ann. Ach bha 脿irighean aig na h-eileanaich air eileanan eile ann an Caolas Na Hearadh eadar Na Hearadh is Uibhist 鈥� eileanan a bha gun sluagh. Leis gun deach iad a-null ann an eathraichean bha an-c貌mhnaidh rudeigin aca bhon eathar a dh猫anadh mullach dhaibh. Bhiodh se貌l aca no cainb-the脿rra bhon eathar, agus bhiodh e furasta sin a chur an s脿s mar mhullach, thairis air ballachan no tobhtaichean. Agus bidh fios agaibh cho fuaimneach 鈥檚 a tha mullach mar sin nuair a tha an t-uisge ann.

Chanadh muinntir Bhe脿rnaraigh gun cumadh an se貌l no cainb-the脿rra an t-uisge a-mach ach gun leigeadh e an ce貌l a-steach. An ce貌l-cadail.

Bhiodh suiridhe gu le貌r a鈥� dol aig an 脿irigh san t-seann aimsir. Ach cha bhiodh c霉isean cho furasta do chupallan 貌ga nuair a bha iad air ais aig baile. Cha robh c脿raichean aca agus bhiodh iad a鈥� coinneachadh taobh a-muigh nan taighean 鈥� ri taobh nan tobhtaichean no air an t-sitig. Le 鈥渁ir an t-sitig鈥� tha mi a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渢aobh a-muigh an taighe鈥�.

Mar a thuigeas sibh, dh鈥檉haodadh an luchd-suiridhe f脿s gu math fuar is fliuch. Gu tric thigeadh an cnatan, no fuachd, orra. Agus tha abairt ann a tha muinntir Bhe脿rnaraigh a鈥� cleachdadh airson tarraing 脿 cupallan 貌ga ma tha an cnatan orra no ma tha iad a鈥� casadaich: Cnatan thobhtaichean is fuachd shitigean.

Tha mi an d貌chas nach fhaigh sibh fh猫in cnatan thobhtaichean agus nach fhada gus am faigh sibh ce貌l cadail air an oidhche.

Faclan na seachdaine: aithnichte: known, recognised; cadal: sleep; Be脿rnaraigh Na Hearadh: Berneray Harris (or Uist); bothan-脿irigh: shieling bothy; Caolas Na Hearadh: The Sound of Harris; tobhtaichean: walls of ruin; suiridhe: courting.

Abairtean na seachdaine: ma tha fuaim ann nach c貌rd rinn: if there is a noise which we don鈥檛 enjoy; ma tha caoraich a鈥� m猫ilich no ma tha coileach a鈥� gairm: if a sheep is bleating or a cockerel is crowing; ma tha do chompanach a鈥� d猫anamh srann: if your companion is snoring; chan ann mar sin a tha e: it is not like that; ri taobh allt no eas: beside a burn or waterfall; an cois na mara: next to the sea; fhad 鈥檚 nach eil uisge ag ao-dion: as long as water isn鈥檛 leaking; 鈥檚 math an ce貌l cadail e, uisge [a鈥橾 bragadaich air 脿irigh: good sleep-music is the rain pattering on the shieling; air a dh猫anamh de sgr脿than agus fraoch no cuilcean: made of sods and heather or rushes; am broinn: inside; buinidh an abairt seo do: this phrase belongs to; gun sluagh: without a population; leis gun deach iad a-null ann an eathraichean: because they went over in boats; bha an-c貌mhnaidh rudeigin aca: they always had something; bhiodh se貌l aca no cainb-the脿rra bhon eathar: they would have a sail or a tarpaulin from the boat; gun leigeadh e an ce貌l a-steach: that it would let the music in; do chupallan 貌ga nuair a bha iad aig baile: for young couples when they were at home; bhiodh iad a鈥� coinneachadh taobh a-muigh nan taighean: they would meet outside the houses; gu tric thigeadh an cnatan orra: often they would get a cold; airson tarraing 脿 X: to tease X; cnatan thobhtaichean is fuachd shitigean: a [common] cold from ruined walls and middens.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Ma tha thu a鈥� campachadh, cluinnidh tu a h-uile c脿il: if you are camping, you hear everything. Do you notice an apparent change of tense here in the Gaelic? The first part is present tense with the verbal noun, but I didn鈥檛 then say 鈥渢ha thu a鈥� cluinntinn a h-uile c脿il鈥� 鈥� because this would be only properly be used for something actually happening at the moment (although it would be understood). I used the future tense (cluinnidh) which also stands for habitual acts in the present and is commonly used in this type of construction. But I might have used the relative future in the first part ie ma bhios tu a鈥� campachadh鈥� or nuair a champaicheas tu鈥�

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: air an t-sitig: sitig means a dunghill or midden. Thus don t-sitig or chun na sitig or air an t-sitig can have connotations of being discarded or thrown out. But because the sitig was traditionally sited fairly close to the house, for ease of access, the idiom can also simply mean 鈥渙ut of doors/outside the house鈥� which is its meaning in this instance.