蜜芽传媒

Uaireannan bidh daoine a鈥� faighneachd dhiom 鈥� 鈥渁 bheil seanfhacal ann a tha co-ionann ri leithid de sheanfacal ann am Beurla?鈥� Uaireannan tha rudeigin ann, ach 鈥檚 ann tric nach eil co-ionannachd ann eadar an d脿 ch脿nan san d貌igh sin. Dh鈥檉haighnich cuideigin dhiom an robh fear ann a bha co-ionann ri 鈥渟ticks and stones will break my bones but names will never harm me鈥�. Agus an t-seachdain seo lorg mi fear a dh鈥檉haodadh a bhith a鈥� seasamh airson na h-aon smuain 鈥� cha d猫anar cron air a鈥� ghealaich na coin a bhith comhartaich rithe. Faodaidh na coin comhartaich mar a thogras iad 鈥� cha chuir iad dragh sam bith air a鈥� ghealaich. Cha d猫anar cron air a鈥� ghealaich na coin a bhith comhartaich rithe.

鈥橲 ann 脿 Uibhist a Deas a tha an seanfhacal sin, agus lorg mi e ann an leabhar a chaidh a sgr矛obhadh le boireannach a chaochail o chionn ghoirid aig aois mh貌r. B鈥� ise Mairead Fay Sheathach, Margaret Fay Shaw, agus 鈥檚 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air an leabhar Folksongs and Folklore of South Uist. Leabhar f矛or mhath a th鈥� ann.

Bha Mairead a鈥� fuireach ann am baile beag air taobh a deas Loch Baghasdail eadar naoi ceud deug, fichead 鈥檚 a naoi (1929) agus naoi ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1935). Ghabh i gr脿dh m貌r air na daoine ann a sin, agus dh鈥檌onnsaich i t貌rr bhuapa. Agus, ged a ph貌s i 鈥� Fear Chanaigh, Iain Latharna Caimbeul, agus ged a chaidh i a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Canaigh, cha do chaill i a gr脿dh do dh鈥橴ibhist a Deas. Agus 鈥檚 ann ann a sin a chaidh a tiodhlacadh a r猫ir a h-iarrtais fh猫in.

Is iomadh rud pr矛seil a th鈥� anns an leabhar 鈥� eadar 貌rain, seanfhaclan, st貌iridhean is fiosrachadh air biadh is air d脿thadh cl貌. Ach bu mhath leam s霉il a thoirt air seann leigheas no dh脿 a chruinnich Mairead am measg muinntir Uibhist. Mar eisimpleir, seo mar a bha cuid a鈥� d猫anamh leigheas air cluas ghoirt, ged a bu ch貌ir dhomh r脿dh nach eil mi a鈥� moladh gum feuch sibh seo aig an taigh: cuir b脿irneach air an teine agus thoir dheth i nuair a th貌isicheas an s霉gh innte air goil. Nuair a tha an s霉gh fionnar gu le貌r 鈥檚 nach loisg e an t-euslainteach, doirt na chluais e agus, airson a chumail ann, d霉in a鈥� chluas le p矛os cl貌imhe anns a bheil an ola n脿darrach fhathast.

Agus seo agaibh leigheas airson stopadh. Bidh cuid e貌lach air mar ceangailteachd-cuim no teannachadh 鈥� constipation ann am Beurla. Bha diofar leigheasan ann airson sin. Bhiodh feamainn 霉r bhon chladach, air a gearradh ann am p矛osan is air a h-ithe a鈥� d猫anamh a鈥� ghnothaich air an stopadh. Bhitheadh, agus freumhaichean lusa ris an canar lus nan laogh no an tr矛-bhileach. Sin lus air a bheil bogbean ann am Beurla a tha a鈥� f脿s ann am boglaichean. Bhiodh na daoine ga ghlanadh is ga ghoil ann an uisge fad l脿 gus am biodh an s霉gh dubh dorch is tiugh.

Bhiodh iad a鈥� s矛oladh an t-s霉gh鈥� agus d矛reach l脿n sp脿in bheag dheth a thoirt don euslainteach oir tha e gu math cumhachdach, a r猫ir choltais.

Mus fhalbh mi an-diugh, bidh fios agaibh gur e a-m脿ireach L脿 na Nollaige. Agus seo rann bho laoidh a bhiodh muinntir Uibhist a Deas is Eirisgeigh a鈥� gabhail air an oidhche seo fh猫in mar ph脿irt dhen aifreann aig meadhan-oidhche. F脿gaidh mi le sin sibh, agus mi a鈥� guidhe deagh Nollaig dhuibh uile:

鈥橲 tusa grian gheal an d貌chais

Chuireas dorchadas air f貌gairt;

Bheir thu clann-daoin鈥� bho staid bhr貌naich

Gu naomhachd, soilleireachd is e貌las.

Faclan na seachdaine: co-ionannachd: equivalence; Uibhist a Deas: South Uist; Fear Chanaigh: The Laird of Canna; cluas: ear; b脿irneach: limpet; leigheas: cure; an stopadh: constipation; boglaichean: bogs; L脿 na Nollaige: Christmas Day; aifreann: mass (church); a鈥� guidhe: wishing.

Abairtean na seachdaine: mar a thogras iad: as they wish; a chaochail o chionn ghoirid: who died recently; aig aois mh貌r: at a great age; dh鈥檌onnsaich i t貌rr bhuapa: she learned a lot from them; cha do chaill i a gr脿dh do X: she never lost her love for X; a chaidh a tiodhlacadh: that she was buried; a r猫ir a h-iarrtais fh猫in: according to her own request; nuair a th貌isicheas an s霉gh innte air goil: when the juice in it begins to boil; fionnar gu le貌r 鈥檚 nach loisg e an t-euslainteach: cool enough not to burn the patient; d霉in a鈥� chluas le p矛os cl貌imhe: block the ear with a piece of wool; gus am biodh an s霉gh dubh dorch is tiugh: until the juice were dark and thick; bhiodh iad a鈥� s矛oladh an t-s霉gha: they would filter the juice; l脿n sp脿in bheag dheth: a small spoon (teaspoon) of it; seo rann bho laoidh: here is a verse from a hymn; [a] chuireas dorchadas air f貌gairt: who will banish darkness; bheir thu clann-daoin鈥� bho staid bhr貌naich: you will redeem mankind from sorrow; gu naomhachd, soilleireachd is e貌las: to sanctity, light and knowledge.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Bhiodh feamainn 霉r, air a gearradh is air a h-ithe a鈥� d猫anamh a鈥� ghnothaich air an stopadh. Bhitheadh, agus freumhaichean lusa ris an canar 鈥渓us nan laogh鈥�: fresh seaweed, cut up and eaten would cure constipation. So would the roots of a plant called 鈥渢he calves鈥� plant鈥� (bogbean). I want to make the point here of how we say 鈥渟o would鈥� 鈥� it is by repetition of the conditional verb bhiodh, here in its emphatic form bhitheadh. This verbal repetition is commonly used for this purpose, whatever the tense or mood of the verb: eg chaidh X is Y don bhaile; chaidh, agus Z (X and Y went to town; so did Z); bha A agus B fada gun 猫irigh; bha, agus C (A and B were slow to rise; so was C); coimheadaidh sin am pr貌gram a-nochd; coimheadaidh, is a h-uile duine (we will watch the programme tonight; so will everybody)

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: Cha d猫anar cron air a鈥� ghealaich na coin a bhith comhartaich rithe: the moon is not hurt [by] the dogs barking at her.