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Gheibh sinn a-mach mun a' bhĂ rd agus an t-sealgair, Uilleam Righnaoigh. Another story.

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Wed 8 Jun 2016 23:00

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Litir 811: Uilleam Ruighe ’n Uidhe

An cuala sibh riamh mun bhĂ rd GhĂ idhlig Uilleam Ruighe ’n Uidhe? William Gow ann am Beurla. Bha e beĂČ aig deireadh an ochdamh linn deug. Bhuineadh e do Ruighe ’n Uidhe ann an Srath SpĂš – seann bhaile-fearainn eadar An Gleann MĂČr agus Obar Neithich. Bha e gu math ainmeil ri a linn, gu h-Ă raidh anns an sgĂŹre far am biodh e a’ sealg – Am Monadh Ruadh. Leis gun robh e na bhĂ rd agus na shealgair, gu tric bhiodh e a’ sgrĂŹobhadh bĂ rdachd mu shealg.

            Uaireannan, bhiodh e ri sealg le cead an uachdarain, gu h-àraidh air taobh an iar-thuath a’ Mhonaidh Ruaidh, ann an Rat Mhurchais is àiteachan mar sin. Ach bhiodh e ri poidseadh cuideachd, gu h-àraidh air taobh eile a’ mhonaidh ann am Màrr agus Doire. Bhiodh e a’ togail bothain shìmplidh dha fhùin a-muigh sa mhonadh.

            Tha mi a’ dol a leughadh pìosan à dàn a sgrìobh Uilleam mu dheidhinn sealg nam fiadh anns a’ Mhonadh Ruadh:

Och, gur mi tha muladach                      

Sa mhonadh, ’s mi leam fhùin,

’S mi bhi ’tĂ mh an crĂČdhan beag

Bothain ’thog mi ’m fheum;

Cha robh spaid no tuagh agam,

No ball mun cuairt dom lĂ imh,

Ach a’ bhiodag làidir bharra-chaol

’S ann leatha bhuain mi ’m fàl.

            Anns an dĂ rna rann, tha Uilleam ag ainmeachadh ‘a’ Bhan-Ghranndach’ – ‘the Grant maiden’. Tha e a’ ciallachadh a ghunna. ’S e an cleachdadh a bh’ aig na GĂ idheil o shean a bhith a’ cur ainm boireann air gunna. ChĂŹ sibh anns an rann seo gun robh pĂčdar – no fĂčdar – a’ ghunna feumail airson teine a chur thuige, agus gun robh i gu math fuar shuas sa mhonadh:

Tha na h-osanan air reothadh orm,

Mun tĂšid a’ cheĂČthag suas,

Tha gaoth is cur is cathadh ann,

’S e gabhail domh sa chluais;

Ach glacaidh mis’ Bhan-Ghranndach seo,

A tha nam lĂ imh san uair,

Is fadaidh is’ an teine dhomh,

Le fĂčdar sgeireach cruaidh.

Nise, tha fios againn bho dhĂ n ainmeil eile – ‘Allt an Lochain Uaine’ – gun do thog Uilleam bothan ri taobh an uillt sin – ann an ceann shuas Gleann Doire. Mu choinneimh sin, air taobh an ear a’ ghlinne, tha an Glas-allt. Ma leanas tu an Glas-allt suas, ruigidh tu mĂČinteach Ă rd. Air an taobh eile dhen mhĂČintich tha an Dubh-ghleann no Dubh-ghleannan, far a bheil coille-ghiuthais nĂ darrach fhathast. Tha Uilleam ag ainmeachadh nan Ă iteachan sin anns a’ cheathramh rann. Mar sin, tha fios againn cà’ robh e a’ sealg:

’S  mur faigh anns a’ Ghlas-allt,

Na fir aigeannach tha bhuam,

Ma ruigeas mi an DĂčbh-ghleannan,

Is brĂ igh nan stĂčc tha shuas;

Siridh mi gu cothromach

Gach coire dhiubh is bruthach,

’S cha chuir mi às a h-aon dhiubh,

Ma dh’fhaodas le gaoth-chuairt.

Bha e a’ poidseadh air fearann a bhuineadh don Mhorair FĂŹobha – Lord Fife, a tha e ag ainmeachadh san dĂ n. Bha e ann cho tric, ’s gun robh botal de dh’uisge-beatha aige ‘fo shop aig bun bruthaich’. Bhiodh e ga lorg gu furasta oir bha e mion-eĂČlach air na beanntan sin. Seo an rann mu dheireadh:

’S nuair shuidheas mi air socair,

’S gun dosgainn bhith ri luaidh,

Bheir mi lĂ mh air botal

Tha fon t-sop am bun na bruthaich;

’S ma thachras do na companaich

Bhith lĂ imh rium anns an uair,

“Lord Fife is damh na crĂČice” –

An deoch-slĂ inte thĂšid mun cuairt.

Faclan na Litreach

Faclan na Litreach: Ruighe ’n Uidhe: Rynuie; Am Monadh Ruadh: The Cairngorms; Rat Mhurchais: Rothiemurchus; muladach: sad; łŠ±đĂČłÙłóČčČ”: small smoke; Gleann Doire: Glen Derry; »ć±đŽÇłŠłó-Čő±ôĂ Ÿ±ČÔłÙ±đ: toast (drink).ÌęÌę

Abairtean na Litreach

Abairtean na Litreach: deireadh an ochdamh linn deug: the end of the 18th Century; seann bhaile-fearainn eadar An Gleann MĂČr agus Obar Neithich: an old farm between Glenmore and Abernethy; gun robh e na bhĂ rd agus na shealgair: that he was a poet and hunter; cead an uachdarain: the landlord’s permission; bhiodh e ri poidseadh: he would go poaching; sa mhonadh, ’s mi leam fhĂšin: on the mountain by myself; [a’] tĂ mh an crĂČdhan beag, bothain ’thog mi ’m fheum: dwelling in a little pen of a bothy I built in my need; ball mun cuairt dom lĂ imh: a tool around to my hand; a’ bhiodag lĂ idir bharra-chaol: the strong, narrow-pointed dirk; bhuain mi ’m fĂ l: I cut the turf; a bhith a’ cur ainm boireann air gunna: to give a gun a feminine name; airson teine a chur thuige: to light a fire; tha na h-osanan air reothadh orm: the hose have frozen on me; tha cur is cathadh ann: it is snowing and blizzarding; [a’] gabhail d[h]omh sa chluais: assailing me in the ear; fadaidh is’ an teine dhomh, le fĂčdar sgeireach cruaidh: she will kindle the fire for me, with gritty hard powder; na fir aigeannach tha bhuam: the lively ones I want; brĂ igh nan stĂčc tha shuas: the upland of the jutting peaks to the west; cha chuir mi Ă s a h-aon dhiubh, ma dh’fhaodas le gaoth-chuairt: I won’t kill [only] one of them if I might with an eddying wind; fo shop aig bun bruthaich: under a wisp [of grass] at the bottom of a slope; gun dosgainn bhith ri luaidh: without recounting a misfortune; Lord Fife is damh na crĂČice: [a toast to] Lord Fife and the antlered stag.

Puing-chĂ nain na Litreach

Puing-chànain na Litreach: fearann a bhuineadh don Mhorair Fìobha: land that belonged to Lord Fife. The lords of Fife were important in medieval Scotland and the title (Earl of Fife) was revived in the 18th Century. Their name appears to be preserved in a very important landmark in the Cairngorms – but not as Fìobh or Fife. Their family name was Duff or MacDuibh and it is likely that Scotland’s second highest mountain, Beinn MacDuibh, commemorates the clan.

GnĂ thas-cainnt na Litreach

GnĂ thas-cainnt na Litreach: Bhith lĂ imh rium anns an uair: to be near to me at that time.

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