20/08/2007

Faclan is abairtean: ainmeil: famous; ’s e bàrd a bh’ ann: he was a poet; bha e beò anns an ochdamh linn deug: he was alive in the eighteenth century; bha e uabhasach làidir, ged a bha e gu math beag: he was very strong although he was quite small; bruach Abhainn Lòchaidh: the bank of the Lochy River; a’ dèanamh deiseil airson a dhol a-null: preparing to cross to the other side; a’ toirt a bhrògan is stocainnean dheth: taking his shoes and socks off; fear Dòmhnallach à Bàrrasdal ann an Cnòideart: a MacDonald from Barrisdale in Knoydart; fhir big, thig còmhla riumsa: wee man, come along with me; cùm air mo chùlaibh: keep behind me; brisidh mise neart an t-sruth: I’ll break the strength of the current; nì sin an gnothach nas fhasa dhut: that will make it easier for you; meadhan na h-aibhne: the middle of the river; ann an cunnart a dhol fodha: in danger of going under; thug thu ‘fear beag’ orm air taobh thall na h-aibhne: you called me ‘wee man’ at the other side of the river; gabh mo chomhairle: take my advice; na toir ‘beag’ air duine gus am bi e dearbhte agad [gu bheil e ‘beag’]: don’t call somebody ‘small’ until it is proved to you [that he is ‘small’]; tomhais gnè duine air barrachd na dìreach a choltas: assess a man’s qualities by more than just his appearance; ’s e deagh chomhairle a th’ ann, nach e, eadhon an-diugh?: it’s good advice, isn’t it, even today?; tha cuimhne fada nas fheàrr aig daoine air a bhràthair: people have a much better memory of his brother; cumhachd na bàrdachd: the power of [the] poetry; bha Alasdair na dheagh charaid do ar cànan: Alasdair was a good friend to our language; Moladh an Ùghdair don t-Seann Chànain Ghàidhlig: the author’s paean to the old Gaelic language; ’s i labhair Goill is Gàidheil: it is her [Gàidhlig is feminine] that Lowlanders and Highlanders spoke; neo-chlèirich agus clèir: laity and clergy; gach fear agus bean: each man and woman; a ghluaiseadh teanga am beul: who would move their tongues in their mouth; ’s i a labhair Adhamh ann a Phàrras fhèin: it is her that Adam spoke in his Paradise; bu shiùbhlach a’ Ghàidhlig o bheul àlainn Eubh: fluent was the Gaelic from Eve’s beautiful mouth;