大象传媒

A bheil sibh a鈥� gabhail tlachd 鈥� mar a tha mise 鈥� bho th貌imhseachain? Tha mi鈥檔 d貌chas gu bheil, oir 鈥檚 e sin cuspair na litreach an t-seachdainn-sa. Bha mi a鈥� tadhal air duine is aithne dhomh ann an Ge脿rrloch turas, agus dh鈥檌nnis e dhomh t貌imhseachan a ch貌rd rium glan. 鈥橲 ann 脿s a sg矛re sin fh猫in a bha e 鈥� 脿 Ros an Iar. Co-dhi霉, bha mi air d矛ochuimhneachadh mu dheidhinn gus an t脿inig mi tarsainn air a-rithist, d矛reach an t-seachdainn 鈥檚 a chaidh.

Bha mi ann an leabharlann, a鈥� toirt s霉il air seann ph脿ipearan-naidheachd. Agus ann am fear aca, a bha c貌rr is sia fichead (120) bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois, leugh mi an dearbh th貌imhseachan, an 矛re mhath mar a chuala mi e. Aig deireadh na litreach, bheir mi dhuibh e, agus faodaidh sibh smaoineachadh air 鈥� mus toir mi am fuasgladh dhuibh an ath sheachdainn!

鈥橲 e tuiteamas a bh鈥檃nn gun do lorg mi an t貌imhseachan sin, agus feadhainn eile a bha anns an dearbh cholbh anns a鈥� ph脿ipear-naidheachd. Bha mi a鈥� coimhead airson rudeigin gu tur eadar-dhealaichte. Ach sin mar a tha e 鈥� dhomhsa co-dhi霉 鈥� nuair a choimheadas mi air seann ph脿ipearan-naidheachd. 鈥橲 d貌cha nach lorg mi an rud a bha mi a鈥� sireadh, ach gheibh mi rudeigin air choreigin a ch貌rdas rium.

Bha na t貌imhseachain anns an Inverness Courier, ann an colbh Beurla air an robh an tiotal 鈥淣ether-Lochaber鈥�. Thug mi greis mus d鈥檉huair mi a-mach c貌 an t-霉ghdar. 鈥橲 e ministear na h-eaglais a bh鈥檃nn 鈥� an t-Ollamh Urramach Alasdair Sti霉bhart - agus bha e na shar-Gh脿idheal, a-r猫ir choltais. Mh矛nich e anns a鈥� cholbh aige mar a fhuair e an t貌imhseachan a leanas.

Bha e na leas, feasgar a bha seo, a鈥� togail 霉bhlan far craoibhe nuair a th脿inig boireannach seachad. Le g脿ire, thuirt i ris a鈥� mhinistear 鈥� nan toireadh esan 霉bhlan dhi, gun innseadh ise dhasan t貌imhseachan nach b鈥檜rrainn dha fuasgladh fhaighinn air a shon. 鈥橲 e duine c貌ir sp貌rsail a bh鈥檃nn, agus thug e 霉bhlan dhi. Agus 鈥檚 e seo na thuirt i:

Chunnaic fear gun s霉ilean 霉bhlan air a鈥� chraoibh

Cha tug e 霉bhlan dhith, 鈥檚 cha do dh鈥檉h脿g e 霉bhlan oirre.

Canaidh mi sin a-rithist:

Chunnaic fear gun s霉ilean 霉bhlan air a鈥� chraoibh

Cha tug e 霉bhlan dhith, 鈥檚 cha do dh鈥檉h脿g e 霉bhlan oirre.

Ciamar a dh鈥檉haodadh sin a bhith? Uill, 鈥檚 e seo am fuasgladh, agus ch矛 sibh gur ann a鈥� cleas leis na faclan 鈥渟霉ilean鈥� agus 鈥溍筨hlan鈥� a bha i. Cha robh ach aon sh霉il aig an duine; bha e leth-sh霉ileach. Mar sin 鈥檚 e fear gun 鈥渟霉ilean鈥� a bh鈥檃nn, ged a bha fradharc aige. Agus cha robh air a鈥� chraoibh ach d脿 霉bhal. Thug e aon ubhal dhith; mar sin cha tug e 鈥溍筨hlan鈥� dhith. Agus dh鈥檉h脿g e aon ubhal oirre; mar sin cha robh 鈥溍筨hlan鈥� oirre - d矛reach ubhal.

Aaa, uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha gu robh i airidh air na h-霉bhlan. Chan ann tric a bhios fear neo t猫 a鈥� deanamh cleas air ministear! Co-dhi霉, chan ann mi-thoilichte a bha Maighstir Sti霉bhart. Th貌isich a鈥� ch霉is deasbad air t貌imhseachain Gh脿idhlig air duilleagan an Inverness Courier, le m貌ran Gh脿idheal a鈥� sgr矛obhadh don 霉ghdar, ag innse dha tuilleadh th貌imhseachan.

Agus tha sin gam thoirt air ais do th貌imhseachan mo charaid ann an Ge脿rrloch. Agus seo e:

Chaidh biadh gu dithis

Aig ceann Loch Maruibh鈥�.

Dh鈥檌th am biadh an dithis,

鈥橲 chaidh am biadh dhachaigh a-rithist.

Seo e a-rithist:

Chaidh biadh gu dithis

Aig ceann Loch Maruibh鈥�.

Dh鈥檌th am biadh an dithis,

鈥橲 chaidh am biadh dhachaigh a-rithist.

D猫 bh鈥檃nn anns a鈥� bhiadh, agus d猫 bh鈥檃nn anns an dithis?! Bheir mi am fuasgladh dhuibh an ath sheachdainn. Chun an uairsin, is mise, le meas鈥�.

tlachd: pleasure; t貌imseachan, t貌imhseachain: riddle, riddles; cuspair: subject; a' tadhal: visiting; Ge脿rrloch: Gairloch; Ros an Iar: Wester Ross; gu聽tur: completely, entirely; a. sireadh: seeking; colbh: column; 霉ghdar: author; fuasgladh: solution; g脿ire: laugh, smile; c貌ir: decent, good; sporsail: sporting, fun-loving; lethsh霉ileach: one-eyed; deasbad: debate; dh' ith: ate.

is aithne dhomh: I know, recognise; bha mi air d矛ochuimhneachadh mu dheidhinn: I had forgotten about it; 's e tuiteamas a bh'ann gu... it was by chance that ...; rudeigin air choreigin: something or other; an t-Ollamh Urramach Alasdair Sti霉bhart: the Reverend Doctor Alexander Stewart (notice the order of the titles is the reverse of the English); gun s霉ilean: without eyes; cha tug e 霉bhlan dhith: he did not take apples off her (craobh is feminine); cha do dh.fh脿g e 霉bhlan oirre: he did not leave apples on her; ciamar a dh'fhaodadh sin a bhith?: how could that be?; airidh air: deserving of; a' deanamh cleas air: playing a trick on.

Nuair a choimheadas mi: when I look. This "as" or "eas" ending on the verb is known as the Relative Future and is used in various ways eg after nuair (when), ma (if), ged a (although). Nuair a leigeas mi a' chraobh, cha bhi an leas cho dorch (when I fell the tree, the garden will not be so dark); ma bhios esan ann, chan fhuirich mi (if he is there, I won.t stay); ged a chanas e gu bheil e sgith, chan e an fh矛rinn a th'aige (although he says he is tired, he is not speaking the truth). Note that this structure is only used in affirmative statements. If you are trying to make a negative statement,eg "although he will not be there..." a different structure is used. We will look at this in a later letter.

The translation of the last riddle given is as follows: Food went to two at the head of Loch Maree, the food ate the two and the food went home again. With a little lateral thinking you should be able to work it out before I give the solution next week!