大象传媒

Nuair a bha mi ann an Alba Nuaidh o chionn ghoirid, thachair mi ri Oighrig NicFhraing. Tha i 脿 Alba bho th霉s ach tha i air a bhith a鈥� fuireach ann an Alba Nuaidh fad 霉ine mh貌r. Tha i am measg gaisgich is bana-ghaisgich na G脿idhlig a tha a鈥� fuireach ann an M脿bu (agus cha bheag iad). Bha mi gu math toilichte coinneachadh rithe. Thug i lethbhreac dhomh dhen leabhar ghrinn aice 脌s a鈥� Bhr脿ighe. Mo bheannachd oirre.

Tha an leabhar mu dheidhinn fear a bha na bh脿rd ann an Alba Nuaidh anns an naoidheamh linn deug. B鈥� esan Ailean D貌mhnallach no Ailean an Rids mar a b鈥� fhe脿rr a dh鈥檃ithnicheadh e. Tha Ailean na dheagh eisimpleir de bheartas na G脿idhlig ann an Alba Nuaidh agus bu mhath leam rudeigin innse dhuibh mu dheidhinn.

Rugadh e ann an Allt an t-Srathain ann am Br脿igh Loch Abar ann an seachd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a ceithir (1794). B鈥� e a shloinneadh Ailean mac Alasdair 鈥檌c Aonghais 鈥檌c Alasdair Bh脿in agus bhuineadh e do Dh貌mhnallaich Bhoth Fhionndain. Bha athair Ailein, Alasdair Ruadh, na bh脿rd cuideachd, a r猫ir choltais. Bha e cuideachd na dhr貌bhair. Tha e coltach gun d鈥� fhuair Ailean sgoil mhath ann an G脿idhlig is Beurla, ged a tha d霉il gur ann san taigh-ch猫ilidh, seach san sgoil, a dh鈥檌onnsaich e t貌rr dhen Gh脿idhlig aige. Agus 鈥檚 ann san taigh-ch猫ilidh a dh鈥檌onnsaich e mu dhualchas Loch Abar agus na G脿idhealtachd.

Bha c霉isean a鈥� f脿s doirbh do Dh貌mhnallaich Bhoth Fhionndain aig toiseach an naoidheamh linn deug. Ann an ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 sia-deug (1816), she貌l an teaghlach gu ruige Alba Nuadh. R脿inig iad t矛r ann am Pictou, far an robh iomadach G脿idheal air a dhol romhpa. Ach cha robh iad an sin fada. Ch霉m iad a dol gu ruige M脿bu ann an Eilean Cheap Bhreatainn, far an d鈥� fhuair iad fearann air druim no 鈥榬ids鈥�. 鈥橲 ann an uair sin a fhuair iad am far-ainm Rids.

Ann am M脿bu bha iad am measg Gh脿idheal Caitligeach, m貌ran aca 脿 Loch Abar. An coimeas ri m貌ran de na co-chreutairean aca ann an Ameireagaidh a Tuath, cha robh iad aonarach. Bha G脿idhlig aig an n脿baidhean. Dh鈥櫭╥rich coimhearsnachd a bha gu bhith cha mh貌r cho G脿idhealach ri gin anns an t-seann d霉thaich. Tha G脿idhlig air a bruidhinn ann am M脿bu chun an latha an-diugh.

Tha Oighrig a鈥� d猫anamh coimeas eadar b脿rdachd Ailein agus a鈥� bh脿rdachd aig a鈥� Bh脿rd MacIlleathain a bha a鈥� fuireach air t矛r-m貌r na h-Alba Nuaidhe ann an suidheachadh aonaranach. Anns an d脿n 鈥楢鈥� Choille Ghruamach鈥�, sgr矛obh e:

Mun d猫an mi 脿iteach, 鈥檚 mun tog mi b脿rr ann

鈥橲 a鈥� choille gh脿bhaidh chur 脿s a bonn

Le neart mo gh脿irdean, gum bi mi s脿raicht鈥�

Is treis air f脿ilinn mu 鈥檓 f脿s a鈥� chlann.

Tha a鈥� bh脿rdachd aig Ailean an Rids a鈥� sealltainn beachd gu math eadar-dhealaichte. Bha e gu m貌r a鈥� moladh na d霉thcha 霉r anns an d鈥� fhuair e fh猫in is m貌ran Gh脿idheal eile comraich.

Nis o 鈥檔 th脿inig thu thar s脿ile

Chum an 脿ite ghrinn,

Cha bhi f脿ilinn ort ri d鈥� latha

鈥橲 gach aon n矛 f脿s dhuinn fh矛n:

Gheibh thu mil air bh脿rr nan lusan

Si霉car agus t矛,

鈥橲 fhe脿rr dhut siud na 鈥檔 t矛r a dh鈥檉h脿g thu

Aig a鈥� ghr脿isg na fr矛th.

Bheir sinn s霉il a bharrachd air Ailean an Rids, agus a chuid b脿rdachd, an-ath-sheachdain.

tha i air a bhith a鈥� fuireach ann an Alba Nuaidh fad 霉ine mh貌r: she鈥檚 been living in Nova Scotia for a long time; a tha a鈥� fuireach ann an M脿bu (agus cha bheag iad): who live in Mabou (and they are not scarce); thug i lethbhreac dhomh dhen leabhar ghrinn aice: she gave me a copy of her fine book; fear a bha na bh脿rd: a man who was a bard; ged a tha d霉il gur ann san taigh-ch猫ilidh, seach san sgoil, a dh鈥檌onnsaich e t貌rr: although it鈥檚 thought it was in the ceilidh-house, rather than at school, that he learned a lot; far an robh iomadach G脿idheal air a dhol romhpa: where many Gaels had gone before them; far an d鈥� fhuair iad fearann: where they got land; am measg Gh脿idheal Caitligeach: among Catholic Gaels; an coimeas ri m貌ran de na co-chreutairean aca: compared to many of their fellows; ri gin anns an t-seann d霉thaich: as any in the old country; mun d猫an mi 脿iteach, 鈥檚 mun tog mi b脿rr ann: before I cultivate the land and raise a crop; 鈥檚 a鈥� choille gh脿bhaidh chur 脿s a bonn: and clear the awful forest; is treis air f脿ilinn mu 鈥檓 f脿s a鈥� chlann: and (my) strength will fail before my children have grown; o 鈥檔 th脿inig thu thar s脿ile: since you came across the sea; chum an 脿ite ghrinn: to the fine place; gach aon n矛 f脿s dhuinn fh矛n: everything growing for us; gheibh thu mil air bh脿rr nan lusan: you鈥檒l get honey from the flowers; 鈥檚 fhe脿rr dhut siud na 鈥檔 t矛r a dh鈥檉h脿g thu: that鈥檚 better for you than the land you left; aig a鈥� ghr脿isg na fr矛th: to the rabble as a deer forest .

There is evident disagreement on the Gaelic original for Bohuntin. I have followed Iain Taylor鈥檚 Both Fhionndain 鈥楩intan鈥檚 Hut鈥� possibly referring to a saint, as this is relatively close to Ailean the Ridge鈥檚 own interpretation of Both-fhiunntain). However Watson gives Both Chunndainn 鈥楤ooth of the Confluence鈥�.听

mar a b鈥� fhe脿rr a dh鈥檃ithnicheadh e: as he was best known (recognised).

听

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