
30/06/2008
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 164
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An Litir Bheag 164
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.The Little Letter 164
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 ѿý’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 theseBroadcast
- Mon 30 Jun 2008 19:00ѿý Radio nan Gàidheal
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
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An Litir Bheag
Litirichean do luchd-ionnsachaidh ura. Letters in Gaelic for beginners.