大象传媒

Tha deagh chuimhn鈥� agam air an latha a th脿inig l脿raidh mh貌r s矛os an rathad cumhang a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an taigh anns an robh mi-fh矛n, mo bhean is ar dithis chloinne a鈥� fuireach anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Bha t貌rr stuth againn fh猫in na broinn, nach robh sinn air fhaicinn fad mh矛osan. Beagan 脿irneis, aodach gu le貌r, acfhainn de dh鈥檌omadh se貌rsa, leabhraichean, d猫ideagan is m貌ran rudan eile. Th脿inig iad uile dusan m矛le m矛le thar a鈥� chuain bho Astr脿ilia far an robh sinn a鈥� fuireach roimhe.

Bha taigh againn ann am baile beag br猫agha an cois Loch Eiseort ann an ceann a deas an eilein 鈥� baile ris an canar Heasta. 鈥橲 e rathad singilte a th鈥� ann eadar Heasta agus an t-Ath Leathann agus tha e gu math cumhang airson l脿raidh mh貌r. Gu dearbh, bha dr脿ibhear na l脿raidh, a bhuineadh do Ghlaschu is a bh鈥� air a bhith gl猫 ainneamh air taobh siar na Gaidhealtachd, gu math m矛-chinnteach gu robh an rathad a鈥� dol a dh鈥櫭爄te sam bith!

Thachair mi ris air an rathad nuair a bha mi a鈥� falbh a dh鈥檕bair anns an Ath Leathann. Stad mi an c脿r, fhuair mi a-mach agus chaidh mi a bhruidhinn ris. Thuirt e gu robh e a鈥� coimhead airson fear 鈥淩uairidh MacIlleathain鈥�, ged a thuigeas sibh gur ann anns a鈥� ch脿nan eile a bha an c貌mhradh.

鈥淢i-fh矛n a th鈥� ann,鈥� thuirt mi ris.

鈥淭hus鈥�?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e. Bha e follaiseach gu robh droch bheachd aige orm. 鈥淒猫 rinn thu?鈥�

鈥淒猫 tha sibh a鈥� ciallachadh?鈥� fhreagair mi, 鈥渄猫 rinn mi?鈥�

鈥淔eumaidh gun do rinn thu rudeigin,鈥� thuirt an dr脿ibhear. 鈥淒h鈥檉h脿g thu Astr脿ilia is tha thu a-nise a鈥� fuireach ann am meadhan a鈥� mhonaidh, s矛os an rathad a bu chuinge a chunnaic mi a-riamh! Tha e follaiseach gu bheil thu a鈥� ruith air falbh. A bheil fios aig a鈥� phoilis gu bheil thu an seo?!鈥�

A-nise bha e a鈥� d猫anamh n脿dar de gh脿ire mar a bha mi-fh矛n. Ach lean e air. 鈥淒猫 thug ort Astr脿ilia fh脿gail airson tighinn a dh鈥檉huireach an seo?鈥� Choimhead mi timcheall. Bha mi air mo chuairteachadh le b貌idhchead 鈥� sliabh, beinn, coille is muir 鈥� agus beanntan Rois is Chn貌ideirt a鈥� coimhead cho br猫agha ri 脿ite sam bith air an t-saoghal ann an solas na gr猫ine. Ach feumaidh nach robh an dr脿ibhear a鈥� faicinn na d霉thcha mar a bha mise.

Co-dhi霉, dh鈥檌nnis mi an fh矛rinn dha. 鈥淭ha mi an seo,鈥� thuirt mi, 鈥渁irson na G脿idhlig.鈥� Uill, nan robh e a鈥� smaoineachadh gu robh sgl猫at a dhith orm roimhe, bha e deimhinne 脿s an deidh dhomh sin a r脿dh ris! Bha e fhathast a鈥� crathadh a chinn nuair a chunnaic mi mu dheireadh e, agus e a鈥� dr脿ibheadh air falbh a dh鈥檌onnsaigh Heasta.

Bha sin o chionn deich bliadhna, agus 鈥檚 e an rud a tha iongantach mu dheidhinn gu bheil mi fhathast, bho 脿m gu 脿m, a鈥� smaoineachadh 鈥渃脿it鈥� an do chuir mi an rud sin neo an rud eile?鈥�

Agus uaireannan tha e a鈥� tighinn a-steach orm nach fhaca mi a-riamh e bho dh鈥檉h脿g mi Astr脿ilia. Ged a bha luchd m貌r anns an l脿raidh cha robh a h-uile rud innte a bha sinn an d霉il.

Tha seanfhacal againn ann an G脿idhlig a tha a-mach air an dearbh rud. 鈥橲 iomadh n矛 a chailleas fear na h-imrich. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh, nuair a tha sinn a鈥� d猫anamh imrich, a鈥� gluasad stuth bho 脿ite gu 脿ite, neo bho thaigh gu taigh, gu bheil sinn tric a鈥� caill rudeigin. 鈥橲 iomadh n矛 a chailleas fear na h-imrich. Innsidh mi dhuibh mar a chaidh an seanfhacal a chruthachadh an ath sheachdain.

l脿raidh: lorry; na broinn: inside it (feminine); 脿irneis: furniture; acfhainn:implements, tools; d猫ideagan: toys (but note that many people use the English word); cumhang:narrow; luchd: load (eg in lorry or ship).

th脿inig iad dusan m矛le m矛le thar a鈥� chuain: they came twelve thousandmiles across the ocean; a bhuineadh do Ghlaschu is a bh鈥� air a bhith gl猫 ainneamh air taobh siar聽na Gaidhealtachd: who belonged to Glasgow and had been rarely in the west Highlands; bha e聽follaiseach gu robh droch bheachd aige orm: it was obvious he had a bad opinion of me; an rathad聽a bu chuinge a chunnaic mi a-riamh: the narrowest road I ever saw; bha mi air mo chuairteachadh聽le b貌idhchead: I was surrounded by beauty; beanntan Rois is Chn貌ideirt: the mountains of Ross聽and Knoydart; nan robh e a鈥� smaoineachadh gu robh sgl猫at a dh矛th orm roimhe: if he thought I had聽a slate missing (ie was not the full shilling) before; bha e deimhinne 脿s an d猫idh dhomh sin a r脿dh聽ris: he was certain of it after me telling him that; bha e fhathast a鈥� crathadh a chinn: he was still聽shaking his head; 鈥檚 e an rud a tha iongantach mu dheidhinn: the thing that is surprising about it;聽tha e a鈥� tighinn a-steach orm nach fhaca mi e: I realise I haven鈥檛 seen it.

D猫 thug ort Astr脿ilia fh脿gail airson tighinn a dh鈥檉huireach anseo?: what made you leave Australia to come and live here? There is more than one way of saying聽in Gaelic that somebody was 鈥渕ade to鈥� or 鈥渇orced to鈥� do something. Two common ways are by聽using the verbs co-猫ignich (a鈥� co-猫igneachadh) and thoir with the preposition air (a鈥� toirt air). Co-猫ignich聽has more of a sense of compelling, even with violence or the threat of violence. Bha na聽Iudhaich air an co-猫igneachadh gus dhol air an tr猫ana leis na saighdearan Gearmailteach (the Jews聽were compelled to go on the train by the German soldiers). Thoir air may have similar聽connotations but may also be used in the sense of 鈥渃ircumstances conspiring to force one to鈥︹��.聽Thug an droch aimsir orm tilleadh a-steach (the bad weather forced me to retreat indoors). Carson聽a tha thu aig an t-sinc, 鈥檌lle? (why are you at the sink, lad?) Tha, a chionn 鈥檚 gun tug mo mhathair聽orm na soithichean a nighe (because my mother made me clean the dishes). Chan eil duine a鈥� toirt聽ort a bhith an seo, a bheil? (nobody鈥檚 forcing you to be here, are they?).

鈥橲 iomadh n矛 a chailleas fear na h-imrich: the man that flits loses much.The reputed origin of this proverb, and its implications, will be the subject of next week鈥檚 letter.Make sure you tune in!