大象传媒

Fhuair mi preusant an l脿 eile bho bhoireannach anns an Eilean Sgitheanach agus bha mi air leth toilichte fhaighinn. 鈥橲 e seann leabhar G脿idhlig a th鈥� ann, a chaidh fhoillseachadh ann an naoi ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a seachd (1937). 鈥橲 e an tiotal a th鈥� air 鈥淒uanagan agus Sgeulachdan Beaga鈥�.

Bha fios aig a鈥� bhoireannach a thug an leabhar dhomh gu robh mi a鈥� fuireach ann an Astr脿ilia 霉ine mh貌ir. Agus tha cuid de na duanagan is sgeulachdan 脿 Astr脿ilia, oir bha am fear a sgr矛obh an leabhar, Iain MacIllInnein, a鈥� fuireach thall an sin. An-diugh, agus ann an Litir no dh脿 eile a leanas air an t猫 seo, bu mhath leam blasad a thoirt dhuibh dhen sgr矛obhadh aig Iain.

Bhuineadh Iain do Ghe脿rrloch agus b鈥� e an sloinneadh aige Iain Dubh Mac Dh貌mhnaill 鈥檌c Iain. Nuair a chaidh e air b貌rd na luinge a bha a鈥� dol ga thoirt a dh鈥橝str脿ilia (bha seo ann am Plymouth), c貌 eile a bha air b貌rd ach fear 脿s an sg矛re aige fh猫in 鈥� bodach air an robh Alasdair Choinnich mar ainm. Bha am mac a bu shine aig Alasdair thall ann an Astr脿ilia cheana. Agus bha a mhac a b鈥� 貌ige a鈥� siubhal c貌mhla ris. 鈥橲 e Cailean an t-ainm a bh鈥� airsan.

Cha robh Alasdair uabhasach d猫idheil air se貌ladh aig muir. Agus bha cleachdadh aige aig an taigh ris nach b鈥� urrainn dha cumail air b貌rd. B鈥� e sin gum biodh e a鈥� faighinn boinne uisge-bheatha gach madainn. Cha robh sin ceadaichte air b貌rd na luinge.

Ach dh鈥檌arr Alasdair air Cailean dhol don dotair a bh鈥� air b貌rd, a dh鈥檌nnse dha nach robh Alasdair gu math. Bha aig Cailean ri iarraidh air an dotair cuibhreann beag de dh鈥檜isge-beatha a thoirt dha airson athair. Ach cha robh an dotair de貌nach dad a thoirt dha.

Madainn a bha seo, chaidh Alasdair gu Iain Dubh, a鈥� guidhe air dhol don dotair air a shon, is deoch-l脿idir iarraidh. Bha Cailean a鈥� di霉ltadh a dhol ann a-muigh no mach, agus cha robh Beurla gu le貌r aig a鈥� bhodach airson an gnothach a choileanadh dha fh猫in.

Chaidh Iain don dotair agus thuirt e ris, 鈥渢ha duine bochd agad an siud air b貌rd, agus mura toir thu dha rudeigin a n矛 feum dha, cha bhi e be貌 nuair a ruigeas sinn t矛r.鈥�

鈥淢ura bi,鈥� ars鈥� an dotair, 鈥渢ha mise coma. Chan eil ann ach trustar 脠ireannach!鈥�

鈥淭rustar 脠ireannach!鈥� ars鈥� Iain, 鈥檚 e a鈥� d霉nadh a dh霉irn agus ga togail suas ri aodann. 鈥淐脿ite an gabhadh tu ort a leithid a r脿dh mu dheidhinn duine uasal G脿idhealach?鈥� Mhaoidh Iain air an dotair, mura toireadh e deoch-l脿idir don bhodach gun d猫anadh e cinnteach gun cailleadh e a dhreuchd nuair a ruigeadh iad t矛r. Maoidheadh ann no 脿s, bhithinn an d貌chas an l脿 an-diugh gum biodh G脿idheal Albannach a鈥� d矛on cli霉 nan 脠ireannach, seach a bhith a鈥� d猫anamh sgaradh eadar an d脿 shluagh G脿idhealach. Ach cha b鈥� ann mar sin a bha e, gu m矛-fhortanach, faisg air ceud bliadhna air ais.

Dh鈥檃tharraich an dotair a bheachd. Seo na thuirt e, a r猫ir Iain: 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh maitheanas. Nan robh fios agam gum b鈥� e G脿idheal a bha anns an duine ch貌ir, bhiodh a chuid uisge-bheatha aige a h-uile l脿 bho th脿inig e air b貌rd. Cuir suas an seo e agus gheibh e l脿n na glainne a h-uile madainn.鈥�

Fhuair Alasdair air t矛r gu sl脿n fallain, taing don uisge-bheatha agus don dotair. Chuir e seachad bliadhnaichean ann an Astr脿ilia ach, a dh鈥檃indeoin aois, thill e mu dheireadh a dh鈥橝lba, cuide ri bhean is am mac a b鈥� 貌ige.

Faclan na seachdaine: preusant: present; duanagan: ditties; MacIllInnein: MacLennan; blasad: a little taste; cheana: already; ceadaichte: permitted; maitheanas: forgiveness.

Abairtean na seachdaine: bha mi air leth toilichte fhaighinn: I was really pleased to get it; a leanas air an t猫 seo: which will follow on this one [fem.]; bhuineadh Iain do Ghe脿rrloch: John belonged to Gairloch; nuair a chaidh e air b貌rd na luinge: when he went on board the ship; am mac a bu shine: the eldest son; bha a mhac a b鈥� 貌ige a鈥� siubhal c貌mhla ris: his youngest son was travelling with him ; bha cleachdadh aige aig an taigh: he had a custom at home; ris nach b鈥� urrainn dha cumail air b貌rd: to which he could not adhere [while] on board; gum biodh e a鈥� faighinn boinne uisge-bheatha gach madainn: that he would have a drop of whisky every morning; cha robh an dotair de貌nach dad a thoirt dha: the doctor was not willing to give him anything; a鈥� guidhe air dhol don dotair air a shon: beseeching him to go the doctor on his behalf; airson an gnothach a choileanadh dha fh猫in: to bring the matter to a [successful] conclusion by himself; cha bhi e be貌 nuair a ruigeas sinn t矛r: he will not be alive when we reach land; tha mise coma: I couldn鈥檛 care less; chan eil ann ach trustar 脠ireannach: he鈥檚 only an Irish scoundrel; 鈥檚 e a鈥� d霉nadh a dh霉irn agus ga togail suas ri aodann: closing his fist and raising it to his [the doctor鈥檚] face; c脿ite an gabhadh tu ort a leithid a r脿dh: [idiom] how dare you presume to say that; bhithinn an d貌chas an l脿 an-diugh: I would hope today; nan robh fios agam: if I had known; bhiodh a chuid uisge-bheatha aige a h-uile l脿 bho th脿inig e air b貌rd: he would have had his portion of whisky every day since he came on board; cuide ri bhean is am mac a b鈥� 貌ige: along with his wife and their youngest son.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: b鈥� e an sloinneadh a bh鈥� aige Iain Dubh Mac Dh貌mhnaill 鈥檌c Iain: his patronymic was Black John son of Donald, son of John. How would you respond to the question 鈥渄猫 an sloinneadh a th鈥� agad?鈥�? Is the questioner meaning your patronymic or your surname? It is more likely to be the latter in casual conversation with a stranger, although some might use cinneadh instead of sloinneadh to mean 鈥渟urname鈥�. But if you are of Highland ancestry and the questioner knows your people or the community to which they did or do belong, he might indeed be meaning 鈥渨hat is your patronymic?鈥� You should learn how to respond in both ways to the question, if that is relevant to your situation.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Bha Cailean a鈥� di霉ltadh a dhol ann a-muigh no mach: Colin was absolutely refusing to go. Cha d猫an mi sin a-muigh no mach!: There鈥檚 no way on Earth I鈥檒l do that!