大象传媒

Tha 貌ran ainmeil ann am measg m貌ran 貌ran matha a sgr矛obh a bhana-bh脿rd chli霉iteach 脿s an Eilean Sgitheanach 鈥� Mairi Mh貌r nan Oran. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air 鈥淓ilean a鈥� Che貌鈥� agus tha e mu dheidhinn an Eilein Sgitheanaich. Tha e a鈥� t貌iseachadh mar seo: Ged tha mo cheann air liathadh, le deuchainnean is br貌n鈥� Agus tha sin a鈥� toirt freagairt dhuinn airson na ceist a chuir mi oirbh aig deireadh na Litreach mu dheireadh 鈥� d猫 an dath as coltaiche ann an G脿idhlig ri grey ann am Beurla, co-dhi霉 ann am falt?

Bha mi a鈥� dol a r脿dh 鈥渇alt sheann daoine鈥�. Ach an uairsin chuimhnich mi i an coltas a th鈥� air m鈥� fhiasaig a-nise, agus mar a tha b脿rr mo chinn ag atharrachadh cuideachd! Cha tig an aois leatha fh猫in! A bheil sibh e貌lach air an t-seanfhacal sin? Cha tig an aois leatha fh猫in. Cha tig, gu dearbh. Thig rudan eile na cois, leithid falt liath.

Ach bithibh rud beag faiceallach leis a鈥� ghn矛omhair 鈥渓iathadh鈥�, 鈥檚 nach d猫an sibh ceangal eadar ceann a th鈥� air liathadh agus aran a th鈥� air liathadh. Bidh aran a鈥� liathadh le aois cuideachd, ach air sg脿th 鈥檚 gum bi a鈥� chl貌imh-liath a鈥� f脿s air. D猫 th鈥� ann an cl貌imh-liath? Mould! Ged a chanadh tu gu bheil falt air ceann duine a鈥� liathadh, chan e a鈥� chl貌imh-liath is coireach!

Thathar ag r脿dh gum bithear a鈥� toirt urram do dhuine na sheann aois. Chan eil mi cinnteach a bheil sin cho f矛or 鈥檚 a bha e uaireigin, ach chan eil teagamh nach eil cuid de dhaoine a鈥� f脿s nas toilichte, nas tarraingiche is nas laghaiche le aois. Agus, gun teagamh sam bith, tha iad nas e貌laiche air iomadach rud. Ach, air an l脿imh eile, ged a tha daoine eile a鈥� toirt urram dhaibh, tha iad an d霉il gum bi seann duine ciallach stuama. Agus canaidh iad 鈥渋s miosa amaideachd na h-aois na amaideachd na h-貌ige.鈥� Tha amharas agam gun tuirt a鈥� chlann agam fh矛n sin rium turas neo dha!

Ach tha rudan ann a dh鈥檉h脿sas, gu cinnteach, nas fhe脿rr le aois. F矛on, mar eisimpleir. Agus uisge-beatha. Mar a thuirt mi an t-seachdain 鈥檚 a chaidh, bha mi ann an Ile as t-samhradh seo, agus chan eil 脿ite nas fhe脿rr air an t-saoghal na sin airson uisge-beatha. Tha ochd taighean-staile anns an eilean, agus tha uisge-beatha Ile ainmeil air feadh an t-saoghail.

Chaidh mi air chuairt ann am fear de na taighean-staile airson faicinn mar a tha an t-uisge-beatha air a dh猫anamh. Chan e gum bi mi ag 貌l m貌ran dheth, tha sibh a鈥� tuigsinn, ach tha 霉idh agam anns a鈥� ghniomhachas is mar a tha e ag obair. Co-dhi霉, 鈥檚 e sin an lethsgeul a bh鈥� agam is a th鈥� agam! Chaidh mi timcheall agus chunnaic mi a h-uile n矛. Am measg sin, chunnaic mi teine anns am bithear a鈥� losgadh m貌ine. Bidh toit na m貌nach, neo sm霉id na m貌nach, a鈥� teasachadh is a鈥� marbhadh na bracha 鈥� sin an t-e貌rna a th鈥� air a bhrachadh. Agus bidh e cuideachd a鈥� cur f脿ileadh is blas na m貌nach air a鈥� bhraich agus, mu dheireadh thall, anns an uisge-beatha.

Aig deireadh ar cuairt, bha cothrom aig na h-inbhich dr脿m dhen uisge-beatha, neo mac-na-bracha mar a chanas iad, fheuchainn. Bha mo nighean ro 貌g airson a leithid, ach bha i faisg orm聽agus dh鈥檉heuch i f脿ileadh an uisge-bheatha. 鈥淥鈥�, thuirt i, 鈥渘ach e a tha sm霉ideach.鈥� An uairsin choimhead i orm le g脿ire. 鈥淎n e sin is coireach,鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich i, 鈥済u bheil sinn ag r脿dh gu bheil an sm霉id air duine nuair a dh鈥櫭瞝as e cus?!鈥�

cli霉iteach: renowned; Mairi Mh貌r nan Oran: Big Mary of the Songs(Mary MacPherson, the Skye poetess); fiasag: beard; faiceallach: careful; cl貌imh-liath:mould (as grows on bread); ciallach stuama: sensible and temperate; uisge-beatha: whisky;taigh-staile: distillery; toit na m貌nach,sm霉id na m貌nach: peat smoke; f脿ileadh: smell; blas:flavour; mac-na-bracha: malt whisky (lit. son of the malt); g脿ire: smile.

am measg m貌ran 貌ran matha: among many good songs; ged thamo cheann air liathadh le deuchainnean is br貌n: although my head has grown grey withhardships and sadness; mar a tha b脿rr mo chinn ag atharrachadh: how the top of my head(as opposed to my beard) is changing; gum bithear a鈥� toirt urram do dhuine na sheann aois:that respect will given to a man in his old age; chan eil teagamh nach eil cuid de dhaoine a鈥檉脿s ..: there is no doubt that some people become..; is miosa amaideachd na h-aois naamaideachd na h-貌ige: the folly of age is worse than the folly of youth; mar a tha an t-uisge-beatha聽air a dh猫anamh: how the whisky is made; a鈥� teasachadh is a鈥� marbhadh na bracha:heating and killing the malt; an t-e貌rna a th鈥� air a bhrachadh: the barley which is malted;bha cothrom aig na h-inbhich dr脿m fheuchainn: the adults had an opportunity to try a dram;dh鈥檉heuch i f脿ileadh an uisge-bheatha: she smelled the whisky; nach e a tha sm霉ideach: isn鈥檛it smoky?

Chan e a鈥� chl貌imh-liath is coireach: (the) mould is notresponsible. The adjective coireach derives from the noun coire (fault, guilt, blame). Theverb is coireachadh (blaming, censuring). Coireach frequently appears an idiomatic form,employing the assertive verb, is. eg C貌 is coireach airson seo? (who is responsible/to blamefor this?). An tu fh猫in is coireach? (are you responsible?). Cha mhi, 鈥檚 e Seumas is coireach(no, James is to blame). In the past tense it becomes bu choireach eg c貌 bu choireach? (whois responsible?), an ise a bu choireach (is she to blame?), is iad uile a bu choireach (they areall to blame). D猫 bu choireach nach do ghlas thu an doras? (what caused you not to lock thedoor?). At the end of the Litir, you will see 鈥渁n e sin is coireach 鈥� gu bheil sinn ag r脿dh gubheil an sm霉id air duine nuair a dh鈥櫭瞝as e cus?!鈥� (is that why .. we say that somebody hasthe 鈥渟m霉id鈥� on him when he drinks too much?!). This is a common idiomatic way of sayingthat somebody is under the influence of alcohol eg tha an sm霉id air (he is drunk).

Cha tig an aois leatha fh猫in: age does not come by herself (ieshe brings a lot of unwelcome attributes along with her!). This is a very common phrase.You might use it in an ironic way about yourself if you are getting forgetful or if you have,say, a chronic bad back or arthritis.