This month we hear  about a chance to get your favourite Scottish quotation on the wall of the Scottish Parliament.

Balla a’ Chanongate

An robh sibh a-riamh ann an Dùn Èideann gus Pàrlamaid na h-Alba fhaicinn? Dh’fhaodadh gur toil leibh i, dh’fhaodadh nach toil (mar thogalach no mar stèicheachadh poileataigeach), ach tha aon rud cinnteach: ’s e structair a th’ ann a chuireas iongnadh air a h-uile duine a chì e a’ chiad uair. Nuair a bhios sibh a’ gabhal cuairt sìos a’ Mhìle Rìoghail am measg thaighean àrd stòlda a’ Chanongate agus mòrachd rùmail Holyrood, thig e oirbh gun fhiosta.

Agus falaichte cha mhòr eadar a h-uile iongnaidhean mòra, chì sibh fear beag brèagha: Balla a’ Chanongate, le clachan eadar-dhealaichte à gach àird na h-Alba, agus, gràbhailte san chlach, 24 earrannan sgrìobhte sa Bheurla, san Scots agus sa Ghàidhlig, bhon Bhìoball gu Burns agus Hugh MacDiarmid. Ach am measg nan 24 seo chan eil ach dà seannfhacal agus aon loidhne bàrdachd Gàidhlig ann

 Abair is beagan is abair gu math e.

Am fear as fheàrr a chuireas, ’s e as fheàrr a bhuineas.

Is i Alba nan Gall’s nan Gàidheal is gàire is blàth is beatha dhomh (Deòrsa Mac Iain Deòrsa / George Campbell Hay)

Agus chan eil sgrìobhadh le boireann sam bith ann fhathast. Chan eil fiù ’s aon.
Gu dearbh ’s e faighinn an dà bhearn sin a-mach a chuir an iongnadh a bu mhotha ormsa.

Ach tha cothrom againn uile a-nis sin a chur ceart, oir thathar gu bhith a’ cur sgrìobhadh ùr ris a’ Bhalla, mar chomharrachadh air an deicheamh ceann-bliadhna aig Pàrlamaid na h-Alba.
“Tha sinn ag iarraidh air daoine sgrìobhadh cliùiteach no cudromach a bhuineas ri Alba ainmeachadh, ’s dòcha rudeigin a chuireas an cèill mar a tha iad a’ faireachdainn mu Alba, mu na tha e a’ ciallachadh a bhith nad Albannach no nithean ris a bheil dùil is dòchas againn san ùine air thoiseach.” 
Sin agaibh e: sgrìobhaibh sìos an earrann as fheàrr leibh anns nach eil barrachd air 50 facal agus cuiribh e a-steach ro Diluain 31 Lùnasdal 2009. ’S dòcha gur e pìos agaibhse a nochdas air a’ Bhalla air Latha Fèill Anndrais!
www.scottish.parliament.uk/canongatewall
Dè mu dheidhinn sin, san òran Cànan nan Gàidheal le Murdo Macfarlane? 

O chànain tha leath ri mo chrìdh,
M’ aran m’ annlan is m’ anail ’s mo smior,
’S tu cho aosd ri fraoch dosrach nam frìth,
Shloinneadh òg leat beinn, leitir is sgùrr;
Gàidheil gad easbhaidh, ’s gad dhìth,
’S clàrsach aon-theud, is cuislean gun fhuil.

Agus briathran glìc (agus gu math freagarrach an lath an-diugh) le boireann, Ellen Johnston (1835-73):

Oor merchants and mill-masters they wad never want a meal
Though a’ the banks in Scotland wad for a twalmonth fail:
For some o’ them hae far mair gowd than ony ane can see.
What care some gentry if they’re weel though a’ the puir wad dee?

Ach tha an sgrìobhadh as fhreagarraiche airson taighe làn luchd-poileataigs air a’ Bhalla fhathast :

O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us
An’ foolish notion…

 ***

  If you are in Edinburgh and come upon the Scottish Parliament building suddenly, for the first time, it may well surprise you among the tall, sedate old houses of Canongate and the grandeur of Holyrood. One small, pleasant surprise may also be the Canongate Wall, the collection of Scottish stones with their 24 engraved quotations. What surprised me most, though, was the fact that there were only 3 lines of Gaelic there, and no quotations by a woman at all. (Check the website.)
Well, we have a chance to put that right now. They are looking for new quotations to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament. Suggestions on a postcard (or online) in up to 50 words by 31 August: www.scottish.parliament.uk/canongatewall
The most apt quotation for a building full of politicians is already there, though:
O wad some Pow’r indeed!