大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun bh脿rd Ailean D貌mhnallach, Ailean an Rids, 脿 M脿bu ann an Ceap Breatainn. Bha e be貌 eadar seachd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a ceithir (1794) agus ochd ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a h-ochd (1868). Sgr矛obh Oighrig NicFhraing leabhar gu math inntinneach mu dheidhinn.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha Ailean na Abrach, agus bha e dl霉th ri a dh霉thchas agus ris na daoine dham buineadh e. Ach cha robh cianalas airson na seann d霉thcha a鈥� tighinn a-steach don bh脿rdachd aige. Bha c霉isean truagh do na daoine cumanta ann an Alba. Bha Ailean dhen bheachd gun robh e na b鈥� fhe脿rr dheth far an robh e.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ch矛 sinn na beachdan aige gu l脿idir anns an d脿n Moladh Albainn Nuaidh. Sgr矛obh e an d脿n seo mar fhreagairt do bh脿rd eile a bh鈥� air a bhith a鈥� moladh na seann d霉thcha.

Chuir thu b貌ilich s矛os is b貌sd

Air c霉isean m貌r nad rann,

Searbh a鈥� ghl貌ir leam cainnt do bhe貌il

Oir bha mi e貌lach thall:

An Albainn fhuar, ge fada bhuam i

Suarach leam an call,

B鈥� e f脿th an gruaim an c脿ramh cruaidh

Bh鈥� air truaghain bhochd鈥� a bh鈥� ann.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

听听听听听听听听听听听 Carson a bha e cho trom air Alba? Bha a chionn 鈥檚 gun robh na h-uaislean 鈥� na h-uachdarain 鈥� cho an-iochdmhor. Bha na G脿idheil air smachd air an d霉thaich 鈥� agus air an d霉thchas 鈥� a chall.

鈥橲 i 鈥檔 t矛r a dh鈥檉h脿g thu 鈥檔 t矛r gun ch脿irdeas

T矛r gun bh脿igh ri Tuath,

Ach gu t霉rsach iad ga f脿gail

鈥橲 脿nraidh thar a鈥� chuain:

Daoine bochda, s矛ol nan coitear

Bha gun stoc gun bhuar,

鈥橲 mairg a ch脿in iad t矛r an 脿igh

San d鈥� fh脿s iad nan daoine uaisl鈥�.

听

听听听听听听听听听 Ch矛 sinn taobh eile dhen bh脿rd anns na d脿in aige mu dheidhinn deoch l脿idir. B鈥� e seo cuspair a bha cumanta gu le貌r am measg nam b脿rd G脿idhealach. Dh鈥檉h脿g Ailean a dhachaigh air an Rids ann am M脿bu ann an ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a seachd (1847). Chaidh e a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Antigonish air t矛r-m貌r na h-Alba Nuaidh 鈥� 脿ite a bha fhathast gu math G脿idhealach. Ach bha an Eaglais Chaitligeach air a dhol an aghaidh deoch l脿idir an sin. Agus cha robh Ailean cho toilichte. Ann an ochd ceud deug, caogad s a ceithir (1854), sgr矛obh e 脪ran dhan Deoch. Seo criomag dheth:

Ge fada na mo th脿mh mi

Tha 鈥檔 d脿mhair dhomh d霉sgadh

Cia f脿th ma 鈥檔 thriall mo mh脿nran

鈥橲 gum b鈥� 脿bhaist dhomh s霉gradh?

鈥橲 e 鈥檔 lagh a rinn am P脿pa

Thug m鈥� 脿bhachd gu t霉rsa

鈥橲 a tharraing mi gu smuairein

Bhon dh鈥� fhuadaich e 鈥檔 dr霉dhag.

听

Agus tha am b脿rd ag r脿dh:

Ach toirmeasg ort, a Bh脿ccuis

Rinn m鈥� fh脿ilinn 鈥檚 bu mh貌r i

Nuair fhuair thu 鈥檔 l霉ib do ghr脿idh mi

Le d鈥� 脿mhailtean g貌rach...

听

听听听听听听听听听 Tha Ailean a鈥� st猫idheachadh an d脿rna rainn mu dheireadh air d脿n a tha ainmeil ann am b脿rdachd na G脿idhlig. An aithnich sibh fh猫in am b脿rd?

听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 truagh nach d鈥� rugadh dall mi

Gun chainnt no gun l猫irsinn

Mu 鈥檓 facas riamh an dram sin

Rinn aimhleas nan ceudan:

Nuair bhuaileas e sa cheann m矛

Gun teann e ris fh猫in mi

鈥橲 chan fhasa leam na 鈥檓 b脿s

A bhith l脿thair 脿s eugmhais.

听

Seadh, c貌 bh鈥� ann ach Uilleam Ros a bha cho math air b脿rdachd gaoil. Aon bh脿rd a鈥� toirt urram, tha mi an d霉il, don fhear eile.

惭脿产耻: Mabou; Oighrig NicFhraing: Effie Rankin; cianalas: homesickness; uaislean: gentry; uachdarain: landlords; an-iochdmhor: unmerciful; 脿苍谤补颈诲丑: distress.

Bha Ailean na Abrach: Allan was a Lochaber man; gun robh e na b鈥� fhe脿rr dheth far an robh e: that he was better off where he was; chuir thu b貌ilich s矛os is b貌sd air c霉isean m貌r nad rann: you boasted loudly of great subjects in your verse; searbh a鈥� ghl貌ir leam cainnt do bhe貌il oir bha mi e貌lach thall: your language is offensive to me for I was well acquainted yonder; an Albainn fhuar, ge fada bhuam i, suarach leam an call: in cold Scotland, thought it be far from me, it is no great loss; b鈥� e f脿th an gruaim an c脿ramh cruaidh [a] bh鈥� air truaghain bhochd鈥� a bh鈥� ann: the gloom of the poor folk was caused by the harsh conditions; gun bh脿igh ri tuath: without compassion for tenants; s矛ol nan coitear: the offspring of the cottars; gun stoc gun bhuar: without stock or cattle; 鈥檚 mairg a ch脿in iad t矛r an 脿igh: it鈥檚 woeful they condemned the land of fortune; ge fada na mo th脿mh mi, tha 鈥檔 d脿mhair dhomh d霉sgadh: though I have long been at rest, it is time I awoke; cia f脿th ma 鈥檔 thriall mo mh脿nran 鈥檚 gum b鈥� 脿bhaist dhomh s霉gradh?: why has my tunefulness forsaken me and how I used to make merry?; [a] thug m鈥� 脿bhachd gu t霉rsa: [which] changed my merriment to sadness; bhon dh鈥� fhuadaich e 鈥檔 dr霉dhag: since he banished the drink; nuair fhuair thu 鈥檔 l霉ib do ghr脿idh mi le d鈥� 脿mhailtean g貌rach: since you ensnared me in your love with your foolish tricks; mu 鈥檓 facas riamh an dram sin: before that dram was ever seen; 鈥檚 chan fhasa leam na 鈥檓 b脿s a bhith l脿thair 脿s eugmhais: I would as soon die as be without it.

San d鈥� fh脿s iad nan daoine uaisl鈥�: in which they became gentlemen. As a Gaelic learner you might have expected san do dh鈥檉h脿s iad 鈥� rather than san d鈥� fh脿s iad鈥�. as that is the 鈥榮tandard鈥� which is usually taught in Gaelic courses. However, note that locally, particularly in mainland dialects, you will sometimes hear an d鈥� rather than an do dh鈥� for the past tense form of a verb that starts with a vowel or an 鈥榝鈥� followed by a vowel eg an d鈥� fhuirich ann? 鈥榙id you stay there鈥�?

toirmeasg ort: confound you (lit. ban you).

听

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