蜜芽传媒

Tha seusan farpais mh貌r eadar-n脿iseanta an rugbaidh againn a-rithist, agus Alba a鈥� cluich Sasainn aig Murrayfield. A bharrachd air na geamannan, seo an t-脿m nuair a bhios sinn a鈥� cluinntinn, is uaireannan a鈥� seinn, an 貌rain n脿iseanta againn. Bha 脿m ann nuair a bhiodh na h-Albannaich a鈥� guidhe deagh shl脿inte don Bh脿nrigh. An uairsin, 鈥檚 e 鈥淪cotland the Brave鈥� a sheinneadh an luchd-amharc aig na geamannan m貌ra. An-diugh, 鈥檚 e 鈥淔lower of Scotland鈥� a thathar a鈥� seinn.

Chuala mi ann an G脿idhlig e cuideachd 鈥� 鈥淔l霉r na h-Alba鈥� 鈥� ged nach do shaoil mi gu robh e c脿il na b鈥� fhe脿rr ann an G脿idhlig na bha e ann am Beurla. Tuigidh sibh nach eil mi uabhasach measail air an 貌ran, co-dhi霉 mar 貌ran n脿iseanta na h-Alba.

Mar sin, nuair a bhios mi a鈥� leughadh b脿rdachd Albannach, bidh mi a鈥� cumail mo sh霉ilean fosgailte airson faclan aig a bheil ruith agus br矛gh agus a leumas a-mach 脿s an duilleig, ag r脿dh rium 鈥� 鈥渟eo an se貌rsa rud a tha thu ag iarraidh ann an 貌ran n脿iseanta!鈥� Gu ruige seo, cha do lorg mi rud sam bith a tha mi deiseil airson moladh do dh鈥橝onadh Rugbaidh na h-Alba no buidheann sam bith eile.

Nuair a bha mi a鈥� coimhead tro chruinneachadh de bh脿rdachd Gh脿idhlig an l脿 eile, th脿inig mi tarsainn air an t-s猫ist seo ann am fear de na d脿in:

Albainn aosta, guma sl脿n dhut,

Albainn ghaoil gur fada uam thu;

T矛r nan laoch, 鈥檚 nan gruagach 脿lainn,

Albainn aosta, guma sl脿n dhut.

Nise tha ceist agam dhuibh. An robh an t-霉ghdar a鈥� fuireach ann an Alba no thall thairis? Mura h-eil sibh cinnteach 脿s a sin, coimheadaibh a-rithist air an d脿rna loighne. Albainn ghaoil gur fada uam thu. A bheil sibh a鈥� tuigsinn sin? Gur fada uam thu. No mar a chanadh m貌ran - gur fada bhuam thu. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh gu bheil Alba, ris a bheil an sgr矛obhadair a鈥� bruidhinn, fad鈥� air falbh bhuaithe 鈥� no uaithe.

Bha e a鈥� fuireach ann an New Zealand, agus 鈥檚 e an t-ainm a bh鈥� air 鈥� Donnchadh Mac a鈥� Phearsain. Rugadh is thogadh e anns a鈥� Mhorbhairne, ach 鈥檚 ann 脿 脌rd nam Murchan, l脿imh ris a鈥� Mhorbhairne, a bha a ph脿rantan. Rugadh Donnchadh uaireigin anns na tritheadan anns an naoidheamh linn deug. As d猫idh b脿s athar, uaireigin ro ochd deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1871), dh鈥檌mrich e a Ghlaschu ach cha do ch貌rd sin ris agus, beagan bhliadhnaichean as d猫idh sin, dh鈥檉halbh e a New Zealand far an robh tri霉ir uncailean aige a鈥� fuireach mu thr脿th.

Ph貌s e thall an sin agus ruith e fh猫in 鈥檚 a bhean tuathanas m貌r le caoraich is crodh anns an eilean mu dheas. Chum e a chuid Gh脿idhlig gu gleusta air a bhilean agus 鈥檚 ann nuair a bha e a鈥� fuireach ann an New Zealand a sgr矛obh e m貌ran dhen bh脿rdachd aige. Am measg sin, bha 鈥渁鈥� Ghaidhealtachd鈥�, an t-貌ran 脿s an t脿inig an t-s猫ist a thug mi dhuibh.

Ach, ged a tha an t-s猫ist mu dheidhinn Alba, agus ged is e 鈥渁鈥� Ghaidhealtachd鈥� an tiotal, tha an t-貌ran fh猫in a鈥� gabhail a-steach iomhaighean a tha a鈥� tighinn bhon d霉thaich bhig anns an do thogadh Donnchadh 鈥� a鈥� Mhorbhairne. Agus 鈥檚 ann mar sin a tha a鈥� chuid mh貌r dhen bhardachd aige. Chan fhaigh mi lorg air 貌ran n脿iseanta air na duilleagan aig Donnchadh Mac a鈥� Phearsain.

Ach tha a bh脿rdachd snog gu le貌r. F脿gaidh mi sibh an t-seachdain-sa leis an rann mu dheireadh dhen 鈥淕h脿idhealtachd鈥�:

Ged a dh鈥檉h脿g mi iomadh bliadhn鈥� thu

Tha mo chridhe bl脿th gad iargain

Caladh deisearach na fialachd

Uaine, grianach, beul Loch 脌lainn

Faclan na seachdaine: luchd-amharc: spectators; measail (air): fond of; gu ruige seo: to this point in time; Aonadh Rugbaidh na h-Alba: Scottish Rugby Union; 霉ghdar: author; thall thairis: overseas; bhuaithe (uaithe): from him (see grammar point below); Donnchadh Mac a鈥� Phearsain: Duncan MacPherson; iomhaighean: images.

season of the big international rugby competition; bha 脿m ann nuair a bhiodh na h-Albannaich a鈥� guidhe deagh shl脿inte don Bh脿nrigh: there was a time when the Scots wished the Queen good health (ie with 鈥淕od Save the Queen鈥�); ged nach do shaoil mi gu robh e c脿il na b鈥� fhe脿rr ann an X na bha e ann an Y: although I did not think it was any better in X than it was in Y; airson faclan aig a bheil ruith agus br矛gh: for words which have pattern and meaning; th脿inig mi tarsainn air an t-s猫ist seo ann am fear de na d脿in: I came across this refrain in one of the poems; Albainn aosta guma sl脿n dhut: ancient Scotland, health to you; t矛r nan laoch 鈥檚 nan gruagach 脿lainn: land of the heroes and of the beautiful maidens; coimheadaibh a-rithist air an d脿rna loighne: look again at the second line; anns a鈥� Mhorbhairne: in Morvern; far an robh tri霉ir uncailean aige a鈥� fuireach mu thr脿th: where three of his uncles were already living; tha a bh脿rdachd snog gu le貌r: his poetry is nice enough; tha mo chridhe bl脿th gad iargain: my warm heart misses you terribly; caladh deisearach na fialachd: sunny (south-facing) harbour of hospitality; uaine, grianach, beul Loch 脌lainn: green and sunny at the mouth of Lochaline.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Albainn ghaoil gur fada uam thu: beloved Scotland, you are far from me. Uam is a prepositional pronoun incorporating the preposition 鈥渙鈥� (from) and means 鈥渇rom me鈥�. Fada uam means 鈥渇ar from me鈥�. You are possibly more familiar with the form bhuam which is equivalent to uam and is derived from the preposition 鈥渂ho鈥� (from), which is an alternative form of 鈥渙鈥�. In some places the form without the 鈥渂h鈥� is still common. Here are the other prepositional pronouns associated with 鈥渙鈥�: uat(sa) 鈥� from you; uaithe(san) 鈥� from him; uaipe(se) 鈥� from her; uainn(e) 鈥� from us; uaibh(se) 鈥� from you (pl.); uapa(san) 鈥� from them. The emphatic suffixes are given in the brackets. Note also that Alba is here in its vocative case (being addressed by the speaker) which is now somewhat archaic. It happens to be equivalent to the dative singular (ie ann an Albainn, in Scotland) which is now also going out of use, except perhaps in parts of Argyll. Most people say ann an Alba today.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Chan fhaigh mi lorg air 貌ran n脿iseanta air na duilleagan aig X: I won鈥檛 find a national song (anthem) on X鈥檚 pages. Faigh lorg air: to find, locate.