麻豆社

鈥淎m b鈥檉he脿rr leibh t矛 neo cofaidh?鈥� Tha a鈥� cheist sin s矛mplidh gu le貌r, nach eil? Ach d猫 mu dheidhinn na ceist seo? 鈥淎m b鈥檉he脿rr leibh t矛 脿bhaisteach neo t矛 Thib猫atanach?鈥� Uill, mura robh sibh a-riamh anns a Hiom脿ileatha, neo ann an Tib猫t fh猫in,鈥檚 d貌cha nach bi fios agaibh d猫 chanas sibh. Bheir mi comhairle dhuibh, ma tha. Gabhaibh an t矛 脿bhaisteach!

Nise, feumaidh mi r脿dh gu bheil sp猫is mh貌r mh貌r agam do na Tib猫atanaich agus an cultar. A h-uile turas a bha mi cuide ri Tib猫atanaich neo treubhan Hiom脿ileathach aig a bheil cultar Tib猫atanach, ch貌rd e rium glan. Tha na daoine laghach is modhail, ach l脿n sp貌rs is fealla-dh脿 cuideachd. Agus tha m貌ran dhen bhiadh aca gl猫 mhath 鈥� rudan mar momos a chuireas iad ann am brot, agus rudan eile, car coltach ri sin, a tha iad a鈥� d猫anamh le taois.

Ach chan eil mi cho cinnteach idir mu dheidhinn d脿 rud a tha iad ag ithe agus 貌l 鈥� tsampa agus t矛, neo teatha. Thig mi gu tsampa aig deireadh na litreach, agus tuigidh sibh carson nuair a chluinneas sibh mo sgeul mu dheidhinn na t矛.

Bha mi ann an taigh ann an d霉thaich nan Sherpas, ann an Neap脿l, nuair a ghabh mi t矛 Thib猫atanach. 鈥橲 ann 脿s Tib猫t a th脿inig na Sherpas bho th霉s, agus tha m貌ran chleachdaidhean aca fhathast a tha d矛reach mar a th鈥檃ig Tib猫atanaich eile. Air an latha sin bha i cho fuar ris a鈥� phuinnsean, le sneachd anns a h-uile h-脿ite, agus bha mi a鈥� coimhead air adhart ri rudeigin teth 貌l. Dh鈥檉haighnich fear an taighe dhiom, am bu toil leam cupa t矛 agus thuirt mi ris gum bu toil.

Thug am bodach a-mach n脿dar de mhuidhe neo biota, soitheach 脿rd fiodha le maide na bhroinn. Chuir e ann am meadhan an t-se貌mair e agus dhoirt e uisge goileach ann. Chuir e rud neo dh脿 eile ann agus, an uairsin, th貌isich e air am maistreachadh. Bha e car coltach ri seann bhean air Gh脿idhealtachd o chionn fhada a鈥� deanamh 矛m.

Nuair a bha e deiseil, bhruidhinn am bodach rium ann an Nepali, c脿nan n脿iseanta Neap脿il. 鈥淐up chiya, Sahib?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e 鈥� cupa t矛?

鈥淎li ali maatra dinus,鈥� arsa mise ris 鈥� d矛reach rud beag 鈥� ged a bha lan-fhios agam gun l矛onadh e an cupa m貌r a bha ri mo thaobh.

Chuir mi an cupa ri mo bhilean agus dh鈥檉heuch mi an t矛. Uill, cha do dh鈥櫭瞝 mi a leithid a-riamh roimhe, neo bhon uairsin nas m貌鈥�! Bha am blas, uill, eadar-dhealaichte! An 脿ite bainne 霉r, bidh iad a鈥� cur seann 矛m ann. Agus tha mi a鈥� ciallachadh seann 矛m 鈥� air a dh猫anamh le bainne bho yak a chaidh a bhleoghain greis mhath roimhe sin. Mar as breun an t-矛m, 鈥檚 ann as fhe脿rr, a-r猫ir choltais.

Agus cha b鈥檈 sin a-mh脿in. Cuiridh iad ann, an 脿ite si霉car, salann. Canaidh mi d矛reach nach robh e ro mhath. Thuirt mo charaid, ri mo thaobh, agus e a鈥� coimhead air m鈥檃odann, 鈥淣a smaoinich air mar th矛. Smaoinich air mar bhrot. Agus bidh modhail nuair a thilleas am bodach.鈥�

鈥淒eagh bhrot,鈥� thuirt mi rium fh矛n, 鈥渄eagh bhrot.鈥� (Ged nach robh mi ga chreids鈥�). Agus nuair a thill am bodach, dh鈥檉haighnich e dhiom an robh e math. 鈥淏ha,鈥� arsa mise ris gu breugach, 鈥渂ha, gu dearbh.鈥� Agus 鈥� l矛on e an cupa a-rithist!

Agus tha sin gam thoirt don tsampa. 鈥橲 e a th鈥檃nn min-fhl霉ir e貌rna air a r貌stadh. Tha f脿ileadh math air gun teagamh. Ach tha e ro thioram airson ithe, agus bithear ga mheasgachadh le 鈥� seadh 鈥� t矛 Thib猫atanach. Cha chan mi an c貌rr.

Chun na h-ath sheachdainn, mar a chanas muinntir Neap脿il, Namaste!

t矛, teatha: tea; 脿bhaisteach: normal; Tib猫t, Tib猫atanach: Tibet,Tibetan; Hiom脿ileatha, Hiom脿ileathach: Himalaya, Himalayan; treubhan: tribes; aois:dough; sneachd: snow; muidhe, biota: churn; dhoirt: poured; goileach: boiling; deiseil:ready, finished; Neap脿l, Neap脿il: Nepal, of Nepal; a-riamh roimhe: ever before; thill: returned.

am bfh猫arr leibh X neo Y?: would you (pl.) prefer X or Y?;bheir mi comhairle dhuibh: I will give you (pl.) advice; bho th霉s: originally; bha mi a'coimhead air adhart ri rudeigin teth 貌l: I was looking forward to drinking something hot;soitheach 脿rd fiodha le maide na bhroinn: a tall wooden vessel with a stick in it; th貌isich eair am maistreachadh: he started to churn them; neo bhon uairsin nas m貌: nor since thattime either; a chaidh a bhleoghain greis mhath roimhe sin: that was milked a considerabletime before that; cha be sin a-mh脿in: that was not all; smaoinich air mar bhrot: think of itas soup; gu breugach: untruthfully; min-fhl霉ir e貌rna air a r貌stadh: roasted barley flour;tha f脿ileadh math air gun teagamh: it smells good without doubt; bithear ga mheasgachadhle: it is mixed with; cha chan mi an c貌rr: I won't say anything else.

Mar as breun an t-矛m, s ann as fhe脿rr: the more rancidthe butter, the better. The mar as , 's ann as expression in Gaelic is common andexceptionally useful. Note that it may be verbless, except for the Assertive Verb (Is ann).Bidh i teth am m脿ireach (it will be hot tomorrow) Math dha-r矛reabh; mar as teotha, 's annas fhe脿rr (excellent; the hotter the better). It is often met with in proverbs. If you are male,getting a little long in the tooth and suffering uncomplimentary comments from the youngergeneration about your age, here is a good one to remember: Mar as sine am boc, 's ann ascruaidh an adharc (the older the buck, the harder the horn). This phraseology also workswith additional verbs as in the following proverb: Mar as moth a gheibh an c霉, 's ann asmoth a dh'iarras e (the more the dog gets, the more he wants).