The direction of the wind
In Scotland, we live in a windy country. We have many proverbs
connected to the wind. Here is one:
No wind ever blew that didn’t fill someone’s sails.
Whatever the direction of the wind, somebody will benefit from it – as
long as it isn’t too strong, at least. The proverb also refers to
humans. However bad a situation is for some, others will benefit from
it. No wind ever blew that didn’t fill someone’s sails.
Here is another saying connected to the direction of the wind.
A west wind without a shower, it wants to turn (to the) south.
If it’s dry, with a west wind, the wind often turns anti-clockwise. It
moves against the movement of the sun.
Here are two other sayings about the movement of the wind.
The wind changing with the sun.
When the wind moves clockwise, with the movement of the sun, the
weather improves. Directly against that is
The wind changing against the sun.
With that, the weather deteriorates. These two sayings are perhaps
connected to the sunwise and anti-sunwise movement of the wind in
high-pressure and low-pressure systems in the Northern Hemisphere.
And here is a rhyme that gives advice to travellers on west coast
ferries. It concerns the best days for sailing, according to the wind
direction and how long it has been blowing:
The first day of the south wind,
The third day of the north wind,
The second day of the west wind
And the east wind at all times.
If you buy a ferry ticket at the last minute, perhaps that advice will
be useful to you! Here is the rhyme again:
The first day of the south wind,
The third day of the north wind,
The second day of the west wind
And the east wind at all times.
Àird na gaoithe
Ann an Alba, tha sinn a’ fuireach ann an dùthaich ghaothach. Tha
seanfhaclan gu leòr againn co-cheangailte ris a’ ghaoith. Seo agaibh fear: Cha do shèid gaoth riamh nach robh an seòl cuideigin. Às bith dè
an àird às an tig a’ ghaoth, gheibh cuideigin buannachd aiste – mura h-eil
i ro làidir, co-dhiù. Tha an seanfhacal cuideachd a’ buntainn ri mac an
duine. Às bith dè cho dona ʼs a tha suidheachadh do chuid, bidh feadhainn
a’ faighinn buannachd às. Cha do shèid gaoth riamh nach robh an seòl
cuideigin.
Seo agaibh abairt eile co-cheangailte ri àird na gaoithe. Gaoth an iar gun fhras, bidh i ag iarraidh gu deas. Ma tha i
tioram, agus a’ ghaoth on àird an iar, bidh a’ ghaoth gu tric a’ dol
tuathal. Bidh i a’ gluasad an aghaidh gluasad na grèine.
Seo dà abairt eile mu ghluasad na gaoithe. A’ ghaoth ag atharrachadh leis a’ ghrèin. Nuair a bhios a’ ghaoth
ag atharrachadh gu deiseil, le gluasad na grèine, bidh an aimsir a’ fàs nas
fheàrr. Calg-dhìreach an aghaidh sin tha A’ ghaoth ag atharrachadh an aghaidh na grèine. Le sin, bidh an
aimsir a’ fàs nas miosa. Tha an dà abairt seo ’s dòcha a’ buntainn ri
gluasad deiseil is tuathal na gaoithe ann an siostaman bruthadh-àrd is
bruthadh-ìosal anns an Leth-chruinne mu Thuath.
Agus seo agaibh rann a bheir comhairle do luchd-siubhail air
bàtaichean-aiseig an taoibh an iar. Tha e a-mach air na làithean as fheàrr
airson seòladh, a rèir àird na gaoithe agus cho fada ’s a tha i air a bhith
a’ sèideadh:
A’ chiad latha dhen ghaoith a deas,
An treas latha dhen ghaoith a tuath,
An dàrna latha dhen ghaoith an iar
’S a’ ghaoth an ear gach ial ’s gach uair.
Ma cheannaicheas sibh tiogaid aiseig aig a’ mhionaid mu dheireadh, ’s dòcha
gum bi a’ chomhairle sin feumail dhut! Seo an rann a-rithist:
A’ chiad latha dhen ghaoith a deas,
An treas latha dhen ghaoith a tuath,
An dàrna latha dhen ghaoith an iar
’S a’ ghaoth an ear gach ial ’s gach uair.
