01/11/2010
Tha litir bheag na seachdain-sa aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain. This week's short letter for learners is introduced by Ruaraidh MacLean.
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An Litir Bheag 286
Duration: 03:41
An Litir Bheag 286
Tha ĂČran snog againn ann an GĂ idhlig. âS e tĂ ladh a tha ann. âS e an t-ainm a tha air Uiseag Bheag Dhearg. Anns an ĂČran, tha pĂ iste aâ bruidhinn ri uiseag. Tha an uiseag ag innse cĂ ite an robh i aâ faighinn cadal. Fhuair i droch chadal anns an dris. Fhuair i droch chadal aig muir. Ach fhuair i deagh chadal eadar dĂ dhuilleig. Ma dhâobraicheas e gu math, bidh am pĂ iste na chadal ro dheireadh an ĂČrain!
Aig deireadh na sĂšiste tha an loidhne seo: cĂ ite na chaidil thu raoir san âĂŹâ? Tha âĂŹâ aâ ciallachadh âoidhcheâ. CĂ ite an do chaidil thu a-raoir san oidhchâ? Ach seinnidh sinn âsan ĂŹâ seach âsan oidhchââ. Tha sin aâ dearbhadh gur e ĂČran Manainneach a tha ann. Tha e Ă Eilean Mhanainn bho thĂčs. Airson oidhche mhath, canaidh na Manainnich oie vie. Agus ann an Gaelg â GĂ idhlig Eilean Mhanainn â tha ushag aâ ciallachadh âeun beag sam bithâ, seach lark.
Ach ciamar a fhuair an t-ĂČran a-steach do GhĂ idhlig na h-Alba? Uill, o chionn ghoirid, fhuair mi sin a-mach. Bha mi aâ leughadh leabhar mu dheidhinn Mona Douglas nach maireann. Bâ ise tĂš ainmeil Ă Eilean Mhanainn. Bha i aâ brosnachadh cĂ nan agus cultar an eilein. Anns an leabhar tha tar-sgrĂŹobhadh de dhâagallamh a rinn i. Anns an agallamh, dhâainmich i an t-ĂČran le ainm Manainneach â Ushag Veg Ruy.
Thuirt i gun robh ĂČrain Mhanainn-each aâ sgapadh am measg nan GĂ idheal ann an Alba is Ăirinn. Chuir i Ushag Veg Ruy ann an clĂČ. Bha sin anns na ficheadan no toiseach nan tritheadan anns an fhicheadamh linn. Fhuair tidsear ann an Alba grĂšim air an ĂČran. Bha Douglas aâ smaoineachadh gur ann Ă Tiriodh a bha e.
SgrĂŹobh an tidsear seo gu Douglas. Dhâiarr e cead bhuaipe an t-ĂČran a chur ann an GĂ idhlig na h-Alba. Uaireigin Ă s dĂšidh sin, sheinn sgoilear Ă s an sgoil aige Uiseag Bheag Dhearg aig aâ MhĂČd â mar ĂČran Albannach. Bhuannaich e duais! Agus sin mar a thachair e. Bidh iomadh fear is tĂš ĂČg ann an Alba aâ gabhail an ĂČrain sin chun an latha an-diugh.The Little Letter 286
We have a nice song in Gaelic. Itâs a lullaby. Itâs name is Uiseag Bheag Dhearg. In the song a child is speaking to a lark. The lark tells where it was sleeping. It slept badly in the bramble bush. It slept badly at sea. But it slept well between two leaves. If it works well, the child will be asleep before the end of the song.
       At the end of the chorus there is this line: where did you sleep last night in the âĂŹâ? âĂâ means ânightâ. Where did you sleep last night? But we sing âsan ĂŹâ rather than âsan oidhchââ. That proves it is a Manx song. Itâs originally from the Isle of Man. For oidhche mhath, the Manx say oie vie. And in Gaelg â Manx Gaelic â ushag means âany small birdâ, rather than a lark.
       But how did the song get into Scottish Gaelic? Well, recently, I found that out. I was reading a book about the late Mona Douglas. She was a famous woman from the Isle of Man. She encouraged [the use of] the language and culture of the island. In the book there is a transcription of an interview she gave. In the interview she named the song with a Manx name â Ushag Veg Ruy.
       She said that Manx songs were spreading among the Gaels in Scotland and Ireland. She put Ushag Veg Ruy in print. That was in the twenties or early thirties in the twentieth century. A teacher in Scotland got hold of the song. Douglas was thinking he was from Tiree.
       This teacher wrote to Douglas. He asked permission from her to translate the song to Scottish Gaelic. Sometime after that, a pupil from his school sang Uiseag Bheag Dhearg at the Mod â as a Scottish song. He won a prize! And thatâs how it happened. Many a young person in Scotland sings that song to this very day.Broadcast
- Mon 1 Nov 2010 19:00±«Óătv Radio nan GĂ idheal
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Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.
Podcast: An Litir Bheag
The Little Letter for Gaelic Learners
An Litir Bheag air LearnGaelic
An Litir Bheag is also on LearnGaelic (with PDFs)
Podcast
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An Litir Bheag
Litirichean do luchd-ionnsachaidh ura. Letters in Gaelic for beginners.