An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Gaidheal > Volume 24, October 1928--September 1929

154
Aft GAIDHEAL.
An t-Iuchar, 1929.
seasamh a’ sileadh nan deur air mullach
a’ chnuio ud shuas ag iargann na bha uam,
agus a’ coimhead do’n Aird-an-iar, far am
bheil Beamaraigh Bheag air am moch a
dh’eireas grian ’s air an anmoch a l&igheas
i. Eadhon an raoir fhein thainig bruadar
thugami tri uairean ann an iomlaid na
h-oidhche gu’n robh mi air ais ann am
Bearnaraigh Bheag; agus anns a’ mhaduinn
’nuair a dhuisg mi th&inig thugam an rann
so.
‘ Ged nach eil mi am Beiirnaraigh Bheag
Na creid nach eil i air m’uigh,
B’kill learn na h’agh do theach
Bhi a’ coimhead nan clach ’sa stuigh.’
A Bigh, a High, ma tha cridhe maoth ’nad
chliabh na cum mise ’nam phriosanach na’s
fhaide. Gabh truas riumsa, agus bithidh
beannachd an Ti is Airde air do cheann gu
brath. 0, Bhekmaraigh Bhig; 0, Bhekmar-
aigh Bhig, ’s tu fh&n ’s na tha tkmhachd
air do chlkran a tha a’ tighinn gu trie air
m ’aire! ’ ’
’Nuair a chuala High Suain an dbigh air
an do labhair i, agus a mhothaieh © mar a
bha i air a dreach a chall leis an chianalas
dh’aithnich e nach robh e chum math ’s am
bith dha a bhi ’ga gleidheadh na b’fhaide.
Binn e suas inntinn gu ’n aisigeadh e be6 shm
i do eilean a breithe ’s a h-araich. Tha ©
furasd’ a chreidsinn nach ann 1© cridhe
sunndach a thkinig e gu bhi a’ co-dhunadh
gu’m b’e a dhleasdanas a bhean 6g mhais-
each a ghoid e As na h-Eileanan-a-siar a
liubhairt do a parantan a’ rithist. Dh’iarr
e an tA a b ’fhearr de an luingeas aige a chur
an ordugh, agus sheol e le Gealachos gu tlr
a grAidh, gus fadheoidh na chuir e air tlr i
gu sabhailt’ ann an Caolas Bhekmaraigh
Bhig, an t-Aite sin do’n d’thug is© gr&dh a
bha cho seasmhach.
B’e sud an latha m6r ann an eilean beag,
an latha a thill nighean an t-Sagairt Oig.
Bha a parantan air dbchas a thoirt suas
nach fhaiceadh iad a chaoidh a be6 no a
mkrbh. Ach bha i ’nise cbmhla riutha be6
si An, agus gabhaidh e a chreidsinn gu’n robh
m6r ghAirdeachas ann an tigh an t-Sagairt
Oig an latha ud. Bha greadhnachas air
feadh an eilein air fad airson ath-philleadh
Ghealachois, agus dh’fheumadh gach neach
’s an eilean sealladh fhaighinn oirre a’
latha a thainig i. Bha uiread de ioghnadh
air cuid dhifibh is ged a bhiodh i air Airigh
bho na mairbh. Is iomadh cuairt-maidne
is cuairt-feasgair a ghabh i tre mhachraich-
ean uaine an eilein bho’n latha ud. Bu trie
a chlte a cruth AilUdh, agus a chluinnte a
guth ceblmhor binn moch is anmoch ann am
BeArnaraigh Bheag.
Tha © coltach nach do ph6s i ’riamh, ged
is iomadh fear a bha’n t6ir oirre; ach chuir
ise roimpe nach biodh cuid no gnothach aice
tuilleadh ri leannan an deidh na chaidh i
troimhe rA na seachd geamhraidh fhada a
chuir i seachad ann a Lochlunn nam fuar-
bheann. Dh’fhuirich esan a bha suirghidh
oirre ’na nighinn gun phosadh cuideachd.
Cha b’ann ’na tAmh a bha i a’ caitheamh a
cAirtealan. Bhiodh i a’ dAanamh gAird-
eachais cbmhla riu-san a bhiodh subhach
agus a’ bron comhla riu-san a bhiodh ri brbn;
agus cha robh bochd no beartach ’s an
Aite a dh’fhAsadh tinn nach b’ i Gealachos
a’ bhan-eiridinn a bhiodh aca. ’S ann dhith
fhbin a thigeadh a dhol a dheanamh
cobhair air neach a bhiodh ann an tinneas.
Bha i beb gus an do dh’fhAs a ceann hath
leis an aois, agus ’nuair a chaochail i chaidh
a h-adhlacadh air uachdar TrAigh an
Teampuill, far am bheil i a’ cadal gu
samhach ri taobh na mara do’n robh uiread
de ghrAdh aice ann a lAithean a h-bige.
— - ^
GAELIC IN GALLOWAY.
Many people must have been interested
in the article which appeared in a recent
issue of th© Dumfries and Galloway
Standard dealing with the death of Gaelic
in Galloway, and putting forward a plea for
its resurrection. Such a plea would meet
with a ready response from a large number
of persons if they realised that the study of
Gaelic is a paying proposition. Those who
believe that the attempt to rekindle interest
in this ancient tongue is a matter of mere
sentiment, divorced from all practical con¬
siderations, are woefully misinformed.
Gaelic has great practical value in many
important respects. A great number of
scholars of many nationalities—French,
German, Austrian, and Norweigian, to name
only a few—have been attracted to its
study. These authorities have left on record
unequivocal testimony to its great philo¬
logical value. It cannot be said, however,
that this is yet universally recognised,
because a Gaelic enthusiast declares that he
was once asked by a distinguished classical
scholar whether Gaelic, like Hebrew, was
written from right to left!
It has been asserted that a knowledge of
Gaelic is more useful in the study of the
classics than acquaintance with almost any