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23/01/2012

Tha litir bheag na seachdain aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain.
This week's short letter for learners is introduced by Ruaraidh MacLean.

5 minutes

Last on

Mon 23 Jan 2012 19:00

Clip

An Litir Bheag 350

Seo earrann à seann leabhar Gàidhlig. ’S e fèin-eachraidh a tha ann. Bha an t-ùghdar ainmeil.

Bha mi cho sona ’s gun do ghineadh mi bho phàrantan diadhaidh … a rinn na h-uile dhìcheall a chum mo thogail suas ann an eagal an Tighearna, agus mo dhleastanas a theagasg dhomh … gu h-àraidh mo mhàthair chaomh a dh’ionnsaich dhomh ùrnaigh a dhèanamh cho luath ’s a b’ urrainn mi labhairt…

Bha am fear a sgrìobh an leabhar e fhèin diadhaidh. B’ esan Dùghall Bochanan. Bha e ainmeil mar bhàrd spioradail. Thug e taic cuideachd don Urramach Seumas Stiùbhart à Cill Fhinn nuair a rinn esan eadar-theangachadh dhen Tiomnadh Nuadh gu Gàidhlig.

Anns an leabhar aige Beatha agus Iompachadh Dhùghaill Bhochanan, tha Dùghall ag innse mu rud a thachair dha. Bha e còig bliadhna a dh’aois. Bha e a-muigh air an t-Sabaid, a’ cluich. Cha robh fios aig a mhàthair. Nuair a thill e dhachaigh, bha na rinn e a’ cur dragh air a chogais. Air an oidhche sin, bha bruadar aige. Anns a’ bhruadar, thàinig Ìosa thuige. Bha Ìosa mì-thoilichte gun do bhris Dùghall an t-Sàbaid.

Cha chreid mi nach e sin an latha a fhuair e iompachadh. Thòisich e air ùrnaigh gu tric.

Anns na beagan Litrichean romhainn, tha mi a’ dol a thoirt sùil air eachdraidh-beatha Dhùghaill Bhochanain. Rugadh e ann an seachd ceud deug is sia-deug (1716). Bhuineadh e do dh’àite a bha gu math Gàidhealach aig an àm sin – an t-Iomaire Riabhach. Tha sin faisg air Both Chuidir ann an Siorrachd Shruighlea. ’S e Strathyre a chanas daoine ris ann am Beurla (ged a thàinig sin bhon Ghàidhlig cuideachd).

Nuair a bha e sia bliadhna a dh’aois, chaochail a mhàthair. Goirid an dèidh sin bha aislingean aige. Thug na h-aislingean buaidh mhòr air. “Thòisich an Tighearn’ air m’ fhiosrachadh le seallaidhean uabhasach,” tha e a’ sgrìobhadh. Anns na h-aislingean, bha Ìosa air tilleadh gus breith a thoirt air t-saoghal. “Chunnaic mi mi fhìn,” tha Dùghall ag ràdh, “…air mo dhìteadh a chum losgadh siorraidh.”

Leanaidh sinn le eachdraidh a bheatha an-ath-sheachdain.

The Little Letter 350

Here’s a section from an old Gaelic book. It’ s an autobiography. The author was famous.

I was very happy that I was produced by pious parents ... who made every effort to raise me in the fear of the Lord, and to teach me my duty ... particularly my gentle mother who taught me to pray as soon as I could talk...

The man who wrote the book was himself godly. He was Dugald Buchanan. He was famous as a spiritual poet. He also helped the Reverend James Stewart from Killin when he translated the New Testament into Gaelic.

In his book The Life and Conversion of Dugald Buchanan, Dugald tells about something that happened to him. He was five years old. He was out on the Sabbath, playing. His mother didn’t know. When he returned home, what he had done preyed on his conscience. That night, he had a dream. In the dream, Jesus came to him. Jesus was unhappy that Dugald had broken the Sabbath.

I reckon that was the day he was converted. He started to pray frequently.

In the next few Litrichean, I’m going to look at the life history of Dugald Buchanan. He was born in 1716. He belonged to a place that was very Gaelic in character at the time – An t-Iomaire Riabhach [‘the brindled ridge’]. That’s near Balquhidder in Stirlingshire. It’s called Strathyre in English (although that came from Gaelic as well).

When he was six years old, his mother died. Shortly after that he had dreams/visions. The visions had a big effect on him. “The Lord started to inform me with terrible visions,” he writes. In the visions, Jesus had returned to pass judgment upon the world. “I saw myself,” says Dugald, “...condemned to eternal hellfire.”

We’ll continue with his life story next week.

Broadcast

  • Mon 23 Jan 2012 19:00

All the letters

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