麻豆社

鈥橲 i an aon ch脿nan

Am beul nam b脿rd 鈥檚 nan 猫isg

As fhe脿rr gu c脿ineadh

O linn Bhabel fh猫in.

鈥橲 i as fhe脿rr gu moladh

鈥橲 as torrannaiche gleus

Gu rann no laoidh

A tharraing gaoth tro bheul.

鈥橲 i as fhe脿rr gu comhairl鈥�

鈥橲 gu gnothach chur gu feum

Na aon teanga E貌rpach

Dh鈥檃indeoin b貌st nan Greug.

Sin earrann agaibh dhen d脿n aig Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair 鈥� Moladh an 脵ghdair don t-Seann Ch脿nain Gh脿idhlig. Chaidh fhoillseachadh an toiseach ann an seachd ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1751).

An robh am b脿rd dha-r矛ribh mu na sgr矛obh e? An robh e dha-r矛ribh dhen bheachd gun robh a鈥� Gh脿idhlig os cionn a h-uile c脿nain eile san Roinn E貌rpa? Nas fhe脿rr gu c脿ineadh is nas fhe脿rr gu moladh? Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha nach robh. Faisg air deireadh an d脿in tha e ag ainmeachadh 鈥淢hicComb, an t-霉ghdar m貌r ri luaidh鈥�. Is e seo an t-Urramach Daibhidh Malcolm a bha na mhinistear ann an Duddingston faisg air D霉n 脠ideann anns na bliadhnaichean ro sheachd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1741).

Sgr矛obh Malcolm air gnothaichean 脿rsaidh agus chuir e air adhart a bheachd gun robh ceanglaichean ann eadar a鈥� Gh脿idhlig agus Laideann, a鈥� Ghreugais agus c脿nan nan Innseanach Darianach ann am Meadhan Ameireagaidh. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun robh Alasdair, ged a bha e moiteil 脿s a鈥� ch脿nan aige, ri beagan fealla-dh脿 nuair a sgr矛obh e an d脿n. Seo an earrann sin a-rithist:

鈥橲 i an aon ch脿nan

Am beul nam b脿rd 鈥檚 nan 猫isg

As fhe脿rr gu c脿ineadh

O linn Bhabel fh猫in.

鈥橲 i as fhe脿rr gu moladh

鈥橲 as torrannaiche gleus

Gu rann no laoidh

A tharraing gaoth tro bheul.

鈥橲 i as fhe脿rr gu comhairl鈥�

鈥橲 gu gnothach chur gu feum

Na aon teanga E貌rpach

Dh鈥檃indeoin b貌st nan Greug.

Tha an samhradh ann an-dr脿sta, ged a bhiodh e doirbh sin aithneachadh, 鈥檚 d貌cha, ann am m貌ran sg矛rean de dh鈥橝lba. 鈥橲 e an samhradh seusan nam fl霉raichean agus is toigh leam an dualchas G脿idhlig a tha co-cheangailte ris na lusan a tha d霉thchasach do dh鈥橝lba. Bha mi a鈥� leughadh d脿n eile aig Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair o chionn ghoirid 鈥� fear a tha gu math freagarrach airson an 脿m seo dhen bhliadhna. Is e sin 脪ran an t-Samhraidh.

Anns an d脿n tha am b脿rd ag ainmeachadh cuid de na lusan air a bheil mi e貌lach agus as toigh leam. Seo iad agus bheir mi d矛reach a鈥� Gh脿idhlig dhuibh, feuch gum bi sibh gan aithneachadh: creamh, s貌bhrach, r貌s, ne貌inean, fraoch, biadh-eunain agus feada-coille.

An robh sibh e貌lach air feadhainn dhiubh? Seo a-rithist iad agus bheir mi an t-ainm Beurla dhuibh cuideachd an turas seo: creamh, no wild garlic, s貌bhrach, no primrose, r貌s, rose, ne貌inean, daisy, fraoch, heather (fhuair sibh sin tha mi an d霉il), biadh-eunain, wood sorrel, agus feada-coille. Nise tha mi a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gur e feada-coille am wood sorrel cuideachd 鈥� Oxalis acetosella. Carson a thagh Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair d脿 ainm airson an aon luis anns an aon d脿n? Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha ri linn-sa gun robh an d脿 ainm sin a鈥� ciallachadh d脿 lus eadar-dhealaichte. Ma tha fios aig duine agaibh air sin, bu mhath leam cluinntinn bhuaibh.

Bha aon lus eile ainmichte ann an 脪ran an t-Samhraidh 鈥� crios Chuchulainn. Crios Chuchulainn. A bheil sibh e貌lach air? Tha an t-ainm Beurla snog gu le貌r 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin meadowsweet. Ach tha an t-ainm G脿idhlig fichead turas nas fhe脿rr! A bheil sibh e貌lach air Cuchulainn? Chan eil? Feumaidh sinn rudeigin a dh猫anamh mu dheidhinn sin anns an ath Litir!

Faclan na Litreach: d脿n: poem; d霉thchasach: native, indigenous.

Abairtean na Litreach: As fhe脿rr gu c脿ineadh o linn Bhabel: the best for criticising since the time of Babel; as torrannaiche gleus: has the most resounding potential; gu rann no laoidh: [the best] for stanza or lay; a tharraing gaoth tro bheul: that wind has ever drawn through mouth; na aon teanga E貌rpach [a] dh鈥檃indeoin b貌st nan Greug[ach]: than any European language despite the boasts of the Greeks; an robh am b脿rd dha-r矛ribh?: was the poet in earnest?; gnothaichean 脿rsaidh: antiquarian matters; chuir e air adhart a bheachd: he proposed [his opinion]; c脿nan nan Innseanach Darianach: the language of the Darien Indians; moiteil 脿s: proud of; ri beagan fealla-dh脿: having a bit of fun; ged a bhiodh e doirbh sin aithneachadh: although it would be hard to recognise that; feuch gum bi sibh gan aithneachadh: to see if you can recognise them; a鈥� ciallachadh d脿 lus eadar-dhealaichte: meaning two different plants; crios Chuchulainn: meadowsweet [lit. Cuchullin鈥檚 belt]; fichead turas nas fhe脿rr: twenty times better.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Am beul nam b脿rd 鈥檚 nan 猫isg: in the mouth of the poets and satirists. Did you think 猫isg here referred to fish? That is an easy mistake to make because iasg is a funny word grammatically. Although there is a plural form (generally 猫isg but iasgan in one or two places 鈥� and na h-Iasgan is the Gaelic for the zodiac sign Pisces) the singular form is usually employed as a collective. 鈥淭he fish shop鈥� is b霉th an 猫isg, using the genitive singular. So with the genitive plural article (nan) appearing with 猫isg it might have been a clue that we are dealing here with (an old) genitive plural form of the noun 猫isg (nominative plural 猫isgean) meaning a 鈥渟atirist鈥�.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: ri [a] linn-sa: in his day (emphatic).