164: Pulpit Rock
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Pulpit Rock
Air bruach an iar Loch Laomainn, faisg air an rathad A 82, gu deas air baile Àird Laoigh, tha clach mhòr ainmeil ann. Air a’ mhap, ’s e Pulpit Rock a th’ oirre. Tuigidh sibh gu robh i air a cur gu feum uaireigin mar chùbaid.
Bha sin bho ochd-deug, fichead ’s a còig (1825) a-mach, as dèidh do mhuinntir an àite gearain don mhinistear aca gu robh aca ri coiseachd ro fhada don eaglais air an t-Sabaid. “Uill,” thuirt am ministear, an t-Urramach Peadar Proudfoot, “ma thogas sibh cùbaid is seòmar-culaidh dhomh ann am badeigin, thig mi a-mach agus searmonachaidh mi dhuibh ann a sin.”
Agus ’s e sin a thachair. Chleachd na daoine stuth spreadhaidh agus chladhaich iad toll anns a’ chloich, a bhiodh mòr gu leòr airson a’ mhinisteir. Aig a’ cheann thall, bha e mòr gu leòr airson triùir – am ministear, eildear agus fear a chuireadh a-mach an loighne nuair a bhathar a’ gabhail nan salm.
Chaidh doras a chur air beul an tuill agus, air a chùlaibh, bha an seòmar-culaidh. Bha àrd-ùrlar air a thogail air aghaidh na cloiche, air beulaibh an dorais. Bhiodh cùbaid air a cur air an àrd-ùrlar sin nuair a thigeadh am ministear air an t-Sàbaid. Bhiodh muinntir an àite a-muigh ag èisteachd ris an t-searmon, ann an deagh shìde is droch shìde – cleachdadh a bha cumanta gu leòr ann an eachdraidh na h-Alba.
’S ann mar sin a bha e airson seasgad ’s a còig bliadhna gus an deach eaglais bheag a thogail ann an Àird Laoigh aig deireadh an naoidheamh linn deug. Chaidh an t-àrd-ùrlar agus an dòras, a bh’ air an dèanamh le fiodh, a chleachdadh mar chonnadh le luchd-siubhail, agus dhìochuimhnich a’ chuid mhòr dhen t-sluagh mu dheidhinn na cloiche. Tha coille mhòr dhorcha air fàs suas mu a timcheall.
’S ann mar sin a bha e gus o chionn ghoirid nuair a chum am ministear, an t-Urramach Dane Shepherd, searmon aig a’ chloich. Tha buidheann coimhearsnachd a-nise ag iarraidh na craobhan mu a timcheall a leigeal agus àite-pàircidh a thogail ri a taobh. Tha e coltach gum bithear a’ brosnachadh cuid de na daoine, a bhios a’ tadhal air Pàirce Nàiseanta ùr Loch Laomainn is nan Tròisichean, a dhol a dh’fhaicinn na cloiche.
Nise, saoil dè a’ Ghàidhlig a th’ air Pulpit Rock? Clach na Cùbaid, ’s dòcha? Uill, chan e, oir bha ainm Gàidhlig oirre fada fada mus robh guth air cleachdadh na cloiche airson searmon. Tha an t-ainm Beurla oirre a’ buntainn ri cleachdadh Crìosdail, ach tha an t-ainm Gàidhlig a’ dol air ais gu dualchas nas sine na sin. ’S e an t-ainm a th’ oirre ann an Gàidhlig Clach nan Tarbh.
Tha sgeulachd co-cheangailte ris an ainm, a th’ air aithris le Mìcheal Newton anns an leabhar mhath aige, “Bho Chluaidh gu Calasraid”. Bha tarbh mòr dearg à Sasainn a thàinig a dh’Alba airson an dùthaich a mhaslachadh. “Is truagh an dùthaich!” ghlaodh e nuair a bha e gu h-àrd os cionn Loch Laomainn.
Bha tarbh dubh nan Albannach feargach agus thug e an aghaidh air an tarbh dhearg. Bha iad a’ strì an aghaidh a chèile shuas àrd air Beinn Mhurlaig agus phut iad thairis clach mhòr. Ruith a’ chlach sìos a’ bheinn don àite far a bheil i an-diugh ri taobh an locha. Agus rinn an tarbh dubh Albannach a’ chùis air an tarbh dhearg Shasannach. Tha mi an dòchas, nuair a dh’innseas muinntir na Pàirce Nàiseanta do luchd-turais mu dheidhinn na cloiche, nach dìochuimhnich iad an t-ainm Gàidhlig, agus an dualchas a tha co-cheangailte ris.
Faclan na Litreach: Loch Laomainn: Loch Lomond; Àird Laoigh: Ardlui; seòmar-culaidh: vestry; stuth spreadhaidh: explosive material; eildear: elder; connadh: fuel; coille mhòr dhorcha: a large dark wood (forest); Pàirce Nàiseanta Loch Laomainn is nan Tròisichean: Loch Lomond and Trossachs national Park; Clach nan Tarbh: The Stone (rock) of the Bulls; Beinn Mhurlaig: Ben Vorlich.
Abairtean na Litreach: gu robh i air a cur gu feum uaireigin mar chùbaid: that it was at one time used as a pulpit; gu robh aca ri coiseachd ro fhada don eaglais air an t-Sàbaid: that they had to walk too far to the church on the Sabbath; agus ’s e sin a thachair: and that’s what happened; nuair a bhathar a’ gabhail nan salm: when the psalms were being sung; bha àrd-ùrlar air a thogail air aghaidh na cloiche, air beulaibh an dorais: a platform was built on the face of the rock, in front of the door; cleachdadh a bha cumanta gu leòr: a practice that was common enough; dhìochuimhnich X mu dheidhinn na cloiche: X forgot about the rock; tha Y air fàs suas mu a timcheall: Y has grown up around it (fem.); gus o chionn ghoirid: until recently; tha X ag iarraidh na craobhan a leigeal agus àite-pàircidh a thogail ri a taobh:X wants to fell the trees and build a parking place next to it (fem); tha an t-ainm Beurla a’ buntainn ri cleachdadh Crìosdail: the English name is associated with a Christian practice; airson an dùthaich a mhaslachadh: to put the country to shame; is truagh an dùthaich!: what a pathetic country!; thug e an aghaidh air an tarbh dhearg: he stood up to the red bull; nach dìochuimhnich iad X, agus an dualchas a tha co-cheangailte ris: that they won’t forget X, and the heritage associated with it.
Puing-ghràmair na Litreach: Did you notice the three uses of the adverb a-mach in this week’s Litir? It appears first, meaning “from 1825 onwards” in bho 1825 a-mach. Secondly, it occurs in perhaps its most obvious circumstance, meaning simply “out” in thig mi a-mach agus searmonachaidh mi (I will come out and preach). And thirdly it appears in fear a chuireadh a-mach an loighne (lit. a man who would put out the line, meaning the precentor who would lead the psalm-signing). In the early stages of learning Gaelic, you would have been told that a-mach means “out”, usually expressing movement eg leum e a-mach às a’ chàr (he leaped out of the car), dh’fhalbh i a-mach o chionn 5 mionaidean (she went out 5 minutes ago); choimhead mi a-mach air an uinneig (I looked out of the window). But be aware that this adverb is employed in a vast array of expressions and idiom, and that you will often come across it in situations where it cannot be translated simply as “out”. Here are some examples: bha iad a-mach air a chèile (they were having a heated argument, they fell out with each other); abair dol a-mach a bh’ aige!(eg what a ridiculous way to behave!); anns a’ chiad dol a-mach (in the first instance); tha iad a’ cumail a-mach gu bheil … (they maintain that…); bha i a-mach air cho math ’s a bha a’ Ghrèig (she was going on about how good Greece was); chuir mi a-mach trì tursan (I vomited three times).
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: ’S ann mar sin a bha e (airson seasgad ’s a còig bliadhna): that’s how it was (for 75 years).
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