An Cla\Rsach
Amhran goirid le Si\lis na Ceapaich (Si\leas Nic 'ic Raghnaill)
(chleachdar Sileas Nic Raghnaill oirre uaireigin, ach tha sin cearr;
's e Gilleasbuig, Mac Mhic Raghnaill, b' athair dhi).
A reir beul-aithris, nuair a chaochail fear Shi\lis, Alasdair
Gordanach, ann an 1720 (is Si\leas mu 60 bliadhna a dh'aois) fhuair
Seumas Gordon, dalta Shi\lis, a bhith 'na oighre, ged robh macan nas
si\ne aig Alasdair. 'S ann a bha esan na Chuigse, chath e airson Righ
Deo\rs aig Sliabh-an-t-Siorraim, 's athair 's na macan eile aig nan
Seumasach. Bha e airson a h-uile rud a bhuin do na sean doighean a
cur air chul, agus chaidh cla\rsach athar a thilgeadh mar chaidh gach
ni eile bhuin d'a chultur ghaidhealach. Rinn Si\leas an amhran so.
(Gilles MacDonnel married Alex Gordon; when he died in 1720 her
stepson James inherited; he wasn't the eldest son, but had the
advantage of being a Whig - the others were Jacobites; he wanted to do
away with all the old ways, and threw out everything that had to do
with highland
Do bheatha, a Chla\rsaich, a ris,
'N deighs domh do thilgeadh uam;
Nam faodainn do chumail a steach
Cha reachadh tu mach ri luaths.
Bu bhinn leam iuchair do theud
Bhith 'ga gleusadh goirid uam;
B' ait' leam do chom buidhe binn
Bha 'ga seinn la\mh ri m' chluais.
Nam bu bhean mi 'g am bitheadh oighreachd
Bhitheadh daonnan ann mo chaidribh;
Bu bhinn le m' chluais bhith 'gad chluinntinn
'Nuair a dhu\isginn anns a' mhadainn.
B' annsa na fidheall, is beus
Orgain cha te/id mi g' a luaidh,
'S b' e mo roghainn thar gach ceo\l
Fuaim do theud roimh d' bho\rdaibh cruaidh.
Word List
---------
annsa preferable, rather, dearer
bhean a woman
bheatha life; but "Do bheatha" as a greeting
means "welcome"
beus quality, virtue
binn sweet, melodious
bhith being, to be
bitheadh would be (incomplete dependent tense)
bhitheadh would be (incomplete independent tense)
bho\rdaibh
boards (dative plural of bo\rd)
buidhe yellow (colours are not really translatable;
although buidhe is usually given as
yellow, it also gets used where orange
or red is used in English. Here it's the
colour of polished wood.)
chaidribh company, fellowship, closeness
(old form of dative singular of caidreabh
ceo\l music
cla\rsach harp (chla\rsaich - vocative case)
chluais ear (dative singular of cluas)
chluinntinn hearing (verbal noun from cluinn)
chom body, trunk
cruaidh hard
chumail keeping (verbal noun from cum)
daonnan always
deighs archaic form of de/idh or diaidh
an de/is = after
dhu\isginn
I would waken (incomplete relative tense)
faodainn I could get (incomplete dependent tense;
an alternate fom of faighinn)
fidheall fiddle, violin
fuaim sound
gleusadh preparing, tuning
goirid short
iuchair key (NEVER a musical key like A major or whatever,
usually the key to a lock. Here it's the
tuning key of the harp, the gadget used to
tighten/slacken a string.)
la\mh hand; la\mh ri = beside
luaidh mention
luaths speed
mach out
mhadainn morning
oighreachd
inheritance, real estate
reachadh would go (incomplete dependent tense)
roghainn choice
roimh through (for throimh)
seinn singing, playing (verbal noun)
steach inside
te/id will go (future dependent tense of rach)
theud string
thilgeadh throwing (verbal noun)
Translation:
------------
Welcome again, O harp, after I'd cast you away;
If I could keep you inside [in the house]
you wouldn't get out quickly.
The sound of your strings which were being tuned close by
me was melodious for me;
your polished body being played beside my ear was
delightful to me.
If I were a woman with inherited lands
you would always be in my company;
To be hearing you would be sweet to my ear
when I awoke in the morning.
[You were] dearer than a fiddle, and the virtues
of the organ I am not going to mention,
my choice above all music was
the sound of your strings through your hard boards.
CC
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!