Slightly off-topic: Red (as Béarla)

Redwolf · **Posted:** Sat 15 Feb 2014 10:38 pm

Saoirse wrote:

MacBoo wrote:

Don't know what those bards were on but I'll have a pint of it.

By the way, when I saw the name of the thread, 'Slightly off-topic: Red (as Béarla)', I thought Redwolf was just signing it! I didn't realise it was about the colour! :facepalm:

Now that I look at it, it does seem that way!

Redwolf

Breandán · **Posted:** Mon 17 Feb 2014 2:50 am

mhwombat wrote:

I had another thought: maybe the fingers are "red" because red symbolises anger or violence, and the fingers plucking the strings would seem violent in contrast to the passive, gentle strings.

Breandán wrote:

Dearg, on the other hand, is sometimes simply used to imply intensity.

Breandán · **Posted:** Wed 19 Feb 2014 12:33 pm

MacBoo wrote:

Later on in the poem it becomes dark red - doinndearg, even brown and speckled - donn, ballach, and dark yellow - donnbhuidhi, a purple star - réla chorcra with crimson spots - ball corcra.

To a (psychedelic) harp.

Don't know what those bards were on but I'll have a pint of it. :winkgrin:

Deirtear go mbíodh na draoi ag bailiú "luibheanna" agus "beacáin" agus níor thuig mé roimhe seo cé na cineálacha a bhí i gceist - ach ceapaim go dtuigim go maith anois iad. :winkgrin:

I see the original Irish says mhéirfhírdhearg. Fíor-dhearg can mean "truly red", or the dearg can be an intensifier as in the compound fíor-dheargdhallta "really truly drunk".

This makes me wonder if the mhéirfhírdhearg might not be better translated "very true fingers" ("true" here meaning "accurate, adept, reliable").

Of course, they could also equally still be the fingers of someone who is fíor-dheargdhallta. :LOL:

(Tune titles such as Carolan's Draught tell us indirectly that harpers were not historically averse to imbibing intoxicating beverages.

)

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