麻豆约拍

Ann an ochd ceud deug, d脿 fhichead 鈥檚 a seachd (1847), chaidh Iain Sti霉bhart Blackie air a鈥� chiad chuairt aige air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd. Th貌isich e ann an Inbhir Nis is Ros an Ear, agus dh鈥檉halbh e an uair sin gu ruige An Gearasdan, Bail鈥� a鈥� Chaolais agus An t-脪ban. Shreap e Beinn Nibheis agus choisich e air feadh Ghleanna Comhainn. Chaidh e ann a chionn 鈥檚 gu robh e a鈥� fulaing droch shl脿inte, agus ghabh e gr脿dh m貌r m貌r air b貌idhchead n脿darrach na G脿idhealtachd.

Thill e a dh鈥橭bar Dheathain, agus e air 霉rachadh. Ach, an d猫idh greis, th脿inig e fo uallach a-rithist. Cha robh a shuidheachadh a鈥� c貌rdadh ris agus, ann an ochd ceud deug, leth-cheud 鈥檚 a h-aon (1851), chuala e mu bh脿s Proifeasair na Greugais ann an Oilthigh Dh霉n 脠ideann. Rinn e tagradh airson na dreuchd, agus bha e soirbheachail. Bha a bhean air leth toilichte oir bha i air f脿s sg矛th de dh鈥橭bar Dheathain.

Ch貌rd e ri Blackie a bhith an s脿s ann an sgoilearachd na Greugais aig an 矛re as 脿irde. Agus thug a dhreuchd 霉r cothrom dha leantainn le iomairt a bha e air a chur roimhe nuair a bha e na oileanach 鈥� a鈥� toirt an aghaidh air luchd-teagaisg nan oilthighean a bha a鈥� labhairt na seann Ghreugais ann an d貌igh che脿rr (na bheachdsan).

Th脿inig piseach air Blackie ann an D霉n 脠ideann. Ghabh e cuairt don Ghr猫ig, far an do rinn e rannsachadh air cruth na talmhainn a bharrachd air litreachas. Bha 霉idh mh貌r aige ann an ge貌las (no e貌las-chreag) agus, nuair a thill e a Dh霉n 脠ideann, sgr矛obh e don ghe貌laiche ainmeil, Sir Ruairidh MacCalmain, mu dheidhinn na dh鈥檌onnsaich e anns a鈥� Ghr猫ig.

Ach bha aon ghnothach m貌r a鈥� feitheamh ris fhathast 鈥� a鈥� Gh脿idhlig. 鈥橲 ann tr脿th anns na tr矛 ficheadan a thachair Blackie oirre 鈥� ann an Ros an Iar. Bha e ann an Ceann Loch I霉, a鈥� gabhail l脿ithean-saora. Bha gille a鈥� cur d矛ollaid air each taobh a-muigh an taigh-貌sta, agus iad a鈥� d猫anamh deiseil airson falbh don mhonadh ann an Toirbheartan. Dh鈥檉haighnich am proifeasair dhen ghille gu d猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a bh鈥� air 鈥渉orse鈥� agus fhreagair e 鈥渆ach鈥�. Agus mhothaich Blackie sa mhionaid don ch脿irdeas eadar 鈥渆ach鈥� agus an Laideann air a shon 鈥� 鈥渆quus鈥�. Dh鈥檉hosgail a鈥� cheist sh矛mplidh sin, agus a freagairt, saoghal 霉r dha.

Anns an leabhar aige The Language and Literature of the Scottish Highlands, sgr矛obh Blackie gun d鈥� fhuair e oideachadh traidiseanta, mar a fhuair a h-uile gille ann an Alba, anns an do dh鈥檌onnsaich e mu chultaran is d霉thchannan is c脿nanan eile, gun a bhith a鈥� cluinntinn guth mun st貌ras phr矛seil a bh鈥� aig muinntir na h-Alba air an stairsnich fh猫in.

Agus sgr矛obh e gu robh e air beachdan a chluinntinn bho chuid de luchd na Beurla 鈥済un tug Dia pr矛omhachas do na Sasannaich鈥�. Nan cuirte 脿s do na Ceiltich gus nach biodh Eireannach ann an Eirinn no Gaidheal air Gaidhealtachd na h-Alba, bhiodh an fheadhainn sin toilichte. Anns na bliadhnaichean a bh鈥� air fh脿gail aige air uachdar na talmhainn, rinn Blackie barrachd na cha mh貌r duine sam bith eile airson am beachd truagh sin atharrachadh.

Ach cha robh e an aghaidh nan Sasannach no an aghaidh luchd na Beurla. Bha e an aghaidh aineolas. 鈥淭hathar a鈥� faighneachd,鈥� sgr矛obh e, 鈥渃arson a bu ch貌ir taic a thoirt do ch脿nan a tha a鈥� b脿sachadh agus a bhios marbh an ceann beagan bhliadhnaichean mura t猫id taic a thoirt dhi a dh鈥檃ona-ghnothach?鈥� Sia fichead 鈥檚 a seachd bliadhna as d猫idh sin, tha cuid ann an Alba, gu m矛-fhortanach, fhathast a鈥� cur na ceist sin.

Faclan na seachdaine: Ros an Ear: Easter Ross; An Gearasdan: Fort William; Bail鈥� a鈥� Chaolais: Ballachulish; An t-脪ban: Oban; soirbheachail: successful; sgoilearachd: scholarship; iomairt: campaign; ge貌las, eolas-chreag: geology; Ros an Iar: Wester Ross; Ceann Loch I霉: Kinlochewe.

Abairtean na seachdaine: shreap e Beinn Nibheis: he climbed Ben Nevis;air feadh Ghleanna Comhainn: throughout Glencoe; thill e a dh鈥橭bar Dheathain, agus e air 霉rachadh: he returned to Aberdeen refreshed; cha robh a shuidheachadh a鈥� c貌rdadh ris: he was not enjoying his situation; a bha e air a chur roimhe: that he had decided upon; a鈥� toirt an aghaidh air luchd-teagaisg: confronting teachers; cruth na talmhainn: the form of the land; sgr矛obh e don ghe貌laiche ainmeil, Sir Ruairidh MacCalmain: he wrote to the famous geologist, Sir Roderick Murchison; 鈥檚 ann tr脿th anns na tr矛 ficheadan a thachair Blackie oirre: it was early in the sixties (1860s) that Blackie happened upon her (G脿idhlig is feminine); airson falbh don mhonadh ann an Toirbheartan: to go on the hill (ie hillwalking) in Torridon; dh鈥檉hosgail a鈥� cheist sin saoghal 霉r dha: that question opened a new world to him; gun d鈥� fhuair e oideachadh traidiseanta: that he got a traditional instruction [ie education]; gun a bhith a鈥� cluinntinn guth mun st貌ras phr矛seil: without hearing a word about the precious riches; air an stairsnich fh猫in: on their own doorstep; gun tug Dia pr矛omhachas do: that God gave the prime place to; nan cuirte 脿s do na Ceiltich: if the Celts would be [ie could be] got rid of; airson am beachd truagh sin atharrachadh: to change that deplorable opinion; bha e an aghaidh aineolas: he was against ignorance; thathar a鈥� faighneachd: it is asked; a bhios marbh an ceann beagan bhliadhnaichean: which will be dead within a few years; sia fichead 鈥檚 a seachd bliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin: 127 years after that; tha cuid fhathast a鈥� cur na ceist sin: some still ask that question.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: mhothaich Blackie sa mhionaid: Blackie noticed immediately. You will all know the feminine noun mionaid (鈥渕inute鈥�) which is very similar to the English. However be careful of its idiomatic use.

Gaelic learners often get confused about 鈥渟a mhionaid鈥� (ie 鈥渁nns a鈥� mhionaid鈥�), thinking it means 鈥渋n a minute鈥�. It does not. Literally it is 鈥渋n the minute鈥� but idiomatically it means 鈥渞ight now鈥�. Consider this conversation (which starts with a mother shouting to her daughter who is upstairs) and note the difference between ann am mionaid and anns a鈥� mhionaid: 鈥淎n tig thu a-nuas, Eilidh? (will you come down, Helen?); 鈥淭hig ann am mionaid鈥� (Yes, in a minute)... mother waits angrily and shouts up the stairs, 鈥淓ilidh, thig sa mhionaid. Tha cabhag orm.鈥� (Helen, come immediately. I am in a hurry).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: mhothaich Blackie don ch脿irdeas eadar 鈥渆ach鈥� agus an Laideann air a shon: Blackie noticed the relationship between 鈥渆ach鈥� and the Latin for it. Note the preposition 鈥渄o鈥� which goes with mothachadh. Tha mi a鈥� mothachadh don a h-uile rud (I am noticing everything).