The real Gaelic Bible, compiled in Ireland by an Englishman!
Michilín
And behold, we have a worthy edition of the Bible too
Scotland on Sunday (Archives)
(unattributed, but in the style of Murdo MacLeod!)
>The English-speaking world is rightly proud of the King James version
>of the Bible.
Thug e buaidh mór air a’ Bheurla a tha fhathast ri fhaicinn ann an
cànan an latha an diugh. Fiùs ged nach creideadh neach ann an
teachdaireachd na Fìrinn, tha an dòigh anns am bheil na facail a’
tighinn tarsainn a’ toirt buaidh.
>>
>It had a profound effect on the English language which can still be
>seen in the language of today. Even if one has little time for the
>message of the Bible, the way the words are expressed have a striking
>resonance.
Dh’fheuch an luchd-eadar-theangachaidh ri brìgh an Leabhair a chuir an
céill ann an dòigh cho simplidh is cho goirid agus a ghabhadh. Chaidh
am Bìoball seo a dheasachadh son daoine a bhi ag éisdeachd ris.
>>
>The original translators tried to communicate the core meaning of the
>Bible in a manner which was as simple and compact as possible. It was
>also a Bible which was made to be listened to.
Fiùs ged a tha a’ chainnt air fàs seann-fhasanta a nis, tha e móran
nas fhasa a leughadh na tha leabhraichean eile a bhuineas de’n aon
linn. Tha e airidh air ‘àite mar fear de na leabhraichean as ainmeile
is as cudthromaiche a rinneadh a riamh. ‘Se dha-rìreabh fear de na
rudan móra a thàinig a mach as an Aonadh nan Crùn eadar Alba is
Sassiann a thathas a’ comharrachadh am bliadhna.
>>
>Even if the language has aged somewhat now, it is much easier to read
>than other books which belong to the same period. Despite being a
>translation, it is worthy of a place itself as one of the most famous and
>important books ever written. And it is one of the major spin-offs of the
>Union of the Crowns between Scotland and England which is being
>remembered this year.
Tha am Bìoball Gàidhlig air a bhi a’ cheart cho cudthromach ann an
saoghal eile..
>>
>In its own world, the Scottish Gaelic Bible was just as momentous.
‘Se am Bìoball Gàidhlig a ionnsaich leughadh na cànan dha na mìlltean
de dhaoine air feadh na Gaidhealtachd is nan Eilean. Tha na mìlltean
fhathast ann a chanas gur e am Bìoball an t-aon leabhair Gàidhlig as
urrainn dhaibh a leughadh.
>>
>It was the Gaelic Bible which taught thousands to read the language
>throughout the Highlands and Islands. There are still thousands who
>will say that the Gaelic Bible is the only book in the language which
>they are able to read.
‘Son bliadhnaichean móra, bha dà leabhair mór Gàidhlig ann am móran
dachaighean Gaidhealach. B’iad sin am Bìoball Gàidhlig , agus
eadar-theangachadh de Thurus a’ Chrìosdaidh aig Iain Bunian.
>>
>For many years, a large number of Highland homes possessed two
>major Gaelic books. They were the Gaelic Bible and the Gaelic
>translation of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress.
‘Sann as déidh dha bìobaill Gàidhlig fàs pailt a thòisich sruth de
litreachas Gàidhlig a’ tighinn a mach. ‘Sann anns an 19mh linn a
chunnaic sinn pàipearan-naidheachd, irisean, agus
leabhraichean-bàrdachd a’ tighinn a mach a fhrithealadh nan Gaidheal.
>>
>It was after the Gaelic Bible became widely available that a flood of
>literature in the language began to appear. In the 19th Century,
>Gaelic newspapers, periodicals, and poetry books were published in
>large numbers to serve a literate Gaelic speaking audience.
Rinn luchd-deasachaidh a’ Bhìobaill Ghàidhlig obair ionghantach gun
uiread de na ghoireasan is cuideachadh aca is a bh’aig an fheadhainn a
rinn am Bìoball anns a’ chànain eile.
>>
>The translators of the Gaelic Bible performed a formidable task
>without many of the resources and aids which were available to those
>working in the ‘other’ language.
Bha an fheadhainn a dh’eadar-theangaich am Bìoball Gàidhlig ag obair
leo fhéin, agus dreuchan eile aca cuideachd. Nuair a smaoinicheas
daoine air an uallach a bh’orra, tha e ionghantach gun d’fhuair iad
air càil sam bith a chuir ri chèile, gun luaidh air obair a dh’fhàs
cho eachdraidheil.
>>
>Those who produced the Gaelic Bible were working by themselves,
>usually with other jobs. When one thinks of the burden which was on
>them, it was a considerable feat that they managed to produce anything
>at all, let alone something so memorable.
Agus, mar a th’air tachairt tric ann an eachdraidh nan Gaidheal, ‘se
cuid-eigin a dh’ionnsaich a’ Ghàidhlig - cànan nan Éireannach an treub
seo - a bha cudthromach anns an sgeulachd.
>>
>And, as so often happened in the history of the language, it was
>someone who had learnt the language - learning Irish Gaelic in this
>case - who played a major role in the story.
Bha e fasanta uair-eigin a bhi ag ràdh gun deach a’ cheud Tiomnadh
Nuadh ann an Gàidhlig a chlò-bhualadh ann an 1767, agus am Bìoball gu
léir ann an 1802.
>>
>It was once the conventional wisdom to mark the year 1767 as the first
>year that the New Testament was produced in Gaelic, with the full
>Bible first appearing in 1802.
Ach tha sgoilearan a nis a’ coimhead air deasachadh eile mar a’ cheud
Bìoball Gàidhlig.
>>
>However, scholars now regard an earlier version as the true genesis of
>the Gaelic Bible.
Anns a’ bhliadhna 1602, chaidh an Tiomnadh Nuadh ann an Gàidhlig na
h-Éireann fhoillseachadh anns a’ Bhaile Atha Cliath.
>>
>In 1602, the New Testament in Irish Gaelic was published in Dublin.
Ann an 1685, dh’fhoillsich an t-Easpaig Uilleam Bedell an Seann
Tiomnadh ann an Gàidhlig Eireannaich. ‘Se a bh’ann am Bedell
Sassunnach, a bhuineadh do Essex bho thùs.
>>
>In 1685, Bishop William Bedell published his Irish Old Testament.
>Bedell was an Englishman, being originally from Essex.
B’e an diofar a bu chudthromaiche eadar an dà chànan - co-dhiù a
thaobh cainnt litreachais - gun robh na h-Albannaich a’ cleachdadh clò
Ròmanach, agus na h-Éireannach deidheil air seann-sgrìobhadh
Eireannach.
>>
>At that time, the main difference between the two literary language
>was the fact that while the Scots had adopted Roman letters, the Irish
>still used the old Gaelic alphabet.
Agus ann an 1690, chuir ministear a Siorrachd Pheirt - Raibeart Kirke
- an dà earrainn sin ri chèile ann an deasachadh sònraichte dha
muinntirr na h-Alba.
>>
>And then in 1690, a Perthshire minister - Rev Robert Kirke - published
>the two parts together in a special edition for the Gaels of Scotland.
A bharrachd air an clò atharrachadh gu sgrìobhadh Ròmanach an aìte
seann chlò Éireannach, rinn e corra atharrachadh cuideachd gus am
biodh an leabhair na bu thlachdmhor dha Gaidheil na h-Alba.
>>
>Apart from changing the typeface to Roman script instead of the old
>Irish alphabet, he also made a number of changes in order to make
>the book more suitable for the Scottish Gaelic-speaking reader.
Tha móran de sgoilearan an latha an diugh a’ coimhead air an sin mar
a’ cheud Bìoball Gàidhlig air sgàth is gun robh an dà chànan coltach
ri chèile a thaobh litreachais. ‘Se a bh’ann, thathas ag ràdh, am
Bìoball ann an Gàidhlig Chlasaigeach Choitchionn, agus saothair
Essexman na lùib.
>>
>Many scholars today regard that Bible as the beginning of the Bible in
>Gaelic because the Irish and Scots Gaelic shared a common literary
>language. It was the Bible in Common Classical Gaelic, including the
>labour of an Essexman in it to boot.
Nochd co-dhiù aon de na bìobaill sin aig Blàr Chul-Lodair ann am
pòcaid fear de na saighdearan - air taobh an Riaghaltais.
>>
>At least one of these volumes appeared at the Battle of Culloden in
>the pocket of one of the soldiers - on the Government side.
Chìthear am Bìoball fhathast ann an corra taigh-tasgaidh. Bhuail
peilear Seumasach ann, agus bhris e pìos dheth mus do mharbh e an
truaghan a chaidh dha’n bhlàr.
>>
>It can still be seen in some exhibitions. It was struck by a Jacobite
>musket ball, and it broke a piece off the Bible before it killed the
>poor soul who went into battle.
Ged a chìthear dìleab a’ Bhìobaill sin anns an deasachadh a tha againn
an diugh, ‘se dithis a Ceann-Tìr a thug dhuinn am Bìoball a th’againn
an diugh. B’iad an t-Urr. Iain Stiùbhairt, agus an t-Urr Iain Mac a’
Ghobhainn.
>>
>Although the legacy of that edition of the Bible can be seen in the
>versions we have today, it was two ministers from Kintyre who produced
>the Gaelic Bible which we have today. They were Rev John Stuart and
>Rev John Smith.
A bharrachd air a bhi foighidneach ann an eòlas air na seann chànain
agus air deadh Ghàidhlig, thug an dithis aca rud cudthromach eile a
steach. Bha iad eòlach air bàrdachd na Gàidhlig. Bhiodh iad fiùs a’
sgrìobhadh bàrdachd Ghàidhlig. Bha an Stiùbhartach eòlach air
Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir. Agus dh’fheuch iad ri na sgilean sin a
chleachdadh gus am Bìoball Gàidhlig a dheanamh cho tarraingeach is a
ghabhadh dha sluagh na Gaidhealtachd.
>>
>In addition to being formidable scholars in the original language and
>in good Gaelic, they brought something else to their task. They were
>both scholars of Gaelic poetry. Stuart knew the major Gaelic poet
>Duncan Bàn MacIntyre. And they both tried to bring those skills to
>bear to make the new Gaelic Bible as appealing as possible to the
>people of the Highlands.
Chìthear an t-eòlas sin anns an dòigh san do chleachd iad co-sheirm is
ruitheam na Gàidhlig gus earrainnean a dheanamh ainmeil.
>>
>That skill can be seen in the way they used the rhymes and rhythms of
>the language to make individual verses stick in the mind.
Cha robh leisg orra a’chànan a chleachadh ann an dòighean ùra gus an
gabhadh teachdaireachdan domhainn a mhìneachadh.
>>
>They were not reluctant to use the language and stretch it to make the
>more obscure passages meaningful.
Bha iad fiùs na bu ghlice a thaobh a bhi PC. Chuir iad am facal
‘neach’ a steach far am biodh na deasaichidhean Beurla a’ cleachdadh
‘fiorannach’ agus far am bheileas an diugh a’ deanamh ùpraid mhór ma
dheidhinn.
>>
>They were even a little more politically correct that their
>English-speaking counterparts. They substituted the word for ‘person’
>where the English versions used ‘man’ and where the change still
>causes uproar among some today.
Agus ‘siomadh leasan a th’aca dha sgrìobhaidearan Gàidhlig an latha an
diugh.
>>
>And they could teach a lot to today’s Gaelic writers.
Rinn iad gach oidhirp gnothaichean a chumail cho goirid is a ghabhadh.
Mura gabhadh sreathan a chumail goirid, chumadh iad gach pìos de
sreath goirid. Thuigeadh gach leughadair na bhathas a’ ciallachadh gun
a bhi ga leughadh dhà neo thrì tursan.
>>
>They made every effort to make their writing as compact as possible.
>If sentences could not be kept short, then at least each clause was
>cut down to size. The reader would be able to grasp the meaning
>without having to read each sentence two or three times.
An diugh, agus sinn a’ faicinn nan seann choimhthionail Gàidhlig air
fàs nas lugha, tha àite nas lugha agus nas lugha ga thoirt dha ‘n
Bhìoball Ghàidhlig air an robh sinn uile cho eòlach. Tha an t-àm ann a
nis a chuir a mach ann an riochd compiutar mar a tha a’ tachairt le
cànain eile.
>>
>Today, as we see the traditional Gaelic congregations shrink ever
>smaller, the Gaelic Bible which we knew so well is receiving ever less
>attention. Now is the time for some urgency in publishing it on
>computer as happens with many other languages.
Mar a thuirt an seann bhodach, ma bha am Bìoball Gàidhlig math gu leòr
dha Maois, tha e math gu leòr dhomhsa.
>>
>In the words of the old old Highland man, if the Gaelic Bible was good
>enough for Moses, it is good enough for me.
Michilín