大象传媒

Bu mhath leam t貌iseachadh le t貌imhseachan an t-seachdain seo. Feumaidh sibhse tomhas a聽dh猫anamh air cuspair an t貌imhseachain:聽

Nighean bheag a鈥� ch貌ta bh脿in聽
Anns an t-sabhal is anns an 脿th聽
Mar (a) bu mhotha a bha i 鈥檊 ith鈥�
鈥橲 ann (a) bu lugha a bha i (a鈥�) f脿s

A bheil e agaibh? Uill, seo dreach eile air an dearbh th貌imhseachan. 鈥橲 d貌cha an turas seo gum faigh sibh e:

Nighean bheag a鈥� ch貌ta bh脿in
鈥橲 i na suidhe 鈥檚 i ri cn脿mh
Mar (a) bu mhotha a bha i 鈥檊 ith鈥�
鈥橲 ann (a) bu lugha a bha i (a鈥�) f脿s

Tha mi cinnteach gu bheil e agaibh a-nise! Smaoinichibh air oidhcheannan dorcha a鈥� gheamhraidh mus robh cumhachd an dealain ann. 鈥橲 e nighean bheag a鈥� ch貌ta bh脿in 鈥� coinneal.

Mar a bu mhotha a bha a鈥� choinneal ag 鈥渋the鈥� de ch猫ir, 鈥檚 ann a bu lugha a bha i a鈥� f脿s. Tha P脿rtaidh N脿iseanta na h-Alba d矛reach air a bhith a鈥� comharrachadh an c貌igeamh co-latha-breith deug thar na tr矛 fichead. Nise, chan e colbh poilitigeach a th鈥� anns an Litir seo agus chan eil mi ag ainmeachadh a鈥� ph脿rtaidh air s脿illibh adhbharan poilitigeach. Ach bu mhath聽leam rudeigin a r脿dh mun duine a bha na chiad cheann-suidhe aig an SNP nuair a th貌isich iad o聽chionn seachdad 鈥檚 a c貌ig bliadhna, oir 鈥檚 e duine iongantach a bh鈥� ann.

B鈥� esan Raibeart Coineagan Greumach. 鈥橲 iomadh rud iongantach a rinn e na bheatha ach聽tha e air a chuimhneachadh gu s貌nraichte airson a chuid sgr矛obhaidh agus airson na rinn e ann聽am poilitigs.

Bhuineadh Raibeart do na h-uaislean agus thogadh e air oighreachdan ann an Siorrachd聽Rinn Fri霉 agus Siorrachd Dh霉n Bhreatainn. Bha a mh脿thair leth-Sp脿innteach agus 鈥檚 e Sp脿inntis聽a鈥� chiad ch脿nan a bh鈥� aige. Bha e aig sgoil phr矛obhaideach Harrow ann an Sasainn agus mu聽dheireadh ann an sgoil sa Bhruiseil. Dh鈥檉halbh e an uair sin gu ruige Argentina far an do rinn e聽airgead m貌r mar rainsear cruidh. Cha b鈥� e sin 脿rach a bhite an d霉il a dh猫anadh e na n脿iseantach聽Albannach!

Fhad 鈥檚 a bha e ann an Argentina, dh鈥檉h脿s e gu math sgileil air muin eich. Choisinn e cli霉dha fh猫in mar bhalach-cruidh no gaucho, agus ghabh e gr脿dh m貌r air eich 鈥� rud a thigeadh am聽b脿rr anns an sgr矛obhadh aige. Bhathar e貌lach air ann an Argentina mar Don Roberto.

Ann an ochd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1883), chaochail athair. Thill Raibeart a Bhreatainn agus fhuair e an s脿s ann am poilitigs. Ach, a dh鈥檃indeoin 脿raich mar fhear de na h-uaislean聽bha Raibeart na sh貌isealach l脿idir. Cha robh am P脿rtaidh L脿barach ann am bith aig an聽脿m, agus sheas Raibeart mar thagraiche Libearalach anns an taghadh n脿iseanta ann an ochd ceud聽deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a sia (1886).

Bha am manifesto aige gu math radaigeach. Bha e ag iarraidh gun cuirte 脿s do Thaigh nam Morairean, gum faigheadh a h-uile inbheach, fireann is boireann, a鈥� bh貌t, gum biodh na聽tionnsgalan m貌ra air an cur fo smachd na st脿ite, gum faigheadh clann dinnear sgoile an-asgaidh,聽gum biodh an ceangal bunreachdail eadar an st脿it agus Eaglais Shasainn air a bhriseadh, nach聽biodh aig luchd-obrach ri barrachd na ochd uairean a th矛de obrachadh gach latha agus gum聽faigheadh Alba f猫in-riaghladh. Uill ... bha iad sin gu math radaigeach aig an 脿m!

An ath-sheachdain ch矛 sinn mar a chaidh beatha phoilitigeach Raibeirt tro atharrachadh m貌r no dh脿 eile mus robh i seachad. Eucoltach ri coinneal cha deach e an lughad le aois.

t貌imhseachan: puzzle; sabhal: barn; 脿th: kiln; coinneal: candle; c猫ir: wax;聽P脿rtaidh N脿iseanta na h-Alba: Scottish National Party; ceann-suidhe: president; Raibeart聽Coineagan Greumach: Robert Cunninghame Graham; s貌isealach: socialist; radaigeach: radical;聽f猫in-riaghladh: self-government.

nighean bheag a鈥� ch貌ta bh脿in: little lass of the white coat; mar (a) bumhotha a bha i 鈥檊 ith鈥�: the more she ate; 鈥檚 ann (a) bu lugha a bha i (a鈥�) f脿s: the smaller she聽grew; 鈥檚 i na suidhe 鈥檚 i ri cn脿mh: sitting and being eaten away; cumhachd an dealain:聽electricity; air s脿illibh adhbharan poilitigeach: for political reasons; 鈥檚 e duine iongantach a bh鈥櫬燼nn: he was an amazing guy; 鈥檚 iomadh rud iongantach a rinn e na bheatha: he did many聽amazing things in his life; bhuineadh Raibeart do na h-uaislean: Robert belonged to the gentry;聽Siorrachd Rinn Fri霉 agus Siorrachd Dh霉n Bhreatainn: Renfrewshire and Dunbartonshire; sa聽Bhruiseil: in Brussels; rainsear cruidh: a cattle rancher; cha b鈥� e sin 脿rach a bhite an d霉il a聽dh猫anadh e na n脿iseantach Albannach: that wasn鈥檛 an upbringing that would be expected to聽make him a Scottish nationalist; choisinn e cli霉 dha fh猫in mar bhalach-cruidh: he won himself a聽reputation as a cowboy; rud a thigeadh am b脿rr: something that would come to the fore; bhathar聽e貌lach air: he was known as; mar thagraiche Libearalach: as a Liberal candidate; gum biodh nationnsgalan m貌ra air an cur fo smachd na st脿ite: that the major industries would be nationalized;聽an ceangal bunreachdail eadar an st脿it agus Eaglais Shasainn: the constitutional link between the聽state and the Church of England.

an c貌igeamh co-latha-breith deug thar na tr矛 fichead: their 75th聽birthday. You will know that we are currently between two counting systems 鈥� the vigesimal still聽used by more elderly people and the decimal used in the schools (and which I generally employin the Litir). Each system has strengths and weaknesses. In decimal parlance the 75th birthday is聽an seachdadamh co-latha-breith 鈥檚 a c貌ig. I might also have said, using the vigesimal system, an聽tr矛 ficheadamh co-latha-breith 鈥檚 a c貌ig-deug. But in this Litir, I decided to use the old fashioned聽way of saying 75th 鈥� which is how the psalms are counted, for example. A good book which deals聽with examples of this nature is Gr脿mar na G脿idhlig by Maoilios Caimbeul, a book of聽grammatical exercises designed for high school students but ideal for adult learners.

Eucoltach ri coinneal cha deach e an lughad le aois: unlike a聽candle it didn鈥檛 diminish with age.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA