麻豆社

Nuair a bha a鈥� chlann agam 貌g bha mi a鈥� dol don chr貌ileagan c貌mhla riutha. Bha sin anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Dh鈥檌onnsaich sinn 貌rain aig a鈥� chr貌ileagan. Tha beagan cuimhne agam air fear de na h-貌rain. Seo agaibh am p矛os a tha mi a鈥� cuimhneachadh:

Uiseag bheag dhearg na m貌na duibh, na m貌na duibh, na m貌na duibh, Uiseag bheag dhearg na m貌na duibh, c脿ite na chaidil thu raoir san 鈥溍�鈥�. 鈥橲 e a鈥� Bheurla a th鈥� air uiseag 鈥� skylark. Bha an t-貌ran snog ach bha aon rud a鈥� cur dragh orm. 鈥橲 e sin deireadh na loidhne mu dheireadh.

Seo an t-貌ran a-rithist: Uiseag bheag dhearg na m貌na duibh, na m貌na duibh, na m貌na duibh, Uiseag bheag dhearg na m貌na duibh, c脿ite na chaidil thu raoir san 鈥溍�鈥�. Nise, d猫 tha am facal 鈥渋鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh? Cha robh fios agam. Chuir mi ceist air t猫 le G脿idhlig.

鈥淭ha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh gu bheil e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥榦idhche鈥�,鈥� thuirt i. Bha sin a鈥� d猫anamh ciall 鈥� c脿ite na chaidil thu raoir san oidhche? Ach carson nach e 鈥渙idhche鈥� a bh鈥� anns an 貌ran, seach 鈥溍�鈥�? An robh 脿ite ann an Alba far an robh daoine ag r脿dh 鈥溍�鈥� airson 鈥渙idhche鈥�? Tha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh nach robh.

Am-bliadhna fhuair mi fuasgladh don cheist. Thug e toileachas dhomh. Bha mi ann an Eilean Mhanainn. Dh鈥檌onnsaich mi beagan dhen Gh脿idhlig aca. Tha i gu math coltach ri G脿idhlig na h-Alba.

Seo agaibh tr矛 abairtean ann an G脿idhlig Eilean Mhanainn. Tha moghrey mie a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渕adainn mhath鈥�. Thuirt cuideigin rium gu bheil moghrey a鈥� tighinn bho moch-thr脿th (鈥渆arly time鈥�). Co-dhi霉, sin moghrey mie. Tha fastyr mie a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渇easgar math鈥�. Agus airson 鈥渙idhche mhath鈥�, canaidh iad oie vie. Oie vie. Uh-uh, thuirt mi rium fh矛n, c脿ite na chaidil thu raoir san oie! Th脿inig an t-貌ran 脿 Eilean Mhanainn!

Thuirt t猫 Mhanainneach rium gun robh an t-貌ran sin aca. Agus thuirt fear eile rudeigin inntinneach. Chan eil ushag ann an G脿idhlig Eilean Mhanainn a鈥� ciallachadh skylark. Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh eun sam bith. An d猫idh sia bliadhn鈥� deug, fhuair mi fuasgladh don cheist agam.

Faclan is abairtean: bha mi a鈥� dol don chr貌ileagan c貌mhla riutha: I was going to the Gaelic playgroup with them; dh鈥檌onnsaich sinn 貌rain: we learned songs; seo agaibh am p矛os a tha mi a鈥� cuimhneachadh: here [for you] is the bit I remember; uiseag bheag dhearg na m貌na duibh: little red skylark of the black peat; c脿ite na [an do] chaidil thu raoir?: where did you sleep last night; bha aon rud a鈥� cur dragh orm: one thing was annoying me; deireadh na loidhne mu dheireadh: the end of the last line; chuir mi ceist air t猫 le G脿idhlig: I asked a woman who spoke Gaelic; bha sin a鈥� d猫anamh ciall: that was making sense; an robh 脿ite ann an Alba far an robh daoine ag r脿dh 鈥溍�鈥� airson 鈥渙idhche鈥�?: was there a place in Scotland where people said 鈥溍�鈥� for 鈥渙idhche鈥� (night)?; fhuair mi fuasgladh don cheist: I got a solution for the question/problem; thug e toileachas dhomh: it made me happy; Eilean Mhanainn: Isle of Man; thuirt cuideigin rium: somebody said to me; thuirt mi rium fh矛n: I said to myself; th脿inig an t-貌ran 脿 X: the song came from X; thuirt t猫 Mhanainneach rium: a Manxwoman said to me; thuirt fear eile rudeigin inntinneach: another guy said an interesting thing; eun sam bith: any [type of] bird; an d猫idh sia bliadhn鈥� deug: after 16 years.