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11/05/2009

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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Mon 11 May 2009 19:00
ĂŰŃż´«Ă˝ Radio nan GĂ idheal

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An Litir Bheag 209

Seo tòimhseachan dhuibh. Dè tha anns an “nighean bheag”? Nighean bheag a’ chòta bhàin Anns an t-sabhal is anns an àth Mar (a) bu mhotha a bha i ’g ith’ ’S ann (a) bu lugha a bha i (a’) fàs A bheil e agaibh? Seo e a-rithist: Nighean bheag a’ chòta bhàin Anns an t-sabhal is anns an àth Mar (a) bu mhotha a bha i ’g ith’ ’S ann (a) bu lugha a bha i (a’) fàs ’S e nighean bheag a’ chòta bhàin – coinneal. Mar a bu mhotha a bha a’ choinneal ag “ithe” de chèir, ’s ann a bu lugha a bha i a’ fàs. Tha mi ag iarraidh innse dhuibh mu Albannach iongantach. B’ esan Raibeart Coineagan Greumach. Bha e ainmeil mar sgrìobhadair agus mar neach poilitigeach. Bhuineadh Raibeart do na h-uaislean. Bha a mhàthair leth-Spàinnteach. ’S e Spàinntis a’ chiad chànan a bha aige. Bha e aig sgoil phrìobhaideach Harrow ann an Sasainn.  Chaidh e a dh’Argentina. Rinn e airgead mòr mar rainsear cruidh. Bha e sgileil air muin eich. Bha e ainmeil mar gaucho. ’S e an t-ainm a bha air ann an Argentina – Don Roberto. Ann an ochd ceud deug, ochdad ’s a trì (1883), chaochail athair. Thill Raibeart a Bhreatainn. Chaidh e an sàs ann am poilitigs. ’S e sòisealach a bha ann. Sheas e mar thagraiche Libearalach anns an taghadh nàiseanta ann an ochd ceud deug, ochdad ’s a sia (1886). Bha am manifesto aige radaigeach. Bha e ag iarraidh còraichean do luchd-obrach is daoine àbhaisteach. Bha e ag iarraidh cur às do Thaigh nam Morairean. Bha e ag iarraidh bhòt a bhith aig a h-uile inbheach san rìoghachd. Bha e ag iarraidh an latha-obrach a chumail aig ochd uairean a thìde. Bha e ag iarraidh fèin-riaghladh airson Alba. An ath-sheachdain bheir sinn sùil air beatha Raibeirt Choineagain Ghreumaich. Cha robh i coltach ri coinneal. Cha do dh’fhàs i na bu lugha le aois.

The Little Letter 209

Here’s a puzzle for you. What is the “wee lass”? Wee lass of the fair coat In the barn and in the kiln The more she ate The smaller she grew. Do you have it? Here it is again. Wee lass of the fair coat In the barn and in the kiln The more she ate The smaller she grew. The wee lass of the fair coat is a candle. The more the candle “ate” of wax, the smaller it became I want to tell you about an amazing Scotsman. He was Robert Cunninghame Graham. He was famous as a writer and a political person. Robert belonged to the gentry. His mother was half Spanish. Spanish was his first language. He was at Harrow public [private] school in England. He went to Argentina. He made a fortune as a cattle rancher. He was skilful on horseback. He was famous as a gaucho (cowboy). In Argentina he was called Don Roberto. In 1883, his father died. Robert returned to Britain. He got involved in politics. He was a socialist. He stood as a Liberal candidate in the national election in 1886. His manifesto was radical. He wanted rights for the workers and ordinary people. He want to abolish the House of Lords. He wanted all adults in the land to have the vote. He wanted to keep the working day at eight hours. He wanted self-government for Scotland.  Next week we’ll look at the life of Robert Cunninghame Graham. It wasn’t like a candle. It didn’t diminish with age. 

An Litir Bheag 210

Bhuineadh Raibeart Coineagan Greumach do na h-uaislean. Ach bha e na shòisealach. Bha e cuideachd na nàiseantach Albannach. An toiseach bha e na bhall pàrlamaid Libearalach. Ach cha robh iadsan fada gu leòr air an taobh chlì. Sheas Raibeart còraichean nan daoine bochda. Sheas e cuideachd còraichean daoine fianais a thogail gu sìtheil air an t-sràid. As t-fhoghar ochd ceud deug, ochdad ’s a seachd (1887), bha cùisean mì-rianail. Bha latha mòr pàrlamaid seachad. Ach cha robh a bheatha phoilitigeach seachad. Bha e a’ creidsinn ann am fèin-riaghladh do dh’Alba. B’ esan a’ chiad cheann-suidhe aig a’ Phàrtaidh Nàiseanta, an SNP. Bha beatha Raibeirt taobh a-muigh phoilitigs inntinneach cuideachd. Dh’fhalbh e a Mhorogo turas. Bha e ag amas air marcachd tro na beanntan Atlas gu baile air a bheil Taroudant. Ach bha am baile toirmisgte do choigrich. Bha e gu sònraichte toirmisgte do Chrìosdidhean. Chuir an Greumach e fhèin ann an riochd dotair Tuirceach. Bha e faisg air Taroudant nuair a chaidh a chur an grèim. Dh’innis e eachdraidh a’ ghnothaich anns an leabhar Mogreb-El-Acksa. Sgrìobh e mòran leabhraichean air eich, siubhal agus eachdraidh. Agus bha e na charaid pearsanta do mhòran ùghdaran is luchd-ealain ainmeil. Bha Raibeart Coineagan Greumach fhèin ainmeil ri a linn. Cha bu chòir dhuinn a dhìochuimhneachadh an-diugh. ann air an treas latha deug dhen t- Samhain. Bha na mìltean ann an Ceàrnag Trafalgar ann an Lunnainn. Thathar a’ cuimhneachadh an latha mar “Dòmhnach na Fala” no Bloody Sunday. Bha Raibeart ann. Rinn na poilis dochann air. Rinn na poilis dochann air mòran air an latha sin. Fhuair Raibeart sia seachdainean sa phrìosan airson a bhith a’ togail fianais. Bha Raibeart radaigeach. Dh’fhàg e am Pàrtaidh Libearalach. Stèidhich e Pàrtaidh Làbarach na h-Alba còmhla ri Keir Hardie. Sheas e airson a’ phàrtaidh sin ann an Glaschu. Bha sin anns an taghadh nàiseanta ann an ochd ceud deug, naochad ’s a dhà (1892). Cha deach leis. Bha a bheatha mar bhall

The Little Letter 210

Robert Cunninghame Graham belonged to the gentry. But he was a socialist. He was also a Scottish nationalist. To start with he was a Liberal member of parliament. But they weren’t far enough on the left wing. Robert stood up for the rights of poor people. He also stood up for the rights of people to protest peacefully on the street. In the autumn of 1887, things were [getting] disorderly. There was a big day on the 13th of November. Thousands of people were in Trafalgar Square in London. The day is remembered as  Bloody Sunday. Robert was there. The police beat him up. The police beat up many people that day. But Robert got six weeks in prison for protesting. Robert was radical. He left the Liberal Party. He established the Scottish Labour Party with Keir Hardie. He stood for that party in Glasgow. That was in the general election in 1892. He wasn’t successful. His life as a parliamentarian was over. But his political life wasn’t over. He believed in self-government for Scotland. He was the first president of the Scottish National Party. Robert’s life outside politics  was also interesting. He left for Morocco on one occasion. He was aiming to ride [on a horse] through the Atlas Mountains to a town called Taroudant. But the town was off-limits to foreigners. It was most especially off-limits to Christians. Graham disguised himself as a Turkish doctor. He was near Taroudant when he was arrested. He related the history of the affair in the book Mogreb-El-Acksa. He wrote many books about horses, travel and history. And he was a personal friend to many famous authors and artists. Robert Cunninghame Graham was himself famous in his day. We ought not to forget him today.

Broadcast

  • Mon 11 May 2009 19:00
    ĂŰŃż´«Ă˝ Radio nan GĂ idheal

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

  • An Litir Bheag

    Litirichean do luchd-ionnsachaidh ura. Letters in Gaelic for beginners.