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07/06/2010

Tha litir bheag na seachdain-sa aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain. This week's short letter for learners is introduced by Ruaraidh MacLean.

5 minutes

Last on

Mon 7 Jun 2010 19:00

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An Litir Bheag 265

Dubh, geal is dearg. Tr矛 dathan. Bha na聽seann Gh脿idheil e貌lach orra. Bha iad ann聽an cuid de na st貌iridhean.聽A bheil sibh e貌lach air uirsgeul聽Deirdre? Deirdre agus Clann Uisnich.聽Tha i ainmeil ann an dualchas nan聽G脿idheal. Tha an st貌iridh co-cheangailte聽ri tr矛 脿iteachan ann an Alba 鈥 taobh Loch聽Nis, ann an Gleann Nibheis agus ann an聽Gleann Eite.聽Anns an st貌iridh tha R矛gh Uladh聽ag iarraidh Deirdre a ph貌sadh. Ach tha i聽a鈥 gabhail gaol air Naois. Tha i a鈥 falbh a聽dh鈥橝lba cuide ri Naois.聽鈥橲 e sealgair a tha ag aithris coltas聽Naois do Dheirdre. Tha an sealgair a鈥櫬爁aighinn a-steach don bhothan aig聽Deirdre anns na beanntan. Tha e ag r脿dh聽seo ri Deirdre mu dheidhinn Naois agus聽a leithid... 鈥淟矛 an fhithich air an gruag.聽An cneas mar eala nan tonn. An leac mar聽fhuil an laoigh bhric dheirg. Agus an聽l霉th agus an leum mar bhradan a鈥櫬燽hoinne-bhrais agus mar fhiadh a鈥櫬燽hearraidh bhric.鈥澛燣矛 an fhithich 鈥 鈥檚 e sin dubh.聽Cneas mar eala nan tonn 鈥 鈥檚 e sin geal.聽Leac mar fhuil an laoigh bhric dheirg 鈥撀犫檚 e sin dearg. Dubh, geal agus dearg. Na聽tr矛 dathan a dh鈥檃inmich mi aig an聽toiseach.聽An latha eile, lorg mi dreach eile聽de dh鈥檜irsgeul Deirdre 脿 Alba. Tha聽Deirdre ag r脿dh ris an r矛gh, 鈥淣ach bu聽mhaiseach an duine aig am biodh cneas聽cho geal ris an t-sneachd, gruaidh cho聽dearg ris an fhuil agus falt cho dubh ris聽an fhitheach.鈥 Tha an R矛gh ag r脿dh ri聽Deirdre gu bheil clann aig a phiuthar聽agus gu bheil fear dhiubh d矛reach mar聽sin. Tha Deirdre ag r脿dh nach eil i a鈥 dol聽a leabaidh gus am faic i an duine.聽Tha an R矛gh a鈥 cur fios air an聽duine. Tha am fear 貌g a鈥 tighinn. Tha聽Deirdre a鈥 gabhail gaol air. Tha iad a鈥櫬爁albh c貌mhla a dh鈥橝lba. Dubh, geal is聽dearg. Tr矛 dathan cudromach ann an聽dualchas nan G脿idheal.

The Little Letter 265

Black, white and red. Three colours.聽The old Gaels knew them. They were in聽some of the stories.聽Do you know the legend of聽Deirdre? Deirdre and the Sons of聽Uisneach. It is famous in the heritage of聽the Gaels. The story is connected to聽three places in Scotland 鈥 near Loch聽Ness, in Glen Nevis and in Glen Etive.聽In the story, the King of Ulster聽wants to marry Deirdre. But she falls in聽love with Naois. She leaves for Scotland聽along with Naois.聽It鈥檚 a hunter who reports the聽appearance of Naois to Deirdre. The聽hunter gets into Deirdre鈥檚 bothy in the聽mountains. He says this to Deirdre聽about Naois and the like... 鈥淭he colour聽of the raven on their hair. Their skin聽like the swans of the waves. Their skin聽like the blood of the speckled red fawn.聽And their vigour and friskiness like the聽salmon of the torrent and the deer of the聽speckled ridge.鈥澛燭he colour of the raven 鈥 that鈥檚聽black. Skin like the swan of the waves 鈥撀爐hat鈥檚 white. A cheek like the blood of聽the speckled red fawn 鈥 that鈥檚 red.聽Black, white and red. The three colours聽I named at the start.聽The other day, I found another聽version of Deirdre鈥檚 legend from聽Scotland. Deirdre says to the king,聽鈥淲ouldn鈥檛 the man be beautiful who聽had skin as white as the snow, a cheek聽as red as the blood and hair as black as聽the raven.鈥 The King says to Deirdre聽that his sister has children and that one聽of them is just like that. Deirdre says聽that she鈥檚 not going to bed until she聽sees the man.聽The King sends for the man. The聽young man comes. Deirdre falls in love聽with him. They leave together for聽Scotland. Black, white and red. Three聽important colours in the heritage of the聽Gaels.

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  • Mon 7 Jun 2010 19:00

All the letters

Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.

Podcast: An Litir Bheag

The Little Letter for Gaelic Learners

An Litir Bheag air LearnGaelic

An Litir Bheag is also on LearnGaelic (with PDFs)

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