Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

Clip

Litir 305: Miss Rees

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Iain Dubh Mac Dh貌mhnaill 鈥檌c Iain ann am Brisbane, agus mar a fhuair e lorg air lethbhreac de Theachdaire an t-Sluaigh ann am b霉th sa bhaile sin. Uill, oidhche bha seo, bha Iain aig c猫ilidh ann am Brisbane agus dh鈥檌arr fear an taighe air a h-uile duine a bha an l脿thair rann no 貌ran a ghabhail, no sgeulachd innse, air peanas bonn airgid a ph脿igheadh. Cha robh bonn sam bith aig Iain na ph貌caid agus cha b鈥 urrainn dha seinn, no sgeulachd innse, ach ann an G脿idhlig. Is cha robh e an d霉il gu robh aon duine an l脿thair aig an robh G脿idhlig.

Cha ghabhadh fear an taighe ri leisgeul agus cha robh dol-脿s aige. Th脿inig rann beag do chuimhne 鈥 rudeigin a leugh e ann an Teachdaire an t-Sluaigh. Agus seo e:

Bha bodach am Bail鈥 Obair Pheallaidh

鈥橲 a thaigh air a thughadh le bealaidh,

Ach dh鈥櫭╥rich gaoth gheur,

鈥橲 bha an tughadh san speur,

鈥橲 thuirt a鈥 chailleach 鈥榟o-r猫鈥, d猫an taigh-geal dheth鈥!

Tha mi an d貌chas gu bheil sibh ga thuigs鈥. Leis gun do dh鈥檉halbh an tughadh, b鈥 fheudar don bhodach, tha mi cinnteach, sgl猫atan a chur air mullach an taighe, is taigh-geal a dh猫anamh de thaigh-dubh.

Bha bodach am Bail鈥 Obair Pheallaidh

鈥橲 a thaigh air a thughadh le bealaidh,

Ach dh鈥櫭╥rich gaoth gheur,

鈥橲 bha an tughadh san speur,

鈥橲 thuirt a鈥 chailleach 鈥榟o-r猫, d猫an taigh-geal dheth鈥!

Mar a thachair, bha duine san 猫isteachd aig an robh beagan G脿idhlig 鈥 fear aig an robh p脿rantan 脿s an Eilean Sgitheanach. Aig an 脿m ud, bha m貌ran ann an Astr脿ilia aig an robh an c脿nan, gu seachd 脿raidh sna puirt-mhara, agus air b貌rd nan long a bha a鈥 se貌ladh a鈥 chuain.

Nuair a bha Iain agus a bhean suas ann am bliadhnaichean, roghnaich iad turas dhachaigh a ghabhail a dh鈥橝lba air b貌rd luinge. Fhuair Iain a-mach gu sgiobalta gu robh grunnan dhen chriubha aig an robh G脿idhlig 鈥 tri霉ir 脿s an Eilean Sgitheanach, c貌ignear 脿 eileanan eile agus fear 脿 脌rasaig. Bha fear-riaghlaidh a鈥 phuirt ann an Hobart (dhan deach iad an toiseach) 脿 Ge脿rrloch, agus thachair Iain ri feadhainn ann am Melbourne aig an robh G脿idhlig cuideachd. Cha do ghabh e s霉im sam bith de dh鈥橝delaide, ge-t脿, oir cha b鈥 aithne dha aon duine anns a鈥 bhaile sin a bhruidhneadh ris na ch脿nan fh猫in!

Nuair a bha iad ann an sg矛re Ghe脿rrloch bha iad a鈥 fuireach ann am Poll I霉bh. Bha m貌ran air atharrachadh anns a鈥 bhaile thairis air an 霉ine a bha Iain air a bhith ann an Astr脿ilia. Bha na b脿taichean-sm霉id air sgur de bhith a鈥 tadhal air, agus cha robh muileann ann tuilleadh. Ach bha aon rud math ann. B鈥 e sin a鈥 bhan-lighiche, Miss Rees, air an robh na daoine uabhasach measail. Rinn i leigheas air tinneas a bha a鈥 bualadh air Iain fh猫in, agus sgr矛obh e 貌ran dhi. Seo tr矛 rannan dheth:

Th脿inig lighiche beag don taobh tuath,

Tha anabarrach sgileil mun t-sluagh,

Chan eil tinneas no galar nach teich 脿s a鈥 bhaile

Nuair a chithear a faileas mun cuairt.

Nach fhaic sibh na bodaich 脿 Bl脿ir,

Iain Mollach 鈥檚 an 鈥楻am鈥 is c脿ch,

Chan eil siataig nan casan no pian anns an stamaig,

Bhon a th脿inig a鈥 chaileag don 脿ite.

Ged a bhiodh an l脿 fliuch agus fuar,

Bidh an l猫igh gach madainn mun cuairt,

Cur iocshlaintean fallain an creuchdan nan cailleach,

Gan cumail air ais 脿s an uaigh!

Sin e bhuamsa an t-seachdain seo. Beannachd leibh.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: Teachdaire an t-Sluaigh: The People鈥檚 Journal; dol-脿s: escape; Obar Pheallaidh: Aberfeldy; sgl猫atan: slates; puirt-mhara: seaports; roghnaich: chose; 脌rasaig: Arisaig; Poll I霉bh: Poolewe; siataig: sciatica; l猫igh: physician, doctor.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: cha b鈥 urrainn dha seinn ach ann an G脿idhlig: he could only sing in Gaelic; cha robh e an d霉il gu robh aon duine an l脿thair: he didn鈥檛 think there was anybody present; th脿inig rann beag do chuimhne: a short verse came to [his]mind; air a thughadh le bealaidh: thatched with broom; d猫an taigh-geal dheth: make it into a white house [ie non-thatched]; suas ann am bliadhnaichean: at a good age; cha do ghabh e s霉im sam bith de X: he didn鈥檛 think much of X; cha b鈥 aithne dha aon duine: he didn鈥檛 know one person; bha na b脿taichean-sm霉id air sgur de bhith a鈥 tadhal air: the steamboats had stopped calling there; [a鈥橾 cur iocshlaintean fallain an creuchdan nan cailleach: putting healthy remedies in the old women鈥檚 wounds; gan cumail air ais 脿s an uaigh: keeping them out of the grave.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Ach dh鈥櫭╥rich gaoth gheur,鈥檚 bha an tughadh san speur: but a sharp wind arose and the thatch was [blown] in the sky. You might have been tempted to pronounce geur 鈥済ee-uhr鈥 and speur 鈥渟payr鈥 which, of course, would limit the effectiveness of the rhyme. Two things need to be said: firstly, there is always poetic licence in such matters which led me to pronounce geur 鈥済ayr鈥. But secondly, there has been a historical change in which the eu diphthong has tended to change, in the northern G脿idhealtachd, to an 鈥渋a鈥 sound in many words. In the south (eg Argyll), the original 鈥渁y鈥 sound is largely retained. This is why feur (grass) is pronounced 鈥渇ee-uhr鈥 in the north but 鈥渇ayr鈥 in places like Islay. Speur, however, is, as far as I am aware, pronounced 鈥渟payr鈥 throughout the country.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: air peanas bonn airgid a ph脿igheadh: or they would be punished by having to pay a silver coin (鈥渙n pain of paying 鈥︹).

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