麻豆社

D猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a chuireadh sibh air an fhacal Bheurla 鈥渇ort鈥�? No 鈥檚 d貌cha gum bu ch貌ir dhomh faighneachd 鈥� d猫 a鈥� Bheurla a chuireadh sibh air an fhacal Gh脿idhlig d霉n? Anns an leabhar 霉r aig M矛cheal Robson, a tha a鈥� fuireach ann an Nis ann an Le貌dhas, tha an t-霉ghdar ag r脿dh gur e 鈥渇ort鈥� a鈥� Bheurla a th鈥� air d霉n, ach nach e d霉n a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air 鈥渇ort鈥�. Tha Mgr Robson air am facal G脿idhlig a chleachdadh ann am Beurla 鈥� agus rachainn leis air a sin. Ma tha thu a-mach, ann am Beurla, air d霉in Eilein Le貌dhais, chan eil facal nas fhe脿rr air an son na 鈥渄un鈥� fh猫in. Tuigidh daoine c貌 air a tha thu a-mach. Agus 鈥檚 e tiotal an leabhair 鈥淔orts and Fallen Walls: the duns of northern Lewis鈥�.

Tha na d霉in ann an diofar shuidheachaidhean. Tha cuid dhiubh air eileanan ann an lochan, tha cuid air creagan no eileanan l脿imh ri bearraidhean a鈥� chladaich, agus tha feadhainn sa mhonadh. Ann am beul-aithris, bha ceangal l脿idir ann eadar cuid de na d霉in agus na s矛thichean. Agus bu mhath leam aithris a dh猫anamh air sgeulachd a th鈥� aig M矛cheal Robson anns an leabhar aige mu dheidhinn s矛thichean ann an co-cheangal ri D霉n Bhuirgh. Tha sin ann am Borgh air taobh an iar-thuath Le貌dhais.

O chionn fhada bha boireannach ann am Borgh a bha air a s脿rachadh leis an t-sn矛omh a bh鈥� aice ri dh猫anamh. Bha i seachd sg矛th dhen obair oir cha robh aice ach maide-sn矛omh no cuigeal airson an sn矛omh a dh猫anamh. Bha seo mus robh cuibhlichean-sn矛omha aig muinntir Le貌dhais. Oidhche bha seo, bha am boireannach sg矛th, agus rinn i rud ris an canar 鈥溍瞨dachadh-oidhche鈥�. Thuirt i gum b鈥� fhe脿rr leatha gum biodh a鈥� chl貌imh gu l猫ir aice air a sn矛omh air an oidhche sin fh猫in.

Cho luath 鈥檚 a thuirt i sin, nochd buidheann de mhnathan-s矛the anns an taigh. Agus obair a dh猫anamh. Bha cuid dhiubh an s脿s ann an c矛readh. Rinn feadhainn eile an th貌isich iadsan air an c脿rdadh. Agus rinn treas buidheann an sn矛omh. Bha iad cho sgiobalta air an obair, is nach b鈥� fhada gus an robh a鈥� chl貌imh gu l猫ir anns an taigh air a sn矛omh. Cha robh na mnathan-s矛the toilichte a bhith gun obair, ge-t脿, agus bha iad an uair sin ri buaireadh.

Dh鈥檉halbh fear an taighe a ch猫ilidh air bodach glic anns an sg矛re, airson comhairle fhaighinn air a鈥� ch霉is. Thuirt am bodach nach robh c貌ir aig bean an duine a leithid de dh鈥櫭瞨dachadh-oidhche a dh猫anamh. Bu ch貌ir dhuibh, thuirt e, na s矛thichean fh脿gail far a bheil iad. Ach gheall e thighinn chun an taighe airson faighinn cuidhteas nam ban-s矛the.

Th脿inig e gu uinneag agus dh鈥櫭╥gh e, 鈥淒霉n Bhuirgh na teine, D霉n Bhuirgh na teine鈥�. Nuair a chuala na mnathan-s矛the seo, thuirt iad, 鈥淢o chreach mh貌r is mo dhunaidh, mo bhuilg, m鈥� 霉ird is m鈥� innean.鈥� Bha iad troimh-ch猫ile agus dh鈥檉halbh iad don 脿ite-fuirich aca 鈥� an d霉n.

Thuirt am bodach ri fear is bean an taighe 鈥� cho luath 鈥檚 a gheibheadh na s矛thichean a-mach nach robh teine anns an d霉n, gum biodh iad air ais. Agus bha e ceart. Ach mus do thill iad, dh霉in na daoine a h-uile fosgladh anns an taigh. Dh鈥檌arr na s矛thichean air a鈥� bhodach an leigeil a-steach.

鈥淒猫 tha sibh ag iarraidh?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich am bodach.

鈥淥bair鈥�, fhreagair na s矛thichean.

鈥淢a 鈥檚 e obair a tha sibh ag iarraidh,鈥� thuirt an seann duine, 鈥渢hallaibh is cumaibh air falbh na tonnan a tha a鈥� briseadh air a鈥� chladach ud thall.鈥� Dh鈥檉halbh na s矛thichean chun a鈥� chladaich agus chan fhacas san d霉n iad bhon uair sin.

Faclan na seachdaine: 霉ghdar: author; Borgh: Borve; cuibhlichean-sn矛omha: spinning wheels; 貌rdachadh-oidhche: literally, a night-ordering, it means a voiced wish for something (to which the fairies will respond); c矛readh: combing; c脿rdadh: carding.

Abairtean na seachdaine: d猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a chuireadh sibh air X?: what Gaelic translation would you give for X?; chan eil facal nas fhe脿rr air an son na X: there is not a better word for them than X; tuigidh daoine c貌 air a tha thu a-mach: people will understand what you are on about; eileanan l脿imh ri bearraidhean a鈥� chladaich: islands next to coastal precipices; a bha air a s脿rachadh leis an t-sn矛omh a bh鈥� aice ri dh猫anamh: who felt oppressed by the [wool] spinning she had to do; bha i seachd sg矛th dhen obair: she was totally fed up with the work; cha robh aice ach maide-sn矛omh no cuigeal: she only had a [spinning stick or] distaff; cho luath 鈥檚 a thuirt i sin: as soon as she said that; buidheann de mhnathan-s矛the: a group of fairy women; nach b鈥� fhada gus an robh a鈥� chl貌imh gu l猫ir air a sn矛omh: that it was not long until all the wool was spun; dh鈥檉halbh fear an taighe a ch猫ilidh air bodach glic: the man of the house left to visit a wise old man; nach robh c貌ir aig bean an duine X a dh猫anamh: that the man鈥檚 wife ought not to have done X; bu ch貌ir dhuibh na s矛thichean fh脿gail far a bheil iad: you should leave the fairies where they are; airson faighinn cuidhteas nam ban-s矛the: in order to get rid of the fairy women; mo bhuilg, m鈥� 霉ird is m鈥� innean: my bellows, my hammers and my anvil; cho luath 鈥檚 a gheibheadh na s矛thichean a-mach nach robh teine anns an d霉n: as soon as the fairies found out there was no fire in the dun; cumaibh air falbh na tonnan a tha a鈥� briseadh air a鈥� chladach ud thall: keep back the waves that are breaking on yonder shore; chan fhacas san d霉n iad bhon uair sin: they haven鈥檛 been seen in the dun since then.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: rachainn leis air a sin: literally this means 鈥淚 would go with him on that鈥�. It is an idiomatic way of saying 鈥淚 would agree with him on that鈥�. Rachainn is the first person singular conditional of rach. Note, however, that although we refer to the verb 鈥渢o go鈥� as rach, that some of the forms in which the root rach appears do not exist in some dialects. For example rachainn (鈥淚 would go鈥�) is quite commonly dheighinn. And note that rachamaid, meaning 鈥渨e would go鈥� is replaced in some parts by rachadh sinn or dheigheadh sinn. Despite these dialectal differences, the different forms will be understood in areas where they would not normally be used, an example of the unifying influence of Gaelic broadcasting over the last generation or so.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Mo chreach mh貌r is mo dhunaidh: literally 鈥渕y great devastation and disaster鈥�, this is an idiomatic equivalent to the English 鈥渨oe is me and thrice woe鈥� 鈥� although the English here is considerably more archaic!