大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu dheidhinn an Eilein Ghuirm air an do rinn M脿rtainn MacIlleMh脿rtainn aithris anns an leabhar aige air eileanan na h-Alba, a nochd ann an cl貌 an toiseach o chionn tr矛 cheud bliadhna. Chaidh criubha soithich Shasannaich air t矛r, agus thog iad c脿rn, no t霉r, de dh鈥檉hiodh airson 鈥檚 gum faicte an t-eilean, oir bha e gu math 矛osal.

Uill, chan e maraichean a-mh脿in a chunnaic e, oir chuala am ministear a rinn aithris air a鈥� ch霉is do Mh脿cIlleMh脿rtainn, an t-Urramach Iain MacSuain, gum faca cuid de mhuinntir Cholasa e, agus iad aig mullach cnuic anns an eilean aca fh猫in air l脿 br猫agha. Bha iad cinnteach gur e t矛r a bh鈥� ann, ged nach robh iad air dad fhaicinn ann a sin riamh-roimhe.

Nuair a chuala Mgr MacSuain bhon mharaiche Shasannach gu robh a chriubha air t霉r-fiodha a thogail anns an 鈥淓ilean Ghorm鈥�, thuig e gur e sin a chunnaic muinntir Cholasa bhon chnoc aca. Bha an t-eilean ro 矛osal airson fhaicinn, a chionn 鈥檚 gu robh e fad air falbh. Ach ghabhadh an t霉r-fiodha fhaicinn, agus do mhuinntir Cholasa bha e mar gu robh eilean air nochdadh gun rabhadh a-mach 脿s a鈥� chuan.

脌s d猫idh gun deach an samhradh sin seachad, chan fhaca na Colasaich an t霉r-fiodha, no an t-Eilean Gorm, a-chaoidh tuilleadh. Carson? Uill, bha MacIlleMh脿rtainn dhen bheachd gur e a鈥� ghaoth a bu choireach 鈥� gun do chuir stoirmean an t霉r as a ch猫ile. Agus 脿s aonais an t霉ir, cha robh sgeul air an eilean 鈥� co-dhi霉 do mhuinntir Cholasa.

Ach chan eil sin a鈥� m矛neachadh mar a chaidh an t-eilean, a bharrachd air an t霉r, 脿s an t-sealladh buileach glan. No mar nach eil aithris againn air bho she貌ladairean eile. Chan eil eilean air a鈥� chairt-mhara ann a sin an-diugh 鈥� agus cha robh a leithid air na seann mhapaichean nas m貌.

Ach tha an aon rud f矛or mu eilean eile a nochdas ann am beul-aithris nan Gaidheal 鈥� Rocabarra. Thathar ag r脿dh gu bheil Rocabarra, a tha, no a bha, na eilean beag anns a鈥� Chuan Siar, air nochdadh os cionn na mara d脿 thuras. Agus d脿 thuras chaidh e fodha a-rithist. Thathar ag r脿dh, ma nochdas e treas turas, gun tig an saoghal gu cr矛ch. Gu dearbh, theirte 鈥淣uair a thig Rocabarra ris, is dual gun t猫id an saoghal a sgrios.鈥� Nuair a thig Rocabarra ris, is dual gun t猫id an saoghal a sgrios.

Tha Eilean Reachra eadar Alba is Eirinn agus tha cuid air a bhith dhen bheachd gur d貌cha gur e sin an t-Eilean Gorm air an robh am maraiche Sasannach a-mach. Ach chanainn gu bheil e ro fhaisg air Eirinn airson sin. Is d貌cha nach bi fios againn a-chaoidh air co-dhi霉 bha an aithris a rinn am maraiche Sasannach f矛rinneach no breugach. No an robh an t-Urramach Iain MacSuain a thug am fiosrachadh gu M脿rtainn MacIlleMh脿rtainn e fh猫in f矛rinneach no breugach, oir tha e coltach gu robh e rudeigin measail air an stuth ruadh, ma tha sibh gam thuigs鈥�.

Cha deach MacIlleMh脿rtainn faisg air an Eilean Ghorm, ach chaidh e a Cholasa agus don eilean a tha ceangailte ris ach a-mh脿in nuair a bhios an l脿n ann 鈥� Orasa. Nuair a bha e ann, dh鈥檌arr fear an taighe air M脿rtainn am B矛oball aige a thoirt dha air iasad airson leigheas a dh猫anamh air cuideigin a bha tinn leis an fiabhras. Chleachd e am B矛oball mar ghaotharan airson am fear tinn fhionnarachadh. 鈥橲 e seann chleachdadh a bh鈥� ann, agus tha e coltach gum b鈥� iad duilleagan a鈥� Bh矛obaill an fheadhainn a b鈥� fhe脿rr a dh猫anadh a鈥� ch霉is.

Faclan na seachdaine: M脿rtainn MacIlleMh脿rtainn: Martin Martin; an t-Urramach Iain MacSuain: Rev. John MacSween; muinntir Cholasa: the people of Colonsay; Reachra: Rathlin; f矛rinneach: truthful; breugach: untruthful; am B矛oball: The Bible; leigheas: cure; fiabhras: fever; gaotharan: fan; duilleagan: pages.

Abairtean na seachdaine: mu dheidhinn an Eilein Ghuirm: about the Green Island; a nochd ann an cl貌 an toiseach: which first appeared in print; criubha soithich Shasannaich: the crew of an English vessel; chan e maraichean a-mh脿in a chunnaic e: it is not only seafarers that saw it; agus iad aig mullach cnuic: when they were on the top of a hill; a chionn 鈥檚 gu robh e fad air falbh: because it was a long way away; mar gu robh eilean air nochdadh gun rabhadh: as if an island had appeared without warning; chan fhaca X Y a-chaoidh tuilleadh: X never saw Y again; gur e a鈥� ghaoth a bu choireach: that the wind was responsible; gun do chuir X Y as a ch猫ile: that X broke up Y; 脿s aonais an t霉ir: without the tower; 脿s an t-sealladh buileach glan: completely out of sight; a bha na eilean beag anns a鈥� Chuan Siar: which was a small island in the Atlantic Ocean; chaidh e fodha: it submerged; ma nochdas e treas turas: if it appears a third time; air an robh X a-mach: which X was on about; gu robh e measail air an stuath ruadh: that he was keen on the amber stuff (ie whisky); ma tha sibh gam thuigs(inn): if you understand me; nuair a bhios an l脿n ann: at high-tide; airson am fear tinn fhionnarachadh: to cool the sick man; an fheadhainn a b鈥� fhe脿rr a dh猫anadh a鈥� ch霉is: the best ones for [that would do] the job.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: how did you cope with the nasty passive I threw your way this week?! Thog iad an t霉r de dh鈥檉hiodh airson 鈥檚 gum faicte an t-eilean. They built a tower of wood so that 鈥�. How would you translate the rest? The 鈥搕e ending of faicte is characteristic of the conditional passive, meaning 鈥渨ould be somethinged鈥�; in this case it is with the irregular verb faic. The translation might be 鈥渟o the island would be seen鈥�. But the conditional tense in Gaelic might also imply capability and this is certainly true of faic. Thus the best English translation of airson 鈥檚 gum faicte an t-eilean is 鈥渟o that the island could be seen.鈥� The independent conditional passive of faic (ie the form not dependent on a conjunction like gum) is ch矛te (the verb is irregular) so ch矛te iad means 鈥渢hey would be seen鈥� or 鈥渢hey could be seen.鈥� In some dialects the conditional passive ending is 鈥搃teadh or 鈥搃thist eg ch矛teadh e, chithist e, rather than ch矛te e.

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: Nuair a thig Rocabarra ris, is dual gun t猫id an saoghal a sgrios: when Rocabarra appears again, the world is doomed to destruction.