145: The Broom Brush
A simple weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and translation.
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An Sguabag Bhealaidh
A bheil sibh eòlach air cròladh no curling? Bha mi anns an leabharlann an latha eile. Lorg mi seann leabhar. Anns an leabhar bha òran Gàidhlig mu chròladh. Tha briathrachas anns an òran. Tha sin luachmhor, oir chan eil sinn cinnteach de chanas sinn ma tha sinn a’ cluich cròladh ann an Gàidhlig an-diugh.
’S e tiotal an òrain An Sguabag Bhealaidh – the broom brush. Bidh feadhainn a’ sguabadh na deighe air thoiseach air a’ chloich. Tha sin a’ leaghadh na deighe. Bidh a’ chlach a’ dol nas fhaide. Mar sin, tha sguabadh cudromach. Agus air latha fuar geamhraidh a-muigh, bidh sguabadh gad chumail blàth! Bha daoine a’ cleachdadh bealaidh airson sguabagan a dhèanamh.
’S e am fear a sgrìobh an t-òran Pòl Camshron à Blàr Athall. Tha a’ chiad rann a’ dol mar seo: Ged thig oirnne reoth’ ’s gailleann/ Chuireas gròigeanaich don teallach/ Thèid na cròlaich mach le faram/ Chun a’ chath bu dual dhaibh.
’S e cròlach cluicheadair cròlaidh. Bha an Camshronach dhen bheachd gur e gaisgich a bha anns na cròlaich. Thèid na cròlaich mach le faram, sgrìobh e. Aig an aon àm tha daoine nach eil cho treun – na gròigeanaich – a’ dol chun an teine no an teallaich airson cumail blàth.
Anns a’ cheathramh rann a tha sinn a’ faighinn tuilleadh dhen bhriathrachas: “Sìos am bacan,” cluinn an sgiobair/ “Seòl dhomh clach ri taobh na bioraid”/ Siud air falbh, an èiteag bhinneach/ ’S i air chrith na gluasad.
Tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gur e am bacan an hack. ’S e sin rud a tha ceangailte ris an deigh. Cuiridh cròlach a chas air a’ bhacan mus tilg e clach. Tha seòl dhomh clach ri taobh na bioraid a’ ciallachadh “aim for me a stone beside the stick”. Bha bioraid no bioran air a stobadh anns an deigh. Bha sin airson sealltainn do na cròlaich càite an robh an tee. Bidh a’ chlach as fhaisge air an tee a’ buannachachadh a’ ghèam. Agus an èiteag bhinneach? Mìnichidh mi sin an ath-sheachdain.
Faclan is abairtean: cròladh: curling; leabharlann: library; seann leabhar: an old book; briathrachas: vocabulary; luachmhor:valuable; chan eil sinn cinnteach de chanas sinn: we’re not sure what we [should] say; sguabag: brush; bealaidh:broom (plant); a’ sguabadh na deighe: sweeping the ice; air thoiseach air a’ chloich: ahead of the stone; a’ leaghadh na deighe: melting the ice; a’ dol nas fhaide: going further; air latha fuar geamhraidh a-muigh: outside on a cold winter’s day; bidh sguabadh gad chumail blàth: sweeping will keep you warm; Pòl Camshron à Blàr Athall: Paul Cameron from Blair Atholl; ged [a] thig oirnne reoth[adh] ’s gailleann: though freeze and storm should come upon us; [a] chuireas gròigeanaich don teallach: that puts no-hopers to the fireplace; thèid na cròlaich mach le faram: the curlers go out [on the ice] with a great noise, commotion; chun a’ chath bu dual dhaibh: to the contest as was their custom; ’s e cròlach cluicheadair cròlaidh:a cròlach is a curling player (curler); gur e gaisgich a bha anns na cròlaich: that the curlers were heroes; daoine nach eil cho treun:people who aren’t so brave; anns a’ cheathramh rann: in the fourth verse; sìos am bacan: [put] down the hack (to which one foot is anchored when throwing the stone; cluinn an sgiobair: hear the skip (team leader); seòl dhomh clach ri taobh na bioraid: aim for me a stone beside the stick; cuiridh cròlach a chas air a’ bhacan mus tilg e clach:a curler will put his foot on the hack before he throws a stone; bha bioraid no bioran air a stobadh anns an deigh:a stick was stuck into the ice; bidh a’ chlach as fhaisge air an tee a’ buannachachadh a’ ghèam: the tee closest to the tee wins the game; cha do lorg mi a’ Ghàidhlig air tee: I didn’t find the Gaelic for “tee”; siud air falbh, an èiteag bhinneach: there she goes [away], the apex stone: air chrith na gluasad: vibrating as she moves.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 449
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