The Gaelic Bible (3)
Three people were heavily involved in bringing the Bible to the Gaels of Scotland in Gaelic. The first man was Robert Boyle, the son of the Earl of
Cork. The second man was James Kirkwood, a minister who was once living in Perthshire. And the third person? He was Robert Kirk, minister in Aberfoyle
in the Trossachs. Kirk brought out the Irish Bible in Latin script for the Gaels of Scotland. That was in 1690.
But the Church was still dilatory in sending the Bible to the Highlands. Kirkwood got fed up of the hostility within the Church. He published a
pamphlet. Its title was
An Answer to the Objection against Printing the Bible in Irish as being prejudiciall to the designe of extirpating the Irish language out of the Highlands
of Scotland. The title says a lot, doesn’t it?!
But things didn’t get much better. Through the first half of the eighteenth century Gaelic had no place in education. The group that was mostly
provided education in the Highlands was the SSPCK
– Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge
. They were strongly opposed to Gaelic. Through time, however, they changed. Although children in their schools were reading English, they weren’t
understanding what they were reading. And the SSPCK understood that Gaelic would be useful. But only in assisting in learning English.
In 1754, people were working on a new edition of the Irish New Testament. That was for the people of Scotland. The SSPCK jumped in. They were wanting
to make it bilingual. But the project had gone too far. It didn’t happen.
So the SSPCK made a new translation of the New Testament. That was in Scottish Gaelic. As we’ll see next week, it’s a minister from Perthshire who did the
translation.
Am Bìobaill Gàidhlig
Bha triùir an sàs gu mòr ann a bhith a’ toirt a’ Bhìobaill gu Gàidheil na h-Alba ann an Gàidhlig. B’ e a’ chiad fhear Robert Boyle, mac Iarla Chorcaigh à
Èirinn. B’ e an dàrna fear Seumas Kirkwood, ministear a bha uaireigin a’ fuireach ann an Siorrachd Pheairt. Agus an treas fear? B’ esan Raibeart Kirk,
ministear ann an Obar Phuill anns na Tròiseachan. Thug Kirk a-mach am Bìoball Èireannach ann an clò Ròmanach airson Gàidheil na h-Alba. Bha sin ann an sia
ceud deug is naochad (1690).
Ach bha an Eaglais fhathast slaodach ann a bhith a’ cur a’ Bhìobaill chun na Gàidhealtachd. Dh’fhàs Kirkwood searbh dhen nàimhdeas anns an Eaglais.
Dh’fhoillsich e iris. ’S e an tiotal a bha oirre
An Answer to the Objection against Printing the Bible in Irish as being prejudiciall to the designe of extirpating the Irish language out of the
Highlands of Scotland
. Tha an tiotal ag innse mòran, nach eil?!
Ach cha do dh’fhàs cùisean mòran na b’ fheàrr. Tron chiad leth dhen ochdamh linn deug cha robh àite sam bith aig a’ Ghàidhlig ann am foghlam. ’S i a’
bhuidheann a bu mhotha a bha a’ toirt seachad foghlam air a’ Ghàidhealtachd an SSPCK – Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge.
Bha iad fada an aghaidh na Gàidhlig. Tro thìde, ge-tà, dh’atharraich iad. Ged a bha clann anns na sgoiltean aca a’ leughadh na Beurla, cha robh iad a’
tuigsinn na bha iad a’ leughadh. Agus thuig an SSPCK gum biodh a’ Ghàidhlig feumail. Ach dìreach ann a bhith a’ cuideachadh le ionnsachadh na Beurla.
Ann an seachd ceud deug, caogad ’s a ceithir (1754), bha daoine ag obair air iris ùr dhen Tiomnadh Nuadh Èireannach. Bha sin airson muinntir na h-Alba.
Leum an SSPCK a-steach. Bha iad ag iarraidh a dhèanamh dà-chànanach. Ach bha am pròiseact air a dhol ro fhada. Cha do thachair e.
Mar sin, rinn an SSPCK eadar-theangachadh ùr dhen Tiomnadh Nuadh. Bha ann an Gàidhlig na h-Alba. Mar a chì sinn an ath-sheachd-ain, ’s e ministear à
Siorrachd Pheairt a rinn an t-eadar-theangachadh.
