Bliadhna ùr air fàire by Alasdair Caimbeul Alasdair Campbell

Muir mhìreanach, lainnireach, dhrithleannach, mhear
Le solas srianach, iom-sgarach a’ dannsa air feadh thonn is sgòth
A’ glasadh, a’ dubhadh is a’ dathadh adhar is fonn.

Eadar suailichean is sìantan siùbhlaidh tìm is neo-thìm
Na dh’fhalbh is na thig a’ luasgadh uachdar an uisge
Agus fodha an nì nach tuig sinn ach a tha nar cridhe.

Am boillsgeadh mar a chithear às dèidh stoirm
Ri fhaicinn air slios na beinne, ro gheal air a’ chreig
Mar chuimhneachan air na ghabh a’ bhliadhna na làmhan farsaing.

Làmhan copach nan anam a’ smèideadh am measg nan stuagh
Comharra bho dhoimhne dho-thuigsinn air nach ruig solas na grèine
Anns a bheil bruadar is brìgh a’ snàmh còmhla mus tig iad nar measg.

A’ seòladh gu bliadhn’ ùir, bàta-iasgaich le toradh na Callainne
Ar dòchas agus ar dàn air an gleidheadh sna clèibh a bheirear gu tìr le làimh an iasgair.

Alasdair Caimbeul
Alasdair Campbell

From Northwords Now 43 / Tuath Àireamh 6

Reproduced with permission of the poet.

About this poem

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Gaelic

Chaidh an dàn seo a thaghadh airson nan Dàn Albannach as Fheàrr 2022. ‘S e foillseachadh air loidhne a th’ ann an Dàin Albannach as Fheàrr, a’ toirt a-steach 20 dhàn air an taghadh le neach-deasachaidh fa leth gach bliadhna, le aithris aig an neach-deasachaidh is na bàird. Bheir e foir-shealladh pearsanta air bliadhna bàrdachd na h-Alba. Ann an 2022 b’ e Peigi MacVicar neach-deasachaidh na Gàidhlig.

Earrann an Neach-deasachaidh:
Tha e coltach gu bheil na ràithean agus tìm air nochdadh ann an gach dàn Ghàidhlig as fheàrr am-bliadhna agus tha an dàn aig Alasdair H. Caimbeul ‘Bliadhna ùr air fàire’ gu math iomchaidh. Tha e a’ toirt dhuinn an cothrom cnuasachadh air dè dìreach ghabhas dèanamh ann am bliadhna. Anns am falabhachd eadar dà àite is dà àm “siùbhlaidh tìm is neo-thìm,” agus tha e a’ sealltainn an gluasad eadar tiodhlacan a tha ri thighinn agus mar a tha againn ri gèilleadh do na rudan nach tèid againn atharrachadh. Tha sinn air ar cofhurtachadh gu bheil “bruadar is brìgh a’ snàmh còmhla mus tig iad nar measg” agus nach eil againn ach ri feitheamh air an son. Dè a-nis?

Earrann an Ùghdair:
Thàinig an dàn seo gu bith air an latha mu dheireadh dhen Dùbhlachd 2021 agus sinn fo sgàil Chovid. B’ e latha dorcha, glas a bh’ ann, ach le boillsgidhean grèine às dèidh stoirm. Bha na chunna mi san Linne Shlèitich mar shamhla air bliadhna làn dòrainn, ach le bliadhna ùr air fàire chuir soillseachadh air a’ bheinn thall dòchas nam smior. ’S ann nuair a thig nàdar, inntinn is bith còmhla gu tric a dhùisgeas bàrdachd annam, agus sin a thachair an seo. B’ e bàs is ùrachadh a bha fa-near dhomh, bàs nam mìltean thar mhìltean a chaidh a dhìth leis a’ ghalar, agus cuideachd aig ìre phearsanta bàs mo mhàthar, agus i fhèin air siubhal ann an 2020.

English

This poem was included in Best Scottish Poems 2022. Best Scottish Poems is an online publication, consisting of 5 Scottish Gaelic poems chosen by a different editor each year, with comments by the editor and poets. It provides a personal overview of a year of Scottish poetry. In 2022 the Gaelic editor was Peigi MacVicar.

Editor’s notes:
Along the theme of seasons and time that seems to have appeared in all of the Gaelic Best Scottish Poems, Alasdair H. Campbell’s ‘Bliadhna ùr air fàire’ is very fitting. We’re given the chance to reflect on just how much can happen in the space of a year. In the limbo period between two times and two spaces, “siùbhlaidh tìm is neo-thìm,” there is a flow between the offerings of a new start and the surrender to what we can’t control. We’re comforted that everything is in some sort of order and that we just have to wait until we meet them, “bruadar is brìgh a’ snàmh còmhla mus tig iad nar measg.” What now?

Author’s notes:
This poem came about on the last day of December 2021 when we were once again living and dying under the shadow of Covid. It was a dark, gloomy day, but with arrows of bright sunlight after a storm. What I saw on the Sound of Sleat reflected the year’s anguish. However, with the coming new year, a smear of light on the mountain opposite revived my hope. Poetry comes to me, mostly, when mind, nature and being unite, and that is what happened here. Death and renewal were on my mind, the death of so many thousands lost to the pandemic, and personally the death of my mother, who had died in 2020.