大象传媒

Ann an naoi-deug 鈥檚 a seachd (1907), chruinnich Mairsili Cheanadach-Fhriseal grunn 貌ran ann am b霉th Mh矛cheil MhicN矛ll air cidhe Bhagh a鈥� Chaisteil ann am Barraigh. Am measg sin, bha 鈥楲atha dhomh am Beinn a鈥� Cheathaich鈥� air an do chuir i an t-ainm 鈥楰ishmul鈥檚 Galley鈥�. Fhuair i am fonn an uair sin co-dhi霉. 鈥橲 ann sa bhliadhna as d猫idh sin, nuair a thill i a Bharraigh, a fhuair i na faclan bho Anna NicIain, tidsear anns an eilean.

Bha e follaiseach dhi, ge-t脿, nan robh i a鈥� dol a leantainn le bhith a鈥� cruinneachadh 貌rain Gh脿idhlig, gum biodh cruaidh fheum aice air neach-deasachaidh. Mhol an t-Ollamh MacFhiongain, Proifeasair na Ceiltis ann an Oilthigh Dh霉n Eideann, an t-Urramach Coinneach MacLe貌id, a rugadh is a thogadh ann an Eige, dhi, agus dh鈥檃ontaich Mgr MacLe貌id a cuideachadh.

Th貌isich iad ann an naoi deug 鈥檚 a h-ochd (1908) nuair a chuir Marsaili faclan ga ionnsaigh a chruinnich i aig a鈥� ch猫ilidh ann am B脿gh a鈥� Chaisteil. Bha Mgr MacLe貌id gu math e貌lach air a鈥� ch脿nan agus air a鈥� chultar bho l脿ithean 貌ige ann an Eige. Bha st貌ras iongantach de bheul-aithris aig piuthar athar, Se貌naid NicLe貌id, 脿s an Eilean Sgitheanach. Agus 鈥檚 ann airsan a bha an t-uallach d猫anamh cinnteach gu robh na faclan ceart.

Ach rinn e fad a bharrachd na sin. Bhiodh e a鈥� sgr矛obhadh 貌rain, no p脿irtean de dh鈥櫭瞨ain. Bhiodh e ag eadar-theangachadh 貌rain eileanach bho Gh脿idhlig gu Beurla, ged is i Marsaili a chuireadh an dreach mu dheireadh orra. Chuir iad ri ch猫ile cruinneachadh m貌r de a leithid 鈥淪ea Sorrow鈥�, 鈥淗eartling of my Heart鈥�, 鈥淭he Birlinn of the White Shoulders鈥� agus 鈥淭he Harris Love Lament鈥�. Uaireannan bhiodh an t-eadar-theangachadh gu math faisg air na bh鈥� ann bho th霉s. Uaireannan cha bhiodh iad coltach ri ch猫ile idir.

Agus thachair eadar-theangachadh air an rathad eile cuideachd. Mar eisimpleir, chuala Marsaili 貌ran aig seann bhoireannach ann am Beinn a鈥� Bhaoghla. Faisg air an taigh aice, air a鈥� mhachair, th貌isich triall bainnse l脿 eile, agus th脿inig fonn an 貌rain air ais do Mharsaili. Sgr矛obh i faclan Beurla as 霉r dha, mu dheidhinn na chunnaic i 鈥� agus chuir i an tiotal air 鈥淏enbecula Bridal鈥�. 鈥橲 ann as d猫idh sin, a chruthaich Coinneach MacLe貌id 貌ran, leis an aon fhonn, agus air an dearbh chuspair 鈥� 鈥淎n Triall Bainnse鈥�.

鈥橲 d貌cha gur e an t-貌ran as ainmeile a rinn Coinneach MacLe貌id 鈥� 鈥淩oad to the Isles鈥�. Bha e fh猫in is Marsaili anns an taigh aice ann an naoi deug 鈥檚 a c貌ig-deug (1915) turas, cuide ri Calum MacIain 脿 Barraigh. Chluich Calum port dhaibh air fheadan 鈥� a bha e air ionnsachadh bho che脿rd anns an eilean aige. Dh鈥� iarr Marsaili air a鈥� mhinistear faclan a chur ris airson nam balach Albannach a bha a鈥� sabaid anns an Fhraing agus nochd 鈥淩oad to the Isles鈥� goirid as d猫idh sin.

Ged a dh鈥檕braich iad gu dl霉th ri ch猫ile air t矛r-m貌r, far an robh Mgr MacLe貌id na mhinistear mus robh e ann an Giogha, chaidh faisg air fichead bliadhna seachad mus deach iad a-mach gu na h-Eileanan Siar c貌mhla. Cha robh an uair sin ach tr矛 bliadhna air fh脿gail aig Marsaili, oir chaochail i ann an naoi-deug is deich ar fhichead (1930).

A鈥� coimhead air ais air a beatha an-diugh, faodaidh sinn faighneachd - d猫 an rud a bu luachmhoir鈥� a rinn i 鈥� na h-貌rain a dh鈥檃th-chruthaich i fh猫in is Coinneach MacLe貌id, na cl脿ran de mhuinntir nan eilean a鈥� seinn, a chaidh a ghl猫idheadh le Sgoil E貌lais na h-Alba, no an t-sanasachd a rinn i don t-saoghal mh貌r de chultar na Gaidhealtachd? Bidh a bheachd fh猫in aig gach Gaidheal air a sin.

Faclan na seachdaine: Anna NicIain: Annie Johnson; Beinn a鈥� Bhaoghla: Benbecula; Giogha: (the Isle of) Gigha; chaochail i: she died; a dh鈥檃th-chruthaich i: which she recreated; Sgoil E貌lais na h-Alba: The School of Scottish Studies; an t-sanasachd: the advertising.

Abairtean na seachdaine: chruinnich X grunn 貌ran: X collected a few songs; fhuair i am fonn an uair sin co-dhi霉: she got the tune then, at least; gum biodh cruaidh fheum aice air fear-deasachaidh: that she would have great need of an editor; Proifeasair na Ceiltis: the Professor of Celtic; dh鈥檃ontaich Mgr MacLe貌id a cuideachadh: Mr MacLeod agreed to help her; nuair a chuir X faclan ga ionnsaigh: when X sent him words; bho l脿ithean 貌ige: from the days of his youth; bha st貌ras iongantach de bheul-aithris aig piuthar athar: his father鈥檚 sister had an amazing store of oral tradition; bhiodh e ag eadar-theangachadh 貌rain eileanach: he would translate island songs; a chuireadh an dreach mu dheireadh orra: who would finalise them; mu dheidhinn na chunnaic i: about what she saw; leis an aon fhonn: with the same tune; agus air an dearbh chuspair: and on the same topic; ged a dh鈥檕braich iad gu dl霉th ri ch猫ile: although they worked closely together; a鈥� coimhead air ais air a beatha: looking back on her life; faodaidh sinn faighneachd: we may ask; d猫 an rud a bu luachmhoir a rinn i: what is the most valuable thing she did; bidh a bheachd fh猫in aig gach Gaidheal air a sin: each Gael will have his own opinion on that.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Chluich Calum port dhaibh air fheadan: Calum played them a tune on his chanter. If you had heard this in conversation would you have been puzzled by fheadan which sounds like 鈥淓T-un鈥�? You might not have realised it was a word beginning with 鈥渇鈥� followed by a vowel, which goes silent after lenition. The lenition is caused by the masculine possessive adjective 鈥渁鈥� which effectively disappears (except for the lenition) when the noun begins with a vowel or silent consonant. So feadan, a chanter, or am feadan, the chanter, becomes fheadan, his chanter (or a feadan, her chanter). This is a relatively common situation which is easily picked up in the written form of the language but not so easily in conversation. Here are some other examples where the 鈥渇鈥� sound disappears under lenition in the same circumstance: chaill e fhradharc (he lost his sight); chuir e fh脿inne air a鈥� bh貌rd (he put his ring on the table); dh鈥檉h脿g e fhaclair air a鈥� bhus (he left his dictionary on the bus).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: (Dh鈥檌arr Marsaili air a鈥� mhinistear) faclan a chur ris: (Marjory asked the minister) to put words to it.