Anna Ruadh

Canadian author L.M. Montgomery’s fictional story of the red-haired orphan Anne Shirley is beloved by generations of children and adults worldwide. First published in 1908, the story is set in the Maritime provinces of Canada. From an orphanage in Nova Scotia, Anne is sent by mistake to rural Prince Edward Island, to aging brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert who wanted to adopt a boy to help on their farm. Anne of Green Gables has been translated into over 30 languages and is the subject of film, television, radio, musical, and play adaptations. The novel has never before been translated into Gaelic, although Gaelic is the language with the closest cultural and historical connections to L.M. Montgomery and Prince Edward Island after English. Anna Ruadh means “Red-haired Anne,” a typical Gaelic nickname.

Cha bhuineadh Anna Siorlaidh riamh do dhuine sam bith—cha bhuineadh, buileach… agus mar sin tha i air bhioran nuair a tha i a’ dol i a dh’fhuireach còmhla ri Marilla is Mata Cuthbert aig Stuaghan Uaine. Ach tha iongnaidhean mòra a’ feitheamh orrasan! Tha dùil aca ri dilleachdan de bhalach a chuidicheas iad air an tuathanas—ach nach ann a tha iad a’ faighinn nighean chaol ruadh na àite. Sunndach is làn smioralais, chan fhada gus a bheil muinntir Cuthbert gu math measail air Anna Ruadh, le a mac-meanmainn beothail agus a cabadaich gun chrìch. Chan fhada cuideachd gus a bheil dol a-mach Anna ag adhbharachadh thrioblaidean gu leòr dhi—ged a tha e doirbh smaoineachadh ciamar a bhiodh cùisean às a h-aonais.