History Eachdraidh

[Preseantair] Tha Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir am measg nam bàrd Ghàidhlig as cliùitiche bhon ochdamh Linn deug. Tha e gu sònraichte ainmeil airson a’ bhàrdachd nàdair.

[Preseantair] Rinn Donnchadh Bàn Cumha Coire Cheathaich nuair a chunnaic e mar a bha an coire air an robh e cho measail air atharrachadh bhon a chuir e eòlas air an tòiseach.

[Cailean MacIlleathain] Is mise Cailean MacIlleathain, ‘s ann ann an Uibhist a Deas a thogadh mi ach tha mi an-diugh a’ fuireach anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. ‘S e fonn an òrain a tharraing mi an toiseach agus shaoil mi gun robh e uabhasach brèagha, fonn an òrain car stèidhichte air fonn air seann phort ainmeil The Flowers of Edinburgh ach co-dhiù. Thòisich mi an uair sin ag èisteachd ri faclan an òrain agus chòrd na faclan gu mòr rium

[Leughadair] Is duilich leam an càradh,

Th' air coire gorm an fhàsaich,

An robh mi greis am àrach,

Sa Bhràighe seo thall;

'S iomadh fear a bhàrr orm,

A thaitneadh e ra nàdar,

Nam biodh e mar a bha e,

Nuair dh'fhàg mi e nall;

Gunnaireachd is làmhach,

Spurt is adhbhar-ghàire,

Chleachd bhith aig na h-àrmainn

A b' àbhaist bhith sa ghleann.

Rinn na fir ud fhàgail,

'S Mac Eòghainn th' ann an-dràsta,

Mar chlach an ionad càbaig,

An àite na bh' ann.

[Iain MacAonghais] Uill, tha mi a’ smaointinn gun robh Coire Cheathaich na àite sònraichte do Dhonnchadh. Nuair a bha Donnchadh na dhuine òg, b’ e sealg a bha a’ dol ann an Coire Cheathaich agus an uair sin, dh’ atharraich an saoghal, bha na fuadaichean ann agus bha caoraich a’ tighinn far an robh na fèidh ron sin,’s na h-earbaidhean, ‘s a h-uile seòrsa de dh’ainmhidhean a’ mhonaidh agus tha Donnchadh ann an Cumha Coire Cheathaich a’ toirt iomradh làidir cuideachd, iomradh làidir air an atharrachadh.

[Leughadair] Tha 'n coir' air dol am fàilinn,

Gedithear chun a' bhlàir e,

Gun duin' aig a bheil càs deth,

Mun àit' anns an àm;

Na fèidh a bh' ann air fhàgail –

Cha d' fhuirich gin air àrainn,

'S chan eil an àite-tàmha,

Mar bha e sa ghleann.

Tha 'm baran air a shàrach',

'S dh'fhairtlich air an tàladh,

Gun sgil aig' air an nàdar,

Ged thàinig e ann.

B' fheàrr dha bhith mar b' àbhaist,

Os cionn an t-soithich chàtha,

'S a làmhan a bhith làn dith,

Ga fàsgadh gu teann.

[Preseantair] A rèir choltais, rugadh is thogadh Donnchadh Bàn air an achadh seo ann an Gleann Ùrachaidh ann an seachd-deug ceud fichead ‘s a’ ceithir. B’ ann sa sgìre seo a chuir e eòlas air nàdar is e ag obair mar fhorsair às na coilltean mu thimcheall.

[Iain MacAonghais] Cha robh sgoil aig Donnchadh mar a chanas iad ach bha foghlam aige. Tha e soilleir an toiseach, b’ e duine a bh’ ann aig nach robh ùidh mhòr sam bith, mar gun canadh tu ann an obair chruaidh a bha a’ dol a dh’atharrachadh do bhodhaig. Thuirt e “‘S e duine dìomhair nas fhaide a mhaireas” agus bha e fhèin beò gus an robh e ceithir fichead agus a sia. Agus tha e soilleir gun robh ùidh mhòr aige ann an obair nàdair agus tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gu bheil e gu math comharraichte gun robh ùidh aige ann an lusan ‘s anns a h-uile dìthean ‘s a h-uile seòrsa feòir.

[Preseantair] Chuir Donnchadh Bàn fichead bliadhna seachad ag obair anns na glinn timcheall Gleann Ùrachaidh. A rèir beul-aithris, bha e greis a’ fuireach san taigh seo ann an Gleann Lòchaidh. Cha b’ e an Cumha an aon dàn a rinn e mun choire. Tha Òran Coire Cheathaich a’ moladh a’ bhòidheachd mus do dh’atharraich e agus tha e coltach gu b’ ann air a’ chloich seo a bhiodh e ri bàrdachd.

Chaidh am prògram seo, Sheinn am Bàrd, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2009.

[Presenter] Duncan Ban MacIntyre is amongst the most renowned Gaelic poets from the 18^th century. He is especially famed for his nature poetry.

[Presenter] Duncan Ban MacIntyre did the Lament for the Misty Corrie when he saw how the corrie which he was so fond of changing from how he knew it at first.

[Cailean MacLean] I’m Cailean MacLean, I was brought up in South Uist but today I live on the Isle of Skye. It was the song’s tune that first attracted me and I thought it was really pretty, the song’s tune is kind of based on a famous old tune The Flowers of Edinburgh but anyway. Then I started listening to the song’s words and I really enjoyed the words.

[Reader] I am dismayed at the condition,

Of the deserted corrie,

Where I once lived,

On the Brae yonder,

There's many's a man besides me,

Whose heart would be gladdened,

If it had remained as it was,

When I left,

Shooting and gun volleys,

Sport and fun,

Were enjoyed by the heroes,

Who once populated the glen,

Those men left,

And MacEwen who now lives there,

Like a stone in place of cheese house,

Replacing those who were once there,

[Iain MacInnes]Well, I think that the Misty Corrie was a special place for Duncan. When Duncan was a young man, it was hunting that happened on the Misty Corrie and then, the world changed, there was the clearances and sheep appeared where the deer were before that, and the roe deer, and every type of mountain beast and Duncan is in the Lament for the Misty Corrie giving us a strong description too, a strong description of the change.

[Reader] The corrie has been blighted,

as though it were cropped to the ground,

Lacking anyone who feels concern,

for it around the place at this time.

The deer, once there, have left it,

None of the stayed in its precincts,

And there is no habitation,

As there was in the glen.

Tha baron has disheartened,

And he has failed to charm them,

Lacking knowledge in nature,

Although he came here,

He was better, his wont was,

Bent over the tub of corn husks,

And of these to have his hands full,

Squeezing them hard.

[Presenter] Seemingly, Duncan Ban was born and raised in this field in Glenorchy in 1724. It was in this area that he gained his knowledge of nature whilst working as a forester in the surrounding forests.

[Iain MacInnes] Duncan did not have schooling as they say but he was educated. It is clear from the start, he was a man that did not have a great interest, as you would say in hard work that was going to change your body. He said “A quiet man lasts longer” and he himself lived until he was 86. And it is clear that he had a great interest in nature and I think that it is notable that he had an interest in plants and in every flower and every type of grass.

[Presenter] Duncan Ban spent twenty years working in the glens around Glenorchy. According to oral tradition, he was a while staying in this house in Glenlochy. The lament was not the only poem he did about the corrie. The Song to Misty Corrie praises the beauty before it changed and it appears that it is on this stone that he would write poetry.

This programme, Sheinn am Bàrd, was first broadcast in 2009.