Gur tric mi an diugh a’ cuimhneachadh
by admin • 23 June 2008 • Gàidhlig • 3 Comments
A song of the people of Geshader, by Norman Macleod, Am Bàrd Bochd, who was headmaster at Lochcroistean from 1936 to 1943.
Gur tric mi an diugh a’ cuimhneachadh
Air suinn bha leam ann uair,
An duinealas ‘s an aoighealachd,
An abhachas gun fhuath;
An t-Ileach seòlta àmhailteach
‘S Macneill na bheachd cur ruaig
Air a Lion shìos an Gràsabhaig
‘S air Pàdraig a’ Ghlinne Ruaidh.
Gur tric mi leis a’ Choisich
Chon nan creagan bheirinn sgrìob
Cho sèimh na chainnt ‘s na dhòighean rium
Ri teachdaireachd na sìth;
‘S a’ tilleadh gu a dhachaigh leinn
An t-iasgach lom no làn
Bhiodh làmh-gun-dearmad Mhàiri
Gar fàilteachadh le gràdh.
‘S tha Aonghais còir air triall uainn
An nàbaidh bha dhomh dlùth
Fear èasgaidh sgileil dèanadach
Na ghnìomharan ‘s na chliù;
‘S ma thadhaileas mise chaoidh rim bheò
Blàth-aitreabh air a raon
Bith tathasgan a shòlasan
Tighinn beò dhomh air gach taobh.
Is ged tha cuid de m’ nàbannan
Gun àite an seo nam dhuan,
Tha ‘m conaltradh ‘s an geur-chainnte
Ri g èirigh tric nam smuain
Is fhad s a mhaireas làithean rium
Is cuimhn’ an àite tighinn beò
Bidh ‘n càirdeas caomh ri deàlradh dhomh
Mar reul nan àrd nan glòir.
I think my grandmother’s family emigrated from Geshadar to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. She spoke Gaelic as a girl. My dad knows a few Gaelic ditties and expressions. I know one phrase. Would it be possible to post an English translation?
I’ll see if we can get a rough translation done. We may have your grandmother’s family on Hebridean Connections – have you had a look? If you can’t find them let me know a bit of detail and I’ll see what we’ve got. There were some from the island of Vuia who were in Geshader briefly before going to Cape Breton in 1851.
Rough Translation
Very oft these days I’m thinking of
The heroes who dwelt with me there
Their personality and hospitality
their sport yet without spite.
The Sileach cute, yet friendly
Macneill, in his own opinion
Routing the Lion in Grasvaig
And Peter of the Red Glen.
Very oft with the Coisich
To the rocky shores I’d trod
So gentle in conversing and attitude to me
Like the preaching of peace.
And returning to her home
whether laden with fish or not
Mary’s ne’er forgetful hand
would welcome us with love.
Alas kind Angus has left us
The friend who was close to me
A willing skilled and thrifty man
In acts and reputation.
And if I ever chance to visit
His warm dwelling in the field
Reminiscences of his joyful solace
Come alive to me on all sides.
Sileach,Macneill, Lion, Peter of the Red Glen and the Coisich were nicknames attributed to “the heroes” to readily identify them from the various Angus Macdonalds and Donald Macleods in existence at the time. They also sometimes denoted where they resided as in Peter of the Red Glen and the Lion in Grasvaig.