190: Eilean Bharraigh
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Eilean Bharraigh
Tha mi airson ’s gun smaoinich sibh tiotan air Eilean Bharraigh. ’S e eilean brèagha a th’ ann co-dhiù, ach tha e a’ coimhead nas brèagha nan àbhaist, leis gu bheil an là àlainn, agus a’ ghrian a’ deàrrsadh. Tha triùir bhoireannach còmhla air tràigh – tràigh mhòr le gainmheach bhàn oirre. ’S e luchd-ciùil a th’ annta agus tha dithis (’s e peathraichean a th’ annta) ag iarraidh air an tè eile òran a ghabhail. Chan e òran àbhaisteach, ge-tà, oir tha na boireannaich a’ coimhead air grunn ròn air sgeirean faisg air a’ chladach, a tha gam blianadh fhèin.
Tha iad ag iarraidh air am bana-chompanach òran eileanach a ghabhail mu dheidhinn ròn a bha beò ann an riochd boireannaich. Tha a’ bhana-sheinneadair a’ coimhead timcheall oirre, eagal ’s gu bheil duine eile ann. Ach chan eil sgeul air duine eile. Chan eil dad beò ri fhaicinn ach iad fhèin, na ròin agus faoileagan. Tha i a’ tòiseachadh air seinn. Agus dè tha sin, thall air na sgeirean? Tha na ròin a’ toirt freagairt dhi. Tha iad a’ seinn air ais dhi nan dòigh fhèin. Agus tha fear dhiubh uabhasach math, a’ seinn cha mhòr mar a bhiodh boireannach le guth math – aig ìre mezzo-soprano.
Tha peansail agus pàipear aig a’ bhoireannach, oir tha i air a bhith ag obair air ceòl is òrain a chlàradh ann am Barraigh, agus tha i a’ cur fonn an ròin sìos air a’ phàipear aice. Tha i a’ dèanamh dheth, agus tha na boireannaich eile ag aontachadh rithe, gu bheil an ròn gun teagamh a’ seinn.
Thachair sin uaireigin as t-samhradh eadar na bliadhnaichean naoi-deug is fichead (1920) agus naoi-deug, fichead ’s a seachd (1927), agus ’s i am boireannach a sheinn an t-òran agus a sgrìobh fonn an ròin tè-chiùil ainmeil a dh’fhàg dìleab mhòr co-cheangailte ri òrain nan Gàidheal. Deagh dhìleab no droch dhìleab a rèir do sheallaidh fhèin. B’ ise Marsaili Cheanadach-Fhriseal, Marjory Kennedy-Fraser, no, mar a bh’ aithne do mhòran air a’ Ghàidhealtachd i, Marsaili nan Òran.
Bhiodh Marsaili tric a’ nochdadh air an àrd-ùrlar ann an Lunnainn, agus dh’innis i don luchd-amharc anns a’ bhaile sin turas mu dheidhinn na thachair dhi air an là sin ann am Barraigh, agus mar a sheinn ròn dhi. Rinn an iris aoireil Punch fealla-dhà mun chùis, agus iad a’ cur adhart a’ bheachd gum bu chòir don Chompanaidh Opera Nàiseanta an ròn a ghlacadh is a chur air an àrd-ùrlar an àite a’ phrima donna a bh’ aca, leis gum biodh e fada na bu shaoire dhaibh!
Bha Marsaili uabhasach measail air Barraigh agus na Barraich. Chruinnich i tòrr òran anns an eilean, leithid bho Anna NicIain ann am Bàgh a’ Chaisteil agus bhon ‘Mrs Mackinnon’ mar a bh’ aice fhèin oirre, no Bean Shomhairle Bhig, mar a b’ aithne do mhuinntir an àite i, anns a’ Bhàgh a Tuath. Chaidh i timcheall gu taighean nan daoine, ag iarraidh orra òrain a ghabhail dhi agus, eadar peansail is pàipear, agus inneal-clàraidh air an robh graphophone, rinn i clàr de dh’òrain gu leòr.
Ach cha b’ e Barraigh a’ chiad eilean anns na h-Eileanan an Iar dhan deach Marsaili. Thòisich i air a’ chruinneachadh a rinn ainmeil i ann an eilean eile beagan gu tuath air Barraigh – Eirisgeigh. Bho chaidh i an sin ann an naoi-deug ’s a còig (1905) gus an do chaochail i ann an naoi-deug is trithead (1930), bha Marsaili gu mòr an sàs ann an cruinneachadh, agus ’s dòcha ath-chruthachadh, òrain nan Gàidheal. Anns na litrichean romhainn bheir sinn sùil air a beatha.
Faclan na Litreach: tiotan: a moment; gainmheach: sand; peathraichean: sisters; bana-chompanach: female companion; faoileagan: seagulls; gun teagamh: without doubt; àrd-ùrlar: stage; Lunnainn: London; inneal-clàraidh: recording device.
Abairtean na Litreach: ’s e eilean brèagha a th’ ann: it’s a beautiful island; leis gu bheil an là àlainn: because the day is beautiful; tha X ag iarraidh air an tè eile òran a ghabhail: X wants the other [female] one to sing a song; grunn ròn air sgeirean: a group of seals on sea-rocks; a tha gam blianadh fhèin: which are sunning themselves; a bha beò ann an riochd boireannaich: which was living in the form of a woman; tha na boireannaich eile ag aontachadh rithe: the other women agree with her; deach dhìleab no droch dhìleab: a good legacy or a bad legacy; a rèir do sheallaidh fhèin: according to your own view; rinn an iris aoireil Punch fealla-dhà mun chùis: the satirical magazine Punch made fun of the matter; leis gum biodh e fada na bu shaoire: that it would be much cheaper; anns a’ Bhàgh a Tuath: in Northbay; thòisich i air a’ chruinneachadh a rinn ainmeil i: she started on the collecting that made her famous; gus an do chaochail i: until she died; agus ’s dòcha ath-chruthachadh: and perhaps re-invention; bheir sinn sùil air a beatha: we will look at her life.
Puing-ghràmair na Litreach: tha mi airson ’s gun smaoinich sibh air Eilean Bharraigh:I want you to think about the Isle of Barra. Notice here the use of the Gaelic preposition air which is normally translated as “on” but is here equivalent to the English “about”, which is itself often a translation of the Gaelic mu dheidhinn. You might have said “tha mi airson ’s gun smaoinich sibh mu dheidhinn Eilean Bharraigh” and you would not have been wrong, but it would be an unnecessary complication. Here is another example: sgrìobh mi litir thuice air an dearbh ghnothach (I wrote a letter to her about the very matter). A common example where both “on” and “about” occur in the English version is the expression cò air a tha thu a-mach? (what are you on about?). And, of course, the grammatical gymnasts among you will realise that ‘I read a book about a bus’ would be leugh mi leabhar air bus which might simply that you were on a bus, reading a book about (let us say) quantum physics. In this instance, you might well say leugh mi leabhar mu dheidhinn bus, in order to avoid ambiguity
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: mar a b’ aithne do mhòran air a’ Ghaidhealtachd i: as many in the Gàidhealtachd knew (recognised) her. Mar a b’ aithne do/dha X Y : as X knew/recognised Y.
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