Muriel's Days of the Week

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Description of what this is Muriel Fisher

Diluain: Dachaidh

Diluain: Dachaidh
Monday: home


1.

Ged is ann as na h-eileanan againn fhìn a tha mi, 's
although cop1 indeed from the islands.dat at.1s2 self that be.pres I cop
ann ann an Ameireaga ann an Arizona anns an fhàsach a tha
indeed in America.dat in Arizona.dat in the desert.dat that be.pres
mi air a bhith fuireach airson iomadach bliadhna a-nis.
I on to being living for many years.gen now
Although I am actually from the islands, I have actually been living in America in Arizona in the desert for many years now.
Note: 1.Cop is present tense unless otherwise stated. 2.This is of interest since “againn” supposedly means “at.1p,” while “agam” is “at.1s,” but here “againn” clearly used in the sense of “at.1s.” This could be simply a phonological phenomenon, a variation between /m/ and /n/.


2.

‘S àbhaist dhomh
cop habit to.1s
tilleadh dhachaidh cho tric 's urrainn dhomh.
returning to.home so often cop ability to.1s
It is my custom to return home as often as I can.


3.

Air an t-slighe nuas bho
on the way.dat down from
Ghlaschu, nuair a thòisicheas na beinn ag èiridh (nuair a gheibh mi
Glasgow when that begin.rel the mountains at rising when that get.fut I
a' chiad sealladh dheth na beinn ) agus na h-uillt a sruthadh air gach
the first sight of the\ mountains.dat and the streams to flow on each
taobh dhen rathad, bithidh mi a' faireachdainn mo chridhe a lìonadh agus
side.dat of.the road.dat be.fut I at feeling my heart to fill and
beòthachadh a' tighinn annam.
a.reanimating at coming in.1s
On the way down from Glasgow when the mountains begin to rise, (when I get the first sight of the mountains,) and the streams [begin] to flow on each side of the raod, I feel my heart fill and a re-awakening coming over me.


4.

Tha mi a' faireachdainn cho fìor
be.pres I at feeling so very
fhortanach a bhith air mo thogail ann an àite cho spioradail, cho
fortunate to being on my ascending.dat in place.dat so spiritual, so
àluinn, cho glan.
lovely so pure/clean
I am feeling so very fortunate to be on my way up to such a spiritual place, so lovely, so pure/clean.


5.

An cuan a bhitheas a' toirt dhuinn a leithid agus a'
the sea that be.rel at giving to.1p so.much and at
toirt bhuainn a leithid cuideachd.
taking from.1p so.much also
The sea that gives so much to us and takes so much from us also.


6.

Nuair a shuidheas mi air creig ri
When that sit.rel I on rock.dat with
taobh3 na mara tha mi a' faireachdainn mar nach do dh' fhàg mi riamh.
the.side.dat the sea.gen be.pres I at feeling like leave.past.neg I ever
When I sit on a rock with the sea on one side I feel like I didn’t ever leave.
Note: 3.“The” is implied here, as the definite article is always dropped from the possessed noun in a genetive construction.

7.

Tha bun-stèidh a’ dhìth oirnn uile.
be.pres root-foundation the layer on.1p all
Our roots are a part of us all.


8.

Cha dhìochuimhnich thu
forget.past.neg you.s
far an deach do neartachadh agus do bhrosnachadh.
where go.past.inter your.s strengthening and your.s encouragement
You don’t [lit: didn’t] forget where your strength and encouragement come from [lit: went].


9.

Bithidh an
be.fut the
duine agam ag ràdh rium "Nuair a thèid thu dh' Alba carson a
man at.1s at saying with.1s when that go.fut you.s to Scotland why that
bhitheas tu ag ràdh gu bheil thu a' dol dhachaidh?
be.rel you.s at saying that are you.s at going to.home
My husband says [repeatedly] to me, “When you go to Scotland why do you say that you are going home?


10.

Bha dùil agam
be.past belief at.1s
gun robh do dhachaidh còmhla rium fhìn."
that be.past your.s home along with.1s self
I believed that your home was along with me [emphasis].


11.

Tha, ceart gu leòr, mo
be.pres right to enough my
dhachaidh ri thaobh4 fhèin ge bri càit' am bi e ach
home with his.side.dat self wherever be.fut.inter him but
bhos an seo
on.this.side here
's e an dachaidh far a bheil mi nas fhaisge air an spiorad, far an tig
is he the home where be.inter I most near on the spirit.dat where come.fut
ùrnaidh thugam agus far am bheil mi a' faireachdainn nas fhaisge air a'
prayer to.1s and where that am I at feeling most near on the
Chruthaighear.
Creator.dat
My home is, of course, at his [emphasis] side wherever he, is but over here is the home where I am closest to my spirit, where prayer comes to me and where I feel most near to the Creator.
Note: 4.To be grammatically correct, this should read, “ri a thaobh,” “with his side,” but often the possessive article “a” is dropped and the possession is expressed, as in this case, simply with the lenition of the following word (for the masculine possessive) or lack thereof (for feminine.)


12.

Càite bheil an dachaidh agaibh fhèin - an t-àite
where.inter be.inter the home at.2p self what.inter the place
a bhitheas sibhse smaoineachadh mu dhèidhinn nuair a chluinneas
that be.rel you.p thinking about when that hear.rel
sibh am facal "dachaidh"?
you.p the word home
Where is your own home – what is the place that you think of when you hear the word “home”?

Dimàirt: Iongnadh mu dhèidhinn creideamhan eile

13.

Dimàirt Iongnadh mu dhèidhinn creideamhan eile:
Tuesday wondering about beliefs other
Wondering about other beliefs


14.

Aon Earrach o chionn bhliadhnaichean bha mi a' fuireach ann an
one Spring from occasion.dat years.gen be.past I at staying in.a
Arizona mu thuath a-measg na h-Innseanaich Hopi
Arizona.dat about north.dat amongst the Indians Hopi
(nan Innseanach Hopi).5
the Indians.gen Hopi
One spring three years ago I was staying in Northern Arizona among the Hopi Indians. (the Hopi Indians).
Note: 5.Presumably a correction of the speech error which the previous form of the phrase constitutes.


15

Thachair gun tug iad cuireadh dhomh a dhol gu dheth
happen.past that gave they invitation to.1s to go to one.dat of
na h-àiteachan adhraidh aca.
the places of.worship.dat at.3p
It happened that they invited me to go to one of their places of worship.


16.

Bha sinn air mullach beinn mhòr coltach ri Healabhal
be.past we on summit.dat mountain.gen big similar with Healabhal.dat
anns an
in the
Eilean Sgitheanach no Dùn-caan ann a Ratharsair ris a chanas Island.dat Skye or Dun-caan.dat in
Rathersay with that say.rel
iad Mesa.
they mesa
We were on the summit of a big mountain, similar to Healabhal on the Island of Skye or Dun-cann in Rathersay, which they call a mesa.


17.

Bha còig eaglaisean anns a' bhaile bheag seo agus bha sgioba
be.past five churches6 in the town.dat small here and be.past crew
dhannsairean aig gach eaglais, oir bidh iadsan a' dannsa anns an
dancers.gen at each church.dat for be.fut they.emph at dancing in the
adhradh aca. (mar phàirt den adhradh aca)
worship at.3p like part of.the worship at.3p
There were five places of worship in this small town and there was a full complement of dancers at each place of worship, for they dance (habitually) in their [rite of] worship. (as a part of their [rite of] worship)
Note: 6.Used here in the sense of “places-of-worship,” but I believe this is a usage more or less unique to the speaker.


18.

Tha na h-eaglaisean sin fon an talamh agus 's e 'Kiva'
be.pres the churches there below the earth.dat and cop he kiva
an t-ainm a th' ac' orra.
the name that be.pres at.3p on.3p
The places of worship there are below the ground and they are called ‘kivas. (lit. “the name that is on them is ‘kiva.’”)


19.

Bithidh tu a' dol sìos a dh'adhradh agus a’ suidhe timcheall na
be.fut you.s at going down the field.dat and at sitting around the
ballaichean. Thig na "Kachina Dancers" nuas air àradh agus
walls.gen come.gen the Kachina Dancers down7 on ladder.dat and
iad an dannsa agus an ùrnaidh ‘n a8 d' aghaidh.
Make.fut they the dance and the prayer in your.s face
You go down the field and sit around the walls. The Kachina Dancers come down on a ladder and they do the dance and the prayer in front of you.
Note: 7.But here used in the sense of “up.” 8.Short form of “ann an.”


20.

'N uair sin fàgaidh iad agus thig sgioba eile nuas agus mar sin air adhart.
the hour that leave.fut they and come.fut crew other down and like that on advance.dat
Then they leave and another group comes down, and so on like that [it continues].


21.

Bha mi na mo sheasamh air mullach a Mhesa seo, a' gheallach
be.past I in my sitting on top.dat the mesa.gen here the moon
mhòr bhuidhe ag èiridh agus bha na h-Innseanaich a' ruith eadar na
big yellow at rising and be.past the Indians at running between the
Kivas.
kivas
I was sitting on top of this mesa, the big yellow moon was rising and the Indians were running between the kivas.


22.

Chluinneadh tu an gliongadh aig na 'costumes' aca, agus bha iad
hear.cond you.s the ringing at the costumes at.3p and be.past they
a' coimhead cho fiadhaich, bha mi a' faireachdainn cho fada bhon taigh.
at looking so fierce be.past I at feeling so long from house
You would hear the ringing of their costumes and they were looking so fierce, I was feeling so far from home.


23.

Smaoinich mi air na h-eaglaisean againn fhìn agus an rud a bhuail
think.past I on the churches at.1p self and the thing that strike.past
mi 's e gu robh iadsan anns an dòigh aca fhèin air rathad
I cop he that be.past they.emph in the method at.3p self on road
spioradail agus nach robh iad idir cho fìor eadar-dhealaichte
spiritual and that be.past.ng they at.all so very separated
bhuainn fhìn.
from.1p self
I thought about our churches and the thing that I struck is this, that they in their own way were on the spiritual road and that they were not so very different at all from us.


24.

Tha sinn uile a' coimhead airson sìth agus airson spiorad a tha
be us all at looking for peace.gen and for spirit.gen that be
nas motha na tha sinn fhìn.
greater than be us self
We are all looking for peace and for a spirit that is greater than we ourselves.


25.

Nach bitheadh e math nam bitheamaid a' smaoineachadh barrachd mu
be.cond.neg he good if be.cond.1p at thinking more about
dhèidhinn na rudan a tha ‘g ar ceangal ri chèile an àite
around the things.gen that be at our bonds with other.dat the place.dat
a bhith a' coimhead air na rudan a tha ‘g ar cumail bho
that being at looking on the things.dat that be at our withholding from
chèile.
other
Wouldn’t it be good if we would be thinking more about the things that are our ties to each other in place of looking at the things that are keeping us from each other.

Gaol

27.

Gaol
Love
love


28.

Chan eil a' mhìorbhaill ach an gaol dhuinn
be.neg the miracle but the love.dat to.1p
To us there is no miracle but in love


29.

Reic Anama
sale spirit.gen
The sale of spirit” or “Sell a spirit


30.

Chunnaic mi na faclan sin sgrìobhte an latha roimhe - faclan Shomhairle MhicGilleathain.
see.past I the words there written the day before words Sorley.gen MacLean.gen
I saw the words written there the other day – Sorley MacLean’s words.


30.

Thòisich mi fhìn a' smaoineachadh mu dhèidhinn gaol.
begin.past I self at thinking about around love
I myself began thinking about love.


32.

'S iomadh seòrsa gaoil a th' anns an t-saoghal againn.
cop many types love.gen that be in the world.dat at.1p
We have many types of love that are in the world.


33.

Tha an gaol a tha sinn a' faireachdainn airson ar màthair agus
be the love that be we at feeling for our mother.gen and
ar h-athair, far am bi sinn a' faireachdainn sàbhailte – fhad's a tha
our father.gen where that be.fut we at feeling safe while that be
sinn beag co-dhiù!
we small anyway
There is the love that we feel for our mother and our father, where we are feeling safe – while we are little, anyway.


34.

Tha an gaol eadar piuthar agus bràthair, gaol nach robh agam
be the love between sister and brother love that be.past.neg at.1s
fhìn

a-riamh,

as aonais peathraichean agus bràithrean mar a tha mi.
self ever out.of one.dat sisters.gen and brothers.gen as that be I
There is the love between a sister and brother, love that I never had, as I am the only one out of sisters and brothers [i.e., I am the only child in my family].


35.

Tha gaol airson do leannan, airson do bhean, airson an duine agad.
be love for your.s b/gfriend.gen for your.s wife.gen for the man.gent at.2s
There is [the kind of] love [that is] for your boy/girlfriend, for you wife, for your husband.


36.

Tha an gaol airson pàisde beag, na peataichean againn, 's iomadh duine
be the love for baby.gen small the pets at.1p cop many man
a bhios a' fuireach ‘n an aonar agus 's e na peataichean a
that be.rel at living in their alone and cop he the pets that
bhios ‘g an cumail slàn, gaol airson dùthaich, airson eaglais,
be.rel at their keeping healthy love for country.gen for church.gen
airson Crìosda agus mar sin air adhart.
for Christ.gen and like that on forward
There is the love [you have] for a small baby, [for] our pets—many people that live alone and it’s their pets that keep them healthy—love for [one’s] country, for church, for Christ, and so on.


37.

Shaoileadh tu gun robh gu leòr air a sgrìobhadh agus air a ràdh
think.cond you.s that be.past to plenty on its writing and on its saying
mu dhèidhinn an gaol mar thà9
about around the love like ?
You would think that there was plenty written and said about love like that.
Note: 9.Meaning of this word is unknown. It could concievably be the preposition “thar,” which means “yonder” or “beyond,” carrying an idiomatic meaning similar “like all that we’ve already discussed.” But this is really just a guess.


39.

Ach gabh mionaid agus faighnich dhiot fhèin ma tha an cothrom againn
but take minute and ask of.2s self if be the ability at.1p
airson leithid a ghaol anns an t-saoghal seo, carson a tha leithid
for so.much to love in the world here why that be like
a thrioblad10 againn?
to trouble at.1p
But take a minute and ask yourself, if we have the ability for so much to love in this world, why do we have something like trouble?
Note: 10.This originally said “thrioblaid” but after listening to the recording several times I am confident she says “thrioblad.” This is confusing, first of all because the root form of the word according to Dwelly is “trioblaid”—there should be no un-slenderized form. 11.


40.

Tha teaghlaich a' sabaid11 measg a’ chèile, tha nàbaidhean a' sabaid
be families at fighting among the other.gen be neighbors at fighting
ri chèile, tha eaglaisean a' sabaid ri chèile, tha dùthaichean
with other.dat be churches at fighting with other.dat be countries
a' sabaid ri chèile.
at fighting with other.dat
Families are fighting amongst each other, neighbors are fighting with each other, churches are fighting with each other, countries are fighting with each other.
Note: 11.Originally reads “a’ sabaid a” but I cannot hear the “a” nor does it make sense to read it that way.


41.

Shaoilinn fhìn gum bu chòir dhuinn a bhith smaoineachadh
imagine.cond.1s self that cop.past decent to.1p to being thinking
barrachd mu dhèidhinn gaoil12 agus tha e ciallachadh ‘n
more.gen about around love.gen and what be he meaning in
ar beatha fhìn.
our life.dat self
I myself would imagine that we ought to be thinking more about love and what is means in the lives of us ourselves.
Note: 12.Originally reads “gaol” but I’m pretty sure it should be “gaoil” here because “mu dheidhinn” governs the genitive case.


42.

Nam biodh sinn13 uile coibhneil agus gasda ris a h-uile neach ris
if be.cond we all courteous and generous with the all person.dat with
an coinnich sinn ‘n ar beatha làitheil, 's dòcha gun dèanamaid
that meet.fut we in our life.dat daily cop probable that do.cond.1p
atharrachadh beag anns an t-saoghal draghail a tha againn 's an
change small in the world.dat vexatious that be at.1p in the
lath' 'n-diugh.
day today
If we would all be courteous and generous to all the people that we meet with in our daily lives, it’s likely that we would make a small change in the vexatious world that is with us today.
Note: 13.Normally the conditional of “be” in the first person plural conjugates: “bitheamaid.” I can only assume the presence of “nam” beforehand prevents it from doing so here.


43.

Carson nach tòisich sinn an-diugh fhèin?
why not begin we today self
Why don’t we ourselves begin today?

Na h-Ealain

44.

Na h-Ealain
the learning.gen14
on knowledge
Note: 14.Case unknown. The article form “na –h” indicates the noun, which is feminine, should be either plural nominative or genitive singular, but the noun form itself is singular nominative. Later on in the passage, the same noun and same form are used after a compound preposition, which requires a genitive. Gaelic nouns may change gender from dialect to dialect, but even if this noun were used as a masculine, the construction would not make sense.


45.

Ciamar a tha sibh an-diugh?
how that be you.p today
How are you all today?


46.

seòrsa rudan a bhitheas daoine a' dèanamh airson an toirt
what sort15 things that be.rel people at doing for the importance.gen16
air falbh bho dhragh air choireigin agus?????
on leaving.dat from trouble.dat on offences.dat17 and
What sort of things will people do for the chance [lit. value] of escaping the trouble of small offenses and….
Note: 15.Seems to be part of a compound interrogative with “dè.” “Rudan” otherwise should be a genitive, but it is a simple nominative plural. 16.This should be genitive because it follows “airson,” but its form is that of a genitive. 17.Not sure if this is translated correctly. Dwelly has no “coireig” or “coireag,” but gives “coire” as “fault, charge, offence, tresspass.” The ending –e/ag is frequently used as a diminutive, so this could be mean “small offenses.” In any case, its form fits that of a dative for either a masculine or feminine noun, which is what ought to follow a simple preposition such as “air.”


47.

Uill, dh' fhaodadh tu tòiseachadh le cupa fhèin!
well may.cond you.s beginning with cup.dat tea.gen self
Well, you yourself could begin with a cup of tea!


48.

Ach bha mise [a’] smaoineachadh18 mu dhèidhinn na h-ealain agus
but be.past I.emph at thinking about around the learnings.gen and
mar is urrainn dhaibh19 ar faireachdainnean atharrachadh.
like cop capable to.3p our feelings20 altering
But I myself was thinking about learning, and how it can alter our feelings.
Note: 18.This should be “a’ smaoineachadh,” “at thinking,” but the isolated sound [a] is often swallowed in Gaelic. 19.Refers to “na h-ealain,” indicating that “na h-ealain” is plural, which would make sense except that we have also seen that it is genitive, and plural genitive takes a different form. 20.This might be genitive—the direct object of a progressive verb should always be genitive—although the form appears to be nominative.


49.

Co mheud uair a bha sibh a' coimhead air dealbh brèagha
how largenesses.gen hour that be.past you.pl at looking on picture.dat pretty
agus a' tòiseachadh a faireachdainn beagan na’s socraithe, na’s sìtheil?
and at beginning to feeling little21 than settled than peaceful
How many hours were (all of) you looking at a pretty picture and beginning to feel a little more settled, more peaceful?
Note: 21.This is a noun.


50.

Ceart gu leòr tha thaobh dhe’n (air) an sgillinn agus dh'fhaodadh
correct to plenty be two side of the on the shilling.dat and may.cond
dealbh do dhèanamh mi-chomhurtail no an-fhoiseil.
picture your making ill-advised or ignorant22
To be sure, there are two sides to every coin (lit. “there are two sides on the shilling”) and the picture may make you misguided or ignorant.
Note: 22.These two both seem to be variants on “mi-chomhairlich“ (miscounsel) and “an-fhiosrach” (ignorant.) Neither of the two actual words above, in their exact form, may be found in Dwelly.

51.

Air mo thaobh fhìn tha gu leòr trioblaid anns an t-saoghal againn, 's fheàrr
on my side.dat self be to plenty trouble in the world.dat at.1p cop better
leam s' a bhith a' lorg am23 bòidheachd anns na cùisean sin.
to.1s and at being at looking.for the beauty.gen in the circumstances.dat that
As far as I myself am concerned (on my myself’s side) there is plenty of trouble in the our world, I prefer and to be looking for the beauty in those circumstances.
Note: 23.This is another difficult case—according to standard rules, “boidheachd” should be genitive, but the form of the article here, “am,” is nominative.


52.

Agus mu dhèidhinn ceòl?
and what.inter about around music.dat
And what about music?


53.

Ged a tha cuid mhòr dheth na h-òrain againne trom le bròn,
although that be part big of the songs.dat at.1p.emph heavy with grief
nach bi sibh ag èisdeachd ri ceòl uaireannan agus
be.fut.neg.inter you.pl at listening with music.dat hours and
nach bi sonas a' fàs ‘n ar cridhe?
be.fut.neg.inter happiness at growing in our heart.dat
Although a large part of our songs are heavy with grief, don’t you all listen to music for hours and doesn’t happiness grow in our heart?


54.

Tha feadhainn againn nach bi coimhead air dealbhan no
be people at.1p be.fut.neg.inter looking on pictures.dat or
ag èisdeachd ri ceòl idir ach bidh sinn a' leughadh.
at listening with music.dat at.all but be.fit we at reading
We have people (who) won’t be looking at pictures or listening to music, but we read (lit. we will be reading.)


55.

'S iomadh uair a thèid seachad gun mhothochadh nuair
cop every hour that go.fut onward without act.of.perceiving when
a bhitheas tu ‘na ‘d shuidhe leughadh leabhar24 math.
that be.fut.rel you.s in your.s sitting reading book.gen good
Every hour will go by without awareness when you are sitting reading a good book.
Note: 24.Another case where, according to every grammar I’ve ever read, this word ought to be the genitive “leabhair.” It’s possible it was misspelled.


56.

Bheir e d' inntinn dheth d' obair, dhe ‘n teaghlach,
take.fut he your.s mind from your.s work.dat from the family.dat
dheth na 'bills' agus a h-uile càil eile a bhitheas a' ruith
from the bills and to each condition.dat other that be.rel.fut at running
timcheall ‘n ar n' inntinn.
around in our the mind.dat
It will take your mind off your work, off the family, off the bills and every other condition that is running around in our mind.


57.

Saoil a bheil na peantairean, na luchd-ciùil, na sgrìobhadairean fhèin
imagine that be.inter the painters the musicians the writers self
a' faighinn an aon togail inntinn25 's a bhitheas sinne faighinn
at finding the one act-of-building.gen mind and that be.rel.fut we.emph finding
bho ‘n obair aca?
from the work.dat at.3p
Imagine that the painters, the musicians, the writers themselves are finding the one way of building the mind, and that we will be finding (it) from their work?
Note: 25.Could this be “intinne,” the genitive? It’s hard to make sense of this sentence otherwise.


58.

rud as fheàrr leibhse a dhèanamh?
what.inter thing cop.rel better with.2p to doing
What is the best thing for you (all) to do?


59.

Carson nach cuir sibh seachad ùine bheag a h-uile latha airson rud beag
why neg put you.p forward while small to each day for thing small
spòrsail a dhèanamh dhuibh fhèin.
fun to doing to.2p self
Why don’t you all set aside for you yourselves a short while each day in order to do a small, fun thing?

Uisge

60.

Uisge
water
Water


61.

A bheil sinn taingeil gu leòr airson na tha againn?
be.inter we thankful to plenty for the be at.1p
Are we thankful enough for that which we have?


62.

A bheil sinn mothachadh tha againn?
be.inter we percieving what be at.1p
Are we aware of what we have?


63.

An latha roimhe bha mi a' ceannachd botal uisge26 agus cha b' urrainn
the day before be.past I at buying bottle water and neg cop.past capable
dhomh cuideachadh (gun) smaoineachadh air m' athair agus bheachd
to.1s helping without thinking on my father.dat and what attention
a bhitheadh aige air an t-uisge fhèin a cheannach ann am bùth leis
that be.cond at.3s on thewater.dat self that buy.past in store.dat with.3s
na 'messages'.
the messages
The day before I was buying a bottle of water and I couldn’t help but think about my father and what attention he would have towards the water itself that he bought in a store with the ‘messages.’
Note: 26.Both of these should be genitive.


64.

Cha robh uisge againn anns an taigh nuair a bha mi òg.
neg be.past water at.1p in the house.dat when that be.past I young
We had no water in the house when I was young.


65.

Bha tobar bheag ri taobh an taighe ach an dèidh dhà
be.past well small with side the house.gen but the after two
na27 trì lathaichean thioramaicheadh e 'n àrd agus bha againn ri
the three days.dat dry.cond he the height and be.past at.1p with
coiseachd mu chairteal mìle gu tobair eile,
walking about quarter.dat mile to well.dat other
(tobar na sgoilearaidh,28 mar a bha againn air), 's ann ormsa
well the school.gen as that be.past at.1p on cop in on.1s.emph
a thuit an obair sin.
that befall.past the work there
There was a small well at the side of the house but after two or three days it would dry up and we had to walk about a quarter-mile to another well. (the school’s well, as we had it on,) and it was to me that that work fell.
Note: 27.I believe this should be “no,” meaning “or,” and I have translated it as such in the third line. 28.Dwelly gives “sgoilear” as “scholar,” but no “sgoilearadh,” so I have hesitantly translated it as “school” despite this normally being “sgoil.”

66.

Cha do dh' òl sinn a-riamh às an allt.
neg past drink we ever from the stream
We never drank from the stream.


67.

Bha fios aig a h-uile duine far an robh na tobraichean fo shean.
be.past knowledge at to each man where be.past the wells good old
Everyone knew where the good, old wells were.


68.

Agus cha robh leithid a rud ann mar uisge ann am botal plastic.
and neg be.past equal to thing in like water in bottle.dat plastic
And there was nothing there the equal to water in a plastic bottle.


69.

Far a bheil mi (a’) fuireach anns an fhàsach a’ chuid as motha
where be.past.inter I at living in the desert.dat the part greater
dhe ‘n bhliadhna, chan eil boinne uisge anns na h-aibhnichean fhèin,
of the year.dat be.neg drop water.gen in the rivers.dat self
chan eil annta ach gainmheach.
be.neg in.3p but sand
Where I am living in the desert the greater part of the year, there isn’t a drop of water in the rivers themselves, there is nothing in them but sand.


70.

Tha an t-uisge a' tighinn bhon an talamh gu domhainn (tha an t-uisge a'
be the water at coming from the earth to deep be the water at
tighinn bho dhoimhneachd na talmhainn) agus a h-uile bliadhna tha
coming from depth the earth.gen and to each year be
nas29 lugha uisge ann agus barrachd dhaoine ‘g a iarraidh.
less water in and more people.gen at its needing
The water comes deeply from the earth (the water comes from the depths of the earth) and each year there is less water there and more people needing it.
Note: 29.According to MacLaren this is a contraction of “an ni a is,” “the thing which is.”


71.

Air an taobh deas dhe ‘n bhaile againn tha coimhearsnachd bheag far
on the side south of the town.dat at.1p be community small where
a bheil iad a' sabaid le gunnaichean airson an aon thobair a tha
be.inter they at fighting with guns.dat for the one well.gen that be
aca eatorra.
at.3p among
On the south side of our town there is a small community where they are fighting with guns for the one well that they have among them.


72.

smaoinicheadh gun robh rud mar ghloinne uisge iriosal,
who.inter think.cond that be.past thing like glass water.gen lowly
a’ dol a bhith cho prìseal dhuinn30
at going to be so precious to.1p
Who would think that a lowly thing like a glass of water would be going to be so precious to us?
Note: 30.I think this should be a question mark.


73.

A bheil dad sam bith eile ‘n ar beatha nach eil sinn a’ mothachadh?
be.inter anything other in our life.dat that.be.neg we at perceiving
Is there anything else in our life that we are not perceiving?


74.

Rud nach eil sinn a' cur luach air an-diugh, ach mar a thèid
thing that.be.neg we at putting value on today but like that go.fut
an tìde seachad a dh' fhàsas nas luachmhor dhuinn.31
the time past that grow.fut.rel more valuable to.1p
(fàsaidh e nas luachmhòr dhuinn)
grow.fut he more valuable to.1p
Something that we are not putting value on today, but likewise that the time will come in which it grows more valuable to us? (it will grow more valuable to us)
Note: 31.This one too.


75.

'S dòcha am beatha32 fhèin nach bi sinn a' mothachadh nuair a tha
cop likely the life self neg be.fut we at perceiving when that be
sinn òg ach a dh' fhàs glè phrìseil gu dearbh mar as sinne a
we young but that grow.fut very precious to certain like older that
tha sinn a' fàs.
be we at growing
Perhaps we will not be perceiving life itself when we are young but it will certainly grow very precious the older that we are growing.
Note: 32.I think this might also be a genitive, since it is the direct object of the verb “a’ mothachadh.”










Litir bho Arizona

Litir bho Arizona
letter from Arizona
Letter from Arizona
le Muriel Fisher
with Muriel Fisher
By Muriel Fisher

1.

Tha suidheachadh a’ dol air adhart aig a’ chrìoch eadar Mexico
be situation prog go.vn on forward at the border between Mexico
agus Arizona an dràsda a tha fàs nas cunnartaich leis a h-uile
and Arizona the now wh-C be.pres grow.vn comp dangerous.comp with the each
latha a tha a’ dol seachad.
day wh-C be.pres prog go.vn forward
There is a situation going on at the border between Mexico and Arizona right now that is growing more dangerous every day that is going by.

2.

Gach oidhche tha ceudan de dhaoine a’ sruthadh tarsainn air a’ chrìoch
Each night be hundreds of people prog stream.vn across on the border
eadar an rìoghachd a’ feuchainn ri faighinn a-steach dhan an tir
between the two countries prog try.vn with get.vn inside to the land
mhòr bheartach [ann seo] a’ lorg obair.
big rich here prog search.vn work
Every night there are hundreds of people streaming across the border between the two countries trying to get into this large rich land here looking for work.

3.

Bha latha nach fhaiceadh tu a’ leithid agus cha robh sinn
be.past day that.neg see.cond 2s the equal and neg be.past.dep 1p
a’ cluinntinn moran mu deidhinn ach gu math ainneamh.
prog listen.vn much around about but adv good rare
There was a day that you wouldn’t see the like and we weren’t hearing much about it but very seldom

4.

An uair sin thoisich an riaghaltas againn (US) a cuir suas feansaichean
the hour dist begin.past the country at.1p U.S. tran put.vn up fences
mor iarrainn anns na bailtean agus a-mach air gach taobh dhiubh
big iron.gen in the towns.dat and outside on each side of.3p
tarsainn an staid.
across the state
Then our country (the U.S) began to put up big iron fences in the towns and outside on each side of them across the state.

5.

Thug sin air na "illegal aliens” a dhol nas fhaide mach dha ‘n fhàsach
bring.past that on the illegal aliens tran go.vn more long out to the desert
airson faighinn a-steach.
because get.vn inside
This made the illegal aliens go farther out into the desert in order to get in.

6.

'S ann mar sin a bhitheas iad a’ dol air chall agus a’ bàsachadh
cop in.3sm like that wh-C be.rel 3p prog go.vn on lost and prog die.vn
anns an teas mhòr, gun uisge, agus bithidh sibh a’ cluinntinn
in the heat big without water and be.fut 2p prog hear.vn
mun dheidhinn anns na pàipearan naidheachd.
Around.3p about in the papers news
That is how they are getting lost and dying in the great heat, without water, and you hear about them in the newspapers.

7.

Ach a’ suidheachadh a tha mi a’ bruidhinn mu dheidhinn an-diugh,
but the situation wh-C be 1s prog speak.vn around about today
's e nuair a bhitheas cuid dhiubh a’ dol tarsainn air na rainseachan mhòr
cop 3sm when wh-C be.rel part to.2p prog go.vn across on the ranches big
a tha againn an-seo [ann an] Arizona.
wh-C be at.1p here in Arizona
But the situation that I am speaking about today is when some of them are going across the big ranches that we have in Arizona.
Note: Relative future; but with present tense meaning

8.

Tha na taighean glè fhada bho cheile, agus glè fhada bho na bailtean
be the houses very long from other and very long from the towns
agus mar sin glè fhada bho ‘n 'Border Patrol' – poileas a’ chrìoch.
and therefore very long from the Border Patrol police the border.gen
The houses are very far from each other, and very far from the towns and thus very far from the ‘Border Patrol’ – the border police.

9.

Air oidhche sam-bith faodaidh dhà no tri cheud tighinn
on night any may.fut two or three hundred come.vn
seachad thairis air aon 'rains'.
passed over on one ranch
On any night two or three hundred may come over on one ranch.

10.

Fàgaidh na daoine sin às an-dèidh bochdainn, tiormachd
leave.fut the people dist from after poverty drought
agus a chuid as motha dha 'n teaghlaichean aca.
and the part most big from the families at.3p
Those people leave from poverty, drought, and, most of their families.

11.

Tha e fior nach eil mòran aca ri chall, tha iad acrach
bem3sm true neg be.dep many at.3p with loss be 3p hungry
agus tha iad eu-dòchasach.
and be 3p unhopeful
It is true that they don’t have much due to loose, they are hungry and they are hopeless (lost hope).

12.

Tha barrachd is barrachd ann dhuibh a h-uile mìos.
Be.pres more and more in.3sm to.3p the every month
There are more and more of them every month.

13.

Tha eaconomaidh Mexico a' fàs nas isil agus
be.pres economy Mexico.gen prog grow.vn more low and
chan eil uisge gu leor aca am bliadhna.
neg be.dep water to plenty at.3p the year
The economy of Mexico is growing lower/worse and they don’t have enough water this year.

14.

Bithidh iad a’ fàgail air an cùlaibh air an fhearainn salachar,
be.fut 3p prog leave.vn on 3p.poss behind on the land trash
botail, pocan plastic, 'nappies' agus mar sin air adhart.
bottles bags plastic diapers and like that on forward
They leave behind them on the ground rubbish, bottles, plastic bags, diapers and so forth.

15.

Chan eil urram aca airson gu bheil iad coiseachd air lot cuideigin eile.
neg be.dep respect at.3p for that be.dep 3p country walking.vn on land somebody else
They don’t have respect because they are walking someone else’s land.

16.

ghlanas suas as an dèidh a h-uile latha?
who clean.rel up from 3pl.poss after the every day
Who cleans up after them every day?

17.

Chan urrain dha na rainsearan an sprùilleach fhàgail airson
cop.neg ability to the ranchers the refuse leave.vn for
gun do chaill feadhainn dhuibh crodh mar tha nuair a dh'ith iad plastic.
that past lose group to.3pl cattle already when wh-C ate 3p plastic
The ranchers can’t leave the refuse because some of them lost cattle already, when they ate plastic.

18.

Chuir aon rainsear tap air bonn tanca mòr uisge a bha aige airson
put.past one rancher spiggot on bottom tank.gen big water.gen wh-C be.past at.3sm for
an sprèidh, gus am faodadh na daoine deoch fhaighinn, ach dh'fhag
the livestock.gen so.that fut go.cond the people drink obtain.vn but leave.past
iad e fosgailte agus chaill e a h-uile boinne.
3p 3sm open and lose.past 3sm the all drop
One rancher put a spiggot on the bottom of a big water tank that he had for the livestock, so that the people would be able to get a drink, but they left it open and he lost drop.

19.

Anns an fhàsach tha an t-uisge mar oir
in the desert be.presthe water like gold
In the desert water is like gold.

20.

Bho chionn mìos bha Roger Barnett a-muigh leis fhein a’ càradh feansa
from occasion month be.past Roger Barnett outside with.3sm self prog mend.vn fence
nuair a chunnaic e mu deich air fhichead daoine a’ tighinn seachad
when wh-C see.past 3sm around ten on twenty people prog come.vn through
an fhàsach thuige.
the desert towards.3sm
A month ago Roger Barnett was outside alone mending a fence when he saw about thirty people coming through the desert towards him.

21.

Dh'fhòn e gu a bhràthair air a 'mhobile' aige agus thug
call.past 3sm to 3sm.poss brother on 3sm.poss cellphone prog.3sm and take.past
an dithis aca ‘n am prìosanaich an sluagh.
the two.people at.3p in 3p.poss prisoners the group
He called his brother on his cellphone and the two of them took the group prisoner.

22.

Cha do tharuinng iad na gunnaichean orra, ach bha gunnaichean aca.
neg past draw 3p the guns on.3p but be.past guns at.3p
They didn’t draw the guns on them, but they had guns.

23.

Dh'fhuirich iad an-sin gus an tàinig am 'Border Patrol'
stay.past 3p there until wh-C come.past the Border Patrol
agus thug iadsan air falbh na truaghainn air ais gu Mexico,
and take.past 3p.emph perf leave.vn the unfortunates on back to Mexico
mar a tha iad cleachdte a bhith dèanamh.
like wh-C be.pres3p accustomed tran be.vn do.vn
They stayed there until the Border Patrol came, and they took away the unfortunates back to Mexico, like they are accustomed to doing.

24.

Mar às trice nuair a dh'fhonas na rainsearan airson cuideachadh,
like most often when wh-C call.rel the ranchers for help.gen
's docha gum bi e ceithir uairean a’ thìde, no latha no dhà
cop probable that be.dep 3sm four hours the time.gen or day or two
mus tig am poileas.
until come.fut the police
Most often when the ranchers call for help, maybe it will be four hours’ time, or a day or two until the police come.

25.

Chan eil ann ach tìde ghoirid gus an tarruinng cuideigin gunna
neg be.dep in.3sm but time short until wh-C draw.fut someone gun
agus losgaidh iad e.
and fire.fut 3p 3sm
It won’t be but a short time until someone draws a gun and they shoot it.
Note: future as present

26.

Chur na rainsearan tagradh gu Riaghladair na staid, Jane Hull ag iarraidh
put.past the ranchers plea to Governor the state.gen Jane Hull prog ask.vn
an t-airm a thoirt a-mach gus rian a chumail, ach dhiùlt i
the army tran bring.vn out for order tran detain.vn but refuse.past 3sf
sin a dheanamh.
that tran do.vn
The ranchers sent a petition to the governor of the state, Jane Hull, asking her to bring out the army in order to keep order, but she refused to do it.

27.

Cha stad na 'illegal aliens' (sin an t-ainm a tha orra ... 's e 'legal alien'
neg stop.fut the illegal aliens that the name wh-C be.preson.3p

cop 3sm

legal alien
a tha annam fhein ... bha mi smaoineachadh riamh gu feumadh tu tighinn
wh-C be.presin.1s self be.past 1s think.vn ever to need.vn 2s come.vn
bhon a’ ghealach airson a bhith ‘na d' alien ... ach !!!), cha stad iad
from the moon for tran be.vn in 2s.poss alien ach neg stop.fut 3p
a' tighinn a-staigh do ’n Staitean Aonaichte airson gu bheil obair air an
prog come.vn into to the States United for wh-C be.dep 3p work on 3p.poss
son an-seo.
cause here
The ‘illegal aliens’ will not stop (that is their name…it’s a ‘legal alien’ that I am myself…I was always thinking that you needed to come from the moon to be an ‘alien’…ach!!!,) they will not stop coming into the United States because there is work for them here.

28.

Chan oibrich na h-Ameiricanaich airson am pàigheadh iosal,
neg work.fut the Americans for the wages low
mar sin bhuanadh am buntata agus an leatas etc.?
like that who pick.cond the potatoes and the lettuce etc
The Americans won’t work for low pay, and so who would harvest the potatoes and the lettuce?

29.

nigheadh na soitheachan anns na tighean biodh?
who wash.cond the dishes in the houses food.gen
Who would wash the dishes in the restaurants?

30.

dheanadh am fuaigheil?
who do.cond the sewing
Who would do the sewing?

31.

ur beachd?
what 2p.poss opinion
What [is] your opinion?

32.

Am bheil sibh a’ fearachdainn duilich airson na truaighean a tha teicheadh
inter be.dep 2p prog feel.vn sorry for the pitifuls.gen wh-C be.presflee.vn
bho bochdainn, bho thiormachd, bho riaghaltas cunnartach (Guatemala, El
from poverty from drought from countries dangerous Guatemala, El
Salvador) a’ coimhead airson obair agus beatha ùr?
Salvador prog looking for work and life new
Are you feeling sorry for the poor ones who are fleeing from poverty, from drought, from dangerous countries (Guatemala, El Salvador) looking for work and a new life?

33.

No am bheil sinn a’ fearachdainn duilich airson na rainsearan a tha
or inter be.dep 1p prog feel.vn sorry for the ranchers wh-C be.pres
teasairgainn nan teaghlaichean agus na taighean aca fhein, air
defend.vn the families and the houses at.3p self on
an fhearainn aca fhein, an-aghaidh coigrich acrach a tha sruthadh
the land at.3p self against strangers hungry wh-C be stream.vn
seachad orra latha agus oidhche?
past on.3p day and night
Or are we feeling sorry for the ranchers who are defending their own families and houses, on their own lands, against hungry strangers who are streaming past them day and night?