大象传媒

As t-samhradh, chaidh mi a champachadh air cladach Loch Shubhairne, eadar Gleann Eilg agus Malaig air taobh an iar na Gaidhealtachd. Gu deas air an loch, tha Cn貌ideart, rubha m貌r beanntach anns a bheil gl猫 bheag de shluagh. Chaidh mi ann c貌mhla ris an teaghlach agam, agus teaghlach eile, ann am b脿ta, oir cha mh貌r gu bheil rathad anns an sg矛re, agus chosgadh e 霉ine mh貌r coiseachd a-steach.

Dh鈥檉huirich sinn beagan l脿ithean ann an teantaichean l脿imh ris a鈥� chladach. Bha 脿iteachan fada os cionn a鈥� chladaich a bha c貌mhnard, ach cha robh iad math airson campachadh. Bha cus rainich agus cus fasgaidh annta. Bha sinn airson a bhith ann an 脿ite fosgailte, far am biodh a鈥� ghaoth ann, gus nach biodh a鈥� mheanbh-chuileag a鈥� cur cus dragh oirnn. As t-samhradh air taobh an iar na Gaidhealtachd, bidh a鈥� mheanbh-chuileag dona. Tha sin cho cinnteach ri 鈥� uill, cho cinnteach ri tr脿ghadh is l矛onadh na mara.

A bheil sibh e貌lach air na faclan sin? Tr脿ghadh, the ebbing of the tide, l矛onadh, the flowing or filling of the tide. Co-dhi霉, bha ar teantaichean faisg air an ti霉rr. 鈥橲 e sin an loighne aig ceann shuas cladaich far a bheil feamainn, a chaidh a ghiulain ann leis an t矛de-mhara. An ti霉rr.

Mar a bhios fios agaibh, chan eil an t矛de-mhara a鈥� ruigsinn an aon 脿ite air a鈥� chladach fad na bliadhna. Bidh a h-脿irde ag atharrachadh bho l脿 gu l脿, bho sheachdain gu seachdain is bho r脿ith gu r脿ith. Aig 脿mannan, chan eil astar m貌r ann eadar 矛re an l脿in agus 矛re na traghad. Bidh l脿n 矛osal ann, agus tr脿igh bheag. Aig an 脿m sin, canar contraigh ris. Bidh cuid ag r脿dh conntraigh. Ann am Beurla canaidh daoine neap tide.

Ach, aig 脿mannan eile, tha astar m貌r ann eatarra. Ruigidh an l脿n 矛re 脿rd air a鈥� chladach, agus bidh tr脿igh mh貌r mh貌r ann cuideachd. Canaidh sinn reothart ris an t矛de-mhara sin. Ann am Beurla 鈥檚 e spring tide. Uill, tha fios agaibh d猫 tha mi a鈥� dol a r脿dh a-nise, nach eil? Bha sinne air a dhol a Chn貌ideart, a鈥� campachadh aig ceann shuas a鈥� chladaich, aig 脿m an reothairt.

Nuair a r脿inig sinn an t-脿ite-campachaidh anns a鈥� bh脿ta air an fheasgar, bha a鈥� mhuir a鈥� l矛onadh ach bha tr脿igh mh貌r ann fhathast. Chuir sinn na teantaichean suas os cionn an ti霉rr. Th脿inig a鈥� mhuir suas an cladach thairis air clachan a bh鈥� air an teasachadh leis a鈥� ghr猫in, agus chaidh sinn a shn脿mh. Cha robh a鈥� mhuir bl脿th ach cha robh i cianail fuar na bu mh貌.

Nuair a th脿inig e gu uair an l脿in, sheas sinn is choimhead sinn air an t-s脿l airson d猫anamh cinnteach nach ruigeadh e na teantaichean. Cha do r脿inig, ach cha robh e fad鈥� air falbh. Agus bha sin na rabhadh dhuinn, ged nach do ghabh sinn s霉im gu le貌r dheth. Agus air feasgar an l脿rna-mh脿ireach, bha l脿n f矛or 脿rd ann 鈥� na b鈥� 脿irde nan oidhche roimhe. Agus, aig uair an l脿in, bha na h-inbhich, mi-fh矛n nam measg, ann an teanta mh貌r, a鈥� gabhail fois.

Chuala sinn mo nighean ag 猫igheachd. 鈥淣a teantaichean!鈥� Chaidh sinn a-mach. Bha an s脿l cha mh貌r aig doras na t猫 a b鈥� fhaisge air a鈥� chladach. Cha b鈥� e ruith ach leum ga h-ionnsaigh airson na cnagan a thoirt a-mach agus an teant鈥� a ghluasad! Gu fortanach, bha l脿rach na b鈥� 脿irde ann dhi faisg air l脿imh. Cha robh againn ri a cur suas am measg na rainich oir bha na milleanan de mheanbh-chuileagan ann a sin, a鈥� feitheamh airson cothrom blasad fhaighinn de ar cuid fala!

Faclan na seachdaine: as t-samhradh: in the summer; Loch Shubhairne: Loch Hourn; Gleann Eilg: Glenelg; Cn貌ideart: Knoydart; beanntach: mountainous; c貌mhnard: flat; feamainn: seaweed; t矛de-mhara: tide; an l脿n: high-tide; an tr脿igh: low-tide (also a beach and the expanse of shore left by the ebbing tide); contraigh, conntraigh: neap tide; reothart: spring tide; an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: the next day; cnagan: pegs; l脿rach: site; blasad: taste.

Abairtean na seachdaine: anns a bheil gl猫 bheag de shluagh: in which there is a very small population; oir cha mh貌r gu bheil rathad ann: because there is hardly a road there; chosgadh e 霉ine mh貌r: it would take a long time; bha cus rainich is cus fasgaidh annta: there was too much bracken and too much shelter there; gus nach biodh a鈥� mheanbh-chuileag a鈥� cur dragh oirnn: so the midges would not annoy us (midges are often referred to in the singular); bha ar teantaichean faisg air an ti霉rr: our tents were close to the line of seaweed thrown up at the highest point of the tide; eadar 矛re an l脿in agus 矛re na traghad: between the high-tide level and the low-tide level; bidh tr脿igh mh貌r mh貌r ann: there is a very low low-tide (ie a big beach is left); thairis air clachan a bh鈥� air an teasachadh leis a鈥� ghr猫in: over stones which had been warmed by the sun; ach cha robh i cianail fuar na bu mh貌: but she wasn鈥檛 excessively cold either; ged nach do ghabh sinn s霉im gu le貌r dheth: although we didn鈥檛 take enough notice of it; aig uair an l脿in: at the time of the high-tide; a鈥� gabhail fois: having a rest; bha an s脿l cha mh貌r aig an doras: the sea-water was almost at the door; cha b鈥� e ruith ach leum: (we) raced..; cha robh againn ri a cur suas am measg na rainich: we didn鈥檛 have to put it up amongst the bracken; de ar cuid fala: of our blood.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Bha sin na rabhadh dhuinn: that was a warning for (to) us. This is the same construction as another which will be familiar: tha e na thidsear (he is a teacher) or bha e na bhalach aig an 脿m (he was a boy at the time). It allows you to use the verb to be, rather than the emphatic verb is (as you would in 鈥檚 e tidsear a tha ann or is tidsear e, a form more common in Irish Gaelic than in Scottish). In tha e na thidsear, we are literally saying 鈥渉e is in his teacher鈥�; the feminine equivalent is tha i na tidsear (鈥渟he is in her teacher鈥�), with the 鈥渢鈥� unlenited following the feminine possessive. In bha e na rabhadh dhuinn we are saying 鈥渋t was in its warning to us鈥�. Because the phrase contains the third person singular masculine possessive, the initial 鈥渞鈥� in rabhadh is actually lenited, giving it a thicker sound, although we do not write 鈥渞h鈥� as we write 鈥渉鈥� next to some other consonants. With 鈥渟in鈥� we are presuming it operates the same as 鈥渆鈥�, ie the third person singular masculine. Here are two other examples: bha i na cunnart dhaibh (she/it [fem.] was a danger to them); bha e na ch霉is-mhagaidh (he was a laughing stock).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Cho cinnteach ri tr脿ghadh is l矛onadh na mara: as certain as the ebbing and flowing of the tide.