大象传媒

鈥淎 mhuinntir mo dh霉thcha agus mo cho-shaighdeara!鈥� dh鈥櫭╥gh an ceannard Albannach, Galgacus, air an arm aige nuair a bha iad a鈥� deanamh deiseil airson sabaid an aghaidh nan R貌manach. Bha sin, a r猫ir aithris, anns a鈥� bhliadhna ceithir fichead 鈥檚 a ceithir (84) neo ceithir fichead 鈥檚 a c貌ig (85) as d猫idh Chr矛osta aig 脿ite air an robh 鈥淢ons Graupius鈥� mar ainm.

Lean Galgacus air mar seo: 鈥淣uair a tha mi a鈥� toirt fa-near an adhbhair gun do tharraing sinn ar claidhnean, agus am feum a th鈥� againn air buille tarbhach a bhualadh, mus cuir sinn a-rithist anns an truaill iad, tha mi a鈥� mothachadh d貌chas aoibhneach ag 猫irigh suas nam inntinn, gum bi air an latha an-diugh, slighe air a fosgladh chum saorsa Bhreatainn a thoirt air ais鈥︹��

Uill, cha deach an latha cho math 鈥檚 a bha e an d貌chas. 鈥楽 d貌cha gu robh Galgacus na b鈥� fhe脿rr air 貌raidean na bha e air sabaid! Lorg mi an 貌raid ann an seann leabhar G脿idhlig a chaidh fhoillseachadh ann an ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a tr矛-deug (1813). Chaidh a sgr矛obhadh le fear P. MacPh脿rlain. Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 c貌 bh鈥� ann neo d猫 a鈥� chiad ainm a bh鈥� air. P脿draig 鈥檚 d貌cha, neo P貌l? Co-dhi霉, d矛reach ron 貌raid fh猫in, sgr矛obh MacPh脿rlain tiotal air a son: 鈥淏rosnachadh Ghalgacuis, ceann-feadhna nan Gaidheal, nuair a bha iad a鈥� dol a chur cath ri feachd na R貌imhe.鈥�

Mmm. Ceann-feadhna nan Gaidheal? An robh Galgacus dha-r矛reabh a鈥� bruidhinn G脿idhlig air an latha sin. Chanadh a鈥� chuid as motha de luchd-eachdraidh an-diugh nach robh. Bhiodh e na bu choltaiche gu robh e a鈥� bruidhinn Cruithnis, c脿nan nan Cruithneach. Ach c脿it鈥� an d鈥檉huair MacPh脿rlain na faclan aig Galgacus, air an do chuir e fh猫in G脿idhlig aig toiseach an naoidheamh linn deug?

鈥楽 e an fhreagairt 鈥� bho Chornelius Tacitus, fear de luchd-eachdraidh na R貌imhe, a bha na dhuine 貌g nuair a thachair Bl脿r Mhons Ghraupius. Sgr矛obh Tacitus leabhar mun uachdaran R貌manach, Agricola, a bha na riaghladair air Breatainn airson seachd bliadhna agus a bha os cionn arm nan R貌manach aig Mons Graupius. Sgr矛obh e ann an Laidinn, agus feumaidh gun do dh鈥檈adar-theangaich MacPh脿rlain don Gh脿idhlig e.

鈥橲 e Tacitus a sgr矛obh an earrann ainmeil mu dheidhinn nan R貌manach a chluinnear gu math tric ann an diofar ch脿nanan 鈥� 鈥溾��ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant鈥︹�� 鈥� nuair a n矛 iad f脿sach, canaidh iad s矛th ris. Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 an robh Galgacus cho pongail sin agus, co-dhi霉, cha do rinn na faclan aige diofar m貌r sam bith air latha a鈥� bhatail. Bha arm na b鈥� fhe脿rr aig na R貌manaich. Ged a bha carbadan aig na h-Albannaich, rinn marc-shluagh nan R貌manach a鈥� ch霉is orra. Agus bha cabhlach m貌r R貌manach aig muir, a鈥� cumail biadh is bathar ris na saighdearan.

Chan eil fios le cinnt aig duine an-diugh c脿it鈥� an robh Mons Graupius. Tha mons a鈥� ciallachadh beinn neo monadh ann an Laidinn. Ach chan eil fios aig duine d猫 bha Graupius a鈥� ciallachadh. Tha a鈥� chuid as motha de sgoilearan dhen bheachd gur ann anns an ear-thuath a bha e, 鈥檚 d貌cha ann an Siorrachd Obair Dheathain neo Moireibh. Tha beachd ann cuideachd gu robh e ann an Inbhir Nis. 鈥橲 d貌cha nach bi fios againn a-chaoidh air a sin.

Dh鈥檉h脿g Tacitus d矛leab eile againn cuideachd. Tha e coltach nach do leugh fear-eachdraidh eile Mons Graupius gu ceart, agus sgr矛obh e fh猫in e mar 鈥淢ons Grampius鈥�. Agus 鈥檚 ann 脿s a sin a th脿inig am facal Grampian ann am Beurla 鈥� fada mus robh guth air st猫isean-telebhisein! Agus 鈥檚 e sin is coireach nach eil facal G脿idhlig againn airson Grampian, ach Grampian fh猫in.

truaill: scabbard; 貌raid: lecture,speech; sabaid: fighting; dha-r矛reabh:truly; Cruithnis: Pictish language; Cruithneach: Pict; luchd-eachdraidh: historians; bl脿r,batail:battle; uachdaran: leader,governor; riaghladair: governor,administrator; Laideann: Latin;pongail: precise,pointed,articulate; carbadan: chariots; marc-shluagh: cavalry (marc is an oldGaelic word for horse); Siorrachd Obair Dheathain: Aberdeenshire; Moireibh: Moray; d矛leab:legacy;

a mhuinntir mo dh霉thcha agus mo cho-shaighdeara!: my countrymenand companions in arms! (vocative); am feum a th againn air buille tarbhach a bhualadh:the need we have to strike a telling blow; tha mi a mothachadh d貌chas aoibhneach ag 猫irighsuas nam inntinn: I feel pleasant hope rising in my mind; brosnachadh Ghalgacuis, ceann-feadhna聽nan Gaidheal, nuair a bha iad a dol a chur cath ri feachd na R貌imhe: the exhortation聽of Galgacus, the chief of the Gaels, when they were going to battle the army of Rome; feumaidh聽gun do dheadar-theangaich X: X must have translated; nuair a n矛 iad f脿sach, canaidh iad聽s矛th ris: when they make a wilderness, they call it peace (the famous statement on the Pax聽Romana); bha cabhlach m貌r R貌manach aig muir, a cumail biadh is bathar ris na saighdearan:聽there was a large Roman fleet at sea, supplying food and goods to the soldiers; s d貌cha nach聽bi fios againn a-chaoidh: we will probably never know; s e sin is coireach nach eil facal聽Gaidhlig againn airson Grampian: that is why we do not have a Gaelic word for Grampian.

gum bi, air an latha an-diugh, slighe air a fosgladh chumsaorsa Bhreatainn a thoirt air ais: that, today, there will be a way opened for Britains freedomto be given back. The preposition air can be used in conjunction with a verbal noun to make apassive verb eg gum bi slighe air a fosgladh (that a way will be opened). Note that the a infront of the verbal noun is a possessive pronoun and that the correct one must be used, with theappropriate lenition of the verbal noun (slighe is a feminine singular noun). Here are someexamples: bha mi air mo bhualadh (I was struck); bidh thu air do sh脿rachadh (you will beharassed); bha e air a chumail air ais (he was kept back); bha i air a cumail air ais (she was keptback); bha sinn air ar bualadh (we were struck); bha sibh air ur mealladh (you were deceived);bidh iad air am fosgladh (they will be opened).

nuair a tha mi a toirt fa-near an adhbhair gun do tharraing sinnar claidhnean: when I consider the reason we drew our swords. A toirt fa-near: considering,putting under consideration. Note that the stress on fa-near is on the second syllable.