Main content

Litir na seachdain aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain. This week's letter for learners from Roddy MacLean.

5 minutes

Last on

Sun 14 Oct 2012 14:55

Clip

Litir 691: C猫 Tormod D貌mhnallach agus Puirt-脿-Beul - P脿irt 2

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Ch猫 Tormod D貌mhnallach a dh鈥檉hoillsich The Gesto Collection of Highland Music ann an ochd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1895). B鈥 aithne dha M脿iri Mh貌r nan 脪ran. Mhol M脿iri gun sgr矛obhadh e gu t猫 Sgitheanach eile a bha a鈥 cruinneachadh seann 貌rain 鈥 Frangag, no Frances, Tolmie. Coltach ri C猫 Tormod, bha G脿idhlig aig Tolmie bho dh霉thchas, agus bhuineadh i do theaghlach a bha rudeigin beartach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Fhuair C猫 Tormod ceathrad 鈥檚 a c貌ig 貌rain bho Tholmie. Nochd feadhainn dhiubh ann an leabhar a dh鈥檉hoillsich e nuair a bha e a鈥 fuireach ann an D霉n 脠ideann ann an naoi ceud deug 鈥檚 a h-aon (1901). B鈥 e ainm an leabhair Puirt-a-Beul: or Songs for Dancing as Practised from a Remote Antiquity by the Highlanders of Scotland.

听听听听听听听听听听听 An robh C猫 Tormod ceart ann a bhith ag r脿dh gu robh 辫耻颈谤迟-脿-产别耻濒 脿rsaidh? Feumar tuigsinn gun robh e fh猫in, agus a charaid, Alasdair MacIlleMh矛cheil, a dh鈥檉hoillsich Carmina Gadelica, a鈥 str矛 an aghaidh beachd ann am Breatainn nach robh anns na G脿idheil ach daoine aineolach, gun chultar a b鈥 fhiach. 鈥橲 d貌cha nach bi fios againn a-chaoidh, ge-t脿, d猫 cho sean 鈥檚 a tha 辫耻颈谤迟-脿-产别耻濒.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Brochan lom, tana, lom, brochan, lom s霉ghain 鈥 bidh sibh e貌lach air an 貌ran sin. Tha e anns a鈥 chruinneachadh aig C猫 Tormod D貌mhnallach. Bha mi a鈥 bruidhinn ri fear an-uiridh agus thuirt e gun robh e air aon 貌ran G脿idhlig ionnsachadh na 貌ige, ach nach robh fios aige d猫 bha na faclan a鈥 ciallachadh. Agus ghabh e Brochan Lom. 鈥淚t means,鈥 thuirt mise ris, 鈥渂are, thin, bare gruel, bare sowans gruel.鈥 鈥淎ha,鈥 ars鈥 esan, 鈥渋t鈥檚 a song of great philosophical depth, then!鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 Sin mar a tha m貌ran de phuirt-脿-beul. Chan eil iad a-mach air cuspairean m貌ra. Ach tha an ruitheam annta cudromach. Agus tha iad a鈥 d猫anamh iomradh air rudan a bha mar ph脿irt de bheatha nan G脿idheal 鈥 daoine, gaol, sealg, an 脿irigh, eilthireachd, gaisgeachd, n脿dar is mar sin air adhart. Tha na h-貌rain sin am measg nan rudan as pr矛seile a bhuineas dhuinn mar shluagh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Th脿inig eagran 霉r a-mach dhen leabhar aig C猫 Tormod 鈥 Puirt-脿-Beul 鈥 na bu tr脿ithe dhen bhliadhna seo, air fhoillseachadh le Taigh na Teud anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Chaidh a dheasachadh le Uilleam Lamb. Chuir Lamb aiste inntinneach is fiosrachail an cois an leabhair mu phuirt-脿-beul fh猫in 鈥 cuin agus carson a dh鈥櫭╥rich an stoidhle seinn seo?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha C猫 Tormod a鈥 ceangal 鈥淕ille Calum鈥 ri fear a bha a鈥 cruinneachadh nan c矛sean airson Calum a鈥 Chinn Mh貌ir, Righ na h-Alba, a bha be貌 m矛le bliadhna air ais. Tha Lamb ag r脿dh, ge-t脿, nach urrainn a bhith cinnteach a bheil susbaint anns a鈥 bheachd sin.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Gu deireadh an t-siathamh linn deug, bha am facal port a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥渇onn airson na cl脿rsaich鈥. 脌s d猫idh do chluich na cl脿rsaich a chr矛onadh, bhiodh daoine a鈥 cleachdadh an fhacail airson fonn-dannsaidh a dh鈥檉haodadh a bhith air a chluich air ionnsramaid no air a sheinn leis a鈥 ghuth.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha d脿 bheachd-smuain air a bhith gu tric co-cheangailte ri t霉s phort-脿-beul. 鈥橲 e a鈥 chiad t猫 dhiubh gun do dh鈥櫭╥rich an d貌igh-sheinn sin an cois Achd an Toirmisg 脿s d猫idh Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair. 鈥橲 e an d脿rna t猫 gun do dh鈥櫭╥rich i an cois d霉sgadh anns an Eaglais anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Bheir sinn s霉il orra sin an-ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach

C猫 Tormod D貌mhnallach: Keith Norman MacDonald; 脿谤蝉补颈诲丑: ancient; Alasdair MacIlleMh矛cheil: Alexander Carmichael; an-uiridh: last year; eagran: edition.

Abairtean na Litreach

feumar tuigsinn: it must be understood; a鈥 str矛 an aghaidh beachd: struggling against an opinion; nach robh anns na G脿idheil ach daoine aineolach: that the Gaels were just an ignorant people; 鈥檚 d貌cha nach bi fios againn a-chaoidh, ge-t脿: perhaps we鈥檒l never know, however; gun robh e air aon 貌ran G脿idhlig ionnsachadh na 貌ige: that he had learned one Gaelic song in his childhood; tha an ruitheam annta cudromach: the rhythm in them is important; a鈥 d猫anamh iomradh air rudan a bha mar ph脿irt de bheatha nan G脿idheal: saying something about things that were part of the life of the Gaels; gaol, sealg, an 脿irigh, eilthireachd, gaisgeachd, n脿dar: love, hunting, the shieling, emigration, heroism, nature; chaidh a dheasachadh le: it was edited by; aiste inntinneach is fiosrachail an cois an leabhair: an interesting and informative essay in the book; cuin agus carson a dh鈥櫭╥rich an stoidhle seinn seo?: when and why did this singing style arise?; fear a bha a鈥 cruinneachadh nan c矛sean airson Calum a鈥 Chinn Mh貌ir: a man who was collecting taxes for Malcolm Canmore; nach urrainn a bhith cinnteach a bheil susbaint anns a鈥 bheachd sin: that [we] can鈥檛 be certain that opinion has substance; 脿s d猫idh do chluich na cl脿rsaich a chr矛onadh: after the playing of the harp diminished; fonn-dannsaidh a dh鈥檉haodadh a bhith air a chluich air ionnsramaid no air a sheinn leis a鈥 ghuth: a dance tune that could be played on an instrument or sung with the voice; d脿 bheachd-smuain: two ideas; an cois Achd an Toirmisg 脿s d猫idh Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair: along with the Act of Proscription after the Battle of Culloden; d霉sgadh anns an Eaglais: a rise of evangelism in the Church.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

辫耻颈谤迟-脿-产别耻濒: literally 鈥榯unes from [the] mouth鈥 and sometimes called 鈥榤outh music鈥 in English, although the Gaelic term is generally preferred, even in English. The singular is 辫辞谤迟-脿-产别耻濒, the plural is 辫耻颈谤迟-脿-产别耻濒. While port was once used, it appears exclusively, for a classical Gaelic tune played on the harp, in the days when the harp was 鈥榢ing鈥 in Gaelic musical circles, it is now used more generally for a tune played on any musical instrument, often as an accompaniment to dance. The sense that 辫耻颈谤迟-脿-产别耻濒 have a strong link to dance is still alive in our culture, although the origins of such songs remain a matter of debate.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach

gun chultar a b鈥 fhiach: without a culture worth talking about.

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥 air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA

Broadcasts

  • Fri 12 Oct 2012 11:55
  • Sat 13 Oct 2012 10:55
  • Sun 14 Oct 2012 14:55

Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh air LearnGaelic

Tha Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh air LearnGaelic (le PDFs)

All letters

Tha na litrichean uile an seo / The letters are available here

Podcast: Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh

Letter To Gaelic Learners

Podcast