Multi-level Gaelic novel

Aonghas Pàdraig Caimbeul (Angus Peter Campbell) describes his epic new Gaelic novel, An Oidhche Mus Do Sheòl Sìnn (‘The Night Before We Sailed’).

THA An Oidhche Mus Do Sheòl Sìnn mu dheidhinn iomadh rud – oir choltach le gach sgeulachd is gach dàn ‘s gach òran eile – no gu dearbh coltach le gach poll-mòine! – tha uachdar is ìochdar air gach sgeul, agus coltach leis a’ mhòine fhèin tha e uaireannan doirbh an riasg a’ rùsgadh on fhàd!

Air an uachdar co-dhiù tha an nobhail seo a’ leantainn balach à Uibhist-a-Deas – fear Eòin Dòmhnallach – agus a’ bhràithrean ‘s a’ pheathraichean ‘s athair ‘s a mhàthair tron fhicheadamh linn. Tha an sgeul fhèin a’ tòiseachadh ann an 1913, le Eòin na bhalach òg a’ dol a steach dhan t-sagartachd agus a dhà bhràthair, Alasdair agus Aonghas Iain, a’ falbh dhan Chogadh Mhòr. Tha an nobhail a’ crìochnachadh ciad bliadhn’ air adhart, ann an 2013, an turas seo le nighean òg à Uibhist-a-Deas, Raonaid NicAonghais, air starsnaich nan aon-dhùnaidhean ‘s a bha aig Eòin ri dhèanamh mu bheatha-san ann an 1913. An e cumhachd neo gràdh a thaghas sinn, ge brith ann an 1913 no ann an 2013?

Thug sgrìobhaidh an leabhair seo – eadar siud is seo – na bliadhnachan mòra. Tha e fada, ‘s bha an slighe aonaranach. Bha agad ri tòrr deisealachadh a dhèanamh airson a’ sgrìobhadh – coltach le na daoin’ ud aig na Geamachan Oileampaigs a bhios a leum tharais cnagan fiodh le pòla: pole-vault a chanas iad leis nach e? Eil cuimhn’ agaibh am faicinn a’ luasganach air ais ‘s air adhart, air ais ‘s air adhart, air ais ‘s air adhart grunn tursan mus deàn iad oidhirp ruith suas chun a mhaide-tarsainn ann an oidhirp leum tarsainn?

Sin mar a bha mise faireachdainn, a’ luasganaich eadar Dwelly agus Carmina Dwelly, eadar am Bìoball agus Sporan Dhòmhnaill, eadar Folksongs and Folklore of South Uist agus Sgeulachdan Dhonnchaidh mar a chaidh an cruinneachadh le KC Craig. Oir bha mi faireachdainn gu robh feum agam air mi fhìn a làn-uidheamachadh le briathrachas agus dual-chainnt a’ chinn-a-deas mus dèanainn oidhirp sam bith air nobhail stèidhichte san àite sin a’ sgrìobhadh. ‘S ann aig daoine eile a tha ri ràdh an do rinn mi an gnothach sin a dhèanamh no nach do rinn.

Ach chan eil an sin ach uachdar a’ gnothaich. Aig cridhe ghnothaich, tha an nobhail – tha mi an dòchas – mu dheidhinn na rudan mòra: gràdh is cumhachd, gràs is tròcair, peacadh is mathanas, ùrachadh is rèiteachadh, saorsa is fulangas, cogadh is sìth. Oir ‘s e sin na gnothaichean, aig deireadh an latha, a tha toirt beatha is bàs dhuinn uile – chan e idir ar tuarasdal no ar saibhreas ach mar a tha sinn a’ faireachdainn mu ar deidhinn fhìn – mu na rudan, beag no mòr, a rinn no nach do rinn sinn, a dh’fhuiling sinn, a mhiannaich sinn, a dhùirig sinn, a dh’iarr sinn. An gràdh a sheall sinn. No nach do sheall.

Agus saoilidh mi – ged a tha an nobhail, mar a tha a’ bheatha fhèin – mu dheidhinn caractaran gu bheil na gnothaichean mòra sin a buntainn a cheart cho chinnteach le sluagh agus le coimhearsnachdan. Tha seo, saoilidh mi, aig cnag na cùise – dè an seòrsa Uibhist, no coimhearsnachd, no saoghal a bha againn, agus gu dearbh a tha againn? ‘S a bheil dòigh na h-aislingean a tha againn – gum biodh a’ Ghàidhlig làidir, ‘s gum biodh sinn fhìn nas còire ‘s nas coibhneile ‘s nas gràsmhoire ‘s nas fheàrr na bha no tha sinn – a bheil dòigh na h-aislingean a tha sinn a’ chur an gnìomh? A bheil dòigh ar n-eachdraidh agus ar beatha atharrachadh feuch’s am bidh e nas fìrinniche ‘s nas saoirsneachail na bha e?

‘S ann mu dheidhinn sin a tha an nobhail seo agamsa, ‘s tha mi an dòchas gum faigh gach leughadair tlachd is gluasad-cridhe is gluasad-spioraid ann a bhith ga leughadh. Lean na caractaran agus seas nam brògan, gus an tuig sinn cho mìorbhailteach – ‘s cho goirid – ‘s a tha ar beatha, a’ tha luasganaich cho luath – ro luath – eadar gàirdeachas is bròn.

Tha an nobhail fhèin ga chur air bhog ann an Taigh-Òsda Regent san Òban air feasgar 16mh Dàmhair aig 6 uairean, far am bith fàilte romhaibh. Tha tuilleadh fiosrachadh mun obair, agus mun sgeama ùr leabhraichean a tha Comhairle nan Leabhraichean a’ cur air bhog ri fhaotainn bho Chomhairle nan Leabhraichean aig www.ur-sgeul.com

English summary

As with all fiction – and for that matter all poetry and song and art – this Gaelic novel An Oidhche Mus do Sheòl Sinn (The Night Before We Sailed) – tries to function at different levels. On the surface, the story follows a young boy Eòin Dòmhnallach, from South Uist whom we first meet on Page 1 as he crouches by the edge of the loch deciding whether or not to throw the stone-skiffler he’s holding in his hand. It is 1913 and his two older brothers are down on the machair already deciding to throw their dice and head for the trenches. The novel then follows the varying fortunes of this extended family from that moment right up to a moment 100 years on, in 2013, when a young girl from South Uist, Raonaid MacInnes is crouching by the same loch, holding a skiffler, wondering whether to fling or hold.

The underlying surface of the novel, which runs to 374 pages of over 100,000 words, concerns itself with the things which impinge upon our decisions to fling the stone – whether that be the stone of marriage or celibacy, of war or peace, of hatred or forgiveness. And once the stone is thrown, sometimes foolishly, and it sinks without trace instead of skipping beautifully across the loch, how do you redeem the lost moment, the lost opportunity? What can atone for the Somme or indeed the Twin Towers.

Love, ultimately, because like the water of the loch itself, love ultimately covers over and washes away a multitude of sins.
Angus Peter Campbell’s long-awaited epic Gaelic novel will be published on Thursday 16 October during the Centenary Mod celebrations in Oban. Further details about the novel can be obtained from the special web-site set up by Comhairle nan Leabhraichean (The Gaelic Books
Council) at http://www.ur-sgeul.com