Skip to content

Scottish Poetry Library

Register/Sign in
Shopping Bag Shopping Bag
Bringing people and poems together
  • Home
  • Poetry
    • Poets
    • Poems
    • Makar – National Poet
      • Our Waking Breath: A Poem-letter from Scotland to Ukraine
      • A Woman’s A Woman
      • The story of the Makar – National Poet of Scotland
    • Best Scottish Poems
    • Spiorad an Àite
      Spirit of Place
    • The Trysting Thorns
    • Poetry Ambassadors
      Tosgairean na Bàrdachd
      • Poetry Commissions: Walter Scott 250
        Coimiseanan Bàrdachd: Walter Scott 250
      • Poetry Ambassadors 2021
    • Posters
    • Podcasts
  • Library
    • Become a borrower
    • Catalogue
    • Collections
    • Ask a librarian
    • Copyright enquiries
  • Learning
    • SQA set texts
    • Learning resources
    • Designing sensory poetry activities
    • Children’s poems in Scots
    • National Poetry Day archive
    • New to poetry?
    • Advice for poets
  • Events
    • What’s On
    • Meeting rooms and venue hire
    • Exhibitions
  • Shop
    • Poetry Highlights
    • Entropie Books
    • Stichill Marigold Press
    • Poems for Doctors, Nurses & Teachers
    • Scottish Poetry
    • Poetry Pamphlet Cards
    • Help
  • About us
    • Our story
    • Our people
    • Company Papers & Policies
    • Our projects
    • Our building
    • FAQs
    • Find us
  • Support us
    • Become a Friend
    • Donate
  • Blog
Shopping BagShopping Bag
Ask a librarian
  • Home
  • >
  • Poetry
  • >
  • Iain S. Mac a’ Phearsain
    Iain S. MacPherson
  • >
  • Ile
Donate Donate icon Ask a Librarian Ask a Librarian icon

Ile

Iain S. Mac a’ Phearsain
Iain S. MacPherson

Eadar Port Eilein agus ceann an rathaid
sìos dhan Oa
tha Eirinn cho teann ort
’ s a tha thusa orm fhìn
ann an dorchadas a’chàir
a’ tighinn air fàire
ann an solas buaile na gealaich
ann am priobadh gaoil is briseadh dùil


Iain S. Mac a’ Phearsain
Iain S. MacPherson

from New Writing Scotland 18 (Association of Scottish Literary Studies, 2001)

Reproduced by permission of the author.

Tags:

Argyll Gaelic Scotland

Translations of this Poem

Islay

Translator: Iain S. MacPherson


between Port Ellen and the road end
down to the Oa
Ireland’s as intimate to you
as you are to me
in the darkness of the car
appearing on the horizon
in the light of the moon’s aureola
in a blink of desire and disappointment

Share this
Facebook
Twitter
Email

Learn more

Iain S. Mac a’ Phearsain
Iain S. MacPhersonb.1965

Born in Canada, with Hebridean ancestry, Iain S MacPherson now works at the University of Ulster and is an editor and writer in Gaelic, English and French.
More about Iain S. Mac a’ Phearsain
Iain S. MacPherson

Newsletter

Sign up for our regular email newsletter.
Subscribe now

Events

Discover our poetry events at the library & online.
Find forthcoming Events
  • Newsletter signup
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Scottish Poetry Library
5 Crichton's Close, Canongate
Edinburgh EH8 8DT
Tel: +44 (0)131 557 2876
© Scottish Poetry Library 2022.
The Scottish Poetry Library is a registered charity (No. SCO23311).
City of Edinburgh logo Green Arts Initiative logo Creative Scotland logo
Scottish Poetry Library