麻豆约拍

Seo am fear a bhris an sabhal

Seo am fear a ghoid an t-arbhar

Seo am fear a sheas ag amharc

Seo am fear a theich air falbh

Seo am fear a dh鈥檌nnis e, a dh鈥檌nnis e, a dh鈥檌nnis e.

鈥淒猫 fon ghr猫in air a bheil Ruairidh a-mach an t-seachdain seo?鈥�, bidh sibh a鈥� faighneachd. Uill, innsidh mi dhuibh nas fhaide dhen Litir. Seo an rann a-rithist:

Seo am fear a bhris an sabhal

Seo am fear a ghoid an t-arbhar

Seo am fear a sheas ag amharc

Seo am fear a theich air falbh

Seo am fear a dh鈥檌nnis e, a dh鈥檌nnis e, a dh鈥檌nnis e.

Bha c貌ig loidhnichean ann. Bidh am fiosrachadh sin na chuideachadh dhuibh. Co-dhi霉, cha chan mi an c貌rr air sin airson mionaid no dh脿.

Uaireannan bidh daoine a鈥� faighneachd dh矛om mu gheamannan a chluicheadh clann aig an robh G脿idhlig. Agus dh鈥檉haighnich cuideigin dh矛om o chionn beagan mh矛osan gu d猫 chanadh iad nuair a bha iad a鈥� cluich g猫am, agus iad ag iarraidh a bhith saor bho riaghailtean a鈥� gh猫am airson mionaid no dh脿.

Far an do chuir mise seachad p脿irt de m鈥� 貌ige 鈥� ann am Broughty Ferry faisg air D霉n Deagh, 鈥檚 e 鈥渃haps鈥� a chanadh a鈥� chlann ann am Beurla. Nam biodh tu a鈥� cluich g猫am agus tu ag iarraidh fois airson tiotan, bhiodh tu a鈥� stad no a鈥� dol gu 脿ite s貌nraichte. Chuireadh tu do l脿mh suas agus chanadh tu 鈥渃haps鈥� agus cha chuireadh duine dragh ort. Ri linn mo ph脿rantan ann an Glaschu, 鈥檚 e 鈥渒eys鈥� a chanadh iad. Dh鈥檕braich e anns an aon d貌igh ri 鈥渃haps鈥�.

Chan eil mi cinnteach d猫 d矛reach a chanadh clann ann an diofar ph脿irtean dhen Gh脿idhealtachd, agus bu mhath leam cluinntinn bho dhuine sam bith aig a bheil cuimhne air a leithid. 鈥橲 fhada o nach robh geamannan mar sin air an cluich. Agus an fheadhainn 脿s na h-eileanan aig a bheil cuimhne, gu tric bhiodh iad a鈥� cluich nan geamannan aca le clann bho na bailtean m貌ra a bh鈥� air a dhol a dh鈥檉huireach anns na h-eileanan t矛de a鈥� chogaidh. 鈥橲 d貌cha nach robh na geamannan buileach cho G脿idhealach bho sin a-mach.

Anns an fh矛or sheann aimsir, ge-t脿, bhathar a鈥� cleachdadh na h-abairt deis-d猫. Deis-d猫. A r猫ir Dwelly, tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥済irth, sanctuary, place of safety, spot in game 鈥榯ig鈥� where the player within is secure and cannot be touched鈥�. Tha e coltach gu bheil deis-d猫 a鈥� seasamh airson

鈥渁ig l脿imh dheis Dh猫鈥� 鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渁t God鈥檚 right hand鈥�. Cha bhiodh 脿ite na bu sh脿bhailte na sin! Bhiodh clann ag 猫igheachd 鈥渄eis-d猫鈥� nuair a bha iad ag iarraidh a bhith a-mach 脿s a鈥� gh猫am.

Agus bhiodh daoine a鈥� cleachdadh na h-abairt ann an d貌igh eile cuideachd. Chanadh iad rudan mar, 鈥淭hachair e mus robh cothrom agad 鈥榙eis-d猫鈥� a r脿dh!鈥�, a鈥� ciallachadh gun do thachair e ann am f矛or chabhaig. Ann am Beurla bhiodh daoine ag r脿dh mun aon se貌rsa rud, 鈥淚t happened before you could say 鈥楯ack Robinson鈥�!鈥�

Nise, air ais do na c貌ig 鈥渇ir鈥�. 鈥橲 e rann a th鈥� ann a bhiodh p脿rantan a鈥� gabhail ri leanaban, a鈥� comharrachadh an corragan, t猫 脿s d猫idh a ch猫ile:

Seo am fear a bhris an sabhal

Seo am fear a ghoid an t-arbhar

Seo am fear a sheas ag amharc

Seo am fear a theich air falbh

Seo am fear a dh鈥檌nnis e, a dh鈥檌nnis e, a dh鈥檌nnis e.

Uill, sin agaibh e bhuamsa an t-seachdain seo. Tha mi a鈥� dol a theicheadh ann an cabhaig 鈥� gu dearbh, mus bi 霉ine agaibh 鈥渄eis-d猫鈥� a r脿dh...

Faclan na Litreach: D霉n Deagh: Dundee; cuimhne: memory; bailtean m貌ra: cities.

Abairtean na Litreach: D猫 fon ghr猫in air a bheil Ruairidh a-mach?: what on Earth is Ruairidh on about?; bidh am fiosrachadh sin na chuideachadh dhuibh: that information will be of use to you; cha chan mi an c貌rr: I won鈥檛 say any more; nam biodh tu a鈥� cluich g猫am agus tu ag iarraidh fois airson tiotan: if you were playing a game and you wanted a break for a moment; ri linn mo ph脿rantan: in my parents鈥� day; 鈥檚 fhada o nach robh geamannan mar sin air an cluich: it鈥檚 a long time since games like that were played; bho sin a-mach: from that time forwards; anns an fh矛or sheann aimsir: in very olden times; cha bhiodh 脿ite na bu sh脿bhailte na sin: there would be no place safer than that; gun do thachair e ann am f矛or chabhaig: that it happened in a real hurry; 鈥檚 e rann a th鈥� ann a bhiodh p脿rantan a鈥� gabhail ri leanaban: it鈥檚 a rhyme that parents would recite to babies/young children; ann an cabhaig: in a hurry; mus bi 霉ine agaibh 鈥渄eis-d猫鈥� a r脿dh: before you can say 鈥楯ack Robinson鈥�.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Seo am fear a bhris an sabhal, seo am fear a ghoid an t-arbhar, seo am fear a sheas ag amharc, seo am fear a theich air falbh, seo am fear a dh鈥檌nnis e, a dh鈥檌nnis e, a dh鈥檌nnis e. To use this rhyme with your children, make sure you start at the thumb and work towards the little finger. There is a clear commonality here with English/Scots rhymes 鈥� with only the final line differing in substance; the rhymes suggest that Gaelic is in this instance not the language of origin: 鈥淭his is the man that broke the barn, this is the man that stole the corn, this is the man that stood and saw, this is the man that ran awa鈥�, this is the man that paid for a鈥�.鈥� This is supported by a version recorded in Arran in which the last line runs: Seo an t猫 bheag a b鈥� fheudar dhi a ph脿igheadh air fad (the last line of the version in the Litir means 鈥渢his is the man that told it..鈥�) Note that the Arran version has the fingers feminine, as is 鈥渟tandard鈥�, although, of course, they can represent 鈥渕en鈥� who are masculine 鈥� so either fear or t猫 will do.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: t矛de a鈥� chogaidh: at the time of the (Second World) war. Properly there should be a preposition before t矛de (eg ri) but in speech it is regularly missed out.