375: Sealan Nuadh
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
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Sealan Nuadh
Cuin a tha cuideigin a’ dol a dhèanamh film mu sheann ghaisgich nan Gàidheal? Na bu tràithe am-bliadhna, bha mi ann an Sealan Nuadh, New Zealand. Bha mòran a’ bruidhinn mu dheidhinn Lord of the Rings oir chaidh a dhèanamh anns an dùthaich sin. Bha mi fhìn is bana-Ghàidheal a’ beachdachadh air a’ chùis. “Nach eil na sgeulachdan againne cho math ris an fheadhainn ann an Lord of the Rings?” thuirt mi rithe. “Chan eil,” ars’ ise. “Tha iad nas fheàrr nan fheadhainn ann an Lord of the Rings!”
Uill, tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gu bheil i ceart. Ach cò tha eòlach orra an-diugh? Tha clann na h-Alba gan togail, agus eòlas aca air stòiridhean a chaidh a sgrìobhadh le mac-meanmna aon duine Sasannach anns an fhicheadamh linn. Ach chan eil eòlas aca air na sgeulachdan a chaidh a chruthachadh le mac-meanmna an t-sluaigh aca fhèin thairis air ùine mhòr.
Tha mi a’ dol a dhèanamh rudeigin mu dheidhinn le bhith ag innse dhuibh seann stòiridh Gàidhealach – ann an Gàidhlig, oir ’s i as fheàrr airson a leithid. ’S e an sgeulachd tè ainmeil air a bheil “Deirdre” no “Deirdre agus Clann Uisne”. Buinidh i an dà chuid do dh’Alba is do dh’Èirinn. Aig an deireadh, faodaidh sibh innse dhomh co-dhiù b’ urrainn film math a dhèanamh dhith. Ach cuimhnichibh gum bi i mòran nas giorra agus nas sìmplidhe agamsa na bhitheadh aig sgeulaiche.
Bha fear ann an Èirinn air an robh Colum Cruitire mar ainm. ’S e duine còir a bh’ ann. Ràinig e fhèin is a bhean aois mhòr is cha robh duine cloinne aca. Cha robh dùil aca air clann.
Latha a bha seo thàinig fiosaiche don taigh aca. “A bheil thu a’ dèanamh fiosachd?” arsa Colum ris. “Tha mi a’ dèanamh beagan,” fhreagair am fiosaiche, agus dh’aontaich e fiosachd a dhèanamh do Cholum.
“An robh duine teaghlaich agad riamh?” dh’fhaighnich am fiosaiche.
“Cha robh, agus chan eil dùil agam gum bi gu bràth,” thuirt Colum.
“Tha sin a’ cur neònachas orm fhìn,” ars’ am fiosaiche. “Tha mi a’ faicinn gum bi nighean agad. Bidh mòran fala air a dòirteadh air a sàilleabh. Is caillidh an triùir ghaisgeach as ainmeil’ a bh’ ann riamh an cinn air a sàilleabh.”
“An e sin an fhiosachd agad?” thuirt Colum. Bha e feargach. Bha e a’ smaoineachadh gun robh am fiosaiche a’ fanaid air. “Mas e sin an fhiosachd a tha thu a’ dèanamh dhomh, cùm agad fhèin i. Tha mi fhìn is a’ bhean agam sean. Cha bhi clann againn gu bràth.”
Dh’fhalbh am fiosaiche. Cha robh e air falbh fada nuair a thòisich bean Choluim air fàs trom. Bha ise trom le leanabh is bha esan trom air fhèin. Carson nach d’ fhuair e tuilleadh fiosrachaidh bhon fhiosaiche? Carson a bhiodh a nighean ag adhbharachadh dòirteadh fala is bàs an triùir ghaisgeach as ainmeil’ a bh’ ann riamh? Dh’fheumadh Colum a cur air falbh gu àite far nach fhaiceadh sùil sealladh dhith is far nach cluinneadh cluas a guth.
Thàinig àm a h-asaide dlùth. Cha do leig Colum duine faisg air an taigh, ach a-mhàin a’ bhean-ghlùin. Rugadh leanabh nighinne. Dh’iarr Colum air a’ bhean-ghlùin an leanabh a thoirt leatha gu àite falaichte sa mhonadh, far nach fhaiceadh sùil i is far nach cluinneadh cluas i. Dh’aontaich a’ bhean-ghlùin sin a dhèanamh.
Chaidh Colum an uair sin a bhruidhinn ri triùir fhear. Bha obair shònraichte aige dhaibh. Chì sinn dè bh’ ann an ath-sheachdain.
Faclan na Litreach: gaisgeach: hero; bana-Ghàidheal: a female Gael; sgeulaiche: storyteller; fiosaiche: soothsayer.
Abairtean na Litreach: a’ beachdachadh air a’ chùis: discussing the matter; cò tha eòlach orra an-diugh?: who knows them today?; tha clann na h-Alba gan togail: the children of Scotland are [being] raised; le mac-meanmna aon duine Sasannach: by the imagination of one Englishman; an t-sluaigh aca fhèin thairis air ùine mhòr: of their own people over a great period of time; ’s i as fheàrr airson a leithid: she is the best for such things; faodaidh sibh innse dhomh: you can tell me; co-dhiù b’ urrainn film math a dhèanamh dhith: whether a good film could be made of it; mòran nas giorra: much shorter; ’s e duine còir a bh’ ann: he was a nice man; aois mhòr: a great age; cha robh dùil aca air clann: they didn’t expect [to have] children; gum bi gu bràth: that [I] ever will; tha sin a’ cur neònachas orm: that surprises me; bidh mòran fala air a dòirteadh air a sàilleabh: much blood will be spilled because of her; caillidh an triùir ghaisgeach as ainmeil’ a bh’ ann riamh an cinn: the 3 greatest heroes that ever lived will lose their heads; a’ fanaid air:mocking him; bha ise trom le leanabh is bha esan trom air fhèin:she was pregnant [lit. heavy]with a child and he was hard [heavy] on himself; carson nach d’ fhuair e tuilleadh fiosrachaidh?: why didn’t he get more information?; dh’fheumadh X a cur air falbh: X would need to send her away; far nach fhaiceadh sùil sealladh dhith: where no eye would catch sight of her; far nach cluinneadh cluas a guth: where no ear would hear her voice; thàinig àm a h-asaide dlùth: the time of her birth approached; ach a-mhàin a’ bhean-ghlùin: except the midwife; àite falaichte sa mhonadh: a secret place in the hills.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: cha robh duine cloinne aca : they had no children. I could have said cha robh clann aca and it would have meant the same thing. However, duine cloinne (literally “a person of children”) is more emphatic – it might be represented in English by “they didn’t have a single child”. You will come across duine cloinne in other situations where a grammatical singular is required (clann, although grammatically singular, has a plural connotation) eg cia mheud duine cloinne a th’ agad? (how many children do you have?); tha fichead duine cloinne sa chlas (there are 20 children in the class). In the Litir you will also see an robh duine teaghlaich agad riamh? (did you ever have children/a family? – literally “a person of family”). In these phrases cloinne and teaghlaich are in the genitive (singular) case.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: [Mas e sin an fhiosachd a tha thu a’ dèanamh dhomh,] cùm agad fhèin i: [if that’s the soothsaying you are doing for me], keep it [fem] to yourself (ie I don’t want to hear it).
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 71
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