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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 307: Iain Dubh Mac Dh貌mhnaill 鈥檌c Iain

Anns na beagan seachdainean a dh鈥檉halbh tha mi air a bhith ag innse dhuibh mun sgr矛obhadair, Iain Dubh Mac Dh貌mhnaill 鈥檌c Iain, no Iain MacIllInnein. Bha Iain a鈥 fuireach ann an Astr脿ilia. Bha e na bh脿rd don Chomunn Gh脿idhealach ann am Brisbane. Rugadh e ann an Ge脿rrloch agus 鈥檚 e G脿idhlig a bh鈥 aige mar chiad ch脿nan. Agus bha e a-riamh gu math measail air a鈥 ch脿nan aige.

Ged a bha Iain math air sgr矛obhadh, cha robh e na sgoilear. Nuair a bhiodh rudeigin cudromach a dh矛th air Comunn G脿idhealach Bhrisbane ann an G脿idhlig, dh鈥檉heumadh iad dhol gu sgoilear. B鈥 e fear dhiubh sin, am ministear ann an Liosm貌r ann an ceann a tuath Cuimrigh Nuaidh a Deas, an t-Urramach Ailean MacIlp, a bhuineadh do dh鈥橴ibhist a Tuath.

Ach, ged nach robh Iain na sgoilear, bha e f矛or mhath air duanagan is 貌rain bheaga a sgr矛obhadh. Bu toigh leam cr矛och a chur air na Litrichean mu dheidhinn le d脿n eile aige. Agus saoilidh mi gu bheil am p矛os seo gu math iomchaidh do luchd-ionnsachaidh na G脿idhlig. 鈥橲 e an tiotal a th鈥 air 鈥淎鈥 Labhairt na G脿idhlig Rium Fh矛n鈥.

Nise, tha mi air a bhith ag r脿dh ri luchd-ionnsachaidh airson bliadhnaichean gum bu ch貌ir dhaibh G脿idhlig a labhairt riutha fh猫in cho tric 鈥檚 as urrainn. A鈥 gabhail fras, anns a鈥 ch脿r, a鈥 coiseachd a鈥 mhonaidh, air beulaibh sg脿than鈥. 脿ite sam bith sa bheil cothrom aca.

Agus chan e labhairt a-mh脿in. Dh鈥檉haodadh iad seinn. Tha e math do dhuine sam bith 貌rain ionnsachadh, eadhon mura h-eil iad math air seinn. Seo a-nise s猫ist an 貌rain seo:

Seinn, seinn, seinnidh mise a鈥 Gh脿idhlig

Seinn, seinn, seinnidh mi dhomh fh矛n,

Bho nach cluinn mi nise fuaim aig a鈥 mhuinntir tha mun cuairt,

Seinn, seinn, seinnidh mi dhomh fh矛n.

Carson a sgr矛obh Iain an t-貌ran seo? Uill, bha e a鈥 fuireach ann an 脿ite far nach robh G脿idhlig aig m貌ran. Agus chum an c脿nan ceangal na inntinn don d霉thaich dham buineadh e. Seo a鈥 chiad rann dhen 貌ran:

Nuair a labhras mi rium fh矛n anns a鈥 Gh脿idhlig laghach, ghrinn,

Bidh mi ann am bruadar anns na glinn,

Ch矛 mi Ruairidh M貌r MacLe貌id is a nighean ghasta, ch貌ir,

Seinn sa ch脿nan she貌ghn gu ce貌lmhor binn.

Seinn, seinn, seinnidh mise a鈥 Gh脿idhlig

Seinn, seinn, seinnidh mi dhomh fh矛n,

Bho nach cluinn mi nise fuaim aig a鈥 mhuinntir tha mun cuairt,

Seinn, seinn, seinnidh mi dhomh fh矛n.

Agus seo agaibh d脿 rann eile:

Ged a chaidh mi fad鈥 thar chuan, cha do thilg mi Gh脿idhlig uam,

鈥橲 tric a thog i m鈥 aigne suas air muir is t矛r,

Dl霉th ri gl霉n mo mh脿thar chaomh, nam leanaban t霉sail maoth,

鈥橲 i Gh脿idhlig mhodhail chi霉in a dh鈥檌onnsaich mi.

Tha i nise m貌ran aois, 鈥檚 i bh鈥 aig Adhamh measg nan craobh,

Fhuair i urram 脿rd an iomadh t矛r,

A鈥 tighinn tarsainn na Roinn-E貌rp鈥, ch霉m na G脿idheil ise be貌,

鈥橲 i bh鈥 aig Calum c貌ir an Eilean I.

Uill, sin e a thaobh b脿rdachd Iain Duibh. Ach tha ceist agam dhuibh mun sg矛re anns an do thogadh Iain 鈥 Ge脿rrloch. Dh鈥檉haighnich fear dh矛om turas (bha e a鈥 bruidhinn ann am Beurla), an robh mi e貌lach air sg矛re Ghe脿rrloch. Thuirt mi gu robh, rud beag co-dhi霉. Uill, dh鈥檉haighnich e, 鈥渃iamar a tha measan tropaigeach a鈥 f脿s ann?鈥

鈥淢easan tropaigeach?鈥 thuirt mi.

鈥淪eadh,鈥 fhreagair e, 鈥渢ha tri melons ann.鈥

鈥淭r矛 melons?!鈥 thuirt mise.

鈥淕u dearbh,鈥 thuirt am fear eile, 鈥淢ellon Charles, Mellon Udrigle agus Mellangaun.鈥

Uill, 鈥檚 e a鈥 cheist a th鈥 agam dhuibhse 鈥 carson a tha na 鈥渕elons鈥 seo air a鈥 mhap? D猫 tha iad a鈥 ciallachadh? Innsidh mi dhuibh an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: fras: shower; sg脿than: mirror; laghach: nice; grinn: neat; bruadar: dream; gasta: splendid, really nice; measan tropaigeach: tropical fruits.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: na beagan seachdainean a dh鈥檉halbh: the past few weeks; cha robh e na sgoilear: he wasn鈥檛 a scholar; Liosm貌r ann an ceann a tuath Cuimrigh Nuaidh a Deas: Lismore in northern New South Wales; an t-Urramach Ailean MacIlp, a bhuineadh do dh鈥橴ibhist a Tuath: Rev. Allan Mackillop, who belonged to North Uist; A鈥 Labhairt na G脿idhlig Rium Fh矛n: Speaking Gaelic to Myself; gum bu ch貌ir dhaibh G脿idhlig a labhairt riutha fh猫in: that they should speak Gaelic to themselves; cho tric 鈥檚 as urrainn: as often as possible; 脿ite sam bith sa bheil cothrom aca: any place they have an opportunity; chan e labhairt a-mh脿in: not only speaking; seinnidh mi dhomh fh矛n: I will sing to myself; bho nach cluinn mi nise fuaim: since I won鈥檛 now hear a noise; aig a鈥 mhuinntir [a] tha mun cuairt: from [at] the people who are around; chum e ceangal na inntinn don d霉thaich dham buineadh e: it maintained a link in his mind to the country to which he belonged; seinn sa ch脿nan she貌ghn gu ce貌lmhor binn: singing melodiously in the superlative language; cha do thilg mi Gh脿idhlig uam: I didn鈥檛 throw Gaelic from me ie I didn鈥檛 discard it; gl霉n mo mh脿thar chaomh: my tender mother鈥檚 knee; nam leanaban t霉sail maoth: when I was a tiny soft baby.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: 鈥橲 i [a] bh鈥 aig Adhamh [am] measg nan craobh: literally this means 鈥渟he is what Adam had among the trees鈥. I hope you weren鈥檛 sidetracked into considering this might be an inappropriate reference to Adam鈥檚 relationship with the other occupant of the Garden of Eden! It would immediately be understood by a fluent speaker as referring to language (languages are largely conceptually feminine and we say tha c脿nan aig cuideigin). Later in the same verse of the song, we see 鈥檚 i [a] bh鈥 aig Calum c貌ir [ann] an Eilean I which means 鈥渢hat is what nice Calum (ie Saint Columba) spoke on Iona鈥. If you say to an elderly Gaelic speaker, 鈥淎 bheil G脿idhlig agaibh?鈥, he or she might respond, 鈥淭ha. 鈥橲 i as fhe脿rr a th鈥 agam鈥 (yes, it is her that I speak best)..

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: 鈥橲 tric a thog i m鈥 aigne suas: it is often she [a鈥 Gh脿idhlig] lifted my spirits.

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