麻豆约拍

Ann an Litir d脿 cheud, seasgad 鈥檚 a h-aon (261), thug mi an seanfhacal dhuibh 鈥淚s math an c貌caire an t-acras鈥�. Ma tha an t-acras ort, bidh blas math air biadh sam bith, cha mh貌r.

Co-dhi霉, bha mi a鈥� leughadh leabhar f矛or mhath an latha eile. 鈥橲 e leabhar a mholainn do dhuine sam bith aig a bheil 霉idh ann an dualchas nan G脿idheal. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air Duanaire na Sracaire agus 鈥檚 e cruinneachadh de sheann bh脿rdachd Gh脿idhlig a th鈥� ann 鈥� b脿rdachd a tha a鈥� buntainn ris a鈥� mh矛le bliadhna suas gu sia ceud deug (1600). Chaidh a dheasachadh le Wilson MacLe貌id agus Meg Bateman, agus chaidh fhoillseachadh le Birlinn.

Am measg nan d脿n anns an leabhar tha fear air a bheil 鈥橲 Maith an C貌caire an t-Ocras. Chaidh a sgr矛obhadh anns a鈥� ch貌igeamh linn deug. An-diugh sgr矛obhamaid 鈥橲 Math an C貌caire an t-Acras. Nise 鈥檚 e a鈥� cheist a th鈥� agam 鈥� d猫 th脿inig an toiseach 鈥� an seanfhacal no an d脿n? An do st猫idhich am b脿rd d脿n air seanfhacal a bh鈥� aig na G脿idheil roimhe, no an do chruthaich e an seanfhacal le bhith a鈥� sgr矛obhadh an d脿in? 鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheil sgoilear G脿idhlig a-muigh sin 鈥� ma tha a leithid ag 猫isteachd ri Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 鈥� a chuireas ceart mi air a鈥� cheist sin.

Tha amharas agam gun robh an seanfhacal ann roimhe 鈥� ann an c脿nanan eile, mura robh ann an G脿idhlig. A r猫ir Alasdair MhicNeacail, a chuir an leabhar Gaelic Proverbs ri ch猫ile, canaidh na Gearmailtich Hunger is der beste Koch, canaidh na Sasannaich Hunger is the best sauce 鈥� agus tha abairtean car coltach ann an c脿nanan E貌rpach eile, G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann nam measg.

Air ais don d脿n. Thathar ag r脿dh gur e Alasdair Sti霉bhart, Iarla Mh脿rr, a rinn an d脿n 鈥� anns a鈥� bhliadhna ceithir cheud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a h-aon (1431), 脿s d猫idh Bl脿r Inbhir L貌chaidh. Bha e air an taobh a chaill sa bhatail agus bha e a鈥� teicheadh bhon bhl脿r. Seo mar a tha an d脿n a鈥� dol. Chan eil ann ach d脿 rainn:

鈥橲 math an c貌caire an t-acras,

鈥橲 mairg a n矛 tarcais air biadh,

Fuarag e貌rn鈥� 脿 s脿il mo bhr貌ige

Biadh as fhe脿rr a fhuair mi riamh.

Oidhche dhomh bhith ann ad theach

Air mh貌ran b矛dh 鈥檚 air bheag eudaich;

Fhuaras s脿th m貌r de dh鈥檉he貌il air droch bhruich

O 脫 Birein sa Bhreugaich

鈥橲 d貌cha gum bu ch貌ir dhomh facal no dh脿 a mh矛neachadh. 鈥橲 e fuarag e貌rna 鈥渂arley brose鈥� 鈥搈in e貌rna air a mheasgachadh le uisge fuar. 鈥橲 e teach 鈥撀爐aigh 鈥� canaidh iad sin ann an 脠irinn, agus tha e againn fhathast ann an 鈥渁-steach鈥�, anns an teach. Tha eudaich a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渁odaich鈥�, agus 鈥檚 e 脫 Birein fear 脠ireannach, no fear le ainm 脠ireannach, a bha a鈥� fuireach sa Bhreugaich no sa Bhriagaich anns a鈥� Ghleann Ruaidh, faisg air Inbhir L貌chaidh.

Tha m貌ran a bharrachd agam ri innse dhut mun d脿n ach feumaidh sin feitheamh chun an ath thurais. Ach mus fhalbh mi, seo e a-rithist:

鈥橲 math an c貌caire an t-acras,

鈥橲 mairg a n矛 tarcais air biadh,

Fuarag e貌rn鈥� 脿 s脿il mo bhr貌ige

Biadh as fhe脿rr a fhuair mi riamh.

Oidhche dhomh bhith ann ad theach

Air mh貌ran b矛dh 鈥檚 air bheag eudaich;

Fhuaras s脿th m貌r de dh鈥檉he貌il air droch bhruich

O 脫 Birein sa Bhreugaich

Faclan na Litreach: d脿n: poem; Iarla Mh脿rr: The Earl of Mar; Bl脿r Inbhir L貌chaidh: The Battle of Inverlochy; teicheadh: fleeing; Gleann Ruaidh: Glen Roy.

Abairtean na Litreach: bidh blas math air biadh sam bith, cha mh貌r: almost any sort of food will taste good; 鈥檚 e leabhar a mholainn: it鈥檚 a book I鈥檇 recommend; b脿rdachd a tha a鈥� buntainn ris a鈥� mh矛le bliadhna: poetry which belongs to the thousand years; chaidh fhoillseachadh: it was published; tha amharas agam gun robh an seanfhacal ann roimhe: I expect the proverb was pre-existent; 鈥檚 mairg a n矛 tarcais air biadh: woe to him who disdains food; 脿 s脿il mo bhr貌ige: from the heel of my shoe; biadh as fhe脿rr a fhuair mi riamh: the best food I ever got; oidhche dhomh bhith ann ad theach: one night [when] I was in your house; air mh貌ran b矛dh 鈥檚 air bheag eudaich: on plenty food and little clothing; fhuaras s脿th m貌r de dh鈥檉he貌il air droch bhruich: a fill was got of badly cooked meat; tha m貌ran a bharrachd agam ri innse dhut: I have much more to tell you; mus fhalbh mi: before I leave.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: 鈥渁-steach鈥�, anns an teach: in the text I said that a-steach is derived from anns an teach. To be slightly more accurate, MacBain in his Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language tells us that it developed, at a much earlier stage of the language, known as Early Irish, from in-san-teach, 鈥渋nto the house鈥�. A-staigh 鈥� using, taigh, a form of teach, developed similarly. In some parts of the G脿idhealtachd a-staigh is used to convey movement into a house, as well as the state of being inside eg 鈥渢hig a-staigh鈥� (come inside) rather than (the more common) 鈥渢hig a-steach.鈥� Next week I鈥檒l tell you where a-mach/a-muigh came from!

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: Is math an c貌caire an t-acras: hunger is a good cook (see also Litir 216).