大象传媒

Rugadh Iain MacAoidh, am P矛obaire Dall, ann an Ge脿rrloch anns a鈥� bhliadhna sia ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a sia (1656). Bha e ri b脿rdachd, a bharrachd air p矛obaireachd, agus choisinn e cli霉 dha fh猫in mar bh脿rd. Gu m矛-fhortanach, chan eil air fh脿gail againn an-diugh ach sia de na d脿in aige.

Tha a鈥� chuid as motha de dhaoine a tha e貌lach air a bh脿rdachd dhen bheachd gur e an d脿n as fhe脿rr aige 鈥淐umha Choir鈥� an Easain鈥�. Cha do sgr矛obh e ann an Ge脿rrloch e, ge-t脿, ach ann an D霉thaich MhicAoidh, ann an ceann a tuath Chataibh, d霉thaich a shinnsearachd air taobh athar. Rugadh athair, Ruairidh Dall MacAoidh, anns an sg矛re sin.

Ann an cuid de bh脿rdachd-n脿dair ann an G脿idhlig bidh uaireannan sreath fhaclan, sreath bhuadhairean, a鈥� nochdadh fear as d猫idh a ch猫ile gun cha mhor facal de she貌rsa sam bith eile eatarra. Seo eisimpleir dheth 脿s 鈥淐umha Choir鈥� an Easain鈥� 鈥� an d脿 loighne mu dheireadh de rann agus an d脿 loighne aig toiseach na h-ath rainn:

Mangach, maghach, aghach, t猫arnach,

Gr脿dhach, croiceach, fradharc fr矛the.

Ne貌ineanach, gucagach, mealach

L貌nanach, lusanach, 矛meach鈥�.

Sin d脿 bhuadhair deug le d矛reach d脿 ainmear 鈥� 鈥渇radharc fr矛the鈥� nam measg, agus saoilidh mi nach ann tric a bhios sinn a鈥� leughadh b脿rdachd de a leithid ann am Beurla. Chan e sin a-mh脿in, ach seo toiseach na rainn a tha a鈥� leantainn air na dh脿 sin:

Seamragach, sealbhagach, duilleach,

M矛n-leacach, gorm-shl猫ibhteach, gleannach,

Biadhchar, riabhach, riasgach, luideach鈥�

Is mar sin air adhart! 鈥橲 d貌cha nach eil e furasta leughadh, ach tha e a鈥� togail iomhaigh gl猫 shnog dhen 脿ite ann an inntinn an leughadair. Tha rudeigin ann a tha a鈥� cur b脿rd eile nam cheann. Bha am P矛obaire Dall na bhodach nuair a rugadh Donnchadh B脿n Mac an t-Saoir, agus tha rudeigin ann an 鈥淐umha Choir鈥� an Easain鈥� a tha a鈥� toirt an d脿in 鈥淐oir鈥� a Cheathaich鈥� aig Donnchadh B脿n gu mo chuimhne:

Gu molach, dubh-ghorm, torrach, l霉isreagach,

Corrach, pl霉ranach, dl霉th-ghlan grinn,

Caoin, ballach, d矛theanach, cannach, m矛sleanach,

Gleann a鈥� mhilltich, 鈥檚 an l矛onmhor mang.

Chanainn gu bheil 鈥淐oir鈥� a Cheathaich鈥� nas fhe脿rr. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun deach am foghlam os cionn Mhic Cruimein.

As d猫idh do dh鈥橧ain Dall a bhith ann an sgoil na p矛obaireachd anns an Eilean Sgitheanach, thill e dhachaigh a Ghe脿rrloch far an do ghabh e dreuchd mar ph矛obaire don uachdaran 鈥� 鈥淭riath Ghe脿rrloch鈥� mar a bh鈥� aige fh猫in air. Sgr矛obh e b脿rdachd dha cuideachd, agus tha d脿n air fh脿gail againn air a bheil 鈥淏eannachadh B脿ird do Shir Alasdair MacCoinnich鈥�. Tha amharas agam gun do sgr矛obh e fad a bharrachd de a leithid nach deach a ghl猫idheadh.

Co-dhi霉, sin gu le貌r dhen bh脿rdachd an-diugh. Bu mhath leam an Litir a chr矛ochnachadh an t-seachdain-sa le rudeigin eadar-dhealaichte. Bha mi a鈥� leughadh cruinneachadh de sheann t貌imhseachain agus dubh-fhaclan an latha eile, agus ch貌rd feadhainn aca rium glan. Ge-t脿, chan eil iad uile 鈥淧C鈥�, mar gu canadh tu.

Seo fear aca: Ciamar a tha mac-talla coltach ri boireannach? Seadh? Bidh am facal mu dheireadh aige, ge b鈥� oil leat! Tuigidh sibh gur e fear a chuir an cruinneachadh ri ch猫ile agus cha do lorg mi gin mar sin a鈥� cur s矛os air fir! Seo a-nise t貌imhseachan eile, is tha mi a鈥� dol ga fh脿gail agaibh airson me貌mhrachadh air: Is truagh an fheadhainn aig a bheil iad. Is truagh an fheadhainn aig nach eil iad. C貌 iad? Bheir mi am fuasgladh dhuibh an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine: mangach: abounding in fawns; maghach: abounding in plains; aghach: abounding in hinds; t猫arnach: secure; gr脿dhach: beloved; croiceach: meadowy; fradharc fr矛the: view of (the) deer forest; ne貌ineanach: abounding in daisies; gucagach: full of buds; mealach: honey-sweet; l貌nanach: abounding in small meadows or pools; lusanach: herbaceous; 矛meach: producing much butter; seamragach: abounding in clover; sealbhagach: abounding in sorrel; duilleach: foliage; m矛n-leacach: abounding in small flat stones; gorm-shl猫ibhteach: green-hilled; gleannach: steep-sided (like a glen); biadhchar: fruitful; riabhach: brindled; riasgach: peaty; luideach: ragged; molach: shaggy; dubh-ghorm: dark-blue; torrach: fertile; l霉isreagach: abounding in herbs; corrach: precipitous; pl霉ranach: full of blossoms; dl霉th-ghlan: pure; grinn: handsome; caoin: mild; ballach: spotted; d矛theanach: flowery; cannach: pretty; m矛sleanach: abounding in sweet mountain grass (you will notice from the above adjectives that Gaelic is phenomenally powerful and extremely succinct in its capacity to describe nature); dubh-fhaclan: riddles; mac-talla: echo.

Abairtean na seachdaine: chan eil air fh脿gail againn an-diugh ach sia de na d脿in aige: we only have six of his poems left today; d霉thaich a shinnsearachd air taobh athar: the country of his ancestry on his father鈥檚 side; bidh sreath bhuadhairean a鈥� nochdadh fear as d猫idh a ch猫ile: a series of adjectives will appear one after the other; an d脿 loighne mu dheireadh de rann agus an d脿 loighne aig toiseach na h-ath rainn: the last two lines of a verse and the two lines at the start of the next verse; tha e a鈥� togail iomhaigh gl猫 shnog ann an inntinn an leughadair: it creates a nice image in the mind of the reader; Gleann a鈥� mhilltich, 鈥檚 an l矛onmhor mang: glen of the arrowgrass (in which are) numerous fawns; 鈥檚 d貌cha gun deach am foghlam os cionn Mhic Cruimein: (the student bettered the teacher 鈥� see last week鈥檚 Litir); 鈥淭riath Ghe脿rrloch鈥�, mar a bh鈥� aige fh猫in air: 鈥淭he Lord of Gairloch鈥� as he called him himself; bidh am facal mu dheireadh aige, ge b鈥� oil leat: it will have the last word, whatever you do; is truagh an fheadhainn aig a bheil/nach eil iad: those who have them/don鈥檛 have them are to be pitied.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: chan eil iad uile 鈥淧C鈥�, mar gu canadh tu: they are not all 鈥淧C鈥� as one says. Modern Gaelic often adopts English acronyms and initials even where there is an accepted Gaelic equivalent for the full term. An example is UN (United Nations). In Gaelic this is na D霉thchannan Aonaichte, but you would never hear it referred to as 鈥渘a DA鈥�. You would only hear the full Gaelic term or the English initials (eg thachair sin aig a UN). Other examples are SNP (Scottish National Party) instead of PNA (P脿rtaidh N脿iseanta na h-Alba), SNH (Scottish Natural Heritage) rather than DNA (Dualchas N脿dair na h-Alba) and SFA (Scottish Football Association) rather than CBA (Comann Ball-coise na h-Alba). The 鈥淧C鈥漚bove, of course, stands for 鈥淧olitically Correct鈥�. Gaelic has not come under the same influence of political correctness as English, and there is, as far as I am aware, no Gaelic term for 鈥減olitical correctness鈥� (unless it鈥檚 in the new Parliamentary dictionary about to be published!) You will commonly hear Gaels simply using 鈥淧C鈥� as the Gaelic equivalent eg Chan eil sin uabhasach 鈥淧C鈥� (that鈥檚 not very politically correct).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: choisinn e cli霉 dha fh猫in: he won a reputation for himself.