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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 43: Donnchadh B脿n Mac an t-Saoir

Rugadh am b脿rd, Donnchadh B脿n Mac an t-Saoir, ann an Gleann Urchaidh ann an Earra-Ghaidheal ann an seachd ceud deug, is ceithir ar fhichead (1724). 鈥橲 e a鈥 chiad ph矛os a sgr矛obh e, a th鈥檃gainn fhathast, 脪ran do Bhl脿r na h-Eaglaise Brice.

Ghabh Bl脿r na h-Eaglaise Brice 脿ite anns an Fhaoilleach, seachd ceud deug, d脿 fhichead 鈥檚 a sia (1746) nuair a bha Donnchadh ceithir bliadhna fichead a dh鈥檃ois. Thachair e nuair a bha arm a鈥 Phrionnsa a鈥 tilleadh gu tuath as d猫idh a bhith ann an Sasainn. Chaidh an latha leis na Seumasaich, ach bha Donnchadh air an taobh eile ann am Mailisi Earra-Ghaidheal, a鈥 sabaid airson R矛gh De貌rsa. Chanainn gu robh e air a bhith na bu thoilichte c貌mhla ris a鈥 Phrionnsa.

Ach 鈥檚 ann airson 貌rain-ghaoil agus 貌rain-n脿dair a tha Donnchadh ainmeil, seach b脿rdachd-cogaidh. Sgr矛obh e corra ph矛os mu bhean, 鈥淢脿iri bh脿n 貌g鈥. Tha do ph貌g mar 霉bhlan g脿raidh, 鈥檚 tha do bhr脿ighe mar an ne貌inean, is rudan taitneach mar sin.

Agus ann an d脿n eile:

Do chneas mar an 猫iteag

Gl猫 ghlan, fallain,

Corp seang mar chanach an t-sl猫ibh鈥

Ch矛 sibh gu robh Donnchadh a鈥 cleachdadh iomhaighean co-cheangailte ri n脿dar agus, a bharrachd air gaol, 鈥檚 e n脿dar a bu mhotha a ghluais e gu b脿rdachd. Bha e ag obair bliadhnaichean mar choilltear airson Iarla Bhr脿ghad Albann neo, mar a chanadh na G脿idheil ris, Mac Cailein 鈥檌c Dhonnchaidh. Dh鈥檕braich e cuideachd do Mhac Cailein M貌r, Di霉c Earra-Ghaidheal.

Nuair a bha e ag obair do Mhac Cailein 鈥檌c Dhonnchaidh, chuir e seachad m貌ran t矛de ann an d脿 脿ite a bha e a鈥 dol a dheanamh ainmeil le bh脿rdachd 鈥 Beinn D貌rain agus Coire Cheathaich. Tha ceathach a鈥 ciallachadh ce貌. Coire Cheathaich, neo Coir鈥 a鈥 Cheathaich 鈥 Coire a鈥 Che貌 鈥 the misty corrie.

Is toil leam an d脿n aige, air a bheil 鈥淐oire Cheathaich鈥 mar ainm, airson tr矛 adhbharan. Tha e l脿n fhaclan br猫agha is tha e a鈥 ruith gu math mar bh脿rdachd. Tha e cuideachd a鈥 sealltainn cho m貌r 鈥檚 a bha gr脿dh Dhonnchaidh do dh鈥櫭爎ainneachd na G脿idhealtachd. Agus an treas rud: tha e a鈥 dol leis a鈥 bheachd agam fh矛n gu bheil sinn a鈥 toirt cus sp猫is anns an latha an-diugh do na mullaichean, is nach eil sin a鈥 toirt sp猫is gu le貌r do na coireachan. Chanainn fh矛n gu bheil na coireachan am measg nan rudan as motha a tha a鈥 s貌nrachadh 脿rainneachd na h-Alba鈥

鈥橲 e Coire Cheathaich nan aighean si霉bhlach

An coire r霉nach is 霉rar fonn,

Gu lurach, miadh-fheurach, m矛n-gheal, s霉ghar

Gach lusan fl霉ir bu ch霉bhraidh leam鈥

Ach bu toil le Donnchadh na mullaichean cuideachd. An t-urram thar gach beinn aig Beinn D貌rain, sgr矛obh e mun bheinn a b鈥檉he脿rr leis, Na chunnaic mi fon ghr猫in, 鈥檚 i bu bh貌idhche leam鈥 Agus ged a dh鈥檉h脿g e Earra-Ghaidheal, agus ged a chuir e seachad iomadach bliadhna ann am baile m貌r Dh霉n Eideann, baile air an robh e gu math measail, cha do bhris e a-riamh na ceanglaichean spioradail a bh鈥檃ige do th矛r nam beann.

Bha e tr矛 fichead 鈥檚 a h-ochd-deug nuair a sgr矛obh e Cead Deireannach nam Beann, mu dheidhinn B猫inn D貌rain:

B鈥檈 sin an sealladh 猫ibhinn

Bhith 鈥檊 imeachd air na sl猫ibhtibh

Nuair bhiodh a鈥 ghrian ag 猫irigh

鈥橲 a bhiodh na f猫idh a鈥 langanaich.

Sgr矛obh Donnchadh B脿n marbh-rann dh脿 fh猫in 鈥 airson duine a bhiodh na sheasamh air a lic, agus am b脿rd marbh, fon fh貌id. Gabh mo chomhairle 鈥檚 bi glic, sgriobh e, cuimhnich tric gun tig am b脿s. Uill, th脿inig am b脿s air Donnchadh ach dh鈥檉h脿g e d矛leab phr矛seil dhuinn as a dh猫idh, d矛leab a bhios be貌 fhad鈥檚 a mhaireas c脿nan nan G脿idheal.

Faclan na seachdaine

Donnchadh B脿n Mac an t-Saoir: Duncan Ban MacIntyre; GleannUrchaidh: Glen Orchy; Mailisi Earra-Ghaidheal: the Argyll Militia; R矛gh De貌rsa: King George;taitneach: pleasant,nice; gaol: love; coilltear: forester; gr脿dh: love,fondness; aighean si霉bhlach:wandering hinds; r霉nach: beloved; 霉rar fonn: fresh delight; lurach: lovely; miadh-fheurach:abounding in meadow grass; m矛n-gheal: soft and fair; s霉ghar: succulent; marbh-rann: epitaph;fon fh貌id (or fon fh貌d): buried (lit. under the turf); d矛leab phr矛seil: a precious legacy

Abairtean na seachdaine

Bl脿r na h-Eaglaise Brice: The Battle of Falkirk (Falkirk is an EaglaisBhreac); arm a' Phrionnsa: the Prince's army; chaidh an latha leis na Seumasaich: the daywent with the Jacobites; tha do bhr脿ighe mar an ne貌inean: your bosom is like the daisy; dochneas mar an 猫iteag: your skin like the precious white stone; corp seang mar chanach an t-sl猫ibh: [your] slender body like the bog-cotton; iomhaighean co-cheangailte ri n脿dar: imagesconnected to nature; gu bheil sinn a' toirt cus sp猫is an latha an-diugh do na mullaichean: thatwe give too much esteem today to the summits; a tha a' s貌nrachadh 脿rainneachd na h-Alba:which characterize the environment of Scotland; gach lusan fl霉ir bu ch霉bhraidh leam: everylittle flowering plant which was pleasantly fragrant (to me); an t-urram thar gach beinn aig X:esteem above all other mountains to X; s i bu bh貌idhche leam: she was the most beautiful tome (beinn is feminine); Cead Deireannach nam Beann: Last Farewell to the Bens; be sin ansealladh 猫ibhinn: that was the delightful view (猫ibhinn can mean more than just funny);gabh mo chomhairle 's bi glic: take my advice and be wise; cuimhnich tric gun tig am b脿s;remember often that death will come; fhads a mhaireas c脿nan nan G脿idheal: as long as thelanguage of the Gael survives.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine

bhith 'g imeachd air na sl猫ibhtibh: to be journeying on thehills, moors. Today we would say air na sl猫ibhtean. The (a)ibh ending is the old dative plural,now only generally found in poetry, songs, old stories and proverbs; it has died off in modernusage. You will come across it in such phrases as guma slan do na fearaibh (health to the men)and bha na h-e貌in air na crannaibh (the birds were on the trees). Another dative in the Litir islic (air a lic). This is the singular dative of the feminine noun leac, a slab of stone, in this caseon the authors grave. Duncan B脿n wrote air mo lic, not air mo leac and this slenderizationstill occurs today, although no longer universally. Air a lic means on his grave-slab.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine

tha e a dol leis a bheachd agam fh矛n: it concurs with my own聽opinion. Chan eil mi a dol leat idir (I do not agree with you at all.)

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