138: An t-òran nàiseanta againn
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
An t-òran nàiseanta againn
Tha seusan farpais mhòr eadar-nàiseanta an rugbaidh againn a-rithist, agus Alba a’ cluich Sasainn aig Murrayfield. A bharrachd air na geamannan, seo an t-àm nuair a bhios sinn a’ cluinntinn, is uaireannan a’ seinn, an òrain nàiseanta againn. Bha àm ann nuair a bhiodh na h-Albannaich a’ guidhe deagh shlàinte don Bhànrigh. An uairsin, ’s e “Scotland the Brave” a sheinneadh an luchd-amharc aig na geamannan mòra. An-diugh, ’s e “Flower of Scotland” a thathar a’ seinn.
Chuala mi ann an Gàidhlig e cuideachd – “Flùr na h-Alba” – ged nach do shaoil mi gu robh e càil na b’ fheàrr ann an Gàidhlig na bha e ann am Beurla. Tuigidh sibh nach eil mi uabhasach measail air an òran, co-dhiù mar òran nàiseanta na h-Alba.
Mar sin, nuair a bhios mi a’ leughadh bàrdachd Albannach, bidh mi a’ cumail mo shùilean fosgailte airson faclan aig a bheil ruith agus brìgh agus a leumas a-mach às an duilleig, ag ràdh rium – “seo an seòrsa rud a tha thu ag iarraidh ann an òran nàiseanta!” Gu ruige seo, cha do lorg mi rud sam bith a tha mi deiseil airson moladh do dh’Aonadh Rugbaidh na h-Alba no buidheann sam bith eile.
Nuair a bha mi a’ coimhead tro chruinneachadh de bhàrdachd Ghàidhlig an là eile, thàinig mi tarsainn air an t-sèist seo ann am fear de na dàin:
Albainn aosta, guma slàn dhut,
Albainn ghaoil gur fada uam thu;
Tìr nan laoch, ’s nan gruagach àlainn,
Albainn aosta, guma slàn dhut.
Nise tha ceist agam dhuibh. An robh an t-ùghdar a’ fuireach ann an Alba no thall thairis? Mura h-eil sibh cinnteach às a sin, coimheadaibh a-rithist air an dàrna loighne. Albainn ghaoil gur fada uam thu. A bheil sibh a’ tuigsinn sin? Gur fada uam thu. No mar a chanadh mòran - gur fada bhuam thu. Tha sin a’ ciallachadh gu bheil Alba, ris a bheil an sgrìobhadair a’ bruidhinn, fad’ air falbh bhuaithe – no uaithe.
Bha e a’ fuireach ann an New Zealand, agus ’s e an t-ainm a bh’ air – Donnchadh Mac a’ Phearsain. Rugadh is thogadh e anns a’ Mhorbhairne, ach ’s ann à Àrd nam Murchan, làimh ris a’ Mhorbhairne, a bha a phàrantan. Rugadh Donnchadh uaireigin anns na tritheadan anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Às dèidh bàs athar, uaireigin ro ochd deug, seachdad ’s a h-aon (1871), dh’imrich e a Ghlaschu ach cha do chòrd sin ris agus, beagan bhliadhnaichean às dèidh sin, dh’fhalbh e a New Zealand far an robh triùir uncailean aige a’ fuireach mu thràth.
Phòs e thall an sin agus ruith e fhèin ’s a bhean tuathanas mòr le caoraich is crodh anns an eilean mu dheas. Chùm e a chuid Ghàidhlig gu gleusta air a bhilean agus ’s ann nuair a bha e a’ fuireach ann an New Zealand a sgrìobh e mòran dhen bhàrdachd aige. Am measg sin, bha “a’ Ghàidhealtachd”, an t-òran às an tàinig an t-sèist a thug mi dhuibh.
Ach, ged a tha an t-sèist mu dheidhinn Alba, agus ged is e “a’ Ghàidhealtachd” an tiotal, tha an t-òran fhèin a’ gabhail a-steach iomhaighean a tha a’ tighinn bhon dùthaich bhig anns an do thogadh Donnchadh – a’ Mhorbhairne. Agus ’s ann mar sin a tha a’ chuid mhòr dhen bhardachd aige. Chan fhaigh mi lorg air òran nàiseanta air na duilleagan aig Donnchadh Mac a’ Phearsain.
Ach tha a bhàrdachd snog gu leòr. Fàgaidh mi sibh an t-seachdain-sa leis an rann mu dheireadh dhen “Ghàidhealtachd”:
Ged a dh’fhàg mi iomadh bliadhn’ thu
Tha mo chridhe blàth gad iargain
Caladh deisearach na fialachd
Uaine, grianach, beul Loch Àlainn
Faclan na Litreach: luchd-amharc: spectators; measail (air): fond of; gu ruige seo: to this point in time; Aonadh Rugbaidh na h-Alba: Scottish Rugby Union; ùghdar: author; thall thairis: overseas; bhuaithe (uaithe): from him (see grammar point below); Donnchadh Mac a’ Phearsain: Duncan MacPherson; iomhaighean: images.
Abairtean na Litreach: seusan farpais mhòr eadar-nàiseanta an rugbaidh: the season of the big international rugby competition; bha àm ann nuair a bhiodh na h-Albannaich a’ guidhe deagh shlàinte don Bhànrigh: there was a time when the Scots wished the Queen good health (ie with “God Save the Queen”); ged nach do shaoil mi gu robh e càil na b’ fheàrr ann an X na bha e ann an Y: although I did not think it was any better in X than it was in Y; airson faclan aig a bheil ruith agus brìgh: for words which have pattern and meaning; thàinig mi tarsainn air an t-sèist seo ann am fear de na dàin: I came across this refrain in one of the poems; Albainn aosta guma slàn dhut: ancient Scotland, health to you; tìr nan laoch ’s nan gruagach àlainn: land of the heroes and of the beautiful maidens; coimheadaibh a-rithist air an dàrna loighne:look again at the second line; anns a’ Mhorbhairne: in Morvern; far an robh triùir uncailean aige a’ fuireach mu thràth: where three of his uncles were already living; tha a bhàrdachd snog gu leòr: his poetry is nice enough; tha mo chridhe blàth gad iargain: my warm heart misses you terribly; caladh deisearach na fialachd: sunny (south-facing) harbour of hospitality; uaine, grianach, beul Loch Àlainn: green and sunny at the mouth of Lochaline.
Puing-ghràmair na Litreach: Albainn ghaoil gur fada uam thu: beloved Scotland, you are far from me. Uam is a prepositional pronoun incorporating the preposition “o” (from) and means “from me”. Fada uam means “far from me”. You are possibly more familiar with the form bhuam which is equivalent to uam and is derived from the preposition “bho” (from), which is an alternative form of “o”. In some places the form without the “bh” is still common. Here are the other prepositional pronouns associated with “o”: uat(sa) – from you; uaithe(san) – from him; uaipe(se) – from her; uainn(e) – from us; uaibh(se) – from you (pl.); uapa(san) – from them. The emphatic suffixes are given in the brackets. Note also that Alba is here in its vocative case (being addressed by the speaker) which is now somewhat archaic. It happens to be equivalent to the dative singular (ie ann an Albainn, in Scotland) which is now also going out of use, except perhaps in parts of Argyll. Most people say ann an Alba today.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Chan fhaigh mi lorg air òran nàiseanta air na duilleagan aig X: I won’t find a national song (anthem) on X’s pages. Faigh lorg air: to find, locate.
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