Thugam agus Bhuam
I was reading a book recently. It
was pleasurable. It’s name is
Thugam agus Bhuam [“to me
and from me”]. It’s a collection
of stories and songs. They are all
by the late Peter Morrison.
The stories were told by
Peter. They were recorded by the
late Donald Archie MacDonald.
He chose and edited the stories
in the book. Donald Archie was
working for [at] the School of
Scottish Studies. The book came
out 32 years ago. But the
Grimsay Community Association
reprinted it recently.
Peter Morrison was born in
Grimsay. That was in 1889.
Grimsay is a small island
between North Uist and Benbecula. When Peter was raised
there, the community was very
traditional. The ceilidh house
was still on the go.
When Peter was young he
was working on the Clyde. He
was working in boats. The boats
were taking goods between Glasgow and Belfast. When he was in
that job, he saw a famous thing
[event]. It happened in 1911. There is a report about the matter in the book.
It happened in Belfast. Do you know what it was? Peter was present when the largest vessel ever built was launched. That was the Titanic. It happened on the last day of May, 1911. She wasn’t ready to carry people. There was still work to be done on her. But her hull was ready.
More than twenty tons of tallow were put on the slipway. That let the hull slide down to the river. Everything went pretty well. Many people were present.
But Peter heard something strange that day. Something on which he was thinking when the Titanic was sunk [went under]. Next week I’ll tell you exactly what Peter heard that day
Thugam agus Bhuam
Bha mi a’ leughadh leabhar o chionn
ghoirid. Bha e taitneach. ’S e an t-ainm a
tha air Thugam agus Bhuam. ’S e
cruinneachadh de sgeulachdan is òrain a
tha ann. Tha iad uile le Pàdruig
Moireasdan nach maireann.
Bha na stòiridhean air an aithris
le Pàdruig. Bha iad air an clàradh le
Dòmhnall Eàirdsidh Dòmhnallach nach
maireann. Thagh esan agus dheasaich
esan na sgeulachdan anns an leabhar.
Bha Dòmhnall Eàirdsidh ag obair aig
Sgoil Eòlais na h-Alba. Thàinig an
leabhar a-mach o chionn trithead ’s a
dhà bliadhna. Ach chuir Comann
Coimhearsnachd Ghriomasaigh ann an
clò a-rithist e o chionn ghoirid.
Rugadh Pàdruig Moireasdan ann
an Griomasaigh. Bha sin ann an ochd
ceud deug, ochdad ’s a naoi (1889). Tha
Griomasaigh na eilean beag eadar
Uibhist a Tuath agus Beinn a’ Bhadhla.
Nuair a thogadh Pàdruig ann, bha a’
choimhearsnachd gu math traidiseanta.
Bha an taigh-cèilidh fhathast a’ dol.
Nuair a bha Pàdruig òg bha e ag
obair air Chluaidh. Bha e ag obair ann
am bàtaichean. Bha na bàtaichean a’
toirt bathar eadar Glaschu is Beal
Feirste. Nuair a bha e anns an dreuchd
sin, chunnaic e rud mòr ainmeil.
Thachair e ann an naoi ceud deug ’s a h-aon-deug (1911). Tha aithris mu dheidhinn a’ ghnothaich anns an leabhar.
’S ann am Beal Feirste a thachair e. A bheil fios agaibh dè bha ann? Bha Pàdraig an làthair nuair a chaidh an soitheach as motha a chaidh a thogail riamh a chur air bhog. B’ ise an Titanic. Thachair sin air an latha mu dheireadh dhen Chèitean naoi ceud deug ’s a h-aon-deug (1911). Cha robh i deiseil airson daoine a ghiùlain. Bha obair ri dhèanamh oirre fhathast. Ach bha a slige deiseil.
Chaidh còrr is fichead tonna de gheir a chur air an t-slip. Leig sin leis an t-slige sleamhnadh sìos don abhainn. Dh’obraich a h-uile càil an ìre mhath. Bha mòran an làthair.
Ach chuala Pàdruig rudeigin neònach air an latha sin. Rudeigin air an robh e a’ smaoineachadh nuair a chaidh an Titanic fodha. An ath-sheachdain, innsidh mi dhuibh dè dìreach a chuala Pàdruig air an latha sin.
