Tomhas na Teanga

May/June 2009

Cé nach bhfuil Lá Nua ann níos mó, tá an forlíonadh ealaíonta ann fós, agus tá sé ar fáil ag www.nuacht.com. Although LN isn’t around any more, the arts insert still is, and can be found at… Fuair mé leabhar filíochta ón bhfile féin ag an gcomhdháil le Glór na nGael, agus ba mhaith liom é a mheas. I got a book of poetry from the poet himself at the GnG conference, and I wanted to review it. Rinne, agus glacadh leis. I did, and it was accepted. Ach tá an leabhar áirithe seo, Dídean le Seán Ó Coistealbha, ón mbliain 2003 – sean, mar sin. But this particular book, …by…, is from the year 2003 – old, therefore. De ghnáth, níor mhaith le eagarthóirí ach leabhair nua a mheas. Usually, editors only like to review new books. Mar sin, ní minic a bhíonn plé ann faoi leabhair níos sine. So it isn’t often that older books are discussed. Ach is cuma cén aois an leabhar, más maith liom é, ba mhaith liom é a mholadh do dhaoine eile. But it doesn’t matter how old the book is, if I like it, I’d like to recommend it to other people.

Uaireanta foilsítear alt faoi leabhair nach bhfuil nua, ámh. Sometimes an article about books that aren’t new is published, though. Le déanaí, léigh mé alt faoin údar Flannery O’Connor. Recently, I read an article about the author… Fuair sí bás in 1964, ar dheis Dé go raibh sí, gan fiú dhá scór saolaithe aici. She died in 1964, God bless her, not have even lived to be 40. Rugadh in Savannah í, agus bhí sí ina cónaí in Milledgeville, Georgia. She was born in…, and lived in… Ba Chaitliceach í. She was a Catholic. Scríobh sí úrscéalta agus gearrscéalta, agus bhí clú agus cáil uirthi ag an am. She wrote novels and short stories, and was well known at the time. Tá eagrán cuimsitheach dá saothar foilsithe ag The Library of America. There is a complete edition of her work published by… Léargas difriúil a bhí aici ar shaol an limistéir sin. She had a different way of looking at that region. Is minic a scríobhadh sí faoin gCríostaíocht thruaillithe nó thréigthe, a bhíonn ann i measc daoine a luann Íosa gach ré focal, fiú. Often she used to write about corrupted or abandoned Christianity, which is always found even among people who mention Jesus every other word. Tuigtear óna scéalta freisin cé chomh holc agus a bhíonn an saol gan Íosa, freisin. It is also understood from her stories how evel the world always is without Jesus, too.

San aois sin, bhíodh beagnach gach scríbhneoir faoi thioncar Freud, agus níor thaitin sin riamh liom. In that age, almost every writer used to be under the influence of Freud, and I’ve never liked that. Ach níorbh amhlaidh léisean. But she wasn’t that way. Thuig sí an saol mar Chaitliceach. She understood the world as a Catholic. Níl aon easpa foréigin ná olcais ina cuid scéalta. There is no lack of violence in her stories. Agus níl scéalta simplí iad. And they are not simple stories. Spreagann siad go léir machnaimh an léitheora. They all set the reader to thinking. Mar dhuine deisceartach, díríonn sí ar chine agus ar shaol imithe an deiscirt, atá ann mar chuid den chultúr. As a southerner, she turns her attention to race and the lost world of the south, which are a part of the culture. Tugann cultúr an deiscirt blas an-suimiúil dá cuid. The culture of the south give her work a very interesting flavor. Ní raibh sí teagascach ná maothintinneach riamh. She was never didactic or sentimental. Cuireann an N-fhocal isteach ar léitheoir an lae inniu, mar tá sé ann minic go leor, ach sin mar labhraítí (agus rinne Mark Twain amhlaidh, dar ndóigh). The N-word bothers the reader of today, as it is there quite a lot, but that’s how people talked (and MT did the same thing, of course). Níl sise ag maslú éinne lena úsáid. She’s not insulting anyone by using it. Más mian leat údar breá Meiriceánach a léamh, molaim í go hard. If you desire to read a great American author, I highly recommend her.

Is mór an trua é go dtéann roinnt seanleabhair as cló, leabhair thabhachtacha, fiú. It’s a great pity that some old books go out of print, even important books. Tarlíonn sin níos minice le leabhair as Gaeilge ná mar is gnáth, faraor. That happens more often with Irish language books than usual, unfortunately. Faoi láthair, tá An Caighdeán Oifigiúil as cló. Presently, The Official Standard is out of print. Sin an leabhar a mhíníonn na rialacha nua maidir le litriú agus gramadach na Gaeilge. That’s the book that explains the new rules concerning the spelling and grammar of Irish. Deirtear gurb é Cré na Cille le Máirtín Ó Cadhain an leabhar ficsin is tábhachtaí don Ghaeilge. People say that…by…is the most important fictional book in Irish. Mór an trua go riabh sé as cló le blianta. A great pity it was out of print for years. Tamall de bhlianta ó shin, bhí An Bíobla Naofa féin as cló! A few years ago, The Holy Bible itself was out of print! Sin saol na Gaeilge. That’s the world of the Irish language. Tagann leabhair áirithe ar ais ar ball, uaireanta, buíochas le Dia. Certain books come back after a while, sometimes, thank God.

Tá iris oifigiúil Chumann Carad na Gaeilge, An Gael, le teacht ar ais. The official publication of the Philo-Celtic Society is coming back. Foilsíodh í don chéad uair in 1881. It was published for the first time in 1881. Táimse i mo eagarthóir uirthi. I am its editor. Irisleabhar idirnáisiúnta na Gaeilge a bheidh ann, go ráithiúil, le cúnamh Dé. It will be an international magazine of the Irish language, quarterly, God willing. Tá breis eolais ar fáil ag www.angaelmagazine.com. There’s more information at…