大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun bheul-aithris co-cheangailte ris a鈥� bh脿rd ainmeil, Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair 鈥� gur e ceud-chasach a thug air an d脿n ainmeil Birlinn Chlann Raghnaill a sgr矛obhadh. Bha e fo shlige b脿ta a bha bun-os-cionn ann an Canaigh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nuair a chuala mi an st貌iridh sin, bha mi a鈥� faireachdainn na bu thoilichte mun togalach ann an D霉n 脠ideann far a bheil P脿rlamaid na h-Alba st猫idhichte. 鈥橲 e an t-ailtire Catalan, Enric Miralles nach maireann, a chruthaich am plana airson togalach na p脿rlamaid.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 iomadh rud a thug buaidh air Miralles nuair a th脿inig e gu dealbhadh an togalaich 鈥� Suidhe Artair, a tha faisg air l脿imh, mar eisimpleir, agus beanntan garbha na h-Alba. Cuideachd, rudan mar 鈥楢m Ministear a鈥� Sp猫ileadh鈥�, an dealbh ainmeil le Henry Raeburn, a th鈥� air a riochdachadh anns na pannalan ri taobh nan uinneagan. Agus na b脿taichean bun-os-cionn a chithear air Eilean Lindisfarne. Tha iadsan air an riochdachadh ann am mullach p脿irt dhen togalach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Mmm. Bha sin riamh car annasach dhomh. Bha Miralles ag r脿dh gum biodh an togalach a鈥� riochdachadh f猫in-aithne muinntir na h-Alba, agus aiseirigh phoilitigeach na d霉thcha. Ach, aig an dearbh 脿m, thagh e 矛omhaigh a bhuineadh do Shasainn, seach Alba.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ceart gu le貌r, bha ceanglaichean l脿idir ann uaireigin eadar Lindisfarne agus an Eaglais Cheilteach ann an Alba, gu s貌nraichte Eilean 脤. Ach nach robh gu le貌r de rudan ann an Alba fh猫in a dh鈥檕braicheadh air inntinn an ailtire, gun a bhith a鈥� dol a Shasainn airson 矛omhaigh nan eathraichean bun-os-cionn, br猫agha 鈥檚 ged a tha iad?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach, 脿s d猫idh dhomh an st貌iridh mu Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair a chluinntinn, bha mi a鈥� faireachdainn na bu chofhurtaile leis an 矛omhaigh sin. Gu dearbh, tha 矛omhaigh 霉r agam a-nise nam cheann co-cheangailte ri togalach na p脿rlamaid. Fon mhullach sin, a tha a鈥� coimhead coltach ri slige eathair, tha sinne an-diugh mar a bha Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair an uair sin. Tha sinn a鈥� l矛onadh ar n-inntinn le smuaintean cruthachail, d矛reach mar a bha am b脿rd nuair a th貌isich e air Birlinn Chlann Raghnaill a sgr矛obhadh. Smuaintean G脿idhealach, gu dearbh! Tha mi an d貌chas gun obraich sin gu maith buill na p脿rlamaid!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus chan e d脿n sam bith a chruthaich am b脿rd fon bh脿ta, ach Birlinn Chlann Raghnaill 鈥� m貌r-sgeul filidheach a tha a鈥� riochdachadh, a r猫ir cuid, na str矛 aig na G脿idheil anns an ochdamh linn deug airson an neart is cumhachd fhaighinn air ais. An ann air fear-sti霉iridh birlinn a-mh脿in a bha Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair a-mach anns na rainn seo, no a bheil e a鈥� me貌rachadh air a鈥� cheannas a tha a dh矛th air Alba, agus spiorad ar-a-mach nan Seumasach a鈥� s矛or lagachadh ann an cuimhne an t-sluaigh?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Suidheadh air sti霉ir trom-laoch leathann, neartmhor fuasgailt鈥�, nach tilg bun no b脿rr na s霉maid fairge bhuaithe. Cl脿ranach taiceil, l脿n spionnaidh, plocach, m脿sach, m矛n-bheumanach, faicleach, furachail, l脿n n脿istinn. Bunnsaidh, cudromach, garbh, socair, solta, l霉thmhor, eirmseach, foighidneach, gun ghr矛obhag ri uchd t霉ilinn.

听听听听听听听听听听听 A bheil gin de ar ceannardan poilitigeach ann am P脿rlamaid na h-Alba a鈥� freagradh nam faclan sin?! Tha Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair cuideachd a鈥� d猫anamh soilleir gur e an sgioba, ag obair c貌mhla, a thug an soitheach gu s脿bhailteachd. Co-obrachadh. 鈥橲 d貌cha gur e sin deagh 矛omhaigh a bhith ann an sealladh luchd-poilitigs na h-Alba nuair a tha iad fo mhullach nan sligean eathair.

gur e ceud-chasach a thug air an d脿n ainmeil X a sgr矛obhadh: that it was a centipede that inspired him to write the famous poem X; fo shlige b脿ta a bha bun-os-cionn听 ann an Canaigh: under the hull of an upturned boat on Canna; bha mi a鈥� faireachdainn na bu thoilichte: I was feeling happier; nuair a th脿inig e gu dealbhadh an togalaich: when it came to the building鈥檚 design; a th鈥� air a riochdachadh anns na pannalan: that is represented in the panels; aiseirigh phoilitigeach na d霉thcha: the country鈥檚 political re-awakening; thagh e 矛omhaigh a bhuineadh do Shasainn: he chose an image that belonged to England; a dh鈥檕braicheadh air inntinn an ailtire: that would work on the architect鈥檚 mind; a鈥� l矛onadh ar n-inntinn le smuaintean cruthachail: filling our mind[s] with creative thoughts; gu maith buill na p脿rlamaid: to the benefit of the members of parliament; m貌r-sgeul filidheach: a poetic epic; a鈥� me貌rachadh air a鈥� cheannas a tha a dh矛th air Alba: considering the leadership that Scotland needs; agus spiorad ar-a-mach nan Seumasach a鈥� s矛or lagachadh ann an cuimhne an t-sluaigh: with the spirit of the Jacobite rebellion steadily weakening in the public memory; suidheadh air sti霉ir trom-laoch leathann, neartmhor fuasgailt鈥�: at the helm there is a stout, serious, powerful and unconstrained warrior; nach tilg bun no b脿rr na s霉maid fairge bhuaithe: who will not be thrown by the crests and troughs of the ocean鈥檚 billows; cl脿ranach taiceil, l脿n spionnaidh, plocach, m脿sach, m矛n-bheumanach, faicleach, furachail, l脿n n脿istinn: a supportive boatman, full of energy, sturdy, broad-hipped, truly destructive, careful, watchful, full of vigilance; bunnsaidh, cudromach, garbh, socair, solta, l霉thmhor, eirmseach, foighidneach: firm, serious, rugged, steady, jocose, vigorous, expert, patient; gun ghr矛obhag ri uchd t霉ilinn: without timidity to the breast of a stormy sea.

Do you feel a bit daunted about reading Birlinn Chlann Raghnaill (Clan Ranald鈥檚 Galley) in the original Gaelic? Don鈥檛 be. It鈥檚 available on the internet free of charge, with English translation, at www.moidart.org.uk/datasets/gbarramcma/gordon%20ama%20part%202.pdf. I鈥檇 recommend you at least have a look at it, and you鈥檒l see what an epic work it truly is, building imagery based around Gaelic tradition and perhaps carrying allusions to the past greatness of Clanranald and the Gaels (and the hope that their day will come again鈥�)

br猫agha 鈥檚 ged a tha iad: although they are beautiful.

听

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