麻豆社

Bha sinn a鈥� toirt s霉il bheag air b脿rdachd聽Rob Dhuinn an t-seachdain sa chaidh.聽Bha Rob na bh脿rd G脿idhlig ann an聽D霉thaich MhicAoidh anns an ochdamh聽linn deug. Cha robh Beurla riamh aige.聽Cha robh no m貌ran sgoile.聽An-diugh tha mi a鈥� dol a thoirt聽s霉il bheag air d脿n a sgr矛obh e. Tha e mu聽dheidhinn na h-脿rainneachd 鈥� gu聽s貌nraichte ann an D霉thaich MhicAoidh.聽Tha dithis pheathraichean a鈥櫬燽ruidhinn ri ch猫ile anns an d脿n. Tha聽Iseabail measail air an 脿rainneachd.聽Chan eil M脿iri cho measail air an聽脿rainneachd. Tha M脿iri air a bhith san聽sgoil ann an Inbhir The貌rsa. Thog i聽d貌ighean nan Gall. Tha M脿iri ag r脿dh:聽Cia b鈥� e dh猫anadh mar rinn mis鈥�,聽Bu mhist鈥� e e gu br脿th,聽Dhol don bheinn an aghaidh m鈥� inntinn,聽Mhill e mi 鈥檚 mo shl脿int鈥�.聽Air an l脿imh eile, ch貌rd e gu m貌r ri Rob聽Donn a bhith na bhuachaille air a鈥櫬燽heinn. Tha Iseabail (no an e Rob fh猫in聽a tha ann?) a鈥� freagairt casaidean M脿iri.聽Ciod am f脿th mun tug thu fuath聽鈥橲 ann do na bruachaibh 脿rd?聽Nach fhaic thu fh猫in nuair a thig an聽spr猫idh聽Gur feumail iad len 脿l?聽Tha M脿iri, ge-t脿, a, leantainn le a聽h-argamaid. Tha i a鈥� c脿ineadh a鈥櫬爂heamhraidh. Tha D霉thaich MhicAoidh聽math gu le貌r as t-samhradh ach chan eil聽c霉isean tarraingeach anns a鈥� gheamhradh聽鈥� a r猫ir M脿iri, co-dhi霉.聽Na bha f矛rinneach de d鈥� amhran聽Fhad 鈥檚 a bha 鈥檔 samhradh bl脿th,聽Rinn e tionndadh Oidhche Shamhna,聽鈥橲 bheir an geamhradh 鈥檚h脿r.聽A-rithist, tha freagairt aig Iseabail聽do chasaidean M脿iri. Is toigh leam an聽rann seo. Agus tha an rann seo a鈥櫬爎iochdachadh gu soilleir b貌idhchead an聽earraich air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd:聽Gl猫idhidh 鈥檔 talamh chun an t-samhraidh聽Sin a chrann e 鈥檔-dr脿st;聽Beith is calltainn Latha Bealltainn聽Gealltanach air f脿s.聽Bidh gruth is crathadh air na srathaibh聽鈥橲 teirgidh 鈥檔 cathadh-l脿ir.聽Nach binn an sealladh, glinn a鈥櫬爏tealladh聽Laoigh is bainne 鈥檚 b脿rr.

We were taking a wee look at the聽poetry of Rob Donn last week. Rob聽was a Gaelic bard in the Mackay聽Country in the Eighteenth Century. He聽never spoke English. He wasn鈥檛 highly聽educated either.聽Today I鈥檓 going to have a wee聽look at a poem he wrote. It鈥檚 about the聽environment 鈥� particularly in the聽Mackay Country.聽Two sisters speak to each other聽in the poem. Ishbel likes the environment.聽Mary doesn鈥檛 like the environment聽so much. Mary鈥檚 been at school聽in Thurso. She picked up the ways of聽the Lowlander. Mary says:聽Anyone doing as I have done聽Would be eternally the worse for it聽Going to the mountain against my聽will, 聽It ruined me and my health.聽On the other hand, Rob Donn聽really enjoyed being a herdsman on聽the hill. Ishbel (or is it Rob himself?)聽answers Mary鈥檚 accusations.聽What reason have you for your聽antipathy聽To the high slopes?聽Don鈥檛 you see when the cattle come聽How useful they are with their offspring?聽Mary, however, continues with聽her argument. She criticises the聽winter. The Mackay Country is alright聽in the summer but things aren鈥檛聽attractive in the winter 鈥� according to聽Mary, at least.聽What was true in your song聽As long as the summer was warm聽It changed on Halloween聽And the winter will extinguish it.聽Again, Ishbel has an answer to聽Mary鈥檚 accusations. I like this verse.聽And this verse represents with clarity聽the beauty of spring in the Highlands:聽The land will hide until summer聽It is hibernating just now聽Birch and hazel on the day of Beltane聽Promising growth.聽There will be crowdie and churning in聽the straths聽And the snowdrifts will melt.聽How sweet the spectacle, glens a-spouting聽Calves and milk and cream.