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Bha mi a’ bruidhinn mu chraobhan a tha ainmichte anns a’ Bhìoball. Thuirt mi gu bheil a’ chraobh-chrithinn a’ nochdadh dìreach dà thuras ann, agus gur e ‘poplar’ a’ Bheurla oirre, seach ‘aspen’. Nise, ann an Leabhar Isaiah 44:4, a rèir aon dreach dhen Bhìoball, tha seo: ... your descendants ... will spring up like ... poplar trees by flowing streams.

Anns a’ Bhìoball Ghàidhlig, tha seo: ... fàsaidh iad suas ... mar gheugan seilich ri taobh nan sruth-chlaisean. An àite poplar trees ann am Beurla, tha geugan seilich ‘willow branches’ ann an Gàidhlig. Chaidh mi gu dreach eile dhen Bhìoball Bheurla, agus seo na th’ aca – as willows by the water courses. Chan eil a h-uile eadar-theangair air an aon ràmh a thaobh dè na craobhan a thathar a’ ciallachadh. 

Nise, an aithnicheadh sibh bratach nàiseanta Leabanoin? Tha i trì-phàirteach, le dà bhann dhearg, agus bann geal eatarra. Air a’ bhann gheal tha craobh – an Seudar Leabanach. Chan eil ìomhaigh nas làidire na sin nuair a thathar a’ samhlachadh Leabanon.

Tha Leabanon a’ nochdadh grunn tursan anns a’ Bhìoball. Tha i a’ riochdachadh bòidhchead agus goireasan nàdarrach, am measg eile. Bha beanntan agus coilltean brèagha ann an Leabanon.

Tha seo ann an Leabhar Isaiah, Caibideil 60, Rann 13: Thig glòir Leabanoin gad ionnsaigh – an giuthas, an gall-ghiuthas agus an crann-bogsa le chèile, a chur maise air mo naomh ionad-sa …

Ann am Beurla: The glory of Lebanon will come to you – the fir tree, the pine tree and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary …

Tha craobhan Leabanoin nan samhlaidhean cumhachdach anns a’ Bhìoball. Mar eisimpleir, ann an Eseciel Caibideil 31, thathar a’ samhlachadh bòidhchead air coltas an t-Seudair Leabanaich.

A bharrachd air sin, bha na craobhan-seudair cudromach ann an togail teampall agus lùchairt – no ³Ù²¹¾±²µ³ó-´Ú°ùì³Ù³ó±ð – Sholaimh. Ann an 1 Rìgh, Caibideil 7, tha sinn ag ionnsachadh gun deach gu leòr de mhuinntir Israeil a Leabanon airson am fiodh a thoirt a Ierusalem. Thàinig am fiodh eadar an dà dhùthaich mar ràthan aig muir.

Tha an geanm-chnò, no chestnut, a’ nochdadh anns a’ Bhìoball an siud ’s an seo. Ach a-rithist, chan eil a h-uile eadar-theangair air an aon ràmh. Ann an cuid de dhreachan na Beurla, thathar a-mach air oriental plane tree, seach chestnut.

Ma tha sibh air a bhith anns an Ear-mheadhanach, bidh fios agaibh gu bheil an olive tree a’ fàs gu math ann. Dè a’ Ghàidhlig air sin? Tha crann-olaidh no craobh-ola. Tha e a’ nochdadh ann an Genesis 8:11 nuair a thilleas an calman gu Noah an dèidh na tuile, agus ‘duilleag craoibh-ola ... aige na ghob’.

Mu dheireadh, dè mu dheidhinn ‘rìgh na coille’ – an darach? Tha sin anns a’ Bhìoball grunn tursan. A bharrachd air darach, tha e ann mar darag. Ann an Isaiah 1:30 tha seo ann: Oir bidh sibh mar dharaig aig a bheil an duilleach air seargadh. Chì sibh gu bheil craobhan a’ samhlachadh rudan anns a’ Bhìoball – ’s dòcha nach eil e gu cus diofair a bheil eas-aonta ann air na gnèithean a thathar a’ ciallachadh.

Faclan na Litreach: a’ chraobh-chrithinn: the aspen tree but also poplar in the Bible; Seudar Leabanach: Lebanon Cedar; a’ riochdachadh: representing; eadar-theangair: translator; craobh-ola: olive tree; darach, darag: oak.

Abairtean na Litreach: mu chraobhan a tha ainmichte anns a’ Bhìoball: about trees that are named in the Bible; an aithnicheadh sibh bratach nàiseanta Leabanoin?: would you recognise the national flag of Lebanon?; trì-phàirteach, le dà bhann dearg, agus bann geal eatarra: in three parts, with two red bands and a white band between them; chan eil ìomhaigh nas làidire na sin: there is no stronger image than that; nuair a thathar a’ samhlachadh Leabanon: when Lebanon is being symbolised; Leabhar Isaiah, Caibideil 60, Rann 13: The Book of Isaiah, Chapter 60, Verse 13; a bharrachd air a h-uile càil eile: in addition to everything else; tha fàileadh math air fiodh an Seudair Leabanaich: the wood of the Lebanon Cedar has a good smell; teampall agus lùchairt Sholaimh: the temple and palace of Solomon; mar ràthan aig muir: as rafts [of logs] by sea; nuair a thilleas an calman gu Noah an dèidh na tuile, agus ‘duilleag craoibh-ola ... aige na ghob’: when the dove returns to Noah after the flood, with an olive leaf in its beak; bidh sibh mar dharaig aig a bheil an duilleach air seargadh: you shall be as an oak whose foliage has faded; chì sibh gu bheil craobhan a’ samhlachadh rudan anns a’ Bhìoball: you can see that trees symbolise things in the Bible; ’s dòcha nach eil e gu cus diofair a bheil eas-aonta ann air na gnèithean a thathar a’ ciallachadh: perhaps it’s not too important that there is disagreement about the species that are meant.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: ³Ù²¹¾±²µ³ó-´Ú°ùì³Ù³ó±ð: forest house. The Palace of Solomon was also known as the ‘House of the Forest of Lebanon’ because of the use of massive amounts of Lebanon cedars in its construction. The translators of the Gaelic Bible (who were working from Hebrew and Greek versions) called this a ³Ù²¹¾±²µ³ó-´Ú°ùì³Ù³ó±ð. Frìth is an old word, probably borrowed from Middle English, meaning ‘wood’ or ‘forest’. In modern usage it has become a ‘deer forest’ which, perhaps confusingly, generally has no trees.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Chan eil a h-uile eadar-theangair air an aon ràmh a thaobh dè na craobhan a thathar a’ ciallachadh: not every translator agrees on which trees are meant.