164: Similies 164: Samhlaidhean
Litir shìmplidh sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is eadar-theangachadh. A simple weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and translation.
Tha an litir bheag 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 little 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.
Samhlaidhean
Tha mi a’ dol a dhèanamh rudeigin annasach anns an Litir an t-seachdain seo. Bidh an Litir air fad na rann. Chan e rann àbhaisteach, ach rann air a dhèanamh de shamhlaidhean Gàidhlig. Dè tha ann an samhladh? Tha “simile”. Cho fuar ris a’ phuinnsean is rudan mar sin. Tha an t-uabhas shamhlaidhean againn ann an Gàidhlig.
Nochd an rann seo ann an clò ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad ’s a sia (1876). Seo e. Tha mi an dòchas gun còrd e ribh. Cuimhnich gu bheil e sgrìobhte anns an Litir Bhig – àireamh ceud, seasgad ’s a ceithir (164) air làrach-lìn Ghàidhlig a’ BhBC.
Cho fliuch ri iasg, cho tioram ri seich,
Cho beò ri eun, cho marbh ri cloich;
Cho brisg ri glainne, cho righinn ri teud,
Cho mall ri seilcheag, cho luath ri steud;
Cho làidir ri each, cho lag ri caod,
Cho milis ri siùcar, cho neo-bhlast’ ri sgaot;
Cho geal ri lili, cho dubh ri sùith,
Cho mear ri piseag, cho tinn ri cù;
Cho dòmhail ri peatraid, cho sùmhail ri sgadan,
Cho reamhar ri muc, cho bochd ri radan;
Cho dìreach ri saighead, cho cam ri bogha,
Cho bàn ri lèine, cho dubh ri gobha;
Cho carrach ri creag, cho lom ri bòrd,
Cho geur ri sgian, cho maol ri òrd;
Cho cruaidh ri spor, cho bog ri ìm,
Cho luaineach ri sìd’, cho cinnteach ri tìm;
Cho fìor ris an t-soisgeul, cho fealls' ris an duine,
Cho caochlach ri bean, cho deimhinn ri gunna;
Cho teth ri àmhainn, cho fuar ri sneachd,
Cho lag ri cuileag, cho làidir ri seachd;
Cho aotrom ri ite, cho trom ri luaidh,
Cho glas ri feur, cho ruadh ri luaith;
Cho mall ri as, cho bras ri tuil,
Cho geal ri latha, cho dearg ri fuil;
Cho garbh ri ròcas, cho binn ri bàrd,
Le mìle samhl' eile riuth’ seo ann an càird.
Similies
I’m going to do a strange thing in the Litir this week. The entire Litir will be in verse. Not normal verse but verse made of Gaelic similes. What’s a “samhladh”? It’s a simile. “As cold as the poison” and things like that. We have a tremendous number of similes in Gaelic.
This verse appeared in print in eighteen hundred and seventy six (1876). Here it is. I hope you enjoy it. Remember it is written in the Litir Bheag, number one hundred and sixty four (164) on the BBC’s Gaelic website.
As wet as a fish, as dry as a hide,
As live as a bird, as dead as a stone;
As brittle as glass, as enduring as a [harp] string,
As slow as a snail, as fast as a steed;
As strong as a horse, as weak as St John’s wort,
As sweet as sugar, as ill-tasting as skate;
As white as a lily, as black as soot,
As playful as a kitten, as sick as a dog;
As bulky as a storm petrel(or puffin?), as unbulky (easily packed) as a herring,
As fat as a pig, as poor as a rat;
As straight as an arrow, as curved as a bow,
As white as a shirt, as black as a smith;
As rocky as a crag, as bare as a table,
As sharp as a knife, as blunt as a hammer;
As hard as flint, as soft as butter,
As fluctuating as weather, as certain as time;
As true as the gospel, as mendacious as [the] man
As fickle as a wife, as certain as a gun;
As hot as an oven, as cold as snow,
As weak as a fly, as strong as seven [people];
As light as a feather, as heavy as lead,
As green as grass, as russet as dust;
As slow as an ass, as fast as a torrent
As bright as day, as red as blood;
As coarse as a rook, as melodious as a poet
With a thousand other similes related to these
Samhlaidhean
Tha mi a’ dol a dhèanamh rudeigin annasach anns an Litir an t-seachdain seo. Bidh an Litir air fad na rann. Chan e rann àbhaisteach, ach rann air a dhèanamh de shamhlaidhean Gàidhlig. Dè tha ann an samhladh? Tha “simile”. Cho fuar ris a’ phuinnsean is rudan mar sin. Tha an t-uabhas shamhlaidhean againn ann an Gàidhlig.
Nochd an rann seo ann an clò ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad ’s a sia (1876). Seo e. Tha mi an dòchas gun còrd e ribh. Cuimhnich gu bheil e sgrìobhte anns an Litir Bhig – àireamh ceud, seasgad ’s a ceithir (164) air làrach-lìn Ghàidhlig a’ BhBC.
Cho fliuch ri iasg, cho tioram ri seich,
Cho beò ri eun, cho marbh ri cloich;
Cho brisg ri glainne, cho righinn ri teud,
Cho mall ri seilcheag, cho luath ri steud;
Cho làidir ri each, cho lag ri caod,
Cho milis ri siùcar, cho neo-bhlast’ ri sgaot;
Cho geal ri lili, cho dubh ri sùith,
Cho mear ri piseag, cho tinn ri cù;
Cho dòmhail ri peatraid, cho sùmhail ri sgadan,
Cho reamhar ri muc, cho bochd ri radan;
Cho dìreach ri saighead, cho cam ri bogha,
Cho bàn ri lèine, cho dubh ri gobha;
Cho carrach ri creag, cho lom ri bòrd,
Cho geur ri sgian, cho maol ri òrd;
Cho cruaidh ri spor, cho bog ri ìm,
Cho luaineach ri sìd’, cho cinnteach ri tìm;
Cho fìor ris an t-soisgeul, cho fealls' ris an duine,
Cho caochlach ri bean, cho deimhinn ri gunna;
Cho teth ri àmhainn, cho fuar ri sneachd,
Cho lag ri cuileag, cho làidir ri seachd;
Cho aotrom ri ite, cho trom ri luaidh,
Cho glas ri feur, cho ruadh ri luaith;
Cho mall ri as, cho bras ri tuil,
Cho geal ri latha, cho dearg ri fuil;
Cho garbh ri ròcas, cho binn ri bàrd,
Le mìle samhl' eile riuth’ seo ann an càird.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 468
Podcast
BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn