大象传媒

Aig an 脿m seo a h-uile bliadhna, bidh daoine air feadh Alba, agus ann am m貌ran d霉thchannan eile, a鈥� comharrachadh beatha b脿ird. Cha leig mi leas innse dhuibh c貌 th鈥� ann 鈥� bidh fios agaibh mar th脿. Rugadh Raibeart Burns air a鈥� ch貌igeamh latha fichead dhen Fhaoilleach o chionn d脿 cheud, d脿 fhichead bliadhna 鈥檚 a dh脿.

Chan eil teagamh ann mu th脿lant Bhurns - bha e na bh脿rd air leth. Ach tha aon rud ann mu dheidhinn, feumaidh mi aideachadh, a tha a鈥� cur dragh orm. 鈥橲 e sin an d貌igh sam bi muinntir na Gaidhealtachd a鈥� comharrachadh Bhurns 鈥� b脿rd nach robh air a thuigsinn gu 矛re mh貌ir sam bith air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd nuair a bha e b猫o 鈥� agus mar a tha iad, aig an dearbh 脿m, a鈥� d矛ochuimhneachadh nam b脿rd aca fh猫in. Anns an t-Srath, ann an ceann a deas an Eilein Sgitheanaich, agus ann an Ge脿rrloch ann an Ros an Iar, tha e nas buailtiche gum bi Suipear Bhurns ann na rud sam bith a鈥� comharrachadh b脿rd Gaidhealach.

Carson a thagh mi an d脿 脿ite sin? Uill, tha deagh adhbhar agam. D矛reach tr矛 bliadhna as d猫idh breith Raibeirt Bhurns ann an Siorrachd Adhair, rugadh fear anns an t-Srath, faisg air an Ath Leathann, anns an Eilean Sgitheanach, a bha e fh猫in gu bhith na bh脿rd air leth. B鈥� esan Uilleam Ros. Chuir e seachad bliadhnaichean ann an Ge脿rrloch, an sg矛re dhan do bhuin a mh脿thair.

Bha an dithis bh脿rd faisg air a bhith co-aimsireil. Bha Ros tr矛 bliadhna na b鈥� 貌ige na Burns agus chaochail e sia bliadhna roimhe. Bha e d矛reach ochd bliadhna fichead a dh鈥檃ois nuair a fhuair e b脿s.

Nuair a bha Uilleam 貌g, ghluais e fh猫in is a ph脿rantan gu Farrais ann an Siorrachd Mhoireibh, far an d鈥檉huair e oideachadh math anns an sgoil. An uairsin, chaidh iad a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Ge脿rrloch. Bha athair na cheannaiche 鈥� fear dhen t-se貌rsa a bhios a鈥� siubhal 鈥� agus 鈥檚 ann tric a bhiodh e ag obair anns na h-Eileanan Siar. Rachadh Uilleam ann cuide ris uaireannan, a鈥� cur ris a鈥� bheartas-c脿nain a bha e a鈥� c脿rnadh na cheann. Thathar ag r脿dh gu robh e dhen bheachd gur e an t-脿ite far an cuala e a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a b鈥� fhe脿rr 鈥� taobh siar Eilein Le貌dhais.

Chuir e seachad 霉ine cuideachd ann am p脿irtean eile dhen Ghaidhealtachd 鈥� ann an Siorrachd Pheairt is Earra-Ghaidheal gu h-脿raidh, agus tha e coltach gun do sgr矛obh e m貌ran de a chuid bh脿rdachd aig an 脿m sin. Gu m矛-fhortanach, chailleadh m貌ran dhith.

Thill e a Ghe脿rrloch agus fhuair e obair mar mhaighstir-sgoile, agus b鈥� e sin a dhreuchd nuair a dh鈥檉h脿s e tinn leis a鈥� chaitheimh, agus leis a鈥� chuing, neo leis a鈥� mh霉chadh mar a chanas muinntir Ghe脿rrloch. B鈥� iad sin na tinneasan a thug b脿s dha.

Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha. Dh鈥檉huiling Uilleam cuideachd le tinneas dhen t-se貌rsa nach urrainn do dhotair c脿il a dh猫anamh mu dheidhinn 鈥� an gaol. Nuair a bha e ann an Le貌dhas, fhuair e e貌las air t猫 air an robh 鈥淩os鈥� cuideachd mar ainm 鈥� M貌r Ros, 脿 Ste貌rnabhagh. Agus sgr矛obh e d脿n anns a bheil i air a h-ainmeachadh 鈥� 鈥淔easgar Luain鈥�. 鈥淕e b鈥� ann air chuairt, neo thall an cuan,鈥� sgr矛obh e, 鈥済um bi mi smuainteach ort gu br脿th.鈥�

Ach, cha do ghabh M貌r gaol cho trom air Uilleam. Agus bha sin air a bhith br貌nach ach a-mh脿in airson aon rud. Dh鈥檉h脿g briseadh-cridh鈥� a鈥� bh脿ird d脿n, neo 貌ran, againn, a th鈥� air a sheinn fhathast an-diugh, agus a tha am measg nan 貌ran as bre脿gha a th脿inig a-riamh 脿s a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd. Bheir sinn s霉il air an ath sheachdain.

mar th脿: already; am Faoilleach: January; an Srath: Strath (in thesouth of Skye); Ge脿rrloch: Gairloch; an t-Ath Leathann: Broadford; co-aimsireil: contemporary; Farrais: Forres; Siorrachd Mhoireibh: Morayshire; oideachadh: instruction; rachadh: would go; a鈥� chaitheamh: consumption (tuberculosis); a鈥� chuing, am m霉chadh:asthma; dh鈥檉huiling e: he suffered; M貌r Ros: Marion Ross; gaol: love; br貌nach: sad;briseadh-cridhe: heartbreak.

an d貌igh sam bi muinntir na Gaidhealtachd a鈥檆omharrachadh Bhurns: the way in which the people of the Highlands commemorate Burns.You will know that nouns governed by a verbal noun, where the article is present, go in thegenitive case (eg tha mi a鈥� d猫anamh na h-obrach). The same applies to names, without theneed for the article. With Gaelic names, this is natural and causes no problems. You wouldthus hear tha mi a鈥� faicinn Dh貌mhnaill, tha mi a鈥� cluinntinn Sheumais, tha mi a鈥� faicinnMhgr MhicLe貌id and tha mi a鈥� cluinntinn Dh貌mhnaill MhicLe貌id. But how do we deal withnames which belong to other linguistic regions? Many, particularly those from other partsof Scotland, with whom Gaels have been in cultural contact for centuries, behave similarlyto native names, at least by leniting where appropriate (although often not slenderisingterminally). An example is Burns. We say Suipear Bhurns for Burns Supper. Another isCalder. George Calder wrote a Gaelic Grammar (1923) and you might hear thequestion,鈥渄猫 do bheachd air leabhar She貌rais Chalder?鈥� with his name genitivised. And youwill hear d矛leab Bhill Chlinton (Bill Clinton鈥檚 legacy). But some names do not lendthemselves to such an inflection either on an aural basis, or because they are just totallyforeign. Thus we say Faclair Dwelly and l霉chairt Jacques Chirac, with the foreign namesunchanged. However, in the case of the famous publication of a Chinese Communist leader,you could say either leabhar dearg Mao Ze Dong or leabhar dearg Mhao Ze Dong. Eitherwould be acceptable to the Gaelic ear.

a鈥� comharrachadh beatha b脿ird: commemorating the life of a bard; cha leig mi leas innse dhuibh: I don鈥檛 need to tell you; bha e na bh脿rd air leth: he was a particularly good bard; nach robh air a thuigsinn gu 矛re mh貌ir sam bith: who was not understood to any great degree; b鈥� esan Uilleam Ros: he was William Ross; an sg矛re dhan do bhuin a mh脿thair: the area to which his mother belonged; bha athair na cheannaiche 鈥揻ear dhen t-se貌rsa a bhios a鈥� siubhal: his father was a 鈥渃eannaiche鈥� (merchant or pedlar) 鈥搊ne of the type which travels (ie a pedlar); a鈥� cur ris a鈥� bheartas-c脿nain a bha e a鈥� c脿rnadh na cheann: adding to the linguistic riches he was accumulating in his head; chailleadh m貌ran dhith: much of it (fem.) was lost; b鈥� e sin a dhreuchd nuair a dh鈥檉h脿s e tinn: that was his profession when he grew ill; smuainteach ort gu br脿th: thinking of you (lit. thoughtful on you) forever; a th脿inig a-riamh 脿s a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd: that ever came from the Gaidhealtachd.

feumaidh mi aideachadh: I must admit. This is a relatively common phrase, as is the use of feumaidh in other similar circumstances, eg feumaidh mir脿dh, I must say.