大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu sheanfhacal G脿idhlig anns an leabhar aig T貌mas Garnett: Is mairg a loisgeadh a thiompan ris. Pity the man who鈥檇 burn his harp for him. Tha an aon seanfhacal aig Alasdair MacNeacail anns a鈥� chruinneachadh aigesan 鈥� Is mairg a loisgeadh a thiompan dhut 鈥� pity him who would burn his harp for you.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tha an seanfhacal st猫idhichte air seann sgeulachd. Seo mar a dh鈥檃ithris T貌mas Garnett i: O chionn fhada, bha cl脿rsair ann am Muile. Bha e p貌sta aig boireannach br猫agha. Bha gaol m貌r aige oirre. Bha cl脿rsach pr矛seil aig a鈥� chl脿rsair. Bha an cl脿rsair moiteil 脿s a鈥� chl脿rsaich. Bha e a鈥� toirt na cl脿rsaich leis fad na h-霉ine.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Chaidh an cl脿rsair 鈥檚 a bhean a ch猫ilidh air caraid a bha tinn. Bha an caraid a鈥� fuireach air taobh thall an eilein. Bha droch sh矛de ann. Bha iad air bealach 脿rd. Dh鈥檉h脿s a鈥� bhean lag leis an fhuachd. Bha i ann an cunnart b脿sachadh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Lorg an cl脿rsair fraoch tioram. Rinn e teine. Airson teas a chumail ri a bhean, bhris e a chl脿rsach ann an sgealban. Chuir e na sgealban air an teine.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Chunnaic fear eile an toit. 鈥橲 e duine-uasal a bha ann. Bha biadh agus deoch aige. Thug e biadh is deoch don bhoireannach. Rinn e c貌mhradh leis a鈥� bhoireannach. Bha iad e貌lach air a ch猫ile nuair a bha iad 貌g, ann an eilean eile. Bha iad ann an gaol le ch猫ile an uair sin.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Chaidh lasair a chur ris a鈥� chl脿rsaich. Agus chaidh lasair a chur ris an t-seann ghaol. Chuir an duine-uasal roimhe bean a鈥� chl脿rsair a thoirt air falbh leis gu eilean eile. Choisich an tri霉ir c貌mhla. Ann an cagair, dh鈥檌nns an duine-uasal a phlana do bhean a鈥� chl脿rsair. Bha ise fhathast ann an gaol leis. Dh鈥檃ontaich i le a phlana.

I was telling you about a Gaelic proverb in the book by Thomas Garnett: Is mairg a loisgeadh a thiompan ris. Pity the man who鈥檇 burn his harp for him. Alexander Nicolson has the same proverb in his collection 鈥� Is mairg a loisgeadh a thiompan dhut 鈥� pity him who would burn his harp for you.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The proverb is based on an old story. Here鈥檚 how Thomas Garnett reported it: A long time ago, there was a harper in Mull. He was married to a beautiful woman. He was very much in love with her. The harper had a valuable harp. The harper was proud of the harp. He took the harp with him all the time.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The harper and his wife went to visit a relative who was sick. Their relative lived on the other side of the island. There was bad weather. They were on a high pass. The wife grew weak with the cold. She was in danger of dying.

聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽The harper found dry heather. He made a fire. To keep his wife warm, he broke his harp into fragments. He put the fragments on the fire.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Another man saw the smoke. He was a gentleman. He had food and drink. He gave food and drink to the woman. He made conversation with the woman. They knew each other when they were young, on another island. They were in love with each other then.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A flame was put to the harp. And a flame was put to the old love. The gentleman decided to take the harper鈥檚 wife away with him to another island. The three of them walked together. In a whisper, the gentleman told the harper鈥檚 wife his plan. She was still in love with him. She agreed with his plan.