大象传媒

Tha sinn air a bhith a鈥� toirt s霉il bheag air beatha is b脿rdachd Rob Dhuinn anns a鈥� cheala-deug a聽dh鈥檉halbh. Tha mi a鈥� dol a thoirt sin gu cr矛ch an-diugh le bhith a鈥� toirt s霉il bheag air d脿n a sgr矛obh e.聽Tha e mu dheidhinn, mar gum biodh, an sealladh eadar-dhealaichte aig na G脿idheil agus aig na Goill聽air d霉thaich agus d貌igh-beatha nan G脿idheal 鈥� gu s貌nraichte ann an D霉thaich MhicAoidh.


Tha Rob a鈥� samhlachadh nan G脿idheal mar Iseabail, nighean aig Iain MacEachainn 鈥檌c Iain. Bha聽Rob a鈥� fuireach c貌mhla ri Iain anns an t-Srath Mh貌r fad 霉ine mh貌r. Bha e ag obair mar bhuachaille聽dha. Bha Rob is Iseabail a鈥� faighinn tlachd bhon 脿rainneachd aca. Air an taobh eile, a鈥� riochdachadh聽sealladh nan Gall, mar gum biodh, tha piuthar Iseabail 鈥� M脿iri. Tha M脿iri air a bhith san sgoil ann anInbhir The貌rsa 鈥� baile an 矛re mhath Gallta 鈥� agus tha droch bheachd air 猫irigh na cridhe air D霉thaich聽MhicAoidh:

Cia b鈥� e dh猫anadh mar rinn mis鈥�,
Bu mhist鈥� e e gu br脿th,
Dhol don bheinn an aghaidh m鈥� inntinn,
Mhill e mi 鈥檚 mo shl脿int鈥�,
P脿irt de m鈥� acainn br脿igheach Mheirceinn,
鈥橲 脿it gun mharcaid e,
Ach sp脿in is copraich 鈥檚 b脿-theach fosgailt鈥�
鈥橲 gr脿inne sh貌p ri l脿r.


Tha i a-mach air Meirceann far nach robh marcaid 鈥� an coimeas ris na bailtean Gallta far an聽robh a leithid. Tha Meirceann air bruach Loch H貌b, gu tuath air Muiseal far an robh dachaigh Iain聽MhicEachainn 鈥檌c Iain. Agus an do mhothaich sibh am facal b脿-theach. Mar a sgr矛obh Rob Donn e, tha聽e follaiseach c貌 脿s a th脿inig am facal b脿thaich 鈥� bho b脿-theach no 鈥渃ow house鈥�.

Co-dhi霉, tha Iseabail a鈥� freagairt casaidean M脿iri, le bhith a鈥� dearbhadh cho br猫agha 鈥檚 a tha an聽d霉thaich dhi. Cuimhnichibh gun robh na b脿ird Gh脿idhealach a鈥� sgr矛obhadh ann an d貌igh, dh鈥檉haodadh聽tu r脿dh, romansach mun 脿rainneachd mus robh a leithid a鈥� tachairt ann an saoghal na Beurla:
Ciod am f脿th mun tug thu fuath
鈥橲 ann do na bruachaibh 脿rd?
Nach fhaic thu fh猫in nuair a thig an spr猫idh
Gur feumail iad len 脿l?
Cha chr脿dh cridh鈥� air l脿rach shuidhe
Fuaim na lighe l脿in
Don ghn脿th bhith cladhach ro a h-aghaidh
Is feur an d猫idh a鈥� f脿s.

Tha M脿iri ge-t脿, a, leantainn, co-dhi霉 ann am mac-meanmna a鈥� bh脿ird, le a h-argamaid:
Na bha f矛rinneach de d鈥� amhran
Fhad 鈥檚 a bha 鈥檔 samhradh bl脿th,
Rinn e tionndadh Oidhche Shamhna,
鈥橲 bheir an geamhradh 鈥檚h脿r.
Duille shuidhicht鈥� b脿rr an fhiodha,
Dh鈥檉h脿s i buidhe-bh脿n,
鈥橲 tha beauty an t-Srath air call a dhath
Le steall de chathadh-l脿ir.
Ged nach robh Beurla aig Rob a-chaoidh, bhiodh e a鈥� stobadh a-steach fhaclan Beurla do a聽chuid b脿rdachd aig amannan. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun robh e a鈥� riochdachadh d貌igh-labhairt nan uaislean a bha聽dhen bheachd gun robh e fasanta a bhith a鈥� cleachdadh fhaclan Beurla. Tha freagairt aig Iseabail do聽chasaidean M脿iri. Ach c貌 bha a鈥� bruidhinn ann an dha-r矛ribh 鈥� Iseabail no Rob fh猫in? F脿gaidh mi sibh聽leis an rainn seo air a bheil mi fh矛n uabhasach measail. Tha e a鈥� riochdachadh gu soilleir b貌idhchead聽an earraich air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd:

Gl猫idhidh 鈥檔 talamh chun an t-samhraidh
Sin a chrann e 鈥檔-dr脿st;
Beith is calltainn Latha Bealltainn Gealltanach air f脿s.
Bidh gruth is crathadh air na srathaibh
鈥橲 teirgidh 鈥檔 cathadh-l脿irNach binn an sealladh,聽glinn a鈥� stealladh
Laoigh is bainne 鈥檚 b脿rr.

buachaille: herdsman; Inbhir The貌rsa: Thurso; Muiseal: Muisel; romansach: romantic; mac-meanmna: imagination.

b脿rdachd Rob Dhuinn: Rob Donn鈥檚 poetry; anns a鈥� cheala-deug a dh鈥檉halbh: in the last fortnight; mar gum biodh: as it were; tha Rob a鈥� samhlachadh nan G脿idheal mar Iseabail:聽Rob represents the Gaels as Ishbel; tlachd bhon 脿rainneachd aca: pleasure from their surroundings;聽cia b鈥� e dh猫anadh mar rinn mis鈥�: anyone doing as I have done; bu mhist鈥� e e: he鈥檇 be the worse for it;聽dhol don bheinn an aghaidh m鈥� inntinn: going to the mountain against my will; p脿irt de m鈥� acainn聽br脿igheach Mheirceinn: part of my grievance is the Merkin upland; gr脿inne sh貌p ri l脿r: grain chaff on聽the floor; ciod am f脿th mun tug thu fuath: what is the reason for your antipathy; gur feumail iad len 脿l:聽that they are useful with their offspring; cha chr脿dh cridh鈥� air l脿rach shuidhe: it is no hardship to sit in聽a spot; fuaim na lighe l脿in: [in] the roar of the full flood; don ghn脿th bhith cladhach ro a h-aghaidh:聽digging out its usual course; na bha f矛rinneach de d鈥� amhran: what was true in your song; rinn e聽tionndadh Oidhche Shamhna: it changed at Halloween; bheir an geamhradh 鈥檚h脿r: the winter will聽extinguish it; duille shuidhicht鈥� b脿rr an fhiodha: the foliage situated at the treetops; steall de chathadh-l脿ir:聽the onset of snowdrift[s]; gl猫idhidh 鈥檔 talamh chun an t-samhraidh: the land will wait until聽summer; sin a chrann e 鈥檔-dr脿st: it鈥檚 hibernating now; beith is calltainn Latha Bealltainn: birch and聽hazel on Beltane day; gruth is crathadh air na srathaibh: crowdie and churning in the straths; teirgidh聽鈥檔 cathadh-l脿ir: melting of the snow drifts; nach binn an sealladh, glinn a鈥� stealladh: how sweet the spectacle, glens a-spouting; laoigh is bainne 鈥檚 b脿rr: calves and milk and cream.

Ach sp脿in is copraich 鈥檚 b脿-theach fosgailt鈥�: but spoons and coppers andopen byre. Did you realise that the origin of the word b脿thaich (dialectally b脿thach) is b脿-theach.聽Teach is an old word for house (and still the standard word for house in Irish Gaelic). Taigh is聽originally an inflected form of teach (we also derive a-steach from teach). B脿-theach is literally 鈥渃owhouse鈥漣e 鈥渉ouse of cows鈥�.

air a bheil mi fh矛n uabhasach measail: which I really like myself.

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA