蜜芽传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Iain Dubh Mac Dh貌mhnaill 鈥檌c Iain ann am Brisbane, agus mar a fhuair e lorg air lethbhreac de Theachdaire an t-Sluaigh ann am b霉th sa bhaile sin. Uill, oidhche bha seo, bha Iain aig c猫ilidh ann am Brisbane agus dh鈥檌arr fear an taighe air a h-uile duine a bha an l脿thair rann no 貌ran a ghabhail, no sgeulachd innse, air peanas bonn airgid a ph脿igheadh. Cha robh bonn sam bith aig Iain na ph貌caid agus cha b鈥� urrainn dha seinn, no sgeulachd innse, ach ann an G脿idhlig. Is cha robh e an d霉il gu robh aon duine an l脿thair aig an robh G脿idhlig.

Cha ghabhadh fear an taighe ri leisgeul agus cha robh dol-脿s aige. Th脿inig rann beag do chuimhne 鈥� rudeigin a leugh e ann an Teachdaire an t-Sluaigh. Agus seo e:

Bha bodach am Bail鈥� Obair Pheallaidh

鈥橲 a thaigh air a thughadh le bealaidh,

Ach dh鈥櫭╥rich gaoth gheur,

鈥橲 bha an tughadh san speur,

鈥橲 thuirt a鈥� chailleach 鈥榟o-r猫鈥�, d猫an taigh-geal dheth鈥�!

Tha mi an d貌chas gu bheil sibh ga thuigs鈥�. Leis gun do dh鈥檉halbh an tughadh, b鈥� fheudar don bhodach, tha mi cinnteach, sgl猫atan a chur air mullach an taighe, is taigh-geal a dh猫anamh de thaigh-dubh.

Bha bodach am Bail鈥� Obair Pheallaidh

鈥橲 a thaigh air a thughadh le bealaidh,

Ach dh鈥櫭╥rich gaoth gheur,

鈥橲 bha an tughadh san speur,

鈥橲 thuirt a鈥� chailleach 鈥榟o-r猫, d猫an taigh-geal dheth鈥�!

Mar a thachair, bha duine san 猫isteachd aig an robh beagan G脿idhlig 鈥� fear aig an robh p脿rantan 脿s an Eilean Sgitheanach. Aig an 脿m ud, bha m貌ran ann an Astr脿ilia aig an robh an c脿nan, gu seachd 脿raidh sna puirt-mhara, agus air b貌rd nan long a bha a鈥� se貌ladh a鈥� chuain.

Nuair a bha Iain agus a bhean suas ann am bliadhnaichean, roghnaich iad turas dhachaigh a ghabhail a dh鈥橝lba air b貌rd luinge. Fhuair Iain a-mach gu sgiobalta gu robh grunnan dhen chriubha aig an robh G脿idhlig 鈥� tri霉ir 脿s an Eilean Sgitheanach, c貌ignear 脿 eileanan eile agus fear 脿 脌rasaig. Bha fear-riaghlaidh a鈥� phuirt ann an Hobart (dhan deach iad an toiseach) 脿 Ge脿rrloch, agus thachair Iain ri feadhainn ann am Melbourne aig an robh G脿idhlig cuideachd. Cha do ghabh e s霉im sam bith de dh鈥橝delaide, ge-t脿, oir cha b鈥� aithne dha aon duine anns a鈥� bhaile sin a bhruidhneadh ris na ch脿nan fh猫in!

Nuair a bha iad ann an sg矛re Ghe脿rrloch bha iad a鈥� fuireach ann am Poll I霉bh. Bha m貌ran air atharrachadh anns a鈥� bhaile thairis air an 霉ine a bha Iain air a bhith ann an Astr脿ilia. Bha na b脿taichean-sm霉id air sgur de bhith a鈥� tadhal air, agus cha robh muileann ann tuilleadh. Ach bha aon rud math ann. B鈥� e sin a鈥� bhan-lighiche, Miss Rees, air an robh na daoine uabhasach measail. Rinn i leigheas air tinneas a bha a鈥� bualadh air Iain fh猫in, agus sgr矛obh e 貌ran dhi. Seo tr矛 rannan dheth:

Th脿inig lighiche beag don taobh tuath,

Tha anabarrach sgileil mun t-sluagh,

Chan eil tinneas no galar nach teich 脿s a鈥� bhaile

Nuair a chithear a faileas mun cuairt.

Nach fhaic sibh na bodaich 脿 Bl脿ir,

Iain Mollach 鈥檚 an 鈥楻am鈥� is c脿ch,

Chan eil siataig nan casan no pian anns an stamaig,

Bhon a th脿inig a鈥� chaileag don 脿ite.

Ged a bhiodh an l脿 fliuch agus fuar,

Bidh an l猫igh gach madainn mun cuairt,

Cur iocshlaintean fallain an creuchdan nan cailleach,

Gan cumail air ais 脿s an uaigh!

Sin e bhuamsa an t-seachdain seo. Beannachd leibh.

Faclan na seachdaine: Teachdaire an t-Sluaigh: The People鈥檚 Journal; dol-脿s: escape; Obar Pheallaidh: Aberfeldy; sgl猫atan: slates; puirt-mhara: seaports; roghnaich: chose; 脌rasaig: Arisaig; Poll I霉bh: Poolewe; siataig: sciatica; l猫igh: physician, doctor.

Abairtean na seachdaine: cha b鈥� urrainn dha seinn ach ann an G脿idhlig: he could only sing in Gaelic; cha robh e an d霉il gu robh aon duine an l脿thair: he didn鈥檛 think there was anybody present; th脿inig rann beag do chuimhne: a short verse came to [his]mind; air a thughadh le bealaidh: thatched with broom; d猫an taigh-geal dheth: make it into a white house [ie non-thatched]; suas ann am bliadhnaichean: at a good age; cha do ghabh e s霉im sam bith de X: he didn鈥檛 think much of X; cha b鈥� aithne dha aon duine: he didn鈥檛 know one person; bha na b脿taichean-sm霉id air sgur de bhith a鈥� tadhal air: the steamboats had stopped calling there; [a鈥橾 cur iocshlaintean fallain an creuchdan nan cailleach: putting healthy remedies in the old women鈥檚 wounds; gan cumail air ais 脿s an uaigh: keeping them out of the grave.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Ach dh鈥櫭╥rich gaoth gheur,鈥檚 bha an tughadh san speur: but a sharp wind arose and the thatch was [blown] in the sky. You might have been tempted to pronounce geur 鈥済ee-uhr鈥� and speur 鈥渟payr鈥� which, of course, would limit the effectiveness of the rhyme. Two things need to be said: firstly, there is always poetic licence in such matters which led me to pronounce geur 鈥済ayr鈥�. But secondly, there has been a historical change in which the eu diphthong has tended to change, in the northern G脿idhealtachd, to an 鈥渋a鈥� sound in many words. In the south (eg Argyll), the original 鈥渁y鈥� sound is largely retained. This is why feur (grass) is pronounced 鈥渇ee-uhr鈥� in the north but 鈥渇ayr鈥� in places like Islay. Speur, however, is, as far as I am aware, pronounced 鈥渟payr鈥� throughout the country.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: air peanas bonn airgid a ph脿igheadh: or they would be punished by having to pay a silver coin (鈥渙n pain of paying 鈥︹��).