麻豆社

Tha seanfhacal againn a tha ag r脿dh, Is minig a dh鈥櫭╥rich muir gharbh 脿 plumanaich. Tha Alasdair MacNeacail ag innse dhuinn gu bheil an seanfhacal a鈥� ciallachadh rough sea has often followed noise of surge. Is minig a dh鈥櫭╥rich muir gharbh 脿 plumanaich. Tha e ag r脿dh, A muffled roar from the sea at night in calm weather often precedes a storm. A muffled roar 鈥� plumanaich. Tha Dwelly ga chomharrachadh mar continued noise, as of stones falling into water.

Bha mi ann an gheat ann an cala Stromness ann an Arcaibh. Bha sinn a鈥� feitheamh ri s矛de a bhiodh freagarrach airson se貌ladh. Bha e tr脿th sa mhadainn. Dh霉isg mi. Chuala mi plumanaich. Cha robh sin uabhasach f脿bharach. Ach bha sinn anns a鈥� chala. Am biomaid a鈥� cluinntinn plumanaich an sin?

Stob mi mo cheann a-mach air a haidse. Bha soitheach m貌r m貌r a鈥� d猫anamh air a鈥� chala. Soitheach Gearmailteach l脿n luchd-turais. Bha mi a鈥� cluinntinn a h-einnseanan. Co-dhi霉 cha b鈥� e plumanaich na mara a bh鈥� ann!

An latha roimhe bha a鈥� ghaoth air a bhith aig 矛re g猫ile. Bha i ro gharbh airson se貌ladh. Anns a鈥� mhadainn a she貌l sinn a-mach mu dheireadh thall, bha astar na gaoithe air tuiteam gu 矛re a sia no mar sin. Ach bha a鈥� mhuir fhathast garbh, bagarrach. Bha am b脿ta a鈥� tulgadh gu dona. Bha mi aig an sti霉ir airson greis, agus an einnsean air.

An uair sin th脿inig an t-貌rdugh bhon sgiobair. Togaibh an se貌l-cinn! Cuiribh stad air an einnsean! 鈥橲 e an se貌l-cinn an jib 鈥� se貌l aig toiseach a鈥� gheat, air thoiseach air a鈥� chrann. Mar as trice bithear a鈥� se貌ladh gheat dhen t-se貌rsa san robh mi le se貌l-cinn agus se貌l-m貌r air an togail. Ach air an latha sin, bha a鈥� ghaoth cho l脿idir 鈥檚 nach robh feum againn air an t-se貌l mh貌r.

鈥淐ha b鈥� urrainn na b鈥� fhe脿rr,鈥� bha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh rium fh矛n. 鈥淭ha mi ann am b脿ta 猫asgaidh, a鈥� dol aig astar aig muir, gun fhuaim bho einnsean. Tha i ag aomadh gu snog agus tha sinn a鈥� d猫anamh air taobh an iar-thuath na G脿idhealtachd.鈥� Bha sinn cruaidh air a鈥� ghaoith ach nam fanadh i mar sin, 鈥檚 gann gum biodh feum againn air tacadh.

鈥橲 iomadh rud a th鈥� agam ri ionnsachadh mu she貌ladh agus gnothaichean na mara. Ach air an latha sin, dh鈥檌onnsaich mi rudeigin nach do dh鈥檌onnsaich mi riamh roimhe. Agus saoilidh mi, ged nach do ch貌rd e rium aig an 脿m, gun robh e gu math feumail dhomh. Airson a鈥� chiad turas riamh, bha cur na mara orm. Tha mi air a bhith a鈥� dol ann am b脿taichean de gach se貌rsa fad mo bheatha is cha robh riamh cur na mara orm. Uill, cha robh chun an latha sin.

Chan urrainn dhomh a r脿dh d猫 dh鈥檃dhbharaich e. Ceart gu le貌r, bha a鈥� mhuir garbh. Bha suaile throm ann. Bha muir mholach ann. Bha sguailean dona ann. Bha sinn a鈥� tulgadh gu m貌r. Ach cha robh eagal sam bith oirnn. Bha b脿ta math againn.

Ach, 貌bh 貌bh. Mean air mhean, dh鈥櫭爐harraich m鈥� aigne. 鈥淭arraing air sg貌d an t-si霉il-chinn!鈥� th脿inig an t-貌rdugh. 鈥淟脿mhan air an unndais!鈥�

鈥淕abhaibh mo leisgeul ach chan urrainn dhomh,鈥� fhreagair mi mus do chuir mi mo cheann thar cliathaich a鈥� bh脿ta. Agus nuair a th脿inig mi thuige mu dheireadh thall, chuir mi romham nach bithinn a-chaoidh tuilleadh m矛-bh脿idheil no m矛-fhoighidneach le daoine a tha a鈥� fulang le tinneas na fairge.

Faclan na Litreach: plumanaich: muffled roar; gheat: yacht; soitheach: vessel; Gearmailteach: German; a h-einnseanan: her engines; bagarrach: threatening; se貌l-m貌r: mainsail.

Abairtean na Litreach: a鈥� feitheamh ri s矛de a bhiodh freagarrach airson se貌ladh: waiting for weather which would be suitable for sailing; dh霉isg mi: I woke up; stob mi mo cheann a-mach air a haidse: I stuck my head out of the hatch; bha soitheach m貌r m貌r a鈥� d猫anamh air a鈥� chala: a very big vessel was heading for the harbour; bha a鈥� ghaoth air a bhith aig 矛re g猫ile: the wind had been at gale force; ro gharbh airson se貌ladh: too rough to sail; a鈥� tulgadh: rolling; aig an sti霉ir: at the helm; togaibh an se貌l-cinn: raise the jib (sail); cha b鈥� urrainn na b鈥� fhe脿rr: it couldn鈥檛 be better; aig astar: at speed; ag aomadh gu snog: heeling nicely; cruaidh air a鈥� ghaoith: close to the wind; nam fanadh i mar sin, 鈥檚 gann gum biodh feum againn air tacadh: if it remained like that, we鈥檇 hardly need to tack; 鈥檚 iomadh rud a th鈥� agam ri ionnsachadh: I have much to learn; ged nach do ch貌rd e rium aig an 脿m: although I didn鈥檛 enjoy it at the time; bha cur na mara orm: I was seasick; d猫 dh鈥檃dhbharaich e: what caused it; bha suaile throm ann, bha muir mholach ann: there was a heavy swell, there was a stormy sea; sguailean dona: bad squalls; dh鈥櫭爐harraich m鈥� aigne: my disposition changed; tarraing air sg貌d an t-si霉il-chinn: haul on the jib sheet; l脿mhan air an unndais: hands on the winch; thar cliathaich a鈥� bh脿ta: over the side of the boat; nuair a th脿inig mi thuige mu dheireadh thall: when I recovered eventually; chuir mi romham nach bithinn a-chaoidh tuilleadh m矛-bh脿idheil no m矛-fhoighidneach: I decided that I would never again be unsympathetic or impatient; tinneas na fairge: seasickness (alternative term).

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: b脿ta 猫asgaidh: an active, lively, fast boat. If you would like to expand your knowledge of the Gaelic vocabulary associated with boats and the sea, I would recommend the book Muir is T矛r by Se貌ras Chaluim She貌rais (George MacLeod), published in Stornoway by Acair. Here are some other adjectives that Se貌ras used to describe boats: calma (strong, good), s脿bhailt (safe), sanntach (desirous, willing), luath (fast), leathann (broad beamed), m脿sach (large-quartered), d霉r (obstinate, stubborn), corrach (unstable, cranky), frionasach (temperamental), leisg (lazy, slow, heavy). You will appreciate that most of these adjectives can also be used of humans!

Seanfhacal na Litreach: Is minig a dh鈥櫭╥rich muir gharbh 脿 plumanaich: rough sea has often followed a muffled roar (when the sea is still calm).