1365: Gàrradh Bìobaill (1)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
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Gàrradh Bìobaill (1)
Tha àite iongantach ann an Eilginn, ann am Moireibh. ’S e leas a th’ ann, no gàrradh, agus tha e suidhichte ri taobh na cathair-eaglais anns a’ bhaile. Gu mì-fhortanach, chaidh a’ chathair-eaglais mhòr sin a sgrios o chionn fhada. ’S e tobhta a th’ innte an-diugh.
’S e an rud a tha sònraichte mun ghàrradh sin gu bheil e stèidhichte air a’ Bhìoball. Tha na lusan a tha fàs ann – no mòran dhiubh – air an ainmeachadh anns a’ Bhìoball.
Tha na sgoilearan a th’ air rannsachadh a dhèanamh air a’ chuspair seo ag innse dhuinn gu bheil còrr is ceud lus – craobhan, preasan, luibhean – air an ainmeachadh anns a’ Bhìoball. ’S dòcha nach bu chòir sin a bhith na iongnadh nuair a chuimhnicheas sinn àite Gàrradh Èdein anns a’ chreideamh. Ann an Genesis Caibideil 2, Rann 15 tha seo: Agus ghabh an Tighearna Dia an duine, agus chuir e e ann an Gàrradh Èidein, ga shaothrachadh agus ga ghleidheadh.
’S ann ann an Leabhar Ghenesis, a’ chiad leabhar anns a’ Bhìoball, a tha a’ chiad iomradh air gnèithean sònraichte de chraobhan. Gu h-iongantach, ’s e a’ chiad tè a nochdas anns an teacsa a’ chraobh-chrithinn. Tha sin ann an Genesis 2:37. Carson a tha sin annasach dhomh? Uill, dh’èirich beul-aithris am measg nan Gàidheal gur ann bhon chraoibh-chrithinn, no aspen, a thàinig am fiodh às an do rinneadh an crann-ceusaidh air an robh Iosa air a cheusadh. ’S e sin as coireach, chanadh na seann daoine, gu bheil duilleagan is gasan beaga na craoibhe an-còmhnaidh air chrith.
Ge-tà, nuair a choimheadas sinn air an dreach Bheurla dhen dearbh earrainn anns a’ Bhìoball, chan e ‘aspen’ a thathar ag ainmeachadh, ach ‘poplar’. Ged a tha an dà chraoibh sin càirdeach do chèile, chan e an aon rud a th’ annta.
Tha a’ chraobh-chrithinn, a’ ciallachadh poplar, a’ nochdadh turas eile anns a’ Bhìoball. Tha sin a-rithist anns an t-Seann Tiomnadh, ann an Leabhar Hosea, Caibideil 4, Rann 13 nuair a tha an teacsa mu dheidhinn droch chleachdaidhean anns an t-seann aimsir. Seo na tha an teacsa ag ràdh: Air mullaichean nan sliabh tha iad ag ìobradh, agus air na slèibhtean tha iad a’ losgadh tùise; fo chraobhan daraich agus crithinn agus cuilinn a chionn ’s gu bheil an sgàile taitneach.
Tha sin a’ ciallachadh ann am Beurla ‘On the mountain summits they make sacrifice and upon the hills they burn incense; under oak trees and poplars and holly because the shade is pleasant.’ Ach, anns na dreachan Beurla dhen Bhìoball a th’ agamsa, chan eil gin dhiubh ag ainmeachadh ‘holly’. Tha iad ag ràdh an dàrna cuid ‘elm’ no ‘terebinth’. ’S e an terebinth craobh a dh’fhàsas anns an Ear-mheadhanach – ann an àiteachan nas blàithe na Alba.
Chì sibh gun robh duilgheadas aig an fheadhainn a rinn an t-eadar-theangachadh dhen Bhìoball – bhon Eabhra agus Seann Ghreugais – nuair a thàinig iad gu aithneachadh nan craobh agus a’ cur ainmean orra a dh’aithnicheadh na Gàidheil. Agus math dh’fhaodte gu bheil an aon rud fìor ann am Beurla.
Mar sin, ged a dh’fhaodamaid craobh-chuilinn a chur ann an Gàrradh Bìobaill ann an Alba – agus gum fàsadh i gu math – cha chreid mi gum fàsadh terebinth ro mhath ann. Anns an ath Litir bheir sinn sùil air lusan eile a’ nochdas air duilleagan a’ Bhìobaill.
Faclan na Litreach: tobhta: ruin; a’ chraobh-chrithinn: the aspen tree; an Seann Tiomnadh: the Old Testament; Eabhra: Hebrew; Seann Ghreugais: Ancient Greek.
Abairtean na Litreach: Tha àite iongantach ann an Eilginn, ann am Moireibh: there is an extraordinary place in Elgin, in Moray; ’s e leas a th’ ann, no gàrradh: it’s a garden; stèidhichte air a’ Bhìoball: based on the Bible; gu bheil còrr is ceud lus – craobhan, preasan, luibhean – air an ainmeachadh anns a’ Bhìoball: that more than a hundred plants – trees, shrubs, herbs – are named in the Bible; ’s dòcha nach bu chòir sin a bhith na iongnadh nuair a chuimhnicheas sin àite Gàrradh Èdein anns a’ chreideamh: perhaps that shouldn’t be a surprise when we remember the place of the Garden of Eden in the religion; ghabh an Tighearna Dia an duine: the Lord God took the man; ga shaothrachadh agus ga ghleidheadh: to work it and take care of it; a’ chiad iomradh air gnèithean sònraichte de chraobhan: the first mention of particular species of trees; am fiodh às an do rinneadh an crann-ceusaidh: the wood from which the crucifixion cross was made; air an robh Iosa air a cheusadh: on which Jesus was crucified; gu bheil duilleagan is gasan beaga na craoibhe an-còmhnaidh air chrith: that the leaves and small stems of the tree are always quivering; ged a tha an dà chraoibh sin càirdeach do chèile: although those two trees are related to each other; chan e an aon rud a th’ annta: they are not the same thing; tha iad a’ losgadh tùise: they are burning incense; a chionn ’s gu bheil an sgàile taitneach: because the shade [under the foliage] is pleasant; a dh’aithnicheadh na Gàidheil: that the Gaels would recognise; cha chreid mi gum fàsadh X ro mhath ann: I don’t think that X would grow too well there.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: suidhichte ri taobh na cathair-eaglais: situated next to the cathedral. In the compound noun cathair-eaglais, literally ‘throne-church’ (referring to a bishop’s throne), the basic noun is eaglais, with cathair acting as an adjective (unusually, in front of the noun). Ri taobh is a compound preposition which commands the genitive case so eaglais should be in the genitive singular. Traditionally this would have been eaglaise so ri taobh na cathair-eaglaise would also work, but in modern Gaelic the terminal ‘e’ in the genitive singular form of feminine nouns, particularly in a compound noun of this nature, is often left off.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Carson a tha sin annasach dhomh?: why is that strange to me?
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 1061
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