大象传媒

鈥淭ha na h-itean as b貌idhche air na h-e貌in fad 脿s.鈥� 鈥橲 e sin seanfhacal a chuala mi nuair a bha mi ann an Le貌dhas o chionn ghoirid. Cha robh sinn a鈥� bruidhinn air e貌in, ge-t脿, ach air daoine.

Tha e coltach gu bheil cuid de dh鈥檉hireannaich 貌ga Le貌dhais a鈥� sireadh bean ann an d貌igh 霉r 鈥� air an eadar-l矛on. O shean, bhiodh balaich 脿 Barabhas a鈥� faighinn am mnathan ann an 脿iteachan mar Shiabost neo C脿rlobhagh neo Nis. Ach an-diugh tha e a cheart cho coltach gum p貌s iad t猫 脿 Seattle neo Copenhagen neo New Brunswick air an d鈥檉huair iad e貌las air oidhche-gheamhraidh air a鈥� choimpiutar.

鈥橲 e sin co-dhi霉 a chaidh innse dhomh. A bharrachd air a sin, tha e coltach gu bheil na fir Le貌dhasach, neo cuid aca, dhen bheachd gu bheil na boireannaich thall thairis nas br猫agha nan fheadhainn aig an taigh. Tha na h-itean as b貌idhche air na h-e貌in fad 脿s.

Uill, feumaidh mi bhith rud beag faiceallach anns na chanas mi mu dheidhinn sin. Ph貌s mi-fh矛n t猫 脿s Astr脿ilia! Ach, leis an fh矛rinn innse, tha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh gu bheil na balaich ann an Le貌dhas gam mealladh fh猫in. Tha iomadach boireannach br猫agha ann an Le貌dhas, anns gach sg矛re dhen eilean, mar a tha na h-貌rain Gh脿idhlig ag innse dhuinn! Agus, air eagal 鈥檚 gum faigh mi mi-fh矛n ann an trioblaid, cha chan mi an c貌rr!

Ach thog an seanfhacal m鈥� aire ann an d貌igh eile. Bha mi d矛reach air a bhith aig muir airson ceithir latha, a鈥� tadhal air Hiort. Agus 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil beagan dhen fh矛rinn anns an t-seanfhacal ma tha thu a鈥� smaoineachadh d矛reach air e貌in. Chan fhaca mi itean nas b貌idhche na chunnaic mi ann an Hiort. Agus tha na h-eileanan sin gu math fad 脿s.

Bha sin gu h-脿raidh f矛or mu na s霉lairean. Chunnaic mi na m矛ltean thar mh矛ltean aca timcheall Bhoraraigh agus na stacan-mara faisg air an eilean sin 鈥� an Stac L矛 agus Stac an Armainn, agus chan fhaca mi aon eun nach robh a鈥� coimhead foirfe. Cha b鈥� ionann sin do na fulmairean, ge-t脿. Chunnaic mi feadhainn acasan le be脿rn ann far am bu ch貌ir ite a bhith. Tha amharas agam gun do chaill feadhainn an itean do na fasgadairean m貌ra, na bonxies, mar a chanas iad ann an Sealtainn, e貌in mh貌ra dhonn鈥� a bhios a鈥� toirt ionnsaigh air na h-e貌in eile.

Agus chan ann d矛reach air na h-e貌in. Ma th猫id thu ro fhaisg air an nead aca, a tha ann am feur goirid air talamh r猫idh faisg air mullach nam bearraidhean, an dearbh she貌rsa 脿ite far am bi daoine a鈥� coiseachd ann an Hiort, thoir an aire. Chan fhada gus am bi fasgadair m貌r a鈥� tighinn aig astar a-mach 脿s an adhar ort, agus e a鈥� cuimseachadh a ghob air do cheann. Chan eil na h-itean a cheart cho br猫agha air an eun sin, agus 鈥檚 iomadh duine a bha toilichte gu bheil iad a鈥� fuireach fad 脿s!

Ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil an seanfhacal f矛or mu Hiort ann an d貌igh eile. Anns an ochdamh linn deug agus an naoidheamh linn deug, bha fir, gu h-脿raidh fir bho eileanan eile anns na h-Eileanan Siar, dhen bheachd gu robh na boireannaich ann an Hiort air leth br猫agha. Sgr矛obh an t-Urramach Coinneach MacAmhlaigh gu robh iad 鈥渆ireachdail nan aodannan 鈥檚 nam bodhaigean agus, nam biodh iad air an c貌mhdach ann an n貌s a鈥� bhaile mh貌ir agus ag imeachd air sr脿idean Shasainn, bhiodh iad ainmeil anns na comainn as uaisle." Innsidh mi dhuibh mun t猫 a bu bh貌idhche aca, agus na thachair dhi, an ath sheachdain.

Le貌dhas: Lewis; eadar-l矛on: internet; o shean: in olden times;mnathan: wives; Barabhas: Barvas; Siabost: Shawbost; C脿rlobhagh: Carloway; Nis: Ness;thall thairis: overseas; Hiort: St Kilda; Boraraigh: Boreray; stacan-mara: sea stacks;fulmair: fulmar; fasgadair m貌r: great skua (bonxie).

a鈥� sireadh bean ann an d貌igh 霉r: looking for a wife in a new way;tha e a cheart cho coltach gum p貌s iad t猫 脿 X: it is just as likely that they will marry awoman from X; 鈥檚 e sin co-dhi霉 a chaidh innse dhomh: anyway, that鈥檚 what I was told;feumaidh mi bhith rud beag faiceallach anns na chanas mi: I must be careful (in) what I say;cha chan mi an c貌rr: I won鈥檛 say any more; bha sin gu h-脿raidh f矛or mu na s霉lairean: thatwas particularly true of the gannets; chan fhaca mi aon eun nach robh a鈥� coimhead foirfe: Ididn鈥檛 see one bird which did not look perfect; le be脿rn ann far am bu ch貌ir ite a bhith: witha gap where a feather should be; air talamh r猫idh faisg air mullach nam bearraidhean: onflat land close to the clifftops; thoir an aire: look out, take care; aig astar a-mach 脿s anadhar: at speed out of the sky; a鈥� cuimseachadh air do cheann: aiming for your head;eireachdail nan aodannan 鈥檚 nam bodhaigean: beautiful in their faces and bodies; nam biodhiad air an c貌mhdach ann an nos a鈥� bhaile mh貌ir agus ag imeachd air sr脿idean Shasainn: ifthey were clothed in the manner of the city and journeying on the streets of England.

gu bheil na balaich ann an Le貌dhas gam mealladh fh猫in:that the lads in Lewis are deceiving themselves. Gam mealladh is a shortened form of aig ammealladh (at their deceiving), am being the possessive pronoun of the third person plural(changed from an, because of the initial 鈥渕鈥� in mealladh). In such a construction the fh猫in(or f猫in or fh矛n) comes after the verbal noun. Here are some other examples of suchconstructions: tha iad gam bualadh fh猫in (they are striking themselves); bha iad gancoireachadh fh猫in (they were blaming themselves); bidh iad gam bearradh fh猫in (they will beshaving themselves). Where the verbal noun starts with a labial consonant (b, f, m, p), thegam (rather than gan) is identical to the form of the first person singular; the difference isthat in the latter the verbal noun is lenited ie bha mi gam mhealladh fh猫in (I was deceivingmyself). Gam here is a shortened form of aig mo and, as you know, the possessive pronounmo lenites the following noun if it starts with a lenitable consonant.

Tha na h-itean as b貌idhche air na h-e貌in fad 脿s: the mostbeautiful feathers are on the distant birds. Can you think of an equivalent proverb inEnglish or Scots?