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The Scottish Gaelic Column
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| Tha an colbh Gàidhlig seo air a tharraing à "Cothrom", an ràitheachan dà-chànanach aig CLI. Thèid "Cothrom" fhaighinn an asgaidh le buill ChLI, an carthannas airson luchd-ionnsachaidh is luchd-taic na Gàidhlig. | This Gaelic column is drawn from "Cothrom", the bilingual quarterly magazine from CLI. "Cothrom" is distributed free to members of CLI, the charity for learners and supporters of Scots Gaelic |
| Cuir thugainn do sheòladh airson samhla às an ràitheachan dhà-chànanach Cothrom gu cli@sol.co.uk ag innse gur ann tro "Scottish Radiance" a fhuair thu fios air CLI. | For a sample extract from the bilingual quarterly Cothrom, send your address to cli@sol.co.uk, saying that you heard of CLI through "Scottish Radiance". |
| Eadar an t-Oban is an Gearasdan | Between Oban and Fort William |
| Anns an t-samhradh ann an 1955, bha mi san Apainn airson Buidheann Sgrùdaidh Chànan na h-Alba. Bha an carabhan againn ann an lagan ri taobh alltain bhig faisg air oir an rathaid. Bha an t-sìde uabhasach blàth 's ged a bhiodh an doras 's na h-uinneagan fosgailte, bhiodh e uairean cho teth ri àmhainn taobh-a-staigh a' charabhain. | In the summer in 1955, I was in Appin for the Linguistic Survey of Scotland. Our caravan was in a hollow beside a little burn near the edge of the road. The weather was very warm and though the door and windows used to be open, it would sometimes be as hot as an oven inside the caravan. |
| Bha cuileagan mòra donna gu math pailte a' bhliadhn' ud 's glè thric thigeadh iad a-staigh air an doras le dranndan bagrach mar a bhiodh aig na bomairean Gearmailteach aig àm a' chogaidh 's iad a' dol a-null os cionn Dun Eideann san oidhche air an t-slighe do Bhruach Chluaidh. | Large brown flies were very plentiful that year and very often they would come in the door with a threatening hum like the German bombers during the war going over above Edinburgh at night on the way to Clydebank. |
| Bha na cuileagan seo glè choltach ris an dealbh ann an Dwelly air a bheil "botus-each" aige. Bha coltas fìor ghuineach orra. Ach bha e glè thaitneach a bhith an Srath na h-Apann, 's cuimhn' agam air fhathast mar gum b'ann an-dè. | The flies were very like the illustration in Dwelly which he calls "botus-each". There was a really stinging look about them. But it was very pleasant to be in the Strath of Appin, and I remember it still as if it were yesterday. |
| Là bha siud, 's mi saor, thug sinn sgrìob air an aiseag bho Phort na h-Apann a-null do Lios Mòr. Dh'ionnsaich mi air an turas dòigh ùr air briogais a chumail an-àird le galasais. Bha fear sa bhàta a bha an dèidh putain a bhriogais a chall. An àite bhith fuaigheal phutain ùra air balt na briogais, chruinnich e pìosan den bhalt tro thuill na galasais 's chuir e tàirnean tron aodach. Sibht gu math sgiobalta, ar leamsa. Ach cha do dh'fheuch mi seo air a' bhriogais agam fhèin - fhathast co-dhiù. | One day when I was free, we took a trip on the ferry from Port Appin over to Lismore. On that journey I learnt a new way of holding up trousers with braces. There was a man in the boat who had lost the buttons of his trousers. Instead of sewing new buttons on the waist of the trousers, he gathered pieces of the waist through the holes of the braces and put nails through the cloth. A very neat wrinkle, I thought. But I haven't tried it on my own trousers - yet anyway. |
| Ged a bha dà cheud bliadhna air ruith seachad, bha Mort na h-Apann fhathast gu math beò an cuimhne muinntir na sgìre. | Though two hundred years had gone by, the Appin Murder was still very much alive in the memory of the people of the district. |
| Thadhail mi air seana-bhoireannach a bha 95 bliadhn a dh'aois. B'ann faisg air a' chladach mu choinneimh Caisteal Eilean nan Stalc a bha i fuireach. Dh'innis i dhomh mar a theireadh a seanmhair rithe gum b'aithne dhi, nuair a bha i na caileig bhig, seana-bhoireannach a bha glè aosda. Dh'innis am boireannach seo da seanmhair mun eagal uabhasach a bhiodh oirre 's i dol seachad air cnàimhneach Seumas a' Ghlinne a bha na chrochadh air a' chroich ri taobh a' chois-chèim dlùth air Bail a' Chaolais. | I visited an old lady who was 95 years old. She lived near the shore opposite Castle Stalker. She told me how her grandmother used to say to her that she knew, when she was a little girl, an old woman who was very aged. This woman told her grandmother about the terrible fear she felt as she went past James of the Glen's skeleton which was hanging on the gallows beside the footpath near Ballachulish. |
| San àm sin bha mi tadhal air fear a Chlann MhicColla san Apainn agus air bana-Chaimbeulach a bha fuireach ri taobh Loch Eite. Bha Lizzie an còmhnaidh a' cur cheistean orm mu dheidhinn Sam. | AAt that time I was visiting a MacColl in Appin and a Campbell lady who stayed beside Loch Etive. Lizzie was always questioning me about Sam. |
| "Saoil a bheil fhios aig Sam cò mharbh Cailean Caimbeul Ghlinn Iubhair?" | "Do you think Sam knows who killed Colin Campbell of Glenure?" |
| "Nach fhaighnich thu do Sham a bheil fhios aige cò rinn am Mort?" | "Won't you ask Sam who committed the Murder?" |
| "An do dh'fhaighnich thu mu dheidhinn a' Mhuirt fhathast?" | "Have you asked Sam about the Murder yet?" |
| Mu dheireadh thall, thuirt mi ri Sam: "A bheil fhios agaibh cò rinn Mort na h-Apann?" | At last, I said to Sam, "Do you know who committed the Appin Murder?" |
| "O tha," fhreagair e, "ach chan urrainn domh sin innse dhut." | "Oh, yes," he replied, "but I can't tell you that." |
| "Carson?" dh'fhaighnich mi. "A bheil daoine san dùthaich fhathast a tha càirdeach don mhurtair?" | "Why?" I asked. "Are there people in the district still who are related to the murderer?" |
| "Uill, 'se sin e, dìreach," thuirt e. 'S cha robh an còrr mu dheidhinn. | "Well, that's just it," he said. So there was no more about it. |
| Ach bha seana-bhean ann am Meadarloch a dh'innis dhomh gun robh còta aig Caimbeulach Ghlinn Iubhair 's bha putan airgid air mu choinneimh a h-uile mac dìolain a bh'aige. Uill...? Co aig' tha fhios carson a mhortadh e...? | But there was an old woman in Benderloch who told me that Campbell of Glenure had a coat and it had a silver button for every illegitimate son he had. Well...? Who knows whey he was murdered...? |
| Bha sinn a' dràibheadh air an rathad shingilte ri taobh Loch Creuran aon latha nuair a chunnaic mi cairt 's each romhainn le trì ceàrdairean, fear 's bean 's am mac aca a bha beagan a bharrachd 's fichead bliadhna. | We were driving on the single road beside Loch Creran, one day, when I saw a horse and cart with three travellers, a man and wife and their son who was a little over twenty. |
| Chaidh iad a-thaobh gar leigeil seachad, ach bha clach mhòr aig oir an rathaid 's thòisich cuibheall chlì na cairte a dhol an-àird air a' chloich. Theann a' chairt air sìor-aomadh a-null gu cugallach. Stad mi an càr 's dh'fhosgail mi an doras gus rabhadh èigheach dhaibh ach cha robh mi an àm agus rinn a' chairt culpadh. Chaidh an triùir aca turrach air tharrach chun an rathaid am measg phlangaidean 's phraisean 's eile. Fhuair an t-each mu sgaoil. Theich e 's sitrich aige, 's air falbh leis às an t-sealladh oirnn timcheall lùb san rathad. | They went aside to let us past but there was a large stone at the edge of the road and the left wheel of the cart began to mount the stone. The cart began leaning over unsteadily. I stopped the car and opened the door to shout a warning to them but I wasn't in time and the cart tipped over. The three of them went tumbling to the road among blankets and pans and everything. The horse broke loose. It fled neighing, and away with it out of our sight round a bend in the road. |
| Bha an triùir nan suidhe air an rathad 's am boireannach a' caoineadh. Chaidh mi null a bhruidhinn riutha. | The three of them were sitting on the road, the lady crying. I went over to speak to them. |
| "Are you alright?" dh'fheòraich mi sa Bheurla. | "Are you alright?" I asked in English. |
| Rinn am fear òg freagairt. | The young man replied. |
| "I'm out, Jock!" thuirt e. | "I'm out, Jock," he said. |
| Laigh e air ais air a dhruim dìreach 's dhùin e a shùilean. Rinn 'athair mar an ceudna. | He lay back stretched out and closed his eyes. His father did the same. |
| Bha earball fada chàraichean a-nis air stad air gach taobh gun a bhith an urrainn faighinn seachad oirnn. Thàinig tè mhòr Shasannach 's rug i air caol an dùirn air a' bhana-cheàird. | A long queue of cars had now stopped on each side, unable to pass us. A large English woman came and took hold of the travelling woman's hand. |
| "Yuh'r alraht, loov," thuirt i an guth mòr Lancashire. "I'm a nurse." | "Yuh'r alraht, loov," she said in a strong Lancashire voice. "I'm a nurse." |
| Nuair a chuala an dithist eile seo, bhruidhinn an t-athair ri mhac ann an Gàidhlig. | When the other two heard this, the father spoke to his son in Gaelic. |
| "Bheil thusa deiseil a-nis?" | "Are you ready now?" |
| "Tha," fhreagair a mhac, 's dh'èirich an dithist aca. Thòisich iad air na rudan ac' a thogail. | "Yes," replied the son, and they both got up. They began to gather their things. |
| "Weer d'yuh live, loov," dh'fhaighnich an tè Shasannach. | "Weer d'yuh live, loov," asked the English woman. |
| "Between O-h-h-h-ban and Forht Weelyam," fhreagair i ann an guth àrd deurach. | "Between O-h-h-h-ban and Forht Weelyam," she replied in a high, tearful voice. |
| "Wot d'yuh mean?" dh'fheòraich i le iongantas na guth. | "Wot d'yuh mean?" she asked with amazement in her voice. |
| Ach cha robh freagairt ri ceist da leithid, cleas na ceiste chuir Pìleat mu dheidhinn nàdar na fìrinne. 'S cha robh freagairt ann. "Cuir ceist amaideach..," thuirt mi rium fhèin. | But there was no answer to such a question, like the question Pilate put about the nature of truth. And there was no reply. "Ask a silly question..." I said to myself. |
| Thàinig cuideigin leis an each, chaidh a' chairt a dhraghadh far an rathaid 's àirneis nan ceàrdairean a thogail. Cha b'fhasa gus an robh a h-uile nì rèidh 's dh'fhalbh na càraichean. Bha an àrainn a-rithist cho sàmhach 's gun saoileadh tu nach robh rud sam bith air tachairt. | Someone came with the horse, the cart was dragged off the road and the accoutrements of the travellers picked up. It wasn't long till everything was arranged and the cars went away. The place was again so quiet that you'd think nothing had happened. |
| Stad mi aig bocsa-fòn aig ceann an locha 's dh'fhònaig mi am Polas anns an Oban, oir bha eagal orm gun robh am boireannach air a goirteachadh 's i an dèidh tuiteam le sad cho trom air a gualainn mar phoca buntàta. Chuir iad fios air constabal na h-Apann 's chaidh e a-mach gam faicinn. Nuair a thàinig e air ais, thadhail e oirnn a dh'innse dhuinn gun robh i ceart gu leòr. | I stopped at a phonebox at the head of the loch and phoned the Police in Oban for I was afraid the woman had been hurt after falling with such a heavy thump on her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. They sent for the Appin constable and he went out to see them. When he came back he called on us to tell us that she was alright. |
| An ath latha, chaidh mi bhàn do Mheadarloch. Bha teanta nan ceàrdairean air a thogail sa choille fo chraoibh mhòir air ais bhon rathad bìdeag. Bha an t-each ag ionaltradh air taod faisg air làimh 's bha am boireannach na suidhe gu socrach ri taobh an teine. | Finally,The next day, I went down to Benderloch. The travellers' tent was pitched in the wood under a large tree a little way back from the road. The horse was grazing on a tether nearby and the woman was sitting at ease beside the fire. |
| "Bu mhath mar a dh'èirich aig a' cheann thall," smaoinich mi. | "It turned out alright at the end," I thought. |
| Nuair a ràinig mi Meadarloch, dh'innis an seana-bhoireannach stòraidh dhomh mu iolaire a thog balach beag 's a chuir bhàn a-rithist e gu sàbhailte air Dùn Mac Sniachain. | When I reached Benderloch, the old lady told me a story about an eagle that picked up a little boy and put him down again safely on Dùn Mac Sniachain. |
| "Ach nach b'e Dùn Mac Uisneachain a theireadh iad ris uair den t-saoghal," thuirt mi rium fhèin. "Agus Dùn Mac Uisne san àm bho shean? Agus nach b'e siud an dùn os cionn Loch Eite far an robh Deirdire fuireach linntean air ais? An t-àite mun tuirt i nuair a thill i do dh'Eirinn: | "But wasn't it Dùn Mac Uisneachan they would have called it once?" I said to myself. "And Dùn Mac Uisne (the Fort of the Sons of Uisne) in ancient times? And wasn't that the fort above Loch Etive where Deirdre stayed centuries ago? The place about which she said when she returned to Ireland: |
| Ionmhuin tír, an tír ud thoir, Alba gona h-iongantaibh... | Ionmhuin tír, an tír ud thoir, Alba gona h-iongantaibh... |
| Ionmhainn tìr, an tìr ud san ear, Alba nan iomadh ioghnadh... | Beloved land, land over there in the east, Scotland with its wonders... |
| "Ioghnaidhean gun àireamh," shaoil mi. "Chan fhiosraich mi gu bràth ach beagan dhiubh." | "Countless wonders," I thought. "I'll only ever know a few of them." |
| Tònaidh Dilworth |
You can find more articles in the archive under Gaelic Column and information on the organization at C.L.I.
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