麻豆约拍

Halo a-rithist. Anns an Litir mu dheireadh, dh鈥檌arr mi oirbh tri ainmean-脿ite eadar-theangachadh gu Beurla. Tha mi an d貌chas gun deach agaibh air sin a dh猫anamh. Allt Gleann na Gaoithe an toiseach. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh the burn of the glen of the wind. Anns an ath-ainm, bha am facal faing. Ann an cuid de dh鈥櫭爄teachan, 鈥檚 e fang a chanas iad agus tha am facal air tighinn a-steach don Bheurla mar fank, co-dhi霉 ann an Alba. Faing a鈥� Ch霉irn Bh脿in 鈥� the fank, or sheepfold, of the white cairn. Agus, mu dheireadh, Meall Dubh na Saobhaidh: the black lump-shaped hill of the fox den.

Tha na h-ainmean-脿ite sin uile ann an taobh siar Rois agus, a bharrachd air beathaichean, tha m貌ran ainmean anns an sg矛re sin co-cheangailte ri lusan is craobhan. Anns an ochdamh linn deug bha na coilltean faisg air Ge脿rrloch ainmeil air feadh ceann a tuath na Gaidhealtachd agus, bho 脿m gu 脿m, bhiodh eileanaich, eadhon bho na h-eileanan a-muigh, a鈥� dol don sg矛re sin airson fiodh fhaighinn airson taighean a thogail. Cha b鈥� urrainn mullach a chur air taigh gun fhiodh.

Ann an seachd deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1785) no mar sin, chaidh eathar l脿n fhear 脿 Mealasta ann an Sg矛re 脵ige, ann an taobh siar Le貌dhais, gu ruige Ros an Iar airson fiodh. Bha iad a鈥� tilleadh, a鈥� d猫anamh air Caolas na Hearadh, nuair a dh鈥櫭╥rich stoirm mh貌r. B鈥� fheudar dhaibh coimhead airson fasgadh air cladach an ear Na Hearadh no Le貌dhais. Mu dheireadh, fhuair iad air t矛r ann an 脿ite ris an canar am B脿gh Ciarach ann am f矛or cheann a deas Sg矛re na P脿irce ann an Le貌dhas.

Chan eil duine a鈥� fuireach anns a鈥� Bh脿gh Chiarach an-diugh ach, aig an 脿m sin, bha dh脿 no thr矛 teaghlaichean ann. Bha iad bochd agus, a r猫ir choltais, bha olc annta oir, an 脿ite cobhair a dh猫anamh air na maraichean, mar a dh猫anadh a鈥� mh貌r-chuid, 鈥檚 ann a mhuirt iad iad, gus am faigheadh iad greim air an cuid fiodha. A-rithist, a r猫ir beul-aithris, chaidh am murt le bhith air am bualadh air an cinn le clach aig bonn stocainn, agus chaidh an tiodhlacadh ann am boglach. Is thathar ag r脿dh gu bheil lusan annasach air a bhith a鈥� f脿s anns a鈥� bhoglach sin bhon uairsin.

Uill, cha do thill fir Mhealasta dhachaigh agus cha robh fios aig am mn脿than, thall ann an Sg矛re 脵ige, gu d猫 bh鈥� air tachairt dhaibh. As d猫idh greis, ghabh iad ris gu robh an eathar air a dhol fodha agus gu robh na fir uile marbh.

鈥橲 ann mar sin a bha e gu 鈥檚 t-samhradh air a鈥� bhliadhna as d猫idh sin nuair a bha t猫 de na mn脿than aig f猫ill-spr猫idh ann an Ste貌rnabhagh. Nise, tha d脿 sgeul ann mu dheidhinn na thachair. Tha cuid a鈥� cumail a-mach gum faca i geansaidh a rinn i fh猫in airson an duine aice air fear 脿 Sg矛re na P脿irce. Tha cuid eile ag r脿dh gur e gu robh cuideigin a鈥� reic plaidean, no plangaidean, anns an robh p矛osan beaga tartain, a dhearbh dhi gur ann leis na daoine 脿 Mealasta a bha iad.

Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 d猫 thachair do na murtairean. Ach uaireigin as d猫idh sin, nochd fear de na mairbh, fear Donnchadh, do bhean ann an aisling, agus ghabh e 貌ran dhi. Nuair a dh霉isg i, bha an t-貌ran air a bilean:

鈥橲 e nighean mo ghaoil an nighean donn 貌g,

Nam bithinn ri a taobh, cha bhithinn fo le貌n鈥�

A bheil an sgeulachd f矛or? C貌 aige tha fios, ach 鈥檚 iongantach mura h-eil f矛rinn air choreigin innte.

Faclan na seachdaine: taobh siar Rois, Ros an Iar: Wester Ross; Sg矛re 脵ige: Uig (an area in SW Lewis); stoirm: storm; am B脿gh Ciarach: (lit.) the dusky bay; Sg矛re na P脿irce: Park (an area in SE Lewis); olc: evil; boglach: bog, swamp; am mn脿than: their wives; f猫ill-spr猫idh: livestock mart; Ste貌rnabhagh: Stornoway; plaidean, plangaidean: blankets; murtairean: murderers.

Abairtean na seachdaine: anns an ochdamh linn deug bha na coilltean faisg air Ge脿rrloch ainmeil: in the 18th Century, the forests near Gairloch were famous; bhiodh eileanaich, eadhon bho na h-eileanan a-muigh, a鈥� dol don sg矛re sin: islanders, even from the outer isles, would go to that area/parish; cha b鈥� urrainn mullach a chur air taigh gun fhiodh: a house could not be roofed without timber; chaidh eathar l脿n fhear 脿 Mealasta: a boatload of men from Mealasta; b鈥� fheudar dhaibh coimhead airson fasgadh: they had to look for shelter; an 脿ite cobhair a dh猫anamh air na maraichean: instead of assisting the seamen; gus am faigheadh iad greim air an cuid fiodha: so that they could get hold of their [cargo of] wood; le bhith air am bualadh air an cinn: by being struck on their heads; le clach aig bonn stocainn: with a stone at [in] the end of a stocking; ghabh iad ris gu robh an eathar air a dhol fodha: they accepted that their boat had sunk; gum faca i geansaidh a rinn i fh猫in: that she saw a jumper she [had] made herself; a dhearbh dhi gur ann le X a bha iad: which proved to her that they belonged to X; nochd fear de na mairbh ann an aisling do bhean: one of the dead appeared to his wife in a dream; 鈥檚 iongantach mura h-eil f矛rinn air choreigin innte: it鈥檚 likely there鈥檚 some truth in it (fem).

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Thathar ag r脿dh gu bheil lusan annasach air a bhith a鈥� f脿s anns a鈥� bhoglach sin bhon uairsin: it is said that unusual plants have been growing in that bog ever since. I think it is about time we returned to look the impersonal forms of the verb 鈥渢o be鈥�, which allow us easily to construct a passive (which we last looked at in Litir 5, June 18 1999). As far as the independent forms go, in the present tense, it is thathar (or thathas); in the past bhathar (or bhathas) and in the future bithear (bitheas). In the dependent form it is bheilear/eilear (bheileas/eileas), robhar (robhas) and bithear (bitheas). It is very easily employed 鈥� here are some examples. Bithear a鈥� d猫anamh obair Diluain (work will be done on Monday); chaidh a r脿dh gu robhar a鈥� coimhead airson luchd-obrach (it was said that workmen were being sought); bithear ag innse na sgeulachd sin fhathast (that story is still told 鈥� future acting as present habitual); tha mi cinnteach nach eilear ga innse a-nise (I am sure it is not told now).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Bha iad a鈥� tilleadh, a鈥� d猫anamh air Caolas na Hearadh: they were returning, making for the Sound of Harris. A鈥� d猫anamh air: making for, going towards.