麻豆社

Tha mi a鈥� dol a dh猫anamh rudeigin annasach anns an Litir an t-seachdain seo. Bidh an Litir air fad na rann. Chan e rann 脿bhaisteach, ach rann air a dh猫anamh de shamhlaidhean G脿idhlig. D猫 tha ann an samhladh? Tha 鈥渟imile鈥�. Cho fuar ris a鈥� phuinnsean is rudan mar sin. Tha an t-uabhas shamhlaidhean againn ann an G脿idhlig.

听听听听听听听 Nochd an rann seo ann an cl貌 ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a sia (1876). Seo e. Tha mi an d貌chas gun c貌rd e ribh. Cuimhnich gu bheil e sgr矛obhte anns an Litir Bhig 鈥� 脿ireamh ceud, seasgad 鈥檚 a ceithir (164) air l脿rach-l矛n Gh脿idhlig a鈥� BhBC.

Cho fliuch ri iasg, cho tioram ri seich,

Cho be貌 ri eun, cho marbh ri cloich;

Cho brisg ri glainne, cho righinn ri teud,

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Cho mall ri seilcheag, cho luath ri steud;

Cho l脿idir ri each, cho lag ri caod,

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Cho milis ri si霉car, cho neo-bhlast鈥� ri sgaot;

Cho geal ri lili, cho dubh ri s霉ith,

Cho mear ri piseag, cho tinn ri c霉;

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Cho d貌mhail ri peatraid, cho s霉mhail ri sgadan,

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Cho reamhar ri muc, cho bochd ri radan;

Cho d矛reach ri saighead, cho cam ri bogha,

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Cho b脿n ri l猫ine, cho dubh ri gobha;

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Cho carrach ri creag, cho lom ri b貌rd,

Cho geur ri sgian, cho maol ri 貌rd;

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Cho cruaidh ri spor, cho bog ri 矛m,

Cho luaineach ri s矛d鈥�, cho cinnteach ri t矛m;

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Cho f矛or ris an t-soisgeul, cho fealls' ris an duine,

Cho caochlach ri bean, cho deimhinn ri gunna;

Cho teth ri 脿mhainn, cho fuar ri sneachd,

Cho lag ri cuileag, cho l脿idir ri seachd;

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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 r貌cas, cho binn ri b脿rd,

听

I鈥檓 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鈥檚 a 鈥渟amhladh鈥�? It鈥檚 a simile. 鈥淎s cold as the poison鈥� and things like that. We have a tremendous number of similes in Gaelic.

听

听听听听听听听 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 麻豆社鈥檚 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鈥檚 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