23/01/2006

Tha dualchas Gàidhealach aig mòran àiteachan ann an Siorrachd Obair Dheathain. Mar eisimpleir, an Tulaich, faisg air Bealadair. Tha àite anns an Tulaich air a bheil Poll na h-Iuchrach, “the pool of the key”.Poll na h-Iuchrach. Tha e air talamh ìosal ri taobh na h-aibhne. ’S e an t-ainm a th’ air an abhainn Uisge Dè. Bha Poll na h-Iuchrach anns an abhainn fhèin o chionn fhada.

Bha an iuchair aig naomh. B’ esan Nachlan. Bha e beò anns an t-seachdamh linn. Bha e às an sgìre sin. Tha seann tobhta anns an Tulaich air a bheil Cill Nachlain.

Bha Nachlan uabhasach sgileil mar thuathanach. Bha e math air bàrr fhàs – eòrna is coirce. Bha e a’ teagasg nan sgilean sin do dhaoine eile. Bha bàrr math an-còmhnaidh aig Nachlan. Bha e a’ toirt taing do Dhia.

Bliadhna a bha seo, bha gort ann. Cha robh biadh gu leòr aig na daoine. Bha stòras de dh’arbhar aig Nachlan. Thug e sin do na daoine. Ach cha robh sìol air fhàgail airson cur as t-earrach. Bha a h-uile duine gu bhith acrach.

Dh’iarr Nachlan air daoine gainmheach a thoirt às an abhainn. Sgaoil iad a’ ghainmheach air na h-achaidhean. Chaidh Nachlan gu a ghlùinean. Bheannaich e an t-àite. Dh’fhàs bàrr math air a’ bhliadhna sin.

As t-fhoghar, bha na daoine deiseil airson buain. Ach dh’èirich stoirm. Shèid i an t-arbhar thairis. Bha e na laighe air an talamh. Dh’fhàs Nachlan feargach. Chàin e Dia.

Chiùinich an stoirm. Chaidh an t-arbhar a bhuain math gu leòr. Ach bha Nachlan ga ithe fhèin airson na thuirt e ri Dia. Ghabh e aithreachas. Chuir e peanas air fhèin. Cheangail e gàirdean do a chois. Chuir e glas air. Thilg e an iuchair do dh’Uisge Dè. Bha sin ann am Poll na h-Iuchrach.

Chaidh Nachlan don Ròimh. Nuair a bha e san Ròimh, thachair e ri balach air an t-sràid. Bha am balach a’ reic èisg. Cheannaich Nachlan iasg. Thug e air ais e airson a dhìnnearach. Nuair a bha e ga chutadh, lorg e rudeigin na bhroinn. Dè bh’ ann? A, uill, innsidh mi sin dhuibh an ath-sheachdain. 

Faclan is abairtean: tha dualchas Gàidhealach aig mòran àiteachan: many places have a Gaelic heritage; Siorrachd Obair Dheathain: Aberdeenshire; mar eisimpleir, an Tulaich, faisg air Bealadair: for example, Tullich, near Ballater; Poll na h-Iuchrach: the pool of the key; talamh ìosal ri taobh na h-aibhne: low land beside the river; Uisge Dè: River Dee; o chionn fhada: a long time ago; naomh: saint; anns an t-seachdamh linn: in the seventh century; às an sgìre sin: from that area; seann tobhta: old ruin; Nachlan: Nathalan, Nachlan; sgileil mar thuathanach: skilful as a farmer; bha e math air bàrr fhàs: he was good at growing crops; eòrna is coirce: barley and oats; bha e a’ teagasg nan sgilean sin: he was teaching those skills; bha bàrr math an-còmhnaidh aig Nachlan: Nachlan always had a good crop; gort: famine; stòras de dh’arbhar: a store of grain; cha robh sìol air fhàgail airson cur as t-earrach: there was no seed left to plant in spring; bha a h-uile duine gu bhith acrach: everybody was going to be hungry; dh’iarr Nachlan air daoine gainmheach a thoirt às an abhainn: Nachlan asked people to take sand from the river; sgaoil iad: they scattered; chaidh Nachlan gu a ghlùinean: Nachlan went on to his knees; bheannaich e an t-àite: he blessed the place; deiseil airson buain: ready to reap; dh’èirich stoirm: a storm arose; shèid i an t-arbhar thairis: it blew the corn over; bha e na laighe air an talamh: it was lying on the ground; chàin e Dia: he criticised God; chiùinich an stoirm: the storm abated; chaidh an t-arbhar a bhuain: the corn was harvested; bha Nachlan ga ithe fhèin: Nachlan was vexed (lit. “he was eating himself”); ghabh e aithreachas: he regretted (it); chuir e peanas air fhèin: he punished himself; cheangail e gàirdean do a chois: he tied an arm to his leg; chuir e glas air: he put a lock on it; thilg e an iuchair do dh’Uisge Dè: he threw the key into the River Dee; nuair a bha e san Ròimh: when he was in Rome; thug e air ais e airson a dhìnnearach: he took it back for his dinner; nuair a bha e ga chutadh: when he was gutting it; lorg e rudeigin na bhroinn: he found something inside it.