大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu choin a bhith a鈥� d猫anamh donnal 鈥� uaireannan ris a鈥� ghealaich, nuair a tha a鈥� ghealach l脿n. Uill, tha sin f矛or, ach uaireannan bidh coin a鈥� comhartaich ris a鈥� ghealaich cuideachd.

Tha seanfhacal againn a tha a鈥� buntainn air sin: Cha mhist鈥� a鈥� ghealach na coin a bhith [a鈥橾 comhartaich rithe. Cha mhist鈥� a鈥� ghealach na coin a bhith comhartaich rithe. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh nach d猫an e cron sam bith air a鈥� ghealaich gu bheil coin a鈥� comhartaich rithe.

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun leabhar 霉r aig Raghnall MacIlleDhuibh 鈥� The Gaelic Otherworld 鈥� a tha st猫idhichte air d脿 sheann leabhar le Iain MacGriogair Caimbeul. Chruinnich an Caimbeulach beul-aithris, am measg eile, a bha co-cheangailte ris an droch-sh霉il.

Nam fasadh p脿iste tinn, gun fhios carson, chuireadh a ph脿rantan a dh鈥檌arraidh cailleach ghlic. Chuireadh a鈥� chailleach uisge glan ann am bobhla, agus chuireadh i crotag, sin bonn-airgid leth-thastain, anns a鈥� bhobhla. Bhiodh i gu sgiobalta a鈥� cur a鈥� bhobhla bun-os-cionn. Nan leanadh am bonn-airgid ri bonn a鈥� bhobhla, bhiodh sin a鈥� ciallachadh gu robh am p脿iste air a chronachadh leis an droch-sh霉il.

An uair sin d猫 thachradh? Uill, seo mar a mh矛nich fear 脿 Tiriodh an gnothach. 鈥淣uair a bha mi nam bhalach,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥渃haidh mi gu taigh n脿baidh鈥� Bha p脿iste anns an taigh a bha uabhasach tinn. Thug cailleach bobhla a bha leth-l脿n de dh鈥檜isge, chuir i air a gl霉in e, agus th貌isich i air dranndan a dh猫anamh os a chionn鈥� An d猫idh greis, th貌isich a鈥� chailleach air m猫aranaich agus chan fhaca mi a leithid de mh猫aranaich a-riamh. Rinn i m猫aran an d猫idh m猫aran gus an robh mi a鈥� smaoineachadh gu robh i a鈥� dol a bh脿sachadh. Bhogadh sp貌gan a鈥� chait anns a鈥� bhobhla, agus sn脿ithlean dearg鈥� an d猫idh dha a bhith air a bhogadh anns an uisge cuideachd 鈥� bha [an sn脿ithlean] air a chur timcheall amhaich a鈥� ph脿iste.鈥�

Tha an Caimbeulach ag innse dhuinn rudeigin inntinneach mu dheidhinn an uisge a bha anns a鈥� bhobhla. Sgr矛obh e gur e 鈥渦isge casan an t-sealgair鈥� a dh鈥檉heumadh a bhith ann. Uisge casan an t-sealgair. Mar bu trice, b鈥� e cat an sealgair a b鈥� fhasa air am faigheadh na daoine gr猫im.

鈥橲 e an 鈥渄ranndan鈥� a chuala am balach a鈥� gheas. Bha a鈥� chailleach a鈥� cur an uisge agus an sn脿ithlean fo gheas. Ach carson a bha a鈥� chailleach a鈥� m猫aranaich? Uill, a r猫ir choltais, bha sin a鈥� tachairt nuair a bha tinneas, a bh鈥� air a鈥� ph脿iste, a鈥� falbh 脿s.

Cha robh an tinneas d矛reach a鈥� sgapadh don iarmailt, ge-t脿. Bha e a鈥� dol thairis don chaillich. Is bha an tinneas a鈥� toirt air a鈥� chaillich m猫aranan m貌ra a dh猫anamh.

Tha mi an d貌chas nach eil sibh fh猫in a鈥� m猫aranaich an-dr脿sta. Ma tha, chan eil e a鈥� ciallachadh gu bheil tinneas oirbh. 鈥橲 e d矛reach gu bheil mi air a bhith a鈥� bruidhinn ro fhada. Sguiridh mi a-nise! Beannachd leibh.

Faclan na seachdaine: luchd-poileataics: politicians; Raghnall MacIlleDhuibh: Ronald Black; Iain MacGriogair Caimbeul: John Gregorson Campbell; st猫idhichte: based; an droch-sh霉il: the evil eye; crotag: [silver] sixpence; n脿baidh: neighbour; geas: spell, charm.

Abairtean na seachdaine: mu choin a bhith a鈥� d猫anamh donnal: about dogs howling; uaireannan bidh coin a鈥� comhartaich ris a鈥� ghealaich: sometimes dogs bark at the moon; nach d猫an e cron sam bith air X: that it won鈥檛 damage X at all; nam fasadh p脿iste tinn: if a child grew ill; chuireadh i bonn-airgid leth-thastain: she would put a silver coin worth half a shilling (sixpence); nan leanadh am bonn-airgid ri bonn a鈥� bhobhla: if the silver coin stuck to the bottom of the bowl; d猫 thachradh?: what would happen?; chuir i air a gl霉in e: she put it on her knee; th貌isich i air dranndan a dh猫anamh os a chionn: she started to murmur above it; chan fhaca mi a leithid de mh猫aranaich a-riamh: I never saw yawning like it; gus an robh mi a鈥� smaoineachadh gu robh i a鈥� dol a bh脿sachadh: until I thought she was going to die; uisge casan an t-sealgair: water of the hunter鈥檚 foot; b鈥� e cat an sealgair a b鈥� fhasa air am faigheadh na daoine gr猫im: a cat was the hunter which was easiest for the people to find; nuair a bha tinneas a鈥� falbh 脿s: when the disease was leaving [the child]; a鈥� sgapadh don iarmailt: disappearing into the ether; tha mi an d貌chas nach eil sibh a鈥� m猫aranaich an-dr脿sta: I hope you are not yawning just now; gu bheil mi air a bhith a鈥� bruidhinn ro fhada: that I have been speaking too long; sguiridh mi a-nise: I鈥檒l stop now.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Bhogadh sp貌gan a鈥� chait anns a鈥� bhobhla, agus sn脿ithlean dearg鈥� an d猫idh dha a bhith air a bhogadh anns an uisge cuideachd 鈥� bha [an sn脿ithlean] air a chur timcheall amhaich a鈥� ph脿iste (the cat鈥檚 paws were immersed in the bowl, and a red thread 鈥� after it too had been immersed in the water [the thread] was put around the child鈥檚 neck). The word bhogadh appears twice here, and both are passive verb constructions, but they are not grammatically identical. The first one is the past passive form of bog (cf chuireadh = was put, rinneadh = was made). Bhogadh na sp貌gan (the paws were immersed). In some dialects, the 鈥渄h鈥� ending is replaced by an 鈥渞鈥� in such constructions, ie bhogar an sn脿ithlean (the thread was immersed). The second occurrence of bhogadh is the verbal noun used with the preposition air (originally iar), meaning 鈥渁fter鈥�, to make it passive. Bha an sn脿ithlean air a bhogadh (the thread was immersed); bha na sp貌gan air am bogadh (the paws were immersed); bha sinn air ar bogadh (we were immersed).

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: Cha mhist鈥� a鈥� ghealach na coin a bhith [a鈥橾 comhartaich rithe: the moon is none the worse for the dogs barking at it.