麻豆社

Tha an eilid anns an fhr矛th

Mar bu ch貌ir dhi bhith

Far am faigh i millteach

Glan, fe貌irneanach.

A bheil fhios agaibh c貌 sgr矛obh na faclan sin? Tha iad mu dheidhinn n脿dair agus beanntan na h-Alba, agus bha iad air an sgr矛obhadh le fear de na b脿ird as ainmeile a bh鈥� againn 鈥� Donnchadh B脿n Mac an t-Saoir. Seo iad a-rithist. 鈥橲 d貌cha gum bi fios agaibh gu bheil eilid a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渇iadh boireann鈥�. Agus millteach 鈥� uill, 鈥檚 e sin se貌rsa fe貌ir a bhios a鈥� f脿s air na beanntan.

Tha an eilid anns an fhr矛th

Mar bu ch貌ir dhi bhith

Far am faigh i millteach

Glan, fe貌irneanach.

Leugh mi na faclan sin an t-seachdain-sa ann an leabhar 霉r mu dheidhinn t猫 de bheanntan na h-Alba. Chan i B猫inn D貌rain ann an Earra-Ghaidheal, a bha Donnchadh B脿n a鈥� moladh na bh脿rdachd, ach t猫 fada gu tuath air a sin, t猫 de bheanntan Thoirbheartain ann an taobh siar Rois 鈥� Beinn Eighe. Ged is ann ann am Beurla a tha an leabhar, le Laughton MacIain agus Dick Balharry, tha criomag de bh脿rdachd Gh脿idhlig ann an siud 鈥檚 an seo agus is math sin.

Ach tha beagan dragh orm gur d貌cha nach tuig an luchd-leughaidh gu l猫ir d猫 d矛reach a tha an t-eadar-theangachadh a鈥� ciallachadh, oir seo mar a chaidh a chur ann am Beurla:

The hind is in the forest, as she ought to be, where she may have sweet grass, clean, fine-bladed. Tha a h-uile c脿il sin ceart gu le貌r ach, 鈥檚 d貌cha aon rud. 鈥橲 e sin gu bheilear ag eadar-theangachadh an fhacail 鈥渇r矛th鈥� mar 鈥渇orest鈥�.

Tuigidh mi carson, oir 鈥檚 e sin an t-eadar-theangachadh as trice a nochdas airson fr矛th, ach le 鈥渄eer鈥� ann roimhe 鈥� deer forest. Tha p脿irt dhen leabhar, ge-t脿, mu dheidhinn na coille aig bonn Beinn Eighe ris an canar Coille na Glas Leitir agus tha amharas agam gum bi cuid, a leughas an leabhar agus nach eil fiosraichte mu dheidhinn na Gaidhealtachd, dhen bheachd gu robh Donnchadh B脿n a-mach air 脿ite anns an robh craobhan. Seo na chanas faclair Chox, 鈥淏r矛gh nam Facal鈥�, airson 鈥渇r矛th鈥�: 脿ite air a鈥� mh貌intich no air na beanntan far am bi f猫idh a鈥� fuireach agus a鈥� biathadh. Chan eil guth aige air craobhan. Chan eil 鈥渇orest鈥� anns an t-suidheachadh seo ann am Beurla a鈥� ciallachadh 脿ite le craobhan, ach tha amharas agam gum bi m貌ran ann aig nach eil fios air a sin.

Co-dhi霉, tha an leabhar fh猫in gl猫 inntinneach. Tha e mu dheidhinn mar a chaidh a鈥� chiad th猫armann n脿dair n脿iseanta ann am Breatainn a st猫idheachadh air Beinn Eighe o chionn leth-cheud bliadhna. Ged is e beinn is m貌inteach a tha anns a鈥� mh貌r-chuid dhen t猫armann, 鈥檚 ann gu h-脿raidh airson coille a dh矛on a chaidh a chomharrachadh. Bhathar dhen bheachd gu robh Coille na Glas Leitir, coille-ghiuthais n脿darrach de she貌rsa a tha gu math gann an-diugh, cho pr矛seil 鈥檚 gu robh feum ann a s脿bhaladh agus a d矛on an aghaidh, am measg eile, 猫ildean dhen t-se貌rsa air an robh Donnchadh B脿n a-mach na chuid bh脿rdachd.

An-diugh, tha a鈥� choille a鈥� sgaoileadh mean air mhean, agus 鈥檚 e deagh rud a tha sin. Tha i a鈥� cur ri b貌idhchead na sg矛re. Gu h-oifigeil, 鈥檚 e T猫armann N脿dair N脿iseanta Beinn Eighe a th鈥� air an 脿ite an-diugh. Ach gu h-eachdraidheil, agus don fheadhainn aig a bheil G脿idhlig a tha a鈥� fuireach anns an sg矛re timcheall baile beag Cheann Loch I霉, 鈥檚 e a bh鈥� ann, agus a th鈥� ann 鈥� Fr矛th Cheann Loch I霉. 脌ite math airson 猫ildean a bhios ag ithe millteach nam beann 鈥� fhad 鈥檚 nach eil cus dhiubh ann.

Faclan na seachdaine: eilid, 猫ildean: hind, hinds; Toirbheartan: Torridon; Laughton MacIain: Laughton Johnston; t猫armann n脿dair: nature reserve; coille-ghiuthais: (Caledonian) pine wood.

Abairtean na seachdaine: bha iad air an sgr矛obhadh le fear de na b脿ird as ainmeile a bh鈥� againn: they were written by one of our most famous poets; ann an leabhar mu dheidhinn t猫 de bheanntan na h-Alba: in a book about one of Scotland鈥檚 mountains; chan i X a bha Y a鈥� moladh na bh脿rdachd: it isn鈥檛 X that Y was praising in his poetry; gur d貌cha nach tuig an luchd-leughaidh gu l猫ir d猫 d矛reach a tha an t-eadar-theangachadh a鈥� ciallachadh: that perhaps the readers will not entirely understand what the translation means; nach eil fiosraichte mu dheidhinn na Gaidhealtachd: that are not informed about the Gaidhealtachd; chan eil guth aige air craobhan: there is not a word (ie he says nothing) about trees; 鈥檚 ann gu h-脿raidh airson coille a dh矛on a chaidh a chomharrachadh: it is particularly in order to protect the woodland that it was designated; 鈥檚 gu robh feum ann a s脿bhaladh agus a d矛on: that there was a need to save and protect it (fem.); 猫ildean dhen t-se貌rsa air an robh X a-mach: hinds of the type that X told about; 鈥檚 e deagh rud a tha sin: that鈥檚 a good thing; tha i a鈥� cur ri b貌idhchead na sg矛re: it (fem.) adds to the beauty of the area; anns an sg矛re timcheall baile beag Cheann Loch I霉: in the area around the small village of Kinlochewe; fhad 鈥檚 nach eil cus dhiubh ann: as long as there鈥檚 not too many of them.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Tha a鈥� choille a鈥� sgaoileadh mean air mhean: the wood (forest) is spreading gradually. Mean is an adjective meaning 鈥渧ery small鈥�. In old phrases of this nature where the adjective is repeated, the second time following air, it is lenited the second time. This is a classic example: mean air mhean 鈥� lit. 鈥渓ittle on little鈥� or as might be said in English 鈥渓ittle by little鈥�. A similar phrase with the same meaning is beag air bheag. Thog iad an caisteal, beag air bheag (they built the castle little by little. Yet another, using the noun uidh (鈥渟tep鈥�, 鈥渄egree鈥�) is uidh air n-uidh (gradually, by degrees). Outside the expression above, mean is little met with in modern Gaelic. The more usual forms are meanbh and mion. Meanbh normally appears as a prefix to a noun and denotes a diminutive eg meanbh-chuileag (midge, lit. small fly), meanbh-bhiastag (small insect or similar animal). Mion has a similar effect on nouns and other adjectives eg mion-ch脿nan (minority language), mion-e貌lach (exceptionally knowledgeable).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Tha criomag de bh脿rdachd Gh脿idhlig ann an siud 鈥檚 an seo: there is a fragment of Gaelic poetry here and there. An siud 鈥檚 an seo : here and there (lit. yonder and here).