14: Bainne nan gobhar
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.
Bainne nan gobhar
Bha mi a’ campachadh an oidhche roimhe air rubha air taobh sear na Gàidhealtachd, ri taobh a’ chladaich, ach air falbh o thaighean is bailtean, nuair a chuala mi mèilich air na creagan àrda os mo chionn. Bha e dubh dorch, agus chan fhaca mi am beathach a bha a’ dèanamh an fhuaim. Ach bha fios agam nach e caora neo uan a bh’ ann. Bha am mèilich ro mhaoth! ’S e bh’ ann – meann – gobhar òg.
Tha buidheann de ghoibhrean molach a’ fuireach ann a sin, air mullach na creige, agus tha iad air leth brèagha, le adharcan fada cama. Tha feadhainn aca donn. Tha cuid eile dubh, bàn is odhar. Ged a tha iad a’ coimhead fiadhaich, cumaidh iad air falbh o dhaoine, agus bha làn-fhios agam nach ann ann an èiginn a bha am meann a bha seo, ged a bha e gu h-àrd air creag chas. Chan fhaicear beathach a tha nas fheàrr na gobhar ann a bhith a’ sreap.
Thàinig e a-steach orm, agus mi nam laighe nam phoca-chadail, gu bheil càirdeas air a bhith ann eadar goibhrean is daoine air Ghàidhealtachd airson ùine mhòr mhòr. Chì sinn sin ann an ainmean-àite. Thagh mi map bho na sgeilpichean agam dìreach an-diugh fhèin – map de thaobh sear na Gàidhealtachd – agus bha mi an ìre mhath cinnteach gum biodh ainm air le “gobhar” ann. Agus bha – faisg air Drochaid a’ Bhanna – tha Creag a’ Ghobhair ann, agus ri a taobh, Loch a’ Ghobhair. Agus tha mi an dùil gum biodh ainmean-àite car coltach ri sin ann am mòran sgìrean eile air feadh na Gàidhealtachd.
Tha mi a’ dèanamh dheth gur ann measail air goibhrean a bha na seann Ghàidheil, fada na bu mheasaile na bha iad air caoraich, co-dhiù na caoraich mhòra nuair a thàinig iadsan don Ghàidhealtachd aig àm nam Fuadaichean. Tha sean-fhacal neo dhà ann a dhearbhas am meas a bh’ aig na daoine air na beathaichean sin. Mar eisimpleir - “Bainne nan gobhar fo chobhar ’s e blàth, ’s e chuir an spionnadh ’s na daoine a bha.” Canaidh mi sin a-rithist gus an greimich sibh air. “Bainne nan gobhar fo chobhar ’s e blàth, ’s e chuir an spionnadh ’s na daoine a bha.”
Uill, chan eil fhios agam fhìn mu dheidhinn sin. Dh’fheuch mi bainne-ghobhar blàth aon turas agus is beag an spionnadh a chuir e annamsa! Feumaidh mi ràdh nach do chòrd am blas rium idir! Tha fhios gur ann air goibhrean na croite a bha an sean-fhacal sin a-mach, seach goibhrean fiadhaich a’ mhonaidh. Tha an fheadhainn air a’ chroit nas fhasa bleoghain co-dhiù!
Ach ’s dòcha gu robh mi ag òl a’ bhainne-gobhair aig an àm chèarr anns a’ bhliadhna. ’S ann anns a’ Chèitean, neo anns a’ Mhàigh, as fheàrr a tha e, a-rèir choltais, co-dhiù ma tha thu ga chur gu feum mar leigheas airson tinneas. Seo seann rann Gàidhlig mu dheidhinn bainne-ghobhar:
Is leigheas air gach tinneas
Creamh is ìm na Màigh’.
Òl an fhochair sin
Bainne-ghobhar bàn
’S e creamh an lus ris an canar ann am Beurla wild garlic – a bhios fo bhlàth anns a’ Mhàigh – mìos anns am bi feur ùr an Earraich a’ toirt deagh bhlas don bhainne agus ìm. Seo an rann a-rithist:
Is leigheas air gach tinneas
Creamh is ìm na Màigh’.
Òl an fhochair sin
Bainne-ghobhar bàn
’S e an aon rud a chanainn mu dheidhinn sin gum bithinn an dòchas nach robh an gobhar fhèin ag ithe a’ chreamha mus d’ fhuaradh am bainne. Neo, gu cinnteach, cha bhiodh blas math air a’ bhainne idir!
Faclan na na Litreach: rubha: point, promontory; gobhar, goibhrean (also gobhair): goat, goats; meann: kid goat; molach: hairy; adharcan: horns; odhar: dun-coloured; poca-cadail: sleeping bag; ainmean-àite: place-names; thagh: chose; Drochaid a’ Bhanna: Bonar Bridge; meas: respect, regard; na croite: of the croft; leigheas: cure, treatment; tinneas: illness; blas: flavour, taste.
Abairtean na na Litreach: os mo chionn: above me; bha am mèilich ro mhaoth: the bleating was too gentle, restrained; air leth brèagha:very attractive; bha làn-fhios agam: I had full knowledge; ann an èiginn: in distress; thàinig e a-steach orm:the thought came to me; ri a taobh: beside her (creag is feminine); àm nam Fuadaichean: the time of the (Highland) Clearances; Bainne nan gobhar, fo chobhar ’s e blàth: the milk of the goats, foaming and warm; ’s e chuir an spionnadh ’s na daoine a bha: that’s what put the strength in the old people (the people that were); nas fhasa bleoghain:easier to milk; fo bhlàth: in bloom; òl an fhochair sin: drink along with that; bainne-ghobhar bàn: white milk of goats; mus d’ fhuaradh am bainne: before the milk was obtained.
Puing ghràmair na na Litreach: Ri taobh a’ chladaich: beside the shore. Ri taobh is a compound preposition, made up of two elements. It is a general rule in Gaelic that compound prepositions command the genitive case in the following noun. Thus we get ri taobh a’ chladaich, not ri taobh an cladach. Other examples of correct usage would be ri taobh na h-aibhne (not ri taobh an abhainn) and ri taobh na h-uinneig (not ri taobh an uinneag). There are many compound prepositions in Gaelic. Here are a few examples of their usage: air feadh na Gàidhealtachd (throughout the Highlands), os cionn na mara (above the sea), a-rèir a’ Phrìomhaire(according to the Prime Minister), mu thimcheall an togalaich (around the building), air beulaibh an taighe (in front of the house). When you learn a new noun, try to work out its genitive form. It will not be long before you are called on to use it!
Gnàthas-cainnt na na Litreach: ’S ann anns a’ Mhàigh as fheàrr a tha e: it is in May that it is best. Note the construction of this sentence and compare it with the following examples. ’S ann anns an Lùnasdal as fheàrr a tha an sealg: the hunting is best in August. ’S ann an Alba as motha a chluinnear a’ Ghàidhlig: it is mostly in Scotland that Gaelic is heard. ’S i an Ruis as motha a dh’fhulaing aig àm a’ chogaidh : it is Russia that suffered most during the war.
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