麻豆约拍

C脿it a bheil an t-Eilean Gorm? Uill, 鈥檚 iomadh eilean ann an Alba a dh鈥檉haodadh an tiotal sin a ghi霉lan, 鈥檚 d貌cha, ged a tha na dh脿 dhiubh a鈥� seasamh a-mach bho ch脿ch nam bheachd-san, agus iad le ch猫ile nas guirme nan 脿bhaist. Nise, mus t猫id mi air adhart, feumaidh mi r脿dh gu bheil mi a鈥� cleachdadh gorm an seo mar dhath an fhe貌ir 鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh green ann am Beurla, chan e blue. Oir 鈥檚 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air an eilean seo ann am Beurla 鈥渢he Green Island鈥� agus thathar a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gur e as coireach ri sin, gu robh e c貌mhdaichte le feur.

鈥橲 iad an d脿 eilean air a bheil mi a鈥� beachdachadh - 脤le agus eilean eile ann an Earra-Ghaidheal, gu tuath air 脤le 鈥� Liosm貌r. Cha chreid mi gu bheil eilean eile ann an Alba a tha a cheart cho feurach is torrach ri Liosm貌r.

Sin mo roghainn, ma-th脿, ach c脿it a bheil 鈥渁n t-Eilean Gorm鈥�? Uill, leis an fh矛rinn innse, chan eil mi cinnteach ca鈥� bheil e no, leis an fh矛rinn innse, an robh e a-riamh ann am bith. Ach tha e air ainmeachadh ann am Beurla mar 鈥渢he Green Island鈥� ann an leabhar a th脿inig a-mach 脿s 霉r o chionn ghoirid 鈥� an leabhar le M脿rtainn MacIlleMh脿rtainn air a bheil 鈥淎 Description of the Western Islands of Scotland鈥�.

鈥橲 ann o chionn tr矛 cheud bliadhna a nochd an leabhar sin an toiseach, ach tha Urras Leabhraichean nan Eilean, buidheann a tha st猫idhichte ann an Nis ann an Le貌dhas, air a thoirt a-mach as 霉r am-bliadhna. Tha am fear 霉r na mhac-samhail don chiad iris dheth agus tha notaichean na chois, a rinn an sgr矛obhadair M矛cheal Robson. Tha M矛cheal a鈥� fuireach ann am Port Nis agus tha e貌las air leth aige air na h-eileanan. Chuir an t-Urras an tiotal air an leabhar 霉r 鈥淐uriosities of Art and Nature鈥�, 脿s d猫idh rudeigin a chuir M脿rtainn air a鈥� chiad dhuilleig aige anns an leabhar th霉sail.

Sgr矛obh M脿rtainn gu robh an t-Eilean Gorm don iar-dheas air 脤le, Colasa is Di霉ra, fad l脿-se貌laidh air falbh bho na h-eileanan sin. Th脿inig a chunntas bhon mhinistear ann an Di霉ra, an t-Urramach Iain MacSuain, a fhuair e bho chaiptean soithich Shasannaich. Seo agaibh cuibhreann de na thuirt am maraiche ris a鈥� mhinistear:

鈥淏ha mi a鈥� se貌ladh mu dheich l猫igean fichead don iar-dheas air 脤le. Th脿inig ci霉ineas orm faisg air eilean beag, far an do leig mi an acair is far an deach mi air t矛r. Bha e c貌mhdaichte air fad le feur fada; bha na h-uimhir de r貌in nan laighe air na creagan is air a鈥� chladach; tha mar an ceudna na h-uimhir de dh鈥檈貌in-mhara ann鈥� Tha m貌ran d猫ileachan is b霉ird air cladach an eilein agus, leis gu bheil e c貌mhnard agus faisg air a bhith aig 矛re na mara, dh鈥檌arr mi air a鈥� chriubha agam (a bha d矛omhain) am fiodh a ch脿rnadh gu 脿irde co-ionann ri d脿 霉rlar 鈥� gus am biodh e na b鈥� fhasa do mharaichean [an t-eilean] fhaicinn鈥︹��

Bu ch貌ir dhomh cur ris an tuairisgeul a thug mi dhuibh dhen eilean, oir tha fhios agam gum bi cuid agaibh a鈥� falbh a choimhead air mapaichean dhen chuan eadar Alba is Eirinn, ga lorg. Thuirt an caiptean Sasannach gu robh an t-eilean ceithir m矛le a dh鈥檉haide, le m矛le de leud ann, agus le abhainn anns a鈥� mheadhan, ged a tha amharas agam gur d貌cha gur e s脿l, seach f矛or-uisge, a bh鈥� anns an 鈥渁bhainn鈥�. Co-dhi霉, an ath-sheachdain, innsidh mi dhuibh mar a chunnaic muinntir Cholasa an t-Eilean Gorm airson a鈥� chiad turas, agus mar a dh鈥檉halbh e 脿 fianais, taobh a-staigh bliadhna.

Faclan na seachdaine: an t-Eilean Gorm: the Green Island (for notes on gorm applying to the green of grass, see Litir 176 1st Nov 2002); c貌mhdaichte: covered; feur: grass; 脤le: Islay; Liosm貌r: Lismore; M脿rtainn MacIlleMh脿rtainn: Martin Martin; Urras Leabhraichean nan Eilean: The Islands Books Trust; mac-samhail: facsimile; Port Nis: Port of Ness; iar-dheas: south-west; Di霉ra: Jura; an t-Urramach Iain MacSuain: Rev. John MacSween; ci霉ineas: calm; e貌in-mhara: sea-birds; d猫ileachan is b霉ird: planks and boards; d矛omhain: idle; leud: width; s脿l: salt-water; f矛or-uisge: freshwater; 脿 fianais: out of sight; muinntir Cholasa: the people of Colonsay.

Abairtean na seachdaine: 鈥檚 iomadh eilean a dh鈥檉haodadh an tiotal sin a ghi霉lan: there鈥檚 many an island could carry that title; ged a tha na dh脿 dhiubh a鈥� seasamh a-mach bho ch脿ch: although two of them stand out from the others; mar dhath an fhe貌ir: as the colour of [the] grass; cha chreid mi gu bheil: I don鈥檛 reckon; a cheart cho feurach is torrach ri: as grassy and fertile as; a nochd an leabhar sin an toiseach: that that book appeared at first; air a thoirt a-mach as 霉r: newly brought out; tha notaichean na chois: there are notes accompanying it; tha e貌las air leth aige air na h-eileanan: he has a particularly good knowledge of the islands; anns an leabhar th霉sail: in the original book; fad l脿-se貌laidh air falbh: a day鈥檚 sail away; bho chaiptean soithich Shasannaich: from the captain of an English vessel; mu dheic l猫igean fichead: about thirty leagues; mar an ceudna: likewise; fiodh a ch脿rnadh gu 脿irde co-ionann ri d脿 霉rlar: to pile up wood to the height [of the equivalent] of two stories; gus am biodh e na b鈥� fhasa do mharaichean an t-eilean fhaicinn: so that it would be easier for mariners to see the island.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: bha na h-uimhir de r貌in nan laighe air na creagan is air a鈥� chladach: there was an abundance of seals lying on the rocks and on the shore. Why did I say nan laighe instead of a鈥� laighe? The difference is that nan laighe means that the seals are already in a state of lying. If the verbal noun were used here, it would that they were actually in the process of lying down. You will be more familiar with the similar example of the verb suidh/suidhe (sit). Tha mi a鈥� suidhe means that I am in the process of sitting down. Tha mi nam shuidhe means that I am already in a sitting position. Notice the latter employs the appropriate person of the prepositional possessive adjectives associated with ann eg bha thu nad [na do] shuidhe, bha e na shuidhe, bha i na suidhe etc. Literally, with bha na r貌in nan laighe, we are saying 鈥渢he seals were in their lying.鈥� Before I leave laigh/laighe, if you have a dog or a young child [or even a pet seal], the order 鈥渓aigh s矛os!鈥� (lie down!) is a good one to remember.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: an robh e a-riamh ann am bith: did it ever exist.