Deeper Meaning

[Mairead]

I'm reading a book called Songs of Gaelic Scotland and the song lyrics are given in Gaelic and English. The English tr*nsl*t**n of the following verse has the footnote at the end of the final line: 'I can only hope you understand the wealth of meaning behind this succinct untranslatable line'. Here is the verse in question:

A dh'aindeoin 's na thriall mise,
deas agus tuath,
chaoidh chan iarr mi
à baile mo luaidh;
's ann ann tha mo rùn-sa
a' gabhail gach là,
's tha làrach a ceum
far na dh'èirich i 'n-àird.

The English tr*nsl*t**n is given as follows:

Despite all the travelling I've done,
south and north,
I never again want
to leave my beloved village;
for it's there that my sweetheart
passes each day,
and her foot-prints are there
in the place where she grew up.

^ I have looked up the individual words but can't get past the literal meaning. Is there a euphemism or double meaning here? I'm assuming there's some sort of innuendo but I can't figure it out and am wondering what sorts of subtle Gaelic wordplay is going on here.

[akerbeltz]

Chan fhaic mise ciall rùin a bharrachd.

[GunChleoc]

I guess the tr*nsl*t*r thought that some of the flavour was lost - it's literally "where she rose up"

[Mairead]

Yeah, maybe that's what she meant. She says in the notes on the song, "There is something in the words of this simple little song - the way they are put together, and the things that are left unsaid - which makes it one of the most precious examples of its genre. If this 'something' doesn't come across in the English tr*nsl*t**n then I can only say 'keep up the Gaelic lessons!'" She's not normally so cryptic. (The author is Anne Lorne Gillies.)

[Níall Beag]

There's multiple senses and uses of éirich in Dwelly that all seem apt for the metaphor. Dawn -- visual imagery of brightness, general romantic allusions. Happen -- love happens to you, the author didn't chose to fall for her. Getting up means waking, and awakenings are always strong images, and meeting that special someone feels like an awakening. Finally, you've got èirich as an encouragement, eg to sing -- well the author certainly draws his encouragement from her, and as well as leading him home, she leads him to sing.

You'll notice that éirich has no literal sense of growing up, maturing, aging or growing -- the line is pure metaphor.

[faoileag]

Tha mi ag aontachadh le Niall. Mineachadh math!

[akerbeltz]

Bah, shmoetry. Chan eil ann ach geama thomhaisean san dorchadas

[faoileag]

[GunChleoc]

Nan robh thu air Deutsch a dhèanamh aig an sgoil sa Ghearmailt, 's dòcha gum biodh tu a' dol le akerbeltz ged a tha thu uabhasach measail air a' bhàrdachd fhèin. Cha chan mi guth air dè cho pianail is neo-shaidheansail a dh'fhaodas sgrùdadh litreachais a bhith sna sgoiltean. Bu lugha ormsa e.

If you had been doing Deutsch in a German school, maybe you'd agree with akerbeltz although you love the poetry itself to bits. I won't say how painful and unscientific literary analysis can be at the schools. I hated it.


Bha mo chuid Gearmailtis sgrìobhte cha mhòr foirfe ach 's gann gun d'fhuair mi comharra na b' fhearr na D+ air sàilleabh a' chuspair.

My written German was almost flawless but I had a hard time getting a mark above D+ because of the subject matter.

[Mairead]

There's multiple senses and uses of éirich in Dwelly that all seem apt for the metaphor. Dawn -- visual imagery of brightness, general romantic allusions. Happen -- love happens to you, the author didn't chose to fall for her. Getting up means waking, and awakenings are always strong images, and meeting that special someone feels like an awakening. Finally, you've got èirich as an encouragement, eg to sing -- well the author certainly draws his encouragement from her, and as well as leading him home, she leads him to sing.

You'll notice that éirich has no literal sense of growing up, maturing, aging or growing -- the line is pure metaphor.

Tapadh leat!