麻豆社

Bha mi ann am meadhan na Cuimrigh, air an tr猫ana a鈥� dol gu ruige Aberystwyth. Bha an d霉thaich mu mo thimcheall gu math br猫agha. Bha achaidhean gorm鈥� ann is doireachan beaga, le corra taigh an siud 鈥檚 an seo. An uair sin, chunnaic mi e. Clamhan m貌r anns an adhar.

Nise, tha diofar she貌rsaichean de chlamhain ann. Mar eisimpleir, an clamhan, no buzzard ann am Beurla, an clamhan fionn, no hen harrier, agus an clamhan riabhach, no honey buzzard. Ach bha earball gobhlach air an eun a chunnaic mi bhon tr猫ana. Bha mi a鈥� coimhead air clamhan gobhlach 鈥� no red kite.

Carson a thug sin toileachas dhomh, oir tha iad cumanta gu le貌r faisg air far a bheil mi a鈥� fuireach air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd? Chithear gu tric iad ann an Ros an Ear. Ge-t脿, cha b鈥� ann mar sin a bha c霉isean o chionn fichead bliadhna. An uair sin, b鈥� e a鈥� Chuimrigh an t-aon 脿ite ann am Breatainn far an robh an clamhan gobhlach ri fhaicinn. Bha an t-eun a chunnaic mi bhon tr猫ana anns an aon 脿ite anns na h-eileanan seo far an do dh鈥檉huirich a leithid be貌.

Bha e uaireigin pailt ann am bailtean m貌ra Bhreatainn. Rinn Uilleam Shakespeare iomradh air cho pailt 鈥檚 a bha iad ann an Lunnainn ri a linn. Bhiodh iad a鈥� tighinn be貌 air an sgudal air na sr脿idean. Agus bha iad pailt a-muigh air an d霉thaich cuideachd. Bhiodh daoine gam faicinn gu tric air sg猫ith, gun ghluasad, os cionn achadh. 鈥橲 e sin as coireach gun tugadh an t-ainm kite air iteileag ann am Beurla.

Ghlan sinn ar bailtean m貌ra. Agus, anns an naoidheamh linn deug, mharbh geamairean t貌rr chlamhan gobhlach, a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh iad a鈥� sgrios nan cearcan-fraoich 鈥檚 a leithid. Thuit an 脿ireamh dhiubh gu m貌r.

Tha abairt againn ann an G脿idhlig 鈥� chuir sin an clamhan gobhlach am measg nan cearc. Tha sin coltach ri 鈥渢hat put the cat among the pigeons鈥� ann am Beurla. Ge-t脿, tha luchd-gl猫idhteachais ag r脿dh nach d猫an iad cron m貌r sam bith air cearcan no air cearcan-fraoich.

Mu dheireadh 鈥檚 e meadhan na Cuimrigh, far nach robhar a鈥� sealg chearcan-fraoich, an aon sg矛re far an robh an clamhan gobhlach. Ach cha do thuig mi, gus an robh mi ann an Tregaron, cho gann 鈥檚 a bha iad sa Chuimrigh cuideachd. Ann an Tregaron, baile beag faisg air Aberystwyth, tha taigh-tasgaidh ann don barcud coch mar a chanas iad nan c脿nan fh猫in 鈥� an 鈥渃lamhan ruadh鈥�. Aig toiseach an fhicheadamh linn, bha an 脿ireamh dhiubh air a dhol s矛os gu tr矛 paidhrichean.

Ghabh luchd-gl猫idhteachais gnothach riutha. Thug iad uighean a-steach bhon Sp脿inn agus chuir iad iad ann an neadan chlamhan 脿bhaisteach. Rugadh gu le貌r de dh鈥檌seanan ach, gu m矛-fhortanach, bidh an clamhan gobhlach Sp脿inneach a鈥� dol air seachran gu n脿darrach 鈥� agus dh鈥檉halbh a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha de na h-e貌in nuair a bha iad m貌r gu le貌r!

Ach lean an luchd-gl猫idhteachais orra len oidhirpean gus an t-eun a dh矛on. Anns na seasgadan, dh鈥櫭╥rich an 脿ireamh dhiubh gu fichead paidhir agus tha piseach air tighinn orra bhon uair sin. Tha, is ann an Alba cuideachd, far an deach e貌in a thoirt a-steach bhon Ghearmailt agus bhon t-Suain.

鈥橲 e eachdraidh a鈥� chlamhain ghobhlaich eachdraidh thruagh, air a leantainn le st貌iridh brosnachail. D矛reach mar a tha eachdraidh c脿nan na Cuimrigh. Thug e toileachas dhomh gun robh i air a bruidhinn gu n脿darrach leis a h-uile duine a bha ag obair ann an taigh-tasgaidh a鈥� chlamhain ghobhlaich ann an Tregaron.

Faclan na Litreach: clamhan: buzzard (also generic for hawk); clamhan gobhlach: red kite (bird); iteileag: kite (toy); luchd-gl猫idhteachais: conservationists; taigh-tasgaidh: museum.

Abairtean na Litreach: meadhan na Cuimrigh: mid-Wales; a鈥� dol gu ruige X: going to X; bha achaidhean gorm鈥� ann is doireachan beaga: there were green fields and small copses; corra taigh an siud 鈥檚 an seo: the odd house here and there; earball gobhlach: forked tail; Ros an Ear: Easter Ross; cha b鈥� ann mar sin a bha c霉isean: that is not how things were; far an do dh鈥檉huirich a leithid be貌: where the like remained alive; rinn X iomradh air cho pailt 鈥檚 a bha iad: X made mention of how plentiful they were; a鈥� tighinn be貌 air an sgudal: living off the rubbish; air sg猫ith: on the wing; a鈥� sgrios nan cearcan-fraoich: killing the grouse; far nach robhar a鈥� sealg chearcan-fraoich: where grouse weren鈥檛 being hunted; tr矛 paidhrichean: three pairs; mar a chanas iad nan c脿nan fh猫in: as they say in their own language; ghabh X gnothach riutha: X got involved with them; thug iad uighean a-steach bhon Sp脿inn: they imported eggs from Spain; neadan chlamhan 脿bhaisteach: nests of buzzards; rugadh gu le貌r de dh鈥檌seanan: many chicks were born; a鈥� dol air seachran gu n脿darrach: naturally wanders/disperses; dh鈥檉halbh a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha de na h-e貌in: most of the birds left; lean X orra len oidhirpean: X continued with their efforts; dh鈥櫭╥rich an 脿ireamh dhiubh gu fichead paidhir: their number[s] rose to twenty pairs; tha piseach air tighinn orra: they have become successful; bhon Ghearmailt agus bhon t-Suain: from Germany and [from] Sweden; air a leantainn le st貌iridh brosnachail: followed by an encouraging story; eachdraidh c脿nan na Cuimrigh: the history of the language of Wales; thug e toileachas dhomh: it gave me great pleasure.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: anns na seasgadan: in the sixties. You will often see it written as anns na 1960an 鈥� in which case we would say 鈥渁nns na seasgadan鈥�. You will also hear the more traditional 鈥渁nns na tr矛 ficheadan鈥�, based on the vigesimal, rather than decimal, system but the decimal one is gradually taking over. It has the distinct advantage of giving us a simple option when it comes to the 鈥渙dd鈥� decades 鈥� na tritheadan, caogadan, seachdadan and naochadan, which the vigesimal system does not provide.

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: chuir sin an clamhan gobhlach am measg nan cearc: lit. that put the red kite among the hens 鈥� an equivalent to the English 鈥渢hat put the cat among the pigeons鈥�.