大象传媒

D猫 am fuaim a tha coileach a鈥� d猫anamh ann an G脿idhlig? Bidh fios agaibh, tha mi an d霉il, gur e 鈥渃ock-a-doodle-doo鈥� a chanas e ann am Beurla agus 鈥渃oquerico鈥� ann am Fraingis. Uill, tuigidh sibh d猫 tha mi a鈥� ciallachadh oir chan aithne dhomh aon choileach aig a bheil Beurla no Fraingis! No G脿idhlig, gu dearbh!

Ach canaidh na G脿idheil gur e an rud a tha coileach ag r脿dh, 鈥済og-a-ghuidh-ghaoidhe鈥�. Gog-a-ghuidh-ghaoidhe. Bidh caoraich ag r脿dh 鈥渕猫鈥� ann an G脿idhlig, seach 鈥渂aa鈥�, agus canaidh c霉 鈥渦f鈥� an 脿ite 鈥渨oof鈥�.

Bhiodh na G脿idheil a鈥� cluinntinn rudan eadar-dhealaichte bho bheathaichean seach na chluinneadh luchd na Beurla, agus tha sin f矛or mun a h-uile cultar air an t-saoghal. Bhiodh rannan aca airson innse d猫 bha beathaichean, is gu h-脿raidh e貌in, ag r脿dh. Is aithne dhomh fear ann an Srath Sp猫 aig a bheil st貌ras math fhathast de na seann rannan G脿idhlig sin.

Tha naidheachd 猫ibhinn mu a leithid agam an t-seachdain seo, agus tha i 脿 Barraigh. Tha i 脿 cruinneachadh de st貌iridhean is naidheachdan a chaidh innse le Iain Mac a鈥� Phearsain nach maireann no 鈥淎n Codaidh鈥� mar a b鈥� fhe脿rr a dh鈥檃ithnicheadh e. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� oirre 鈥淎n Sme貌rach鈥�.

Bha fear, air an robh Iain, l脿 a bha seo ann am Bagh a鈥� Chaisteil. Is bha botal uisge-bheatha na chois. Bha e a鈥� coiseachd dhachaigh Rathad THangasdail agus th脿inig sg矛ths no buaidh na dighe, no an d脿 chuid, air. Stad e agus ghabh e norrag ri taobh an rathaid. Nuair a dh霉isg e, bha a鈥� mhadainn ann. Bha Iain ann an staid cho truagh, agus an ceann-daoraich air, gun tug e b貌id nach gabhadh e deoch l脿idir a-chaoidh tuilleadh.

Ach mus robh e air d霉sgadh buileach ceart, chuala e ceilearadh binn. Bha sme貌rach a鈥� seinn dha. Bha e deimhinne mu dheidhinn sin, oir thuig e na faclan aice: 鈥淚ain mac Iain, 鈥檚 tu tha tioram, 鈥檚 tu tha tioram, 鈥檚 tu tha tioram, Iain mac Iain 鈥檚 tu tha tioram.鈥� Cheileirich i sin grunn tursan.

An d猫idh dha sin a chluinntinn, leig Iain osna. Thuirt e ris fh猫in, 鈥淯ill tha an sme貌rach bhochd ag innse na f矛rinn agus, eadhon ged a gheall mi dhomh fh矛n nach gabhainn tuilleadh dhramaichean, feumaidh mi balgam beag a ghabhail.鈥�

Ghabh e balgam beag. Goirid 脿s d猫idh sin, mhothaich e gu robh fonn 霉r aig an sme貌raich. Agus bha faclan 霉r aice. Bha i an uair sin ag r脿dh, 鈥淚ain mac Iain, gabh balgam eile, gabh balgam eile, gabh balgam eile, Iain mac Iain, gabh balgam eile.鈥� Uill, shaoil Iain gum bu ch貌ir dha comhairle ghlic na sme貌raich a ghabhail, agus ghabh e balgam eile dhen uisge-bheatha.

A-nise cha robh m貌ran uisge-bheatha air fh脿gail anns a鈥� bhotal. Bha Iain a鈥� coimhead air na bha air fh脿gail, nuair a chuala e an sme貌rach a-rithist. Fonn eile an turas seo. Le faclan 霉ra. 鈥淚ain mac Iain, cuir cr矛och air, cuir cr矛och air, cuir cr矛och air, Iain mac Iain, cuir cr矛och air.鈥� Ghabh Iain a鈥� chomhairle bhon sme貌raich, agus dh鈥櫭瞝 e a h-uile dad a bh鈥� air fh脿gail anns a鈥� bhotal.

Agus an uair sin, shaoil e gum biodh e na b鈥� fhe脿rr dha tilleadh a Bhagh a鈥� Chaisteil, seach a dhol dhachaigh. Thill e agus b鈥� esan fear dhen chiad fheadhainn a nochd aig an taigh-sheinnse air an l脿 sin.

Agus 鈥檚 e sin st貌iridh na sme貌raich. Ach faodaidh sibh fh猫in an co-dh霉nadh a dh猫anamh an robh an t-eun dha-r矛reabh a鈥� bruidhinn ris an duine no an robh an duine a鈥� cluinntinn na comhairle a bu mhiann leis?!

Faclan na seachdaine: coileach: cockerel; cultar: culture; e貌in: birds; sme貌rach: thrush; ceann-daoraich: hangover; b貌id: vow; ceilearadh: singing of a bird; deimhinne: certain; fonn: tune; taigh-seinnse: pub.

Abairtean na seachdaine: tuigidh sibh d猫 tha mi a鈥� ciallachadh: you will understand what I mean; chan aithne dhomh aon choileach: I don鈥檛 know one cockerel; seach na chluinneadh luchd na Beurla: compared to what English-speakers would hear; tha naidheachd 猫ibhinn agam: I have an amusing anecdote; tha i 脿 cruinneachadh de st貌iridhean: it is from a collection of stories; Iain Mac a鈥� Phearsain nach maireann: the late John MacPherson; mar a b鈥� fhe脿rr a dh鈥� aithnicheadh e: as he was better known; bha botal uisge-bheatha na chois: he had with him a bottle of whisky; bha e a鈥� coiseachd Rathad Thangasdail: he was walking (on) the Tangusdale road; nach gabhadh e deoch l脿idir a-chaoidh tuilleadh: that he would never again take an alcoholic drink; leig e osna: he let out a sigh; tha X ag innse na f矛rinn: X is telling the truth; nach gabhainn tuilleadh dhramaichean: that I wouldn鈥檛 take more drams; bha Iain a鈥� coimhead air na bha air fh脿gail: John was looking at what was left; cuir cr矛och air: finish it; shaoil e gum biodh e na b鈥� fhe脿rr dha: he thought it would be better for him; a Bhagh a鈥� Chaisteil: to Castlebay; seach a dhol dhachaigh: instead of going home; faodaidh sibh fh猫in an co-dh霉nadh a dh猫anamh: you yourselves can decide; an robh an t-eun dha-r矛ridh a鈥� bruidhinn ris an duine: was the bird really speaking to the man; a鈥� cluinntinn na comhairle a bu mhiann leis: hearing the advice he desired.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Iain mac Iain, 鈥檚 tu (a) tha tioram: John, son of John, it鈥檚 yourself that is dry. Idiomatically, this would just be 鈥測ou are dry鈥� rather than 鈥渋t鈥檚 yourself that is dry鈥� but the literal translation follows the structure of the Gaelic. It is what you might to expect to read in a Compton Mackenzie novel, where the author gave the English a Gaelic flavour, but in fact Gaels of my grandmother鈥檚 generation peppered their English with such constructions. Commencing with the assertive verb, is, it emphasises the object of the sentence 鈥� tioram. It is stronger than just saying 鈥渢ha thu tioram鈥�. Is mi a tha g貌rach would likewise be a slightly emphatic form (it is me that is stupid), and a person (cruelly) agreeing with you might say in response, 鈥渋s tu a tha鈥�. Here are some other examples: is esan a tha l脿idir (it鈥檚 himself that is strong); is tusa a tha glic (it鈥檚 yourself that is wise). Is tu fh猫in am balach (it鈥檚 yourself that is the lad) is better idiomatically translated as 鈥渨ell done鈥� and would usually be addressed to a youngish male.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: ghabh e balgam beag: he took a small mouthful. Balgam is a word used only of liquids, although it can refer to both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks like tea and coffee. An gabh thu balgam? 鈥� will you take a wee drop?