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Th猫id sinn, th猫id sinn thairis air an t-sruth,

Th猫id sinn, th猫id sinn gu D貌rnach.

Ch矛 sinn na beanntaichean [a]鈥� gleidheadh sneachd an geamhraidh,

Ch矛 sinn na caileagan b貌idheach.

Chan ann tric a chluinnear 鈥淒貌rnach鈥� ann an rann traidiseanta ann an G脿idhlig. Tha mi an d霉il gu bheil sibh e貌lach air D貌rnach 鈥� baile beag br猫agha ann an Cataibh. 鈥橲 aithne dhomh fear a rugadh is a thogadh ann an D貌rnach aig a bheil G脿idhlig, agus chan eil e cho fada sin bhon a bha an c脿nan aig a鈥� mh貌r-chuid anns an sg矛re sin.

Ach tuigidh sibh nach ann 脿 Cataibh a tha an ceathramh. Canaidh mi a-rithist e:

Th猫id sinn, th猫id sinn thairis air an t-sruth,

Th猫id sinn, th猫id sinn gu D貌rnach.

Ch矛 sinn na beanntaichean [a]鈥� gleidheadh sneachd an geamhraidh,

Ch矛 sinn na caileagan b貌idheach.

Bhon 脿ite 脿s a bheil an ceathramh, bhiodh aig na daoine ri dhol 鈥渢hairis air an t-sruth鈥�. Bha na daoine a鈥� fuireach ann an Siorrachd Rois. Bha aca ri dhol thar Caolas Dh貌rnaich airson faighinn gu D貌rnach.

Tha an ceathramh sin a鈥� tighinn bho na bailtean iasgaich ann am Machair Rois 鈥� bailtean beaga ris an canar na Seaboard Villages ann am Beurla. Is iad na bailtean sin Seannduaig, Baile an Todhair agus Baile a鈥� Chnuic, agus bha a鈥� Gh脿idhlig fhathast be貌 annta nuair a bha i air a dhol 脿 bith mar chainnt coimhearsnachd anns a鈥� mh貌r-chuid de thaobh sear Rois.

Ged nach eil a鈥� Gh脿idhlig be貌 an-diugh mar chainnt coimhearsnachd ann am Machair Rois, faodaidh sinn a bhith taingeil don Ollamh Se貌samh Watson on Chol谩iste Ollscoile ann am Baile 脌tha Cliath airson m貌ran de bheul-aithris Gh脿idhlig na sg矛re a ghleidheadh. Chaidh toradh a chuid obrach fhoillseachadh o chionn ghoirid ann an leabhar G脿idhlig 鈥� 鈥淪aoghal Bana-mharaiche: Cunntas Beul-aithris mu Bheatha Muinntir an Iasgaich ann am Machair Rois鈥�. 鈥橲 e leabhar inntinneach a th鈥� ann.

B鈥� i a鈥� bhana-mharaiche san tiotal Isbeil Anna (bean Uilleim MhicAonghais), nach maireann, a bha a鈥� fuireach ann am Baile a鈥� Chnuic. Thachair Se貌samh rithe o chionn ceathrad bliadhna agus, ged a bha l脿n chlaigeann de Gh脿idhlig aice, cha robh suidheachadh a鈥� ch脿nain anns na bailtean beaga sin fallain idir.

Seo mar a tha Se貌samh fh猫in a鈥� m矛neachadh a鈥� ghnothaich anns an 鈥淩o-bhriathar鈥� aige: Sluagh gun ghuth a bh鈥� ann an luchd-labhairt na G脿idhlig ann am Machair Rois mun 脿m a r脿inig mise an t-脿ite a鈥� chiad uair a-riamh anns a鈥� Ghiblean 1967. Ged a bha barrachd is fichead neach an siud aig an robh a鈥� Gh脿idhlig, cha bhiodh iad mar bu thrice a鈥� cleachdadh a鈥� ch脿nain is iad a鈥� d猫anamh c貌mhradh eatarra fh猫in 鈥� is cha chluinnte iomradh idir air a鈥�

Gh脿idhlig ga bruidhinn ri coigreach sam bith a thigeadh bhon taobh siar: nach robh Isbeil Anna ... a鈥� c貌mhnaidh fad bhliadhnachan an ath-dhoras ri t猫 脿 Eilean Le貌dhais is gun ach corra fhacal G脿idhlig ri chluinntinn eatarra.

Thachair an aon rud am measg G脿idheil Machair Rois 鈥檚 a thachair leis an fheadhainn ann an suidheachadh car coltach air cladach sear Chataibh. Nuair a bha Se貌samh ann, bhiodh iad a鈥� bruidhinn barrachd G脿idhlig nan 脿bhaist nam measg fh猫in. Thachair an dearbh rud am measg muinntir Euraboill nuair a bha an sgoilear Ameireaganach, Nancy Dorian, a鈥� rannsachadh na G脿idhlig aca.

Chan eil duine be貌 an-diugh ann am Baile a鈥� Chnuic, Baile an Todhair no Seannduaig, a bhuineas don 脿ite, agus a tha fileanta ann an G脿idhlig. Ach, mar a ch矛 sinn an ath-sheachdain, chan eil an c脿nan no a dualchas uile-gu-l猫ir air an cur air dh矛ochuimhne.

Faclan na Litreach: D貌rnach: Dornoch; Siorrachd Rois: Ross-shire; Caolas Dh貌rnaich: Dornoch Firth; Machair Rois: the flat country of Easter Ross; Baile 脌tha Cliath: Dublin; beul-aithris: oral tradition.

Abairtean na Litreach: th猫id sinn thairis air an t-sruth: we鈥檒l go over the current (firth); ch矛 sinn na beanntaichean: we鈥檒l see the mountains; chan ann tric a chluinnear X: X is not often heard; 鈥檚 aithne dhomh fear a rugadh is a thogadh: I know a man who was born and raised; nach ann 脿 Cataibh a tha an ceathramh: that the quatrain is not from Sutherland; is iad na bailtean sin Seannduaig, Baile an Todhair agus Baile a鈥� Chnuic: those villages are Shandwick, Balintore and Hilton; nuair a bha i air a dhol 脿 bith: when she had disappeared; faodaidh sinn a bhith taingeil don Ollamh Se貌samh Watson: we can be thankful to Professor Joe Watson; chaidh toradh a chuid obrach fhoillseachadh: the fruit of his endeavours was published; Saoghal Bana-mharaiche: the life/world of a fisherwoman; nach maireann: deceased; ged a bha l脿n chlaigeann de Gh脿idhlig aice: although she was fluent in [鈥渉ad a full skull of鈥漖 Gaelic ; sluagh gun ghuth a bh鈥� ann an X: X were people without a voice; mun 脿m a r脿inig mise an t-脿ite: about the time I reached the place; cha chluinnte iomradh idir air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig ga bruidhinn: you鈥檇 never hear of Gaelic being spoken; ri coigreach a thigeadh bhon taobh siar: to a stranger who鈥檇 come from the west coast; gun ach corra fhacal G脿idhlig ri chluinntinn eatarra: with only the occasional Gaelic word to be heard [exchanged] between them; muinntir Euraboill: the people of Embo.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: [a]鈥� gleidheadh sneachd an geamhraidh: keeping the winter snow. 鈥淪tandard鈥� Gaelic would require a lenition of geamhradh following the verbal noun and article [ie a鈥� gheamhraidh], but William Ross, shopkeeper of Shandwick,who provided this quatrain, only slenderised it. Don鈥檛 be fazed by such 鈥渘on-standard鈥� usage 鈥� you鈥檒l come across it on a daily basis [indeed beanntaichean would be considered a non-standard pluralization of beinn]. For those of you interested in the grammar and vocabulary of Gaelic dialects, Joseph Watson鈥檚 book (named in the text, published by Clann Tuirc) explains this for the seaboard villages dialect in some detail (in Gaelic). For example, their standard word for 鈥渂oy鈥� was brogach. A 鈥渃od鈥� was pollach. The last may be related to the English 鈥減ollack鈥� (for a lythe) which some consider likely to have a Gaelic origin (pollag).

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: chan eil an c脿nan no a dualchas uile-gu-l猫ir air an cur air dh矛ochuimhne: the language and its heritage have not entirely been forgotten.