Sorley MacLean / Somhairle MacGillEain

English

When people talk about Gaelic poetry in the twentieth century – particularly when the discussion is being held in English – more often than not, they’re talking about Sorley MacLean. More than any of his contemporaries, MacLean brought Gaelic poetry back into contact with currents of European art, politics and philosophy from which it had been excluded since the seventeenth century. Such was the shock among Gaelic readers when his collection Dàin do Eimhir agus Dàin Eile (Poems to Eimhir and Other Poems) appeared in 1943 that many questioned whether MacLean’s poems were Gaelic enough, some denying that they were Gaelic poetry at all. More than half a century on, Sorley MacLean is widely considered to be the greatest Gaelic poet of the twentieth century and occupies a space in the wider Scottish literary canon unequalled by any other Gaelic writer.

Sorley MacLean was born on 26 October 1911 on the island of Raasay, off Skye. His father, Malcolm MacLean, had a tailoring business; his mother Christina’s family were the Nicolsons of Skye, and they had seven children, of whom Sorley was the second eldest son. Both families were notable for their knowledge and practice of Gaelic song and music.

At the age of 12 I took to the gospel of Socialism, and I believe that in my later
teens a dichotomy took me psychologically: my ‘pure’ aesthetic idols of old
Gaelic songs, and my humano-aesthetic idols of Blake and Shelley. (‘My
  Relationship with the Muse’, Ris a’Bhruthaich)

He went to Edinburgh University to study English, not having read any contemporary poetry in English before then, graduated in 1933, and went on to train as a teacher. He taught in Portree, Tobermory and Edinburgh before conscription into the Signal Corps in 1940. MacLean served in Libya and Egypt before being seriously wounded at the battle of El Elamein in 1942 which led to his being discharged the following year, the same year in which his seminal Dàin do Eimhir appeared in print. MacLean returned to teaching in Edinburgh before leaving with his wife and three daughters to become headmaster at Plockton. He retired back to Skye in 1972. Between 1973 and 1975 MacLean spent two fruitful years as Creative Writer in Residence at Edinburgh University, and from 1975 to 1976 he was Filidh at the fledgling Gaelic College on Skye, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. He died in Inverness in 1996.

MacLean’s reputation rests upon two extended texts, the ‘Dàin do Eimhir’ (‘Poems to Eimhir’) that made up the bulk of the 1943 volume, and ‘An Cuillithionn’ (‘The Cuillin’, 1939), a long political poem which uses the famous mountain range on the Isle of Skye as the symbolic basis for a mediation on political commitment in a Europe that was being torn apart by competing ideologies in the middle years of the twentieth century.

  The long poem was always to me a faute de mieux as compared with the lyric,
  but I have come to regard it as a necessity if poetry is to deal adequately with
  much of the human condition. … I think tweo of the reasons for my long silences
  and burning of my unpublished poems have been my long years of grinding
  school-teaching and my addiction to an impossible lyric ideal. (‘My Relationship
  with the Muse’, Ris a’Bhruthaich)

Both texts are highly complex, combining references to Gaelic song, poetry, music and history with the art and politics of the rest of Europe. The famous seventeenth-century piper Patrick Mòr MacCriommon rubs shoulders with Beethoven, the eighteenth-century Gaelic love poet William Ross with Alexandr Blok and Charles Baudelaire. In doing so, MacLean asserted the right of Gaelic artists and Gaelic speakers to participate in the mainstream of European culture, and by extension claimed for his own poetry an importance that transcended linguistic boundaries.

The juxtaposition of references in MacLean’s poetry is part of a wider tendency on his part to try combining ideas that are apparently contradictory. The ‘Dàin do Eimhir’ are energised by the age-old conflict in European poetry between the competing claims of love and war. For MacLean’s speaker, the specific conflict is between his love for Eimhir – a mythical figure who takes her name from a character in early Gaelic literature – and his commitment to the republican cause in the Spanish Civil War. In, ‘Gaoir na h-Eòrpa’ (‘The Cry of Europe’), the fourth of the sixty poems that make up the body of the sequence, Maclean’s speaker puts the question that underpins the ‘Dàin do Eimhir’ as a whole:

Dè gach cuach ded chual òr-bhuidh
ris gach bochdainn, àmhghar ‘s dòrainn
a thig ‘s a thàinig air sluagh na h-Eòrpa
bho Long nan Daoine gu daors’ a’ mhòr-shluaigh?

(‘What is each ringlet of your golden hair / when weighed against that poverty and fear / which Europe’s people bear and still must bear / from the first slave-ship to slavery entire?’, trans. Iain Crichton Smith)

The appeal to the fate of Europe as a whole is new in Gaelic poetry, as is the connection between the oppression of the people under fascism and the plight of those Gaels shipped off as slaves to the New World in the seventeenth century. But the poem itself exploits the abundance of rhyme in Gaelic to bring the poem to the resounding perfect cadence of its closing line. Gaelic verse is here deployed to a new purpose, re-energising itself in the process.

MacLean is a love poet in the European tradition that stretches from classical antiquity through the Provençal troubadours and the sonnets of Shakespeare to the present day. He brings to that tradition the resources of his chosen language and its associated literature, after Latin and Greek the oldest in Europe. But MacLean is also profoundly concerned with the efficacy of that tradition in the modern world, not just as a distraction from the political poetry he would prefer to write, but for the danger such poetry might pose for Eimhir herself. In ‘Coin is Madaidhean-allaidh’ (‘Dogs and Wolves’), the speaker imagines his unwritten poems chasing his beloved’s beauty across the snow, with the implication that they would destroy it if they ever caught it:

coin chiùine caothaich na bàrdachd,
madaidhean air tòir na h-àilleachd,
àilleachd an anama ‘s an aodainn,
fiadh geal thar bheann is raointean,
fiadh do bhòidhche ciùine gaolaich,
fiadhach gun sgur gun fhaochadh.

(‘the mild furious dogs of poetry, / wolves on the single track of beauty, / beauty of face, beauty of soul, / the white deer on plain and hill, / deer of your beauty, calm and bright, / they’re hunting you by day and night’, trans. Iain Crichton Smith)

MacLean’s reputation among English-speaking readers followed the re-publication of his work in the 1970s. Poems to Eimhir was published in English translation by Ian Crichton Smith in 1971, out of a conviction that MacLean was a major poet whose work most readers could not access in the original. Canongate published Reothairt is Contraigh: Taghadh de Dhàin 1932-72 /Spring tide and Neap tide: Selected Poems 1932-72 in 1977, with English translations provided by the author himself. In this process of re-publication and translation MacLean radically re-ordered his work, leaving out passages or whole poems from his early work which had come to embarrass him. The ‘Dàin do Eimhir’ were only partially reprinted, out of order and without the numbers that gave away their position in the original sequence. ‘An Cuillithionn’ (1939) was bowdlerised further. MacLean had called on the Red Army to liberate Scotland, asking ‘Có bhier faochadh dhan àmhghar / mur tig an t-Arm Deasg sa chàs seo?’ (Who will give respite to the agony / unless the Red Army comes in this extremity’, trans. Sorley MacLean). MacLean left out large parts of the original poem when it was published in 1977, saying ‘I reprint here what I think tolerable of it’.

In a letter written on 23 January 1977, the year before he died, Hugh MacDiarmid had declared to MacLean: ‘There is, I think, no doubt about you and I being the two best poets in Scotland… By definition, every good poet has something that is sui generis – something that is his alone and couldn’t be done by anyone else’. When Carcanet Press published O Choille gu Bearradh / From Wood to Ridge: Collected Poems in Gaelic and English in 1989, critics hastened to agree. The volume won both the Saltire Society’s prize for the Scottish Book of the Year and the McVitie Prize for the same in 1990, and MacLean was awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry.

Both the ‘Dàin do Eimhir’ and ‘An Cuillithionn’ have now been published in full, annotated editions, and it will be interesting to see what effect these will have on younger Gaelic writers and on scholarly assessment of MacLean’s work. Despite or because of the contradictions and the difficulty of MacLean’s poetry, he remains the Gaelic poet who most is widely read, most frequently anthologised and most often translated into other languages. His mastery of his chosen medium and his confident engagement with European politics and the whole of the European poetic tradition make him one of the major Scottish poets of the modern era.

2012

Gaelic

Nuair a bhruidhneas daoine mu bhàrdachd Ghàidhlig anns an 20mh linn – gu h-àraidh nuair is e còmhradh Beurla a th’ ann – a’ mhòr-chuid den ùine, ’s ann mu Shomhairle MacGill-Eain a tha an còmhradh. Chanadh cuid gun do shoirbhich le MacGill-Eain barrachd na bàrd sam bith eile bàrdachd na Gàidhlig a thoirt air ais ach a seasadh i an cois poilitigs, ealain agus feallsanachd na h-Eòrpa, conaltradh a bha air tighinn gu crìch gu ìre bhon 17mh linn. Chuir Dàin do Eimhir agus Dàin Eile (1943) iongnadh mòr air leughadairean nuair a nochd e, is cuid a’ faighneachd an e bàrdachd Ghàidhlig gu tur a bh’ ann, no an e bàrdachd Ghàidhlig idir a bh’ ann? Còrr is leth-cheud bliadhna bhon uair sin, tha mòran a’ gabhail ris gur e Somhairle MacGill-Eain am bàrd Gàidhlig as fheàrr anns an 20mh linn, agus gu bheil e air ìre inbhe a ruigsinn ann an eachdraidh litreachas na h-Alba nach eil aig sgrìobhadair Gàidhlig sam bith eile.

Rugadh Somhairle MacGill-Eain air Ratharsaigh air an 26mh den Dàmhair, 1911. Bha athair na thàillear; bhuineadh a mhàthair do Chloinn MhicNeacail, agus  b’ e Somhairle an dàrna mac as sine de sheachdnar chloinne. Bha an dà theaghlach aithnichte airson an cuid eòlais air òrain agus ceòl na Gàidhlig.

At the age of 12 I took to the gospel of Socialism, and I believe that in my later teens a dichotomy took me psychologically: my ‘pure’ aesthetic idols of old Gaelic songs, and my humano-aesthetic idols of Blake and Shelley.

‘My Relationship with the Muse’, Ris a’ Bhruthaich

Cha robh Somhairle air bàrdachd Bheurla a leughadh mus deach e a dh’Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann airson Beurla a rannsachadh. Cheumnaich e an 1933 agus thrèan e mar thidsear. Bha e a’ teagasg ann am Port Rìgh, Tobar Mhoire, agus an Dùn Èideann, mus ro aige ri gabhail ri dleastanas-airm leis na Signal Corps. Bha Somhairle anns an arm an Libia agus anns an Èipheit mus deach a dhroch leòn aig blàr El Elamein an 1942. Chaidh a leigeil mu sgaoil a’ bhliadhna às dèidh sin, an aon bhliadhna anns an do nochd ‘Dàin do Eimhir’ an clò. Thill MacGill-Eain a theagasg a Dhùn Èideann mus do ghluais e fhèin, a bhean, agus a thriùir nighean dhan Phloc, far an robh e fhèin na cheannard-sgoile. Leig e dheth a dhreuchd agus ghluais e dhan Eilean Sgitheanach an 1972. Eadar 1973 agus 1975, bha MacGill-Eain na Sgrìobhadair air Mhuinntireas aig Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann, agus eadar 1975 agus 1976 bha e na Fhilidh aig Sabhal Mòr Ostag. Dh’eug e an Inbhir Nis an 1996.

Choisinn MacGill-Eain a chliù tro dhà theacsa fhada: na ‘Dàin do Eimhir’ a nochd anns a’ chruinneachadh an 1943, agus ‘An Cuillithionn’ (1939), dàn fada poilitigeach, anns a bheil an Cuillithionn san Eilean Sgitheanach air a chleachdadh mar shamhla airson meòrachadh air poilitigs na h-Eòrpa aig àm far an robh creud eadar-dhealaichte ga sracadh às a chèile ann am meadhan an 20mh linn.

The long poem was always to me a faute de mieux as compared with the lyric, but I have come to regard it as a necessity if poetry is to deal adequately with much of the human condition. … I think two of the reasons for my long silences  and burning of my unpublished poems have been my long years of grinding  school-teaching and my addiction to an impossible lyric ideal.

‘My Relationship   with the Muse’, Ris a’ Bhruthaich

Tha an dà theacsa toinnte, a’ fighe còmhla iomraidhean air òrain, ceòl, bàrdachd, agus eachdraidh na Gàidhlig le ealain agus poilitigs na h-Eòrpa. Na bhàrdachd tha Pàdraig Mòr MacCriomain ri fhaicinn ri taobh Beethoven, tha Uilleam Ros ri fhaicinn le Alexander Blok agus Charles Baudelaire. Le sin a dhèanamh, dhearbh Somhairle gu bheil còir aig Gàidheil agus luchd-ealain na Gàidhlig an àite a ghabhail am measg cultar na h-Eòrpa, agus, mar sin, gun robh a bhàrdachd fhèin cho cudromach is gun deach i thairis air crìochan cànain.

Chithear le coimeas nan iomraidhean ann an saothair MhicGill-Eain rud a bhios e tric a’ dèanamh: feuchainn ri dà rud a tha a rèir choltais neo-chòrdail a thoirt còmhla. Tha spionnadh anns na ‘Dàin do Eimhir’ bhon t-seann chonspaid ann am bàrdachd na h-Eòrpa eadar gaol agus cogadh. Airson pearsa a’ bhàird, tha an strì ann eadar a ghaol airson Eimhir – caractar miotasach stèidhichte air bean Chù Chulainn – agus an dealas aige ri taobh nam poblachdach ann an Cogadh Catharra na Spàinne. ’S ann ann an ‘Gaoir na h-Eòrpa’, an ceathramh dàn anns an t-sreath de thrì fichead dàn, a tha pearsa MhicGill-Eain a’ cur na ceiste a th’ aig cnag cùis ‘Dàin do Eimhir’:

Dè gach cuach ded chual òr-bhuidh
ris gach bochdainn, àmhghar ‘s dòrainn
a thig ’s a thàinig air sluagh na h-Eòrpa bho Long nan Daoine gu daors’ a’ mhòr-shluaigh?

Tha MacGill-Eain a’ dèanamh rudan a tha ùr do bhàrdachd na Gàidhlig an seo, mar a bhith a’ toirt iomradh air dàn no freastal na h-Eòrpa mar àite slàn, agus a’ dèanamh ceangal eadar daoine a’ fulang fo faisisteachd agus na Gàidheil a chaidh an cur air bàtaichean dhan iar anns an 17mh linn. Ach anns an dàn tha MacGill-Eain a’ cur comhardadh pailt na Gàidhlig gu feum airson a crìoch fhoirfe a ruigsinn. Tha bàrdachd na Gàidhlig an seo air a cleachdadh airson adhbhar ùr, agus tha an ath-bheothachadh seo a’ toirt spionnadh dhi.

’S e bàrd gaoil a th’ ann an MacGill-Eain anns an dualchas Eòrpach, bho linn chlasaigeach gu òranaichean Provençal gu sonaidean Shakespeare dhan là an-diugh. Tha e a’ cur ris an dualchas sin beairteas a chànain fhèin, agus litreachas a chànain, litreachas cho sean ’s a th’ anns an Roinn Eòrpa às dèidh Laideann agus Greugais. Ach tha cuideachd ùidh aig MacGill-Eain ann an dè cho buadhmhor ’s a ’s urrainn dhan dualchas sin a bhith ann an saoghal an là an-diugh, chan ann dìreach mar rud ga shlaodadh air falbh bho dhàin phoilitigeach, ach cuideachd mun chunnart a dh’fhaodadh an dàn adhbhrachadh do dh’Eimhir fhèin. An ‘Coin is Madaidhean-allaidh’, tha pearsa a’ bhàird a’ samhlachadh nan dàn neo-sgrìobhte aige air tòir àilleachd Eimhir, agus tuigidh an leughadair gum milleadh na dàin a h-àilleachd nan soirbhicheadh leotha grèim fhaighinn oirre:

coin chiùine caothaich na bàrdachd,
madaidhean air tòir na h-àilleachd,
àilleachd an anama ’s an aodainn,
fiadh geal thar bheann is raointean,
fiadh do bhòidhche ciùine gaolaich,
fiadhach gun sgur gun fhaochadh.

Dh’àrdaich cliù MhicGill-Eain am measg leughadairean Beurla às dèidh dha shaothair a bhith air ath-fhoillseachadh anns na 1970an. Chaidh Poems to Eimhir, eadar-theangachadh Beurla le Iain Mac a’ Ghobhainn, fhoillseachadh an 1971, is e den bheachd gun robh MacGill-Eain na bhàrd buadhmhor nach deigheadh aig mòran a leughadh na chànan fhèin. Dh’fhoillsich Canongate Reothairt is Contraigh: Taghadh de Dhàin 1932-72, anns an do nochd eadar-theangachaidhean Beurla a rinn MacGill-Eain fhèin. Am measg an ath-fhoillseachaidh agus eadar-theangachaidh seo, dh’atharraich MacGill-Eain fhèin a chuid obrach, a’ fàgail bheàrnan no dàin shlàn bho shaothair thràth às, oir bha iad a-nis na adhbhar nàire dha. Cha deach na ‘Dàin do Eimhir’ ath-fhoillseachadh slàn, agus bha iad às aonais òrdugh agus às aonais nan àireamh a shealladh càit an do nochd iad anns an t-sreath-dhàn. Chaidh tuilleadh atharrachaidhean a dhèanamh air ‘An Cuillithionn’ (1939). Bha MacGill-Eain air gairm air an Arm Dhearg tighinn a shaoradh Alba, a’ faighneachd ‘Cò bheir faochadh dhan àmhghar / mur tig an t-Arm Dearg sa chàs seo?’ Dh’fhàg MacGill-Eain pìosan mòra às an dàn nuair a chaidh ath-fhoillseachadh an 1977. Thuirt e, ‘I reprint here what I think tolerable of it.’

Ann an litir air an 23mh den Fhaoilleach 1977, bliadhna mus do dh’eug e, thuirt Hugh MacDiarmaid ri Somhairle: ‘There is, I think, no doubt about you and I being the two best poets in Scotland… By definition, every good poet has something that is sui generis – something that is his alone and couldn’t be done by anyone else’. Nuair a dh’fhoillsich Carcanet Press O Choille gu Bearradh / From Wood to Ridge: Collected Poems in Gaelic and English an 1989, dh’aontaich sgrùdairean litreachais. Bhuannaich an leabhar Leabhar Albannach na Bliadhna bhon Saltire Society agus Duais MacVitie an 1990, agus fhuair MacGill-Eain Bonn Òr na Banrighinn airson Bàrdachd.

Tha an dà chuid na ‘Dàin do Eimhir’ agus ‘An Cuillithionn’ a-nis rim faotainn slàn le notachadh, agus bidh e inntinneach faicinn dè a’ bhuaidh a bhios aca air ginealach òg de sgrìobhadairean Gàidhlig agus air sgoilearan na Gàidhlig. A dh’aindeoin, no dh’fhaoidte air sgàth ’s, contarrachd agus doirbheachd bàrdachd MhicGill-Eain, ’s e fhathast am bàrd Gàidhlig as tric a thèid a leughadh, a thèid a chruinneachadh an duanairean, agus a thèid eadar-theangachadh. Leis cho sgileal ’s a bha e na bhàrd Gàidhlig, agus leis mar a dh’fhigh e bàrdachd Ghàidhlig ri poilitigs agus dualchas bàrdail na h-Eòrpa, chan eil teagamh nach e Somhairle MacGill-Eain aon de na bàird Albannach as cudromaiche anns an 20mh linn.