Unit 33 - Literature and Poetry
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- Ceitidh: A bheil thu a’ leughadh bàrdachd?
- Are you reading poetry?
- Anna: Tha. Seann bhàrdachd le Iain Lom.
- Yes. Old poetry by Iain Lom (MacDonald).
- Ceitidh: Iain Lom? Dè an dàn?
- Iain Lom? What poem?
- Anna: “Latha Inbhir Lòchaidh”.
- “The Day of Inverlochy” [a major battle in 1645].
- Ceitidh: “Dhìrich mi moch madainn Dòmhnaich...”
- “I got up early on a Sunday morning...”?
- Anna: Sin e – dìreach! An toigh leat e?
- That’s it - exactly.
- Ceitidh: Cha toil. Tha e ro fhuilteach. Agus bha mo mhàthair na Caimbeulach!
- No. It’s too bloody. And my mother was a Campbell!
- Anna: Dè a’ bhàrdachd as toigh leat fhèin?
- What poetry do you like yourself?
- Ceitidh: Is toigh leam Donnchadh Bàn.
- I like Duncan Ban [MacIntyre].
- Anna: Dè an dàn aige as fheàrr leat?
- Which poem of his do you like best?
- Ceitidh: Chan eil fhios a’m. Is toigh leam “Coire a’ Cheathaich”.
- I don’t know. I like “The Corrie of the Mist”.
- Anna: “’S e Coir’ a’ Cheathaich nan aighean siùbhlach...”
- “The Misty Corrie of the swiftmoving hinds...”
- Ceitidh: Tha e agad!
- You have it!
- Annal: Tha ceist agam dhut.
- I have a question for you.
- Ceitidh: Seadh. Dè th’ ann?
- Uhu. What is it?
- Anna: Dè an dàn Gàidhlig as fheàrr a bhuineas don fhicheadamh linn?
- What is the best Gaelic poem that belongs to the twentieth century?
- Ceitidh: Mo chreach. Abair ceist!
- My goodness. What a question!
- Anna: Tha e doirbh, nach eil? Bha uidhir de bhàird mhatha againn.
- It’s difficult, isn’t it? We had so many good poets.
- Ceitidh: Is tha fhathast. Fir agus boireannaich.
- And we still do. Men and women.
- Anna: Tha. Ach, a thaobh do cheist, canaidh mi “Bàn-Ghàidheal”.
- We do. But, regarding your question, I’ll say “A Highland Woman”.
- Ceitidh: Tha sin inntinneach. Bha mise a’ dol a ràdh “Hallaig”.
- That’s interesting. I was going to say “Hallaig”.
- Anna: Carson a tha sin inntinneach?
- Why is that interesting?
- Ceitidh: Oir ’s e Somhairle MacGill-Eain a sgrìobh an dà dhàn.
- Because it’s Sorley MacLean that wrote both poems.
- Anna: ’S e – ach ’s e bàrd air leth a bh’ ann.
- So it was – but he was a terrific poet.
- Ceitidh: Chuala mi e a’ leughadh a chuid bàrdachd aon turas.
- I heard him reading his poetry on one occasion.
- Anna: An cuala? An robh e math?
- Did you? Was he good?
- Ceitidh: Bha e math dha-rìribh.
- He was excellent.
