seaboardgàidhlig

Brot samhraidh furasta

Grìtheidean  (do 6 -8)

creamh-gàrraidh meadhanach
piobar-cluig uaine
piobar-cluig buidhe
curran meadhanach
courgette bheag
làn laimhe pònair Fhrangach no ruith, no
peasraichean mange-tout no sugar-snap
buntàta meadhanach, amh no deasaichte
2 chanastair tomàto Eadailteach, geàrrte le buille
sùgh-glasraich no sùgh-circe (3 canastair-tòmato falamh)
piobar dubh garbh-bhleithte (cha cleachd mise salann – tha salann gu leòr ann an sùghan-glasraich no circe malairteach)
geagan beaga lusan, geàrrte, mar phairseil, lus an rìgh, ròs-Màiri, lus-marsalaidh, no lusan de Provence tioram. continue reading…

An Ataireachd Àrd

Deireadh-seachdain na Càisge bha mi is mo mhàthair, mar as àbhaist, air cuairt sa chàr do àiteachan snoga eadar-dhealaichte. ’S ann a-staigh san tìr air cùlaibh Buin Ilidh a bha sinn aon latha, gu ’Baile an Òir’ aig Cill Donnain. ’S e àite brèagha samhach a th’ ann an-diugh, ged a bhiodh e air a bhith na bu thrainge aig àirde de ‘fhiabhras òir’.

Ach chan eil a-mhàin air sgàth an òir a tha Srathan Chill Donnain ainmeil. Thachair cuid de na Fuadaichean as miosa an sin, mar a tha an carragh-cuimhne ann am Bun Ilidh a’ comharrachadh. Agus ‘s ann mu an deidhinn a bha mi a’ smaoineachadh nuair a chuala mi an t-òran ‘An Ataireachd Àrd’ anns a’ chàr beagan às dèidh sin, le tuiteamas. continue reading…

Not a Gaelic one this time, as not in my words, but worth a read!

Rita’s Story

Just before Christmas I was sitting in a cosy traditional inn in Cologne’s Old Town, waiting for my old friend, Gill, who teaches German in Dorset and was over on a school trip with some colleagues and a class of 14-year-olds. The pupils were given an hour in the nearby Christmas market (one of five) while the teachers had a rest and some lunch. The introductions began. One of the teachers, Rita, asked me what part of Scotland I was from.
‘A bit north of Inverness,’ I said. (They were all from the south of England, after all. I just hoped they knew where Inverness was.)
‘Where exactly?’
‘Easter Ross.’
‘Do you know Fearn, at all?’ she said; ‘I was born there!’
And that was the start of a long, fascinating story. continue reading…

Seanfhaclan Gàidhlig – Gaelic Proverbs (2)

An tuathanachas agus an dùthaich – farming and the countryside

Nuair a sgrìobh mi an turas mu dheireadh mu sheanfhaclan Gàidhlig, ’s e ‘a mhuir is an t-iasgadh’ a bha anns a’ chuspair. An turas seo bha mi airson sùil a thoirt air seanfhaclan às an t-saoghal eile de Ros an Ear, an fheadhainn a chuireas an cèill smaointean ar sinnsearan steidhichte air na chunnaic an suilean mothachail air an dùthaich agus air na tuathanasan.

When I last wrote about Gaelic proverbs, the subject was ‘the sea and fishing’. This time I thought I’d look at proverbs relating to the other aspect of life in Easter Ross, ones which express the thoughts of our ancestors based on what their observant eyes saw in the countryside and on the farms. continue reading…

Beinn Uais /Ben Wyvis

Faclan Gàidhlig anns a’ Bheurla – Gaelic words in English

Ged a tha fios againn gu bheil faclan Gàidhlig, no le tùsan Gàidhlig, anns a’ Bheurla Albannaich, cha bhi sinn an-còmhnaidh mothachail air an uiread a tha dhiubh no gun lorg sinn cuid mhath eile anns a’ Bheurla Shasannaich fhèin. Bidh iad air an sgrìobadh air dòighan rud beag eadar-dhealaichte, ’s dòcha, ach ’s urrainn dhuinn an aithneachadh.

’S ann am measg feartan na tìre a lorgas sinn  a’ mhòrchuid  de na faclan air a bheil sinn uile eòlach. Chaidh iadsan a-steach do chleachdadh cumanta, fiù ’s ann an Sasainn, tron shealladh romansach den Ghàidhealtachd – tìr àlainn ach gharbh – a bha aig na Bhictorianaich, an ìre mhath tro na nobhailean le Sir Walter Scott. Bha loch, glen agus strath, ben agus cairn, na b’inntinniche agus na bu romansaiche na lake, valley, mountain agus pile of stones. continue reading…

Cleachdaidhean Oidhche Challainn sa Ghearmailt – How Germans celebrate Hogmanay

Ged nach eil na Gearmailtich eòlach air mòrchuid den cleachdaidhean againne – tha iognadh mòr aca nuair a bhios mi ag innse dhuibh mu first-footing is a leithid sin,  tha cleachdeaidhean inntinneach eile acasan , agus tha fiù ’s rud no dhà againn an cumantas.

Bleigiessen  = leaghadh luaithe.

Cruinnichidh an teaghlach no buidheann charaidean timcheall air a’ bhuird, is seo nas fheàrr ri solas coinnle, agus fear mu seach cumaidh iad pìosan beagan de luaithe ann an seann spàin os cionn lasair coinnle mionaid no dhà. Bi an luaithe a’ leaghadh gu math luath, leis gu bheil e cho bog , agus às dèidh sin thèid a leagail a-steach ann an uisge fuar, far am fàs e cruaidh a-rithist, ach ann an cruthan neònach. An crochadh air na cruthan a th’ ann, chì thu am bi deagh no droch fhòrtan agad sa bhliadhna sa tighinn.  Seo feadhainn dhiubh: continue reading…

Laoidhean Nollaig sa Ghàidhlig – Christmas Carols in Gaelic

Ged nach b’ àbhaist  dhan mhuinntir den Ghàidhealtachd Chlèirich Nollaig a chomharrachadh mar a nì sinn an latha an-diugh, bha a dh’aindeoin sin an còmhnaidh laoidhean Nollaig ann, an fheadhainn as ainmeile ‘Tàladh Chriosda’ agus ‘Leanabh an Àigh’ .  Rè nam bliadhnaichean tha laoidhean Nollaig eile air an cur ri cheile, agus tha mòran laoidhean Beurla air an eadar-theangachadh cuideachd. Seo roghainn beag dhuibh, le ceanglaichean gu làraichean-lìn far an lorg sibh rannan eile agus uireannan an ceòl cuideachd.  Tha mòran eile ri fhaotainn anns an leabhar agus air na CDs ‘Duan Nollaig’ le F. J. Mackenzie*.
Tha mi an dòchas gun còrd e ribh a bhith gan seinn!

***

Although the people of the Presbyterian Highlands didn’t use to celebrate Christmas the way we do nowadays, there were always Gaelic carols around, the most famous being the Gaelic originals of The Christ Child’s Lullaby and Child in the Manger. In the course of time further carols were composed, or English ones translated. Here’s a selection, with links to websites with more carols and sometimes the sung music too. There are a lot more in the book and on the CDs ‘Duan Nollaig’ by F. J. Mackenzie*.
Hope you enjoy singing them!

  continue reading…