Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

30/06/2008

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

5 minutes

Last on

Mon 30 Jun 2008 19:00

Clip

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 these

Broadcast

  • Mon 30 Jun 2008 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