大象传媒

鈥橲 e F貌ghnan na h-Alba lus ainmeil nam buadh, Lus grinn nan dos calgach thug dearbh air bhith cruaidh; Seann suaicheantas m貌rail t矛r bh貌idheach mo luaidh, 'S tric dh'fhadaich a dheagh chli霉 teine-猫ibhinn nam ghruaidh.

A bheil sibh ag aithneachadh sin? Seo an dreach ann am Beurla na h-Alba: O, the thistle o鈥� Scotland was famous of auld, Wi鈥� its toorie sae snod and its bristles sae bauld; 鈥橳is the badge o鈥� my country, it鈥檚 aye dear tae me; And the thocht o鈥� them baith brings the licht tae my ee.

听听听听听听聽聽聽聽聽 Airson 霉ine mh貌r, cha robh fios agam gur e 貌ran G脿idhlig a bha ann. Ach 鈥檚 e. Th脿inig a鈥� Gh脿idhlig an toiseach. Bha an dreach Beurla na eadar-theangachadh. 鈥橲 e am b脿rd E貌ghann MacColla a sgr矛obh an t-貌ran. Bha esan 脿 Earra-Gh脿idheal. Bha e be貌 anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Rinn Calum MacPh脿rlain an t-eadar-theangachadh gu Beurla.

听听听听听听聽聽聽聽聽 Chunnaic mi d脿 thiotal airson an d脿in 鈥� F貌ghnan na h-Alba agus Suaicheantas na h-Alba. Ach d猫 an tiotal a bha aig an 霉ghdar fh猫in? Uill, fhuair mi lorg air o chionn ghoirid. Bha e anns an leabhar Cl脿rsach nam Beann, a chaidh fhoillseachadh ann an ochd ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a sia (1836). Agus b鈥� e tiotal an d脿in Am Foghannan 鈥� Suaicheantas na h-Alba. Tha an d脿 rud anns an ainm!

听听听听听听聽聽聽聽聽 Rugadh is thogadh E貌ghann MacColla air cladach Loch F矛ne, faisg air an Fh霉irneis. Tha sin deas air Inbhir Aora. An ath-sheachdain innsidh mi dhuibh mu a bheatha. Ach an-diugh, f脿gaidh mi sibh leis an rann mu dheireadh de dh鈥橣h貌ghnan na h-Alba. Seo a鈥� Bheurla an toiseach: My blessings be yours! Is there Scotsman ava, Wad stan鈥� by and see ony harm on ye fa鈥�? Is there gentle or semple what lives in our land, Wad refuse to drink a health to the thistle so grand?

The Thistle of Scotland is a famous plant of virtues, Neat plant of the prickly tufts which are provenly hard; A magnificent emblem of my beautiful beloved land, Often its fame kindled a bonfire in my cheek.

听听听听听听聽 Do you recognise that? Here is the version in Scottish English: the thistle o鈥� Scotland was famous of auld, Wi鈥� its toorie sae snod and its bristles sae bauld; 鈥橳is the badge o鈥� my country, it鈥檚 aye dear tae me; And the thocht o鈥� them baith brings the licht tae my ee.

听听听听听听聽 For a long time, I didn鈥檛 know it was a Gaelic song. But it is. The Gaelic came first. The English version was a translation. It鈥檚 the bard, Evan MacColl who wrote the song. He was from Argyll. He lived [was alive] in the 19th Century. Malcolm MacFar-lane made the translation into English.

听听听听听听聽 I鈥檝e seen [saw] two titles for the song 鈥� Thistle of Scotland and Emblem of Scotland. But what title did the author himself have? Well I found it recently. It was in the book Cl脿rsach nam Beann, that was published in 1836. And the song鈥檚 title was The Thistle 鈥� Emblem of Scotland. Both things are in the name!

听听听听听听聽 Evan MacColl was born and raised on the shore of Loch Fyne near Furnace. That鈥檚 south of Inverarary. Next week I鈥檒l tell you about his life. But today, I鈥檒l leave you with the final verse of Thistle of Scotland. Here is the English first: My blessings be yours! Is there Scotsman ava, Wad stan鈥� by and see ony harm on ye fa鈥�? Is there gentle or semple what lives in our land, Wad refuse to drink a health to the thistle so grand?