大象传媒

Gleanna Gollaidh,聽
Gleanna Gollaidh,
Gleanna Gollaidh nan craobh,
C貌 a ch矛 e nach mol e,
Gleanna Gollaidh nan craobh.

Bidh sibh a鈥� smaoineachadh gu bheil mi air mearachd a dh猫anamh agus gu bheil sinn a鈥� craobh-sgaoileadh聽a-rithist Litir na seachdain sa chaidh! Ach chan eil. Bha mi d矛reach airson rud beag a聽bharrachd a r脿dh mun d脿n a sgr矛obh am b脿rd ainmeil 脿 D霉thaich MhicAoidh 鈥� Rob Donn 鈥� mun聽ghleann faisg air 脿ite a bhreith ann an Allt na Caillich. 鈥橲 e sin Gleanna Gollaidh far an robh coille bhr猫agha a鈥� f脿s.聽

Tha e coltach gun do sgr矛obh Rob an d脿n seo as d猫idh dha a bhith air a ghluasad a-mach 脿s an t-Strath Mh貌r far an robh e a鈥� fuireach fad 霉ine mh貌r. Cha robh an ceann-cinnidh toilichte leis air d脿聽adhbhar. Bha an d脿 rud co-cheangailte ri beachdan poilitigeach a鈥� bh脿ird.

Rugadh Rob ann an seachd ceud deug is ceithir-deug (1714) agus bha e air tighinn gu 矛re ro聽Bhliadhna a鈥� Phrionnsa. Bha cinn-chinnidh Clann 鈥檌c Aoidh taiceil do na Hanobh猫irianaich, ach bha聽Rob a鈥� taobhadh leis na Seumasaich, mar a bha m貌ran bh脿rd eile. Seo rann a sgr矛obh e:

Nis, a The脿rlaich 脪ig Sti霉bhairt,
Riut tha d霉il aig gach fine
Chaidh a chothachadh cr霉in dhut
鈥橲 a leig an d霉thaich na teine;
Tha iad mar nathraichean falaicht鈥�
A chaill an earradh an-uiridh
Ach tha 鈥檊 ath-ghleusadh an gathan
Gu 猫irigh latha do thighinn.

Tuigidh sibh nach biodh an t-uachdaran aige ro thoilichte leis! A bharrachd air sin, chuir Rob聽Donn gu l脿idir an aghaidh mar a bha na h-uachdarain a鈥� feuchainn ri stad a chur air an tuath bho bhith聽a鈥� sealg nam fiadh anns a鈥� mhonadh. Mar a tha iomadach G脿idheal eadhon an-diugh cha robh beachd聽na tuatha air poidseadh co-ionann ri beachd nan uaislean air poidseadh, co-dhi霉 tha sinn a-mach airf猫idh no air bradain.

Ach 鈥檚 iad na h-uaislean a bha a鈥� cruthachadh an lagh. Seo p脿irt de dh脿n a sgr矛obh Rob air sealg聽nam fiadh, agus e a鈥� labhairt, mar gum biodh, do a bhr脿thair, D貌mhnall 鈥� no D貌mhnallan Dubh:
Bha fuil am broilleach do l猫ine,
鈥橲 cha b鈥� e fuil na gaibhre c猫ire
Ach fuil an fh猫idh a bha san d脿mhair,
鈥橲 cha bu mh猫irleach D貌mhnallan Dubh.

Cha b鈥� urrainn don bh脿rd a bhith na bu shoilleire na sin!聽鈥橲 cha bu mh猫irleach D貌mhnallan聽Dubh...

Hogaidh h貌, mo Dh貌mhnallan Dubh,Sealgair s矛thne, D貌mhnallan Dubh,
鈥橲 fear neo-bhruidhneach, D貌mhnallan Dubh,
鈥橲 gheibh e an n矛 a chionn a bhith ruith.

Tha e coltach, air s脿illibh a h-uile n矛, gun tugadh air Rob Donn gluasad a-mach 脿s an t-Srath聽Mh貌r gu ruige 脿ite air a鈥� chladach far nach b鈥� urrainn dha a bhith a鈥� sealg nam fiadh tuilleadh.聽Thachair sin, 鈥檚 d貌cha, faisg air deireadh nan caogadan anns an ochdamh linn deug. Tha feadhainn a鈥櫬燿猫anamh a-mach gur ann an uair sin a sgr矛obh e Gleanna Gollaidh, a鈥� moladh a鈥� ghlinn sin far am b鈥櫬爁he脿rr leis a bhith a鈥� fuireach:


Ri faicinn cr矛och 脿rdain
Ga mo bhreugadh gu taobh,
鈥橲 ann a smuainich mi fanadh
An Gleanna Gollaidh nan craobh
Gleanna Gollaidh, Gleanna Gollaidh,
Gleanna Gollaidh nan craobh,
C貌 a ch矛 e nach mol e,
Gleanna Gollaidh nan craobh.

Gleanna Gollaidh: Glen Golly; earradh: covering (snake skin); neo-bhruidhneach:non-talkative.

a鈥� craobh-sgaoileadh: broadcasting; 脿ite a bhreith: his birthplace; bha e airtighinn gu 矛re ro Bhliadhna a鈥� Phrionnsa: he had reached maturity before the Year of the Prince (1745-6); taiceil do na Hanobh猫irianaich: supportive of the Hanoverians; a鈥� taobhadh leis na Seumasaich:聽siding with the Jacobites; riut tha d霉il aig gach fine: every clan places its hope in you; [a] chaidh a聽chothachadh cr霉in dhut: who went to seek a crown for you; 鈥檚 a leig an d霉thaich na teine: and set fire to聽the country; nathraichean falaicht鈥�: hidden snakes; ag ath-ghleusadh an gathan: making ready their聽fangs; gu 猫irigh latha do thighinn: to arise on the day of your coming; fuil am broilleach do l猫ine:聽blood on the front of your shirt; cha b鈥� e fuil na gaibhre c猫ire: it wasn鈥檛 the blood of the dark goat; san聽d脿mhair: in the deer rut; cha bu mh猫irleach D貌mhnallan Dubh: dark-haired wee Donald was not a聽thief; sealgair s矛thne: hunter of venison; gheibh e an n矛 a chionn a bhith ruith: he will have a reward for聽the chase; gun tugadh air X: that X was forced to; cr矛och 脿rdain: the frontier heights; ga mo bhreugadh gu taobh: enticing me yonder.

cha robh beachd na tuatha air poidseadh co-ionann ri beachd nan uaislean air poidseadh: the ordinary people鈥檚 opinion of poaching was not the same as the gentry鈥檚聽opinion of poaching. It鈥檚 interesting to consider why, with a large vocabulary available with regard to聽hunting and land use, that our forebears adopted the English word poaching and adapted it as聽poidseadh (dialectally poidsigeadh). MacLennan鈥檚 (1925) dictionary gives d猫an goid fr矛the for聽鈥減oach鈥� and m猫irleach seilge for 鈥減oacher鈥� but neither sounds very convincing, does it?! I might聽venture to suggest that poaching was not a traditional Gaelic concept and, even today, many Gaels聽consider game laws to be an unjust infringement of their traditional moral right to use their ancestral聽lands. Poaching is defined in my English dictionary as 鈥渃atching game illegally by trespassing on聽private property鈥�. The concept was foreign. It鈥檚 hardly surprising that we adopted the English word聽along with the concept.

Cha robh an ceann-cinnidh toilichte leis air d脿 adhbhar: the clan chief wasn鈥檛 pleased with him for two reasons.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA