大象传媒

D猫 an t-貌ran G脿idhlig as fhe脿rr leibh? Am measg an fheadhainn as fhe脿rr leam fh矛n, tha am fear ainmeil a bhuineas do linn nan Seumasach, Mo R霉n Geal 脪g. Sin am fear a tha a鈥� t貌iseachadh, 鈥淥ch, a The脿rlaich 脪ig Sti霉bhairt, 鈥檚 e do ch霉is [a] rinn mo l猫ireadh鈥︹��

Saoilidh mi gu bheil an t-貌ran seo cho cumhachdach ri gin a chaidh a sgr矛obhadh a-riamh a chuireas an aghaidh cogadh. 鈥橲 e 貌ran-gaoil a th鈥� ann, oir tha am boireannach a sgr矛obh e a鈥� moladh b貌idhchead a c猫ile 鈥� agus mar a bhios i ga ionndrainn gu m貌r oir tha e a-nise marbh. Tha i ag r脿dh, 鈥淏u tu 鈥檓 fear m貌r bu mhath cumadh, od mhullach gud bhr貌gan, bha do shlios mar an eala, 鈥檚 blas na meal鈥� air do ph貌gan.鈥�

Ach ciamar a chuireas an t-貌ran an aghaidh cogadh? Uill, seo a鈥� chiad rann agus ch矛 sibh:

Och a The脿rlaich 脪ig Sti霉bhairt,

鈥橲 e do ch霉is rinn mo l猫ireadh,

Thug thu bhuam gach n矛 [a] bh鈥� agam

Ann an cogadh nad adhbhar;

Cha chrodh is cha chaoraich

Tha mi [a鈥橾 caoidh ach mo ch猫ile.

Ged a dh鈥檉h脿gte mi 鈥檓 aonar

Gun s矛on san t-saoghal ach l猫ine,

Mo r霉n geal 貌g.

鈥橲 d貌cha gur e an ceathramh loidhne as l脿idire a chuireas beachd a鈥� bhoireannaich an c猫ill. Ann an cogadh nad adhbhar. 鈥橲 ann airson The脿rlaich a bhathar a鈥� sabaid 鈥� chan ann airson math na coimhearsnachd no na daoine aca fh猫in. Tha fhios gu robh m貌ran de mhnathan na G脿idhealtachd dhen bheachd gu robh iad air a bhith na b鈥� fhe脿rr dheth mura robh Te脿rlach 脪g Sti霉bhart air nochdadh a-riamh air cladach na h-Alba.

鈥橲 i Cairist矛ona Fhearghasdan, no NicFhearghais, a sgr矛obh an t-貌ran. Bhuineadh i do Chunndainn ann an Siorrachd Rois. A r猫ir aithris, bha Cairist矛ona p貌sta aig fear Uilleam Siosalach 脿 Srath Ghlais. Is esan a bha a鈥� cumail bratach nan Siosalach aig Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair. Eadhon nuair a bha arm nan Seumasach air an ratreut, lean na Siosalaich orra, a鈥� sabaid. Mu dheireadh bha iad gan d矛on fh猫in ann an sabhal agus bha Uilleam aig an doras. Chum e a h-uile saighdear dearg aig an robh claidheamh a-mh脿in air falbh. 鈥橲 e duine calma a bh鈥� ann.

Ach fhuair buidheann de shaighdearan dearga air mullach an t-sabhail. Bha gunnaichean aca agus loisg iad air Uilleam. Fhuair e b脿s mu dheireadh, le seachd peilearan ann.

A r猫ir beul-aithris, chruthaich Cairist矛ona an t-貌ran nuair a bha i a鈥� leantainn ciste Uilleim aig a thiodhlacadh. Thathar ag r脿dh gun do bhuail i ruitheam an 貌rain le a l脿mhan air mullach na ciste. 鈥橲 d貌cha nach eil sin f矛or, agus tha ceistean ann fhathast mun 貌ran. Mar eisimpleir, tha e annasach gur e an t-Eilean Sgitheanach an t-aon 脿ite a th鈥� air ainmeachadh ann, seach Srath Ghlais no Siorrachd Rois 鈥︹�� 鈥橲 iomadh bean a bha br貌nach, eadar Trondairnis is Sl猫ite鈥︹��

Tha cuid ag r脿dh gun do theich Cairist矛ona gu c脿irdean anns an Eilean Sgitheanach an d猫idh Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair, agus gur e sin as coireach. Chan urrainn dhuinn a bhith cinnteach an e an fh矛rinn ghlan a th鈥� againn mu eachdraidh an 貌rain 鈥� ach faodaidh sin a r脿dh gur e 貌ran air leth a th鈥� ann ris am bu ch貌ir don a h-uile duine 猫isteachd mus beachdaich iad air an taic a thoirt do chogadh sam bith an l脿 an-diugh.

Faclan na seachdaine: Cairist矛ona NicFhearghais: Christina Fergusson; Cunndainn: Contin; biodagan: daggers; ce脿rdach: smithy; Siosalach: Chisholm; Srath Ghlais: Strathglass; ratreut: retreat; bratach: flag; d矛on: defend; sabhal: barn; peilearan: bullets; tiodhlacadh: funeral; Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair: Battle of Culloden.

Abairtean na seachdaine: d猫 an t-貌ran G脿idhlig as fhe脿rr leibh?: what Gaelic song do you like best?; a bhuineas do linn nan Seumasach: which belongs to the time of the Jacobites; Mo R霉n Geal 脪g: my fair young love; 鈥檚 e do ch霉is [a] rinn mo l猫ireadh: it is your cause that distressed me; cho cumhachdach ri gin: as powerful as any; a chuireas an aghaidh cogadh: which opposes war; b貌idhchead a c猫ile: her husband鈥檚 beauty; mar a bhios i ga ionndrainn gu m貌r: how she misses him greatly; bu tu 鈥檓 fear m貌r bu mhath cumadh: you were the [a] big man of good shape; od mhullach gud bhr貌gan: from your top to your shoes (mullach might originally have been muineal, neck); bha do shlios mar an eala: your side was like the swan; 鈥檚 blas na meal鈥� air do ph貌gan: the taste of honey on your kisses; thug thu bhuam gach n矛 [a] bh鈥� agam: you took from me everything I had; ann an cogadh nad adhbhar: in a war for your cause; cha chrodh is cha chaoraich [a] tha mi [a鈥橾 caoidh ach mo ch猫ile: it is not cattle and not sheep that I grieve but my husband (cha chrodh is an alternative to chan e crodh); gun s矛on san t-saoghal ach l猫ine: without anything in the world but a shirt; a chuireas beachd X an c猫ill: which expresses X鈥檚 opinion; mura robh X air nochdadh a-riamh: if X had never appeared: bha a h-athair na ghobha: her father was a blacksmith; aig an robh claidheamh a-mh脿in: who had only a sword; gun do bhuail i ruitheam an 貌rain air mullach na ciste: that she hit the rhythm of the song on the top of the coffin; 鈥檚 iomadh bean a bha br貌nach, eadar Tr貌ndairnis is Sl猫ite: many a wife was sad, between Trotternish and Sleat.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Ged a dh鈥檉h脿gte mi 鈥檓 aonar: literally this is 鈥渢hough I would be left on my own (nam aonar)鈥�. This may be a corruption of ged a dh鈥檉h脿gadh mi (though I was left). Both of these are passive forms of the verb f脿g, f脿gail. Another version of the song gives 鈥渙n l脿 a dh鈥檉h脿g e mi 鈥檓 aonar鈥� in which the verb is active, rather than passive, and refers to her dead husband (鈥渇rom the day he left me alone鈥�).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Chan urrainn dhuinn a bhith cinnteach an e an fh矛rinn ghlan a th鈥� againn: we can鈥檛 be sure that it is the full truth we have. An fh矛rinn ghlan: the complete truth.