大象传媒

Air an t-seachdamh latha dhen t-Sultain, ochd ceud deug, ceithir fichead 鈥檚 a deich (1890), chaochail a鈥� bhana-bh脿rd, M脿iri NicEalair, ann an D霉n Eideann. Cha robh i ach da fh矛chead bliadhna 鈥檚 a c貌ig-deug, ach bha i air a bhith tinn le tinneas-cridhe agus droch chnatan anns a鈥� gheamhradh roimhe sin, agus cha deach i am feabhas.

Chan e 鈥淣icEalair鈥� a bh鈥� oirre bho th霉s; ph貌s i fear MacEalair a bha na mharaiche, agus chaidh i cuide ris do dh鈥檌omadh 脿ite anns an Roinn E貌rpa. Rinn iad an dachaigh ann an D霉n Eideann. 鈥橲 e Camshronach a bh鈥� innte bho th霉s, agus rugadh is thogadh i ann an d霉thaich nan Camshronach, Lochabair. Bha a h-athair na fhuineadair anns a鈥� Ghearasdan, ach chuir M脿iri seachad m貌ran 霉ine na h-貌ige anns an d霉thaich cuide ri a seana-ph脿rantan. Thog i m貌ran de dhualchas na sg矛re bhuapa.

Bha i math air b脿rdachd agus choisinn i cli霉 dhi fh猫in le bhith a鈥� sgr矛obhadh d脿in, ann an G脿idhlig agus Beurla, airson p脿ipearan-naidheachd. Sgr矛obh i leabhar de dh鈥檃bairtean G脿idhlig, agus bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu dheidhinn sin an t-seachdain 鈥檚 a chaidh. Fhuair i urram ann an ochd ceud deug, tr矛 fichead 鈥檚 a sia-deug (1876), nuair a chaidh a h-ainmeachadh mar Bh脿rd do Chomunn G脿idhlig Inbhir Nis. Bha an dreuchd sin aice fhathast nuair a chaochail i.

Seo a鈥� chiad rann de dh脿n 鈥� marbhrann 鈥� a sgr矛obh M脿iri don Urramach Alasdair MacGriogair a bha na mhinistear ann an Inbhir Nis airson deich bliadhna fichead. Bha Mgr MacGriogair air a bhith an s脿s gu m貌r ann an Comunn G脿idhlig Inbhir Nis:

Tha an sneachda gu d霉mhail

Air fl霉ran an r猫idhlein;

Tha na ne貌il dhubha d霉nadh

Gu dl霉th mu na speuran;

Cha chuirear oirnn aiteas,

Le aiteal na gr猫ine,

Bho nach gluaisear mo charaid

Bho sparradh na d猫ile,

An t矛r nam be貌.

Dh鈥檉h脿s M脿iri ainmeil nuair a thug a鈥� Bh脿nrigh Bhictoria cead dhi an leabhar aice, 鈥淟eaves from the Journal of our Life in the Highlands鈥�, eadar-theangachadh gu G脿idhlig. Agus rinn i leabhar Beurla cuideachd mun Ghearasdan. Ach cha robh c霉isean buileach r猫idh na beatha fh猫in. Dhealaich i fh猫in is an duine aice, agus dh鈥檉huirich i na h-aonar airson nan deich bliadhna mu dheireadh de a beatha. Seo am p矛os mu dheireadh dhen mharbhrann aice don Urr MacGriogair.:

Bho nach gluaisear mo charaid

Bho sparradh na d猫ile,

Cha chuirear orm aiteas

Le aiteal na gr猫ine;

Ged bhios e貌in a鈥� seinn coireil

Ann an coire nan geugan,

Bidh mise ri tuireadh,

Gu muladach, deurach,

An t矛r nam be貌.

Agus tha fhios gur ann mar sin a bha m貌ran Ghaidheal nuair a chual鈥� iad mu bh脿s M脿iri fh猫in.

Ach b鈥� fhe脿rr leam ur f脿gail an t-seachdain-sa le smuain nas aighearaiche. Bha mi a鈥� coimhead anns an leabhran de dh鈥檃bairtean G脿idhlig a rinn M脿iri, anns an earrann air b脿taichean. Tha feadhainn de na h-abairtean gu math feumail 鈥� leithid 鈥渟uas an se貌l鈥�, 鈥渘uas an se貌l鈥�, 鈥渢arraing an sg貌d鈥�, 鈥済abh an sti霉ir鈥� agus 鈥渋omraibh, 鈥榠llean gasda!鈥�

Agus bha abairt mhath ann airson na chanas an darna duine ris an duine eile nuair a tha e ag iarraidh air iomramh air ais airson am b脿ta a thoirt gu stad 鈥� d猫an fodha. D猫an fodha. Nise, dh鈥檉heumadh tu bhith gu math faiceallach ann a bhith a鈥� cleachdadh abairt mar sin an-diugh, can, le deugaire aig an robh G脿idhlig na sgoile a-mh脿in. Bhiodh an t-eagal ormsa, nan canadh sibh 鈥渄猫an fodha, d猫an fodha鈥� gu cabhagach, agus ur soitheach gu bhith a鈥� bualadh ann am b脿ta eile, gun leumadh an gille bochd thar a鈥� chliathaich!

M脿iri NicEalair: Mary MacKellar; maraiche: mariner; cuide ris:along with him; Camshronach: Cameron; Comunn G脿idhlig Inbhir Nis: The Gaelic Society ofInverness; rann: verse; marbhrann: elegy; gu d霉mhail: thick; r猫idhlean: flat meadow; coireil:noise, as that made by sea-birds.

bha i air a bhith tinn le tinneas-cridhe: she had been ill with heartdisease; cha deach i am feabhas: she did not improve; bha a h-athair na fhuineadair anns a鈥橤hearasdan: her father was a baker in Fort William; thog i m貌ran de dhualchas na sg矛rebhuapa: she learned much about the area鈥檚 heritage from them; choisinn i cli霉 dhi fh猫in lebhith a鈥� sgr矛obhadh d脿in: she developed a reputation for herself by writing poems; tha nane貌il dhubha (a鈥�) d霉nadh gu dl霉th mu na speuran: the black clouds are closing tightly in theheavens; cha chuirear oirnn aiteas le aiteal na gr猫ine: we will not be made glad by a gleam ofsunlight; bho nach gluaisear mo charaid bho sparradh na d猫ile: as my friend will not be movedfrom the coffin; an t矛r nam be貌: in the land of the living; dhealaich i fh猫in is an duine aice:she and her husband divorced; bidh mise ri tuireadh, gu muladach, deurach (pron. 鈥渄iarach鈥漣n many places): I will be mourning, sad and tearful; tarraing an sg貌d: haul on the sheet;gabh an sti霉ir: take the helm; iomraibh, 鈥檌llean gasda: row, my good lads; thar a鈥� chliathaich:over the side.

Suas an se貌l: up with the sail; nuas an se貌l: down with thesail. Are you confused by the adverb nuas (or a-nuas)? It is used when something is broughtdownwards towards the speaker who is in a lower position. Thoir a-nuas e (bring it down).Thig a-nuas 脿s a sin (come down out of there). Movement must be involved. Once the sail wasin a lowered position, you might say, 鈥渢ha an se貌l sh矛os.鈥� You might also use s矛os when youare not in a low position yourself. If you had climbed to the top of the mast, you would say,鈥渟矛os an se貌l鈥� or 鈥渢hoir an se貌l s矛os.鈥�

D猫an fodha!: backwater! This is the instruction given in arowing boat to the oarsman to row in a backwards manner in order to slow down or stop amoving vessel. I presume that it refers to the movement of the hands which go downwards orunder (fodha) at the furthest point astern of the rowing action. But fodha, which is actually aprepositional pronoun meaning 鈥渦nder him鈥� or 鈥渦nder it鈥� (masc.) is also the word we usewhen we say something goes underwater. Chaidh am b脿ta fodha (the boat submerged orsank). So I am cheekily suggesting (and no offence is intended) that the lad in questionmisunderstands the instruction, and following what he thinks is his skipper鈥檚 order, (and withthe boat about to hit another vessel) jumps overboard!