蜜芽传媒

Anns na beagan seachdainean a dh鈥檉halbh tha mi air a bhith ag innse dhuibh mun sgr矛obhadair, Iain Dubh Mac Dh貌mhnaill 鈥檌c Iain, no Iain MacIllInnein. Bha Iain a鈥� fuireach ann an Astr脿ilia. Bha e na bh脿rd don Chomunn Gh脿idhealach ann am Brisbane. Rugadh e ann an Ge脿rrloch agus 鈥檚 e G脿idhlig a bh鈥� aige mar chiad ch脿nan. Agus bha e a-riamh gu math measail air a鈥� ch脿nan aige.

Ged a bha Iain math air sgr矛obhadh, cha robh e na sgoilear. Nuair a bhiodh rudeigin cudromach a dh矛th air Comunn G脿idhealach Bhrisbane ann an G脿idhlig, dh鈥檉heumadh iad dhol gu sgoilear. B鈥� e fear dhiubh sin, am ministear ann an Liosm貌r ann an ceann a tuath Cuimrigh Nuaidh a Deas, an t-Urramach Ailean MacIlp, a bhuineadh do dh鈥橴ibhist a Tuath.

Ach, ged nach robh Iain na sgoilear, bha e f矛or mhath air duanagan is 貌rain bheaga a sgr矛obhadh. Bu toigh leam cr矛och a chur air na Litrichean mu dheidhinn le d脿n eile aige. Agus saoilidh mi gu bheil am p矛os seo gu math iomchaidh do luchd-ionnsachaidh na G脿idhlig. 鈥橲 e an tiotal a th鈥� air 鈥淎鈥� Labhairt na G脿idhlig Rium Fh矛n鈥�.

Nise, tha mi air a bhith ag r脿dh ri luchd-ionnsachaidh airson bliadhnaichean gum bu ch貌ir dhaibh G脿idhlig a labhairt riutha fh猫in cho tric 鈥檚 as urrainn. A鈥� gabhail fras, anns a鈥� ch脿r, a鈥� coiseachd a鈥� mhonaidh, air beulaibh sg脿than鈥�. 脿ite sam bith sa bheil cothrom aca.

Agus chan e labhairt a-mh脿in. Dh鈥檉haodadh iad seinn. Tha e math do dhuine sam bith 貌rain ionnsachadh, eadhon mura h-eil iad math air seinn. Seo a-nise s猫ist an 貌rain seo:

Seinn, seinn, seinnidh mise a鈥� Gh脿idhlig

Seinn, seinn, seinnidh mi dhomh fh矛n,

Bho nach cluinn mi nise fuaim aig a鈥� mhuinntir tha mun cuairt,

Seinn, seinn, seinnidh mi dhomh fh矛n.

Carson a sgr矛obh Iain an t-貌ran seo? Uill, bha e a鈥� fuireach ann an 脿ite far nach robh G脿idhlig aig m貌ran. Agus chum an c脿nan ceangal na inntinn don d霉thaich dham buineadh e. Seo a鈥� chiad rann dhen 貌ran:

Nuair a labhras mi rium fh矛n anns a鈥� Gh脿idhlig laghach, ghrinn,

Bidh mi ann am bruadar anns na glinn,

Ch矛 mi Ruairidh M貌r MacLe貌id is a nighean ghasta, ch貌ir,

Seinn sa ch脿nan she貌ghn gu ce貌lmhor binn.

Seinn, seinn, seinnidh mise a鈥� Gh脿idhlig

Seinn, seinn, seinnidh mi dhomh fh矛n,

Bho nach cluinn mi nise fuaim aig a鈥� mhuinntir tha mun cuairt,

Seinn, seinn, seinnidh mi dhomh fh矛n.

Agus seo agaibh d脿 rann eile:

Ged a chaidh mi fad鈥� thar chuan, cha do thilg mi Gh脿idhlig uam,

鈥橲 tric a thog i m鈥� aigne suas air muir is t矛r,

Dl霉th ri gl霉n mo mh脿thar chaomh, nam leanaban t霉sail maoth,

鈥橲 i Gh脿idhlig mhodhail chi霉in a dh鈥檌onnsaich mi.

Tha i nise m貌ran aois, 鈥檚 i bh鈥� aig Adhamh measg nan craobh,

Fhuair i urram 脿rd an iomadh t矛r,

A鈥� tighinn tarsainn na Roinn-E貌rp鈥�, ch霉m na G脿idheil ise be貌,

鈥橲 i bh鈥� aig Calum c貌ir an Eilean I.

Uill, sin e a thaobh b脿rdachd Iain Duibh. Ach tha ceist agam dhuibh mun sg矛re anns an do thogadh Iain 鈥� Ge脿rrloch. Dh鈥檉haighnich fear dh矛om turas (bha e a鈥� bruidhinn ann am Beurla), an robh mi e貌lach air sg矛re Ghe脿rrloch. Thuirt mi gu robh, rud beag co-dhi霉. Uill, dh鈥檉haighnich e, 鈥渃iamar a tha measan tropaigeach a鈥� f脿s ann?鈥�

鈥淢easan tropaigeach?鈥� thuirt mi.

鈥淪eadh,鈥� fhreagair e, 鈥渢ha tri melons ann.鈥�

鈥淭r矛 melons?!鈥� thuirt mise.

鈥淕u dearbh,鈥� thuirt am fear eile, 鈥淢ellon Charles, Mellon Udrigle agus Mellangaun.鈥�

Uill, 鈥檚 e a鈥� cheist a th鈥� agam dhuibhse 鈥� carson a tha na 鈥渕elons鈥� seo air a鈥� mhap? D猫 tha iad a鈥� ciallachadh? Innsidh mi dhuibh an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine: fras: shower; sg脿than: mirror; laghach: nice; grinn: neat; bruadar: dream; gasta: splendid, really nice; measan tropaigeach: tropical fruits.

Abairtean na seachdaine: na beagan seachdainean a dh鈥檉halbh: the past few weeks; cha robh e na sgoilear: he wasn鈥檛 a scholar; Liosm貌r ann an ceann a tuath Cuimrigh Nuaidh a Deas: Lismore in northern New South Wales; an t-Urramach Ailean MacIlp, a bhuineadh do dh鈥橴ibhist a Tuath: Rev. Allan Mackillop, who belonged to North Uist; A鈥� Labhairt na G脿idhlig Rium Fh矛n: Speaking Gaelic to Myself; gum bu ch貌ir dhaibh G脿idhlig a labhairt riutha fh猫in: that they should speak Gaelic to themselves; cho tric 鈥檚 as urrainn: as often as possible; 脿ite sam bith sa bheil cothrom aca: any place they have an opportunity; chan e labhairt a-mh脿in: not only speaking; seinnidh mi dhomh fh矛n: I will sing to myself; bho nach cluinn mi nise fuaim: since I won鈥檛 now hear a noise; aig a鈥� mhuinntir [a] tha mun cuairt: from [at] the people who are around; chum e ceangal na inntinn don d霉thaich dham buineadh e: it maintained a link in his mind to the country to which he belonged; seinn sa ch脿nan she貌ghn gu ce貌lmhor binn: singing melodiously in the superlative language; cha do thilg mi Gh脿idhlig uam: I didn鈥檛 throw Gaelic from me ie I didn鈥檛 discard it; gl霉n mo mh脿thar chaomh: my tender mother鈥檚 knee; nam leanaban t霉sail maoth: when I was a tiny soft baby.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: 鈥橲 i [a] bh鈥� aig Adhamh [am] measg nan craobh: literally this means 鈥渟he is what Adam had among the trees鈥�. I hope you weren鈥檛 sidetracked into considering this might be an inappropriate reference to Adam鈥檚 relationship with the other occupant of the Garden of Eden! It would immediately be understood by a fluent speaker as referring to language (languages are largely conceptually feminine and we say tha c脿nan aig cuideigin). Later in the same verse of the song, we see 鈥檚 i [a] bh鈥� aig Calum c貌ir [ann] an Eilean I which means 鈥渢hat is what nice Calum (ie Saint Columba) spoke on Iona鈥�. If you say to an elderly Gaelic speaker, 鈥淎 bheil G脿idhlig agaibh?鈥�, he or she might respond, 鈥淭ha. 鈥橲 i as fhe脿rr a th鈥� agam鈥� (yes, it is her that I speak best)..

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: 鈥橲 tric a thog i m鈥� aigne suas: it is often she [a鈥� Gh脿idhlig] lifted my spirits.