Ged a tha an dreathan-donn beag, gu dearbh chan eil e bog / The wren might be diminutive, but in Gaelic tradition, it has a high opinion of itself…

An dreathan-donn – eun beag leòmach

Ann am beul-aithris nan Gàidheal, ged a tha an dreathan-donn beag, tha e car leòmach. Bhiodh na seann daoine a’ cur nam briathran seo na bheul: Is bigid e sin, is bigid e sin, mar a thuirt an dreathan-donn, nuair a thug e làn a ghuib às a’ mhuir. Bha an aon seòrsa beachd aca air an dearbh eun, nuair a bha e a’ cur ris a’ chuan mhòr: Is mòid i sin, is mòid i sin, mar a thuirt an dreathan-donn nuair a rinn e dileag sa mhuir mhòir. Chan eil an dreathan làn irioslachd, co-dhiù!

’S dòcha gu bheil an dreathan-donn a’ sealltainn dhuinn fuasgladh, nuair a tha gnothaichean trom is dùbhlanach dhuinn. Ann an stòiridh traidiseanta, tha an dreathan (neo ‘dreòlan’ mar a ghabhas cuid air) a’ dèanamh a’ ghnothaich air ‘rìgh an eunlaith’, an iolair-bhuidhe. Tha an iolair a’ cumail a-mach – a’ bòstadh, gu dearbh – gun itealaich i nas àirde na eun sam bith eile, agus chan eil eun ann a tha deònach a dhol an aghaidh a beachd. Ach a-mhàin an dreathan-donn! ‘Thèid mise nas àirde na thu,’ tha e ag innse don iolair le misneachd.

‘Nach dearbh thu sin,’ tha an iolair ag ràdh mar dhùbhlan, agus i àrdanach, uaibhreach mar as dual dhi. Tha an iolair a’ falbh gu na speuran, a’ coimhead sìos air a h-uile creutair eile, agus truas aice orra. Chan eil sgeul air an dreathan, agus tha an iolair dhen bharail gu bheil am bigean air a dhol am falach am measg nan craobh ’s nan lus shìos fòidhpe. ‘Coimheadaibh orm, nas àirde na gach creutair eile,’ tha an iolair ag èigheachd. Tha an naidheachd a’ tighinn gu ceann le rann beag. Tha an iolair a’ bruidhinn an toiseach, agus tha an dreathan ga freagairt: Càite a bheil thu, ’dhreathain-duinn? Tha mi ’n seo, os do chinn! ‘Tha an dreathan – beag is aotrom – air a bhith am falach air druim na h-iolaire agus, gu dearbh, tha e nas àirde!

’S dòcha gu bheil an iolair agus an dreathan-donn a cheart cho àrdanach ri chèile, ge-tà. Seo mar a sheinneas an dreathan:

Thig thig, thig a dhiol-dèirce,

Thig thig, thig a ghille-frìde;

Is gillean-frìde na h-eòin uile

Ach mise leam fhìn,

Ach mise leam fhìn,

Gillean-frìde, gillean-frìde.

Chan e gu bheil na Gàidheil uile-gu-lèir a’ dèanamh dì-meas air buadhan an dreathain-duinn. A dh’aindeoin ’s gu bheil e beag, tha iseanan gu leòr aige (suas ri ochd anns an nead gach turas), agus tha seanfhacal againn a nì aithris air sin: Ged as beag an dreathan, is mòr a theaghlach. Agus seo agaibh seanfhacal eile a nì tuairisgeul de dhà eun – agus ’s dòcha mac an duine cuideachd! Aon isean aig a’ chorr, is e gu doitheamh, doirbh; dà isean deug aig an dreathan, is iad gu soitheamh, soirbh. Faodaidh sibh fhèin co-dhùnadh co-dhiù tha sin ceart no ceàrr!

The wren – a small bird with a big ego!

In Gaelic tradition, the wren – or dreathan-donn – is considered to be lacking in humility for one that is so diminutive. A traditional saying has the following commentary: Is bigid e sin, is bigid e sin, mar a thuirt an dreathan-donn, nuair a thug e làn a ghuib às a’ mhuir  ‘tis the less for that, tis the less for that, as the wren said, when it sipped a bill-full from the sea.’ As if the sea would notice!

The corollary – addition rather than subtraction – is perhaps a little less mannerly, but its message of a wee brown bird with a big ego is just as strong: Is mòid i sin, is mòid i sin, mar a thuirt an dreathan-donn nuair a rinn e dileag sa mhuir mhòir  ‘it’s the bigger of that, it’s the bigger of that, as the wren said when it added its pee to the great sea’. No false modesty there!

Perhaps the wren is a role model for all small people and those who might find themselves intimidated by seemingly overwhelming circumstance. A traditional Gaelic tale tells of how the wren outwits that great ‘king’ of the avian world, the massive and powerful golden eagle. The eagle – an iolaire – boasts that it can fly higher than any other bird, and no other feathered creature dares argue the point – except the wren, of course. ‘I can fly even higher than you, eagle,’ it says with bold confidence.

‘Prove it then,’ says the eagle, with the arrogance of those born to rule, and the great bird takes to the sky and soars above the whole world, observing the lesser creatures with pity. There is no sign of the pathetic little wren, which the eagle assumes is hiding its precious little head – along with its ridiculous shame (if it has any) – among the trees and heather on the ground far below. ‘Look at me, higher than all other living creatures,’ calls the eagle. A rhyming couplet finishes the story, with the eagle calling first, followed by its nemesis: Càite a bheil thu, ’dhreathain-duinn? Tha mi ’n seo, os do chinn! ‘where are you, wren? I’m here, above you!’ The wren – small, light and mobile – has perched itself, surreptitiously and undetected, on the eagle’s back and, indeed, is higher than the great raptor!

Perhaps, however, the eagle and the wren are equally conceited. The song of the wren is said to be:

Thig thig, thig a dhiol-dèirce,

Thig thig, thig a ghille-frìde;

Is gillean-frìde na h-eòin uile

Ach mise leam fhìn,

Ach mise leam fhìn,

Gillean-frìde, gillean-frìde.

Come, come come, oh beggar, Come, come come, oh mite; All the birds are mites (ie tiny, insignificant), Except me alone, Except me alone, Mites, mites.

Next time you listen to a wren chattering, see if you think there is a note of conceit in its voice! Not that the Gaels are entirely negative about this little lively bird, as is seen in traditional sayings about its offspring. Despite being small, the wren is considered to have a large number of offspring (and, indeed, the clutch size is usually healthy, comprising up to eight eggs). This is summarised in the saying, Ged as beag an dreathan, is mòr a theaghlach ‘though the wren is small, its family is large. And, in a positive way, it is used to express a rhyming observation about (human) family size and children’s behaviour: Aon isean aig a’ chorr, is e gu doitheamh, doirbh; dà isean deug aig an dreathan, is iad gu soitheamh, soirbh  ‘the heron has one chick and it is cross and churlish; the wren has twelve and they are docile and good-tempered’  Readers can decide for themselves if the saying is an aphorism!