大象传媒

Bha mi a鈥� bruidhinn an t-seachdain sa chaidh mun 貌ran ainmeil Mo R霉n Geal 脪g. Carson a bha sin, nise? Uill, bha adhbhar agam. Nochd an t-貌ran sin ann an leabhar 霉r a chaidh fhoillseachadh o chionn ghoirid. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air an leabhar 脪rain nan Rosach: a Collection of Gaelic Songs from Ross-shire. 鈥橲 e leabhar air leth math a th鈥� ann.鈥橲 i Fiona NicCoinnich a chuir ri ch猫ile e. Tha Fiona a鈥� fuireach ann an Inbhir Pheofharain ann an Siorrachd Rois.

Chan eil a h-uile 貌ran anns an leabhar buileach cho trom br貌nach 鈥檚 a tha Mo R霉n Geal 脪g. Mar eisimpleir, tha fear ann aig a bheil d脿 thiotal 鈥� 脪ran a鈥� Choilich, no Gog Gog! Tha seo mu dheidhinn tachartas ann am baile beag air a bheil An 脌ird Dhubh. Tha an 脌ird Dhubh air cladach na Comraich. Bha cuid de na sinnsirean agam fh矛n 脿s an 脌ird Dhuibh agus, mar sin, tha mi toilichte gu bheil an t-貌ran anns an leabhar. Is iongantach mura robh c脿irdean agam fh矛n am measg an fheadhainn a dh鈥檉hulaing air sailleamh a鈥� choilich ghlais. Seo agaibh an t-s猫ist:

Bha Gog! Gog! Gog! aig a鈥� choileach ghlas a-raoir

Bha Gog! Gog! Gog! aig a鈥� choileach fad na h-oidhch鈥�

Cha robh creutair anns a鈥� bhaile

Nighean 貌g no bean no cailleach

Nuair bu ch貌ir dhaibh bhith nan cadal

Nach robh mach nan aodach oidhch鈥�.

A bheil sibh a鈥� tuigsinn d猫 bha a鈥� cur dragh air muinntir a鈥� bhaile? Am fuaim a bha an coileach a鈥� d猫anamh air an oidhche. Seo an t-s猫ist a-rithist:

Bha Gog! Gog! Gog! aig a鈥� choileach ghlas a-raoir

Bha Gog! Gog! Gog! aig a鈥� choileach fad na h-oidhch鈥�

Cha robh creutair anns a鈥� bhaile

Nighean 貌g no bean no cailleach

Nuair bu ch貌ir dhaibh bhith nan cadal

Nach robh mach nan aodach oidhch鈥�.

Tha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh gu bheil sinn uile air a bhith e貌lach air a leithid de choileach 鈥� a bhios a鈥� gairm air an oidhche no tr脿th tr脿th sa mhadainn 鈥� co-dhi霉 ma tha sinn air a bhith a鈥� fuireach a-muigh air an d霉thaich.

Bha Donnchadh MacCoinnich na bh脿rd-baile. Bha e na sheinneadair math cuideachd. Chuala Donnchadh bho chuideigin 脿s an 脌ird Dhuibh mu choileach a bha a鈥� cumail daoine suas fad na h-oidhche leis an fhuaim a bha e a鈥� d猫anamh. Agus sgr矛obh e an t-貌ran. Seo a鈥� chiad rann dheth:

Mo mhallachd aig a鈥� choileach

Chuir an sluagh nam boil a-raoir

Sh矛n an caithream cruaidh 鈥檚 an sgreadail

Nuair a th脿inig meadhan-oidhch鈥�.

Theann mi fh猫in a-null ri Peigi

鈥橲 mi air chrith le se貌rsa eagail

Ach nuair th貌isich e air feadail

Chuir e 鈥檔 cuthach air a鈥� chloinn.

Chan eil 鈥淧eigi鈥�, a nochdas san 貌ran, be貌 a-nise, ach tha guth fear dhen chloinn air an do chuir an coileach an cuthach, aithnichte do luchd-猫isteachd Radio nan G脿idheal. Bidh fios aig an fheadhainn aig a bheil fios!

Tha an t-霉ghdar a鈥� faighinn comhairle san 貌ran bho 鈥渘ighean Iain mholaich鈥�. Tha i ag r脿dh, 鈥淔albh 鈥檚 cuir 脿s dha eun na mallachd鈥�. An do ghabhadh a comhairle? Chan eil fhios agam, ach tha amharas agam nach robh saoghal a鈥� choilich ghlais buileach cho fada 鈥檚 a bhitheadh e nan robh an t-eun sin air a bhith s脿mhach s矛theil air an oidhche!

Faclan na seachdaine: Inbhir Pheofharain: Dingwall; s猫ist: chorus; feadail: whistling.

Abairtean na seachdaine: bha adhbhar agam: I had a reason; a chaidh fhoillseachadh o chionn ghoirid: which was published recently; 鈥檚 e leabhar air leth math a th鈥� ann: it is an excellent book; air cladach na Comraich: on the shoreline of Applecross; is iongantach mura robh c脿irdean agam fh矛n am measg an fheadhainn: it is likely that relations of my own were among those; air sailleamh a鈥� choilich ghlais: because of the grey cockerel; d猫 rinn an coileach orra?: what did the cockerel do to [on] them?; cha robh creutair anns a鈥� bhaile: there was nobody in the village; nuair [a] bu ch貌ir dhaibh [a] bhith nan cadal: when they should have been asleep; nach robh mach nan aodach oidhch鈥�: weren鈥檛 out in their night clothes; a bhios a鈥� gairm air an oidhche no tr脿th tr脿th sa mhadainn: which calls during the night or first thing in the morning; sh矛n an caithream cruaidh 鈥檚 an sgreadail: the harsh loud noise and the screeching started; theann mi fh猫in a-null ri Peigi: I moved closer to Peggy;鈥檚 mi air chrith le se貌rsa eagail: [and me] shaking with a sort of fear; chuir e 鈥檔 cuthach air a鈥� chloinn: he drove the children crazy; falbh 鈥檚 cuir 脿s dha eun na mallachd: go and kill what wretched bird; an do ghabhadh a comhairle?: was his advice taken?: tha amharas agam nach robh saoghal a鈥� choilich ghlais buileach cho fada: I suspect the grey cockerel鈥檚 lifespan wasn鈥檛 quite as long; nan robh an t-eun sin air a bhith s脿mhach s矛theil: if that bird had been quiet and peaceful.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Bha cuid de na sinnsirean agam fh矛n 脿s an 脌ird Dhuibh: some of my own ancestors were from Ardue/Ardubh. 脌ird is a feminine word and therefore would be slenderised (traditionally) in the dative or prepositional case following a simple preposition. It cannot be slenderised itself, of course, but its qualifying adjective is slenderised 鈥� changing Dhubh to Dhuibh.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Mo mhallachd aig a鈥� choileach [a] chuir an sluagh nam boil a-raoir: my curse on the cockerel [that] infuriated the people last night. Chuir e nam boil iad (or chuir e air bhoil iad): he infuriated them/sent them into an uproar.