大象传媒

Rugadh Marsaili Cheanadach-Fhriseal, Marsaili nan 脪ran, ann an ochd-deug, caogad 鈥檚 a seachd (1857), mar Mharsaili Cheanadach, nighean don t-seinneadair ainmeil, Daibhidh Ceanadach. Bhuineadh sinnsearan nan Ceanadach do Ghaidhealtachd Siorrachd Pheairt, ach ghluais iad gu baile Pheairt far an do thogadh Daibhidh. Nuair a bha c貌ignear cloinne aig Daibhidh agus an d脿rna bean aige, Ealasaid Fhriseal, ghluais an teaghlach a Dh霉n Eideann, far an do chuir Daibhidh an gn矛omh an d貌chas a bh鈥� air a bhith aige bho bha e 貌g 鈥� a bhith-be貌 a dh猫anamh le bhith a鈥� seinn agus a鈥� teagasg seinn.

Airson tr矛 bliadhna, fhad 鈥檚 a bha Marsaili na p脿iste, bha iad a鈥� fuireach ann an Lunnainn, far an do choisinn Daibhidh cli霉 dha fh猫in mar sheinneadair. Cha robh G脿idhlig aige, ach bha e measail air 貌rain Albannach anns a鈥� Bheurla, agus chuir e roimhe dhol air adhart le bhith a鈥� seinn, gu proifeasanta, 貌rain Albannach a-mh脿in. Bha e ag amas air 霉ine mh貌r a chur seachad thall thairis, am measg sliochd nan Albannach, agus a鈥� seinn dhaibh.

Fhad 鈥檚 a bha a p脿rantan ann am Aimeireagaidh a Tuath 鈥� airson m矛osan 鈥� dh鈥檉huirich Marsaili agus tri霉ir pheathraichean aice c貌mhla ri an seanmhair ann am Peairt. An uair sin, chaidh iad a Dh霉n Eideann far an do dh鈥檌onnsaich Marsaili ce貌l, an toiseach air a鈥� phi脿na. Dh鈥檉h脿s i sgileil gu le貌r airson am pi脿na a chluich fhad 鈥檚 a bhiodh a h-athair a鈥� seinn, agus chaidh iad air chuairt c貌mhla gu ruige Sealtainn, Arcaibh, Gallaibh, Inbhir Pheofharain agus Inbhir Nis.

Nuair a bha iad ann an Siorrachd Rois, chaidh iad gu seirbheis eaglais a bh鈥� air a cumail a-muigh ann an slag gu tuath air Inbhir Pheofharain. Bha na ceudan anns a鈥� choitheanal, agus bha an t-seirbheis ann an G脿idhlig. Cha robh Marsaili ach tr矛 bliadhna deug a dh鈥檃ois. Rachadh c貌rr is trithead bliadhna seachad mus t貌iseachadh i air an obair aice leis na Gaidheil, ach c貌 aige tha fios nach tug an l脿 sin buaidh air choreigin oirre.

Ann an ochd-deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1872), chaidh an teaghlach air chuairt a dh鈥橝str脿ilia agus New Zealand 鈥� cuairt mh貌r a mhair tr矛 bliadhna. Agus cha robh e uile gu l猫ir tlachdmhor. Chaidh iad ann am b脿ta-si霉il agus nuair a bha iad ann an uisgeachan tropaigeach th脿inig ci霉ineas air a鈥� mhuir.

An uair sin, chaidh iad gu deas, gu crios nan siantan siara 鈥� a tha barrachd air ceathrad ceum fo chrios meadhan na cruinne. Bha i cho fiadhaich ann a sin 鈥檚 gu robh cuid dhen luchd-siubhail dhen bheachd nach ruigeadh iad Astr脿ilia idir. Gu dearbh, dh鈥檃idich seann bhoireannach 脿 Alba gun do chuir i fo-aodach 霉r oirre gus am biodh i glan nuair a ruigeadh i n猫amh!

Uile gu l猫ir bha iad tr矛 m矛osan aig muir gun a dhol air t矛r, mus do r脿inig iad Melbourne. Cha robh Marsaili is a teaghlach d矛omhain fhad 鈥檚 a bha iad a鈥� se貌ladh, ge-ta. A h-uile l脿 chumadh iad ris a鈥� che貌l aca, oir bha iad air pi脿na beag a thoirt leotha air b貌rd.

Ann am Melbourne fhuair iad f脿ilte mh貌r bho na h-Albannaich is eile a chaidh a dh鈥櫭╥steachd riutha. Ach taobh a-muigh nam bailtean m貌ra, cha robh c霉isean furasta do luchd-siubhail, mar a ch矛 sinn anns an Litir an ath-sheachdain. Chan e d矛reach gu robh droch rathaidean ann ach gu robh droch dhaoine ann cuideachd. Fhad 鈥檚 a bha iad ann am Melbourne chaidh iad a Phr矛osan Phentonville far am fac鈥� iad fear ainmeil air a chumail ann an ceids, mar a sgr矛obh Marsaili, 鈥渃oltach ri ainmhidh fiadhaich鈥�. C貌 bh鈥� ann? C貌, ach Ned Cealaidh!

Faclan na seachdaine: seinneadair: singer; Daibhidh Ceanadach: David Kennedy; pi脿na: piano; Inbhir Pheofharain: Dingwall; slag: a hollow (in the landscape); coitheanal: congregation; fo-aodach: underwear; n猫amh: heaven; d矛omhain: idle; ceids: cage.

Abairtean na seachdaine: bhuineadh sinnsearan nan Ceanadach do Ghaidhealtachd Siorrachd Pheairt: the ancestors of the Kennedys belonged to the Perthshire Gaidhealtachd; a bhith be貌 a dh猫anamh le bhith a鈥� seinn: to make his living by singing; fhad 鈥檚 a bha Marsaili na p脿iste: when Marjory was a child; 貌rain Albannach a-mh脿in: only Scottish songs; bha e ag amas air: he was intending to; am measg sliochd nan Albannach: among the descendants of Scots; rachadh c貌rr is trithead bliadhna seachad: more than 30 years would pass; c貌 aige tha fios: who knows; nach tug an l脿 sin buaidh air choreigin oirre: that that day didn鈥檛 have an effect of some sort on her; air chuairt a dh鈥橝str脿ilia: on a tour of [to] Australia; a mhair tr矛 bliadhna: which lasted 3 years; gu crios nan siantan siara: to the latitude of the westerly storms (ie the 鈥渞oaring forties鈥�); fo chrios meadhan na cruinne: below the equator; nach ruigeadh iad Astr脿ilia: that they wouldn鈥檛 reach Australia.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: a bh鈥� air a bhith aige bho bha e 貌g: that he had had since he was young. The 鈥榓ir鈥� here is the ancient preposition iar, meaning 鈥渁fter鈥� or 鈥渂ehind鈥� 鈥� think of it as meaning literally 鈥渢hat he was after having鈥�. It is the Gaelic equivalent to the use of 鈥榟ad鈥� in English to form the pluperfect tense. The verb in the pluperfect refers to an action which took place before the other past actions in a sentence. In the Litir, David had had (note the pluperfect) the hope since his childhood that he would make his living singing; the more recent past verbs are ghluais and [far an do] chuir. Here is another example: bha Uilleam air am b脿ta a thogail gu math, agus 鈥檚 e sin a chum be貌 iad (William had built the boat well, and it was that which kept them alive). Also note that the preposition bho is here equivalent to the English for (meaning 鈥渟ince鈥�), as it is in many common phrases. Is fhada bho nach fhaca mi thu (I haven鈥檛 seen you for a long time). Is iomadh bliadhna bho dh鈥檉h脿g mi Glaschu (it鈥檚 many years since I left Glasgow).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: cha robh e uile gu l猫ir tlachdmhor: it wasn鈥檛 altogether pleasurable. Uile gu l猫ir: completely, totally, altogether.