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A bheil leas no ²µÃ °ù°ù²¹»å³ó agaibh? Ma tha, am bi sibh a’ fàs glasraich ann? Bidh mise, co-dhiù, agus tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu lus a chuir mi, airson a’ chiad turais, aig toiseach na bliadhna. Tha e air fàs gu math, agus tha sinn air a bhith ga ithe bhon Chèitean a-mach. A thuilleadh air sin, tha an lus nas motha a-nise na bha e as t-earrach. Nach math sin?!

ʼS e an lus nàdar de chàl ris an can mise, ann an Gàidhlig, ‘³¦Ã ±ô buan’. Leis an fhìrinn innse, cha chuala mi ʼs cha do leugh ainm an luis ann an Gàidhlig riamh roimhe seo. Ann am Beurla, ʼs e perennial kale a thathar a’ gabhail air. Càl buan, no ³¦Ã ±ô buan-mhaireannach ma tha sibh ag iarraidh a bhith spaideil.

Fhuair mi an lus aig deireadh na bliadhn’ an-uiridh bho charaid dhomh ann an Sasainn. Tha esan fìor dhèidheil air gàirnealaireachd, gu h-àraidh fàs glasraich is mheasan. Dh’fhaighnich e dhìom an robh mi ag iarraidh ³¦Ã ±ô buan fhàs anns an leas agam fhìn. Thuirt mi gun robh, agus thug e dhomh dà phìos bheag de ghas bho aon de na lusan aige fhèin.

Chuir e ann am plastaig iad airson an cumail tais, agus nuair a thàinig mi dhachaigh, chuir mi ann an ùir iad. Thairis air a’ gheamhradh, chuir iad freumhaichean sìos. Nuair a thàinig an t-earrach, nochd duilleagan orra. Taobh a-staigh mìos no dhà, bha iad deiseil airson a chur a-mach don leas. Mar a tha na càil gu lèir, tha iad gu math cruadalach – no hardy mar a chanamaid ann am Beurla. 

Bha, agus tha, ³¦Ã ±ô eile a’ fàs agam. ʼS e sin lus ris an canar ³¦Ã ±ô ceairsleach. Ann am Beurla curly kale. Càl ceairsleach. Tha sin glè mhath. Fàsaidh e gu làidir agus faodar na duilleagan a ghearradh às airson ithe tron bhliadhna. 

Ach tha an ³¦Ã ±ô buan fada nas àirde, agus nas motha, na ʼn ³¦Ã ±ô-ceairsleach. Ged a ghearras tu duilleagan gu leòr às, thig e air ais gu làidir. Tha an dà lus agam còrr math is meatair a’ dh’àirde a-nise, agus tha mi an dùil gun tig tuilleadh fàis orra fhathast. Cha bhi agam ri buntainn orra sa gheamhradh, a rèir choltais. Seasaidh iad ri geamhradh cruaidh, agus fàsaidh iad às ùr as t-earrach an-ath-bhliadnna. ʼS e sin mo dhòchas co-dhiù!

Tha am facal ³¦Ã ±ô car inntinneach. Tha e dlùth-chàirdeach don Bheurla kale. Ach bidh e a’ seasamh airson cabbage a bharrachd air kale. Chan eil sin cho iongantach oir thàinig cabbage agus kale – na lusan – bhon aon lus o shean. ʼS e Brassica oleracea a chanas luchd-saidheans ris na dhà. ʼS dòcha gu bheil na h-ainmean – kale agus ³¦Ã ±ô – a’ tighinn bhon Laidinn caulis. Tha sin a’ ciallachadh ‘gas’. Tha cauliflower a’ tighinn bhon aon fhreumh. ʼS e a’ Ghàidhlig airson cauliflower – colag. Bidh sibh eòlach air lus eile a bhuineas do Brassica oleracea. ʼS e sin a’ bhuinneag Bhruisealach – no Brussels sprout. ʼS toigh leam buinneagan Bruisealach gu mòr. Ach tha fhios a’m nach bi sibh uile ag aontachadh rium!

Faclan na Litreach: co-dhiù : anyway; ³¦Ã ±ô buan: perennial kale; buan-mhaireannach: perennial, everlasting; spaideil: smart, a bit posh; an-uiridh: last year; gas: stalk, stem; tais: moist; ùir: soil; ³¦Ã ±ô ceairsleach: curly kale; dlùth-chàirdeach do: closely related to; colag: cauliflower.

Abairtean na Litreach: am bi sibh a’ fàs glasraich ann?: do you grow vegetables there?; lus a chuir mi, airson a’ chiad turais, aig toiseach na bliadhna: a plant I planted, for the first time, at the start of the year; tha sinn air a bhith ga ithe bhon Chèitean a-mach: we’ve been eating it since May; a thuilleadh air sin: in addition to that; a thathar a’ gabhail air: that it is called; fìor dhèidheil air gàirnealaireachd, gu h-àraidh fàs glasraich is mheasan: really keen on gardening, particularly the growing of vegetables and [of] fruit; dh’fhaighnich e dhìom an robh mi ag iarraidh: he asked me if I was wanting; mar a tha na càil gu lèir, tha iad gu math cruadalach: as [with] all the cabbages [brassicas] they are very hardy; faodar na duilleagan a ghearradh às airson ithe: the leaves can be cut off for eating; còrr math is meatair a’ dh’àirde a-nise: much more than a metre in height now; tha mi an dùil gun tig tuilleadh fàis orra fhathast: I expect them to grow more yet; seasaidh iad ri geamhradh cruaidh: they will withstand a hard winter; bhon aon lus fiadhain o shean: from the one wild plant originally; bhon aon fhreumh: from the one root; ʼs toigh leam buinneagan Bruisealach gu mòr: I really like Brussels sprouts; ach tha fhios a’m nach bi sibh uile ag aontachadh rium!: but I know you won’t all agree with me!

Puing-chànain na Litreach: A bheil leas no ²µÃ °ù°ù²¹»å³ó agaibh?: do you have a garden? There are three words commonly used for ‘garden’ in modern Gaelic. One is lios, dialectally leas. The latter is the word mostly used in Wester Ross which is why I tend to use it. The form lios appears in the name of the island Lios Mòr (Lismore) ‘great garden’ – and, indeed, it is a fertile island. However, ²µÃ °ù°ù²¹»å³ó – perhaps because it has some similarity to the English word – is increasingly used. In some dialects (eg W Ross) ²µÃ °ù°ù²¹»å³ó traditionally means ‘drystone wall’ – which would often surround a leas. If you’re not sure what to use, and don’t live in a place with a local dialect, ²µÃ °ù°ù²¹»å³ó will be understood everywhere.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Nach math sin?!: isn’t that good?!