大象传媒

Tha 貌ran snog againn ann an G脿idhlig. 鈥橲 e t脿ladh a tha ann. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a tha air Uiseag Bheag Dhearg. Anns an 貌ran, tha p脿iste a鈥� bruidhinn ri uiseag. Tha an uiseag ag innse c脿ite an robh i a鈥� faighinn cadal. Fhuair i droch chadal anns an dris. Fhuair i droch chadal aig muir. Ach fhuair i deagh chadal eadar d脿 dhuilleig. Ma dh鈥檕braicheas e gu math, bidh am p脿iste na chadal ro dheireadh an 貌rain!

Aig deireadh na s猫iste tha an loidhne seo: c脿ite na chaidil thu raoir san 鈥溍�鈥�? Tha 鈥溍�鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渙idhche鈥�. C脿ite an do chaidil thu a-raoir san oidhch鈥�? Ach seinnidh sinn 鈥渟an 矛鈥� seach 鈥渟an oidhch鈥欌��. Tha sin a鈥� dearbhadh gur e 貌ran Manainneach a tha ann. Tha e 脿 Eilean Mhanainn bho th霉s. Airson oidhche mhath, canaidh na Manainnich oie vie. Agus ann an Gaelg 鈥� G脿idhlig Eilean Mhanainn 鈥� tha ushag a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渆un beag sam bith鈥�, seach lark.

Ach ciamar a fhuair an t-貌ran a-steach do Gh脿idhlig na h-Alba? Uill, o chionn ghoirid, fhuair mi sin a-mach. Bha mi a鈥� leughadh leabhar mu dheidhinn Mona Douglas nach maireann. B鈥� ise t猫 ainmeil 脿 Eilean Mhanainn. Bha i a鈥� brosnachadh c脿nan agus cultar an eilein. Anns an leabhar tha tar-sgr矛obhadh de dh鈥檃gallamh a rinn i. Anns an agallamh, dh鈥檃inmich i an t-貌ran le ainm Manainneach 鈥� Ushag Veg Ruy.

Thuirt i gun robh 貌rain Mhanainn-each a鈥� sgapadh am measg nan G脿idheal ann an Alba is 脠irinn. Chuir i Ushag Veg Ruy ann an cl貌. Bha sin anns na ficheadan no toiseach nan tritheadan anns an fhicheadamh linn. Fhuair tidsear ann an Alba gr猫im air an 貌ran. Bha Douglas a鈥� smaoineachadh gur ann 脿 Tiriodh a bha e.

We have a nice song in Gaelic. It鈥檚 a lullaby. It鈥檚 name is Uiseag Bheag Dhearg. In the song a child is speaking to a lark. The lark tells where it was sleeping. It slept badly in the bramble bush. It slept badly at sea. But it slept well between two leaves. If it works well, the child will be asleep before the end of the song.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 At the end of the chorus there is this line: where did you sleep last night in the 鈥溍�鈥�? 鈥溍屸�� means 鈥渘ight鈥�. Where did you sleep last night? But we sing 鈥渟an 矛鈥� rather than 鈥渟an oidhch鈥欌��. That proves it is a Manx song. It鈥檚 originally from the Isle of Man. For oidhche mhath, the Manx say oie vie. And in Gaelg 鈥� Manx Gaelic 鈥� ushag means 鈥渁ny small bird鈥�, rather than a lark.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But how did the song get into Scottish Gaelic? Well, recently, I found that out. I was reading a book about the late Mona Douglas. She was a famous woman from the Isle of Man. She encouraged [the use of] the language and culture of the island. In the book there is a transcription of an interview she gave. In the interview she named the song with a Manx name 鈥� Ushag Veg Ruy.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 She said that Manx songs were spreading among the Gaels in Scotland and Ireland. She put Ushag Veg Ruy in print. That was in the twenties or early thirties in the twentieth century. A teacher in Scotland got hold of the song. Douglas was thinking he was from Tiree.