Hallaig

Hallaig

Somhairle can be heard reading Hallaig on Tobar an Dualchais.

Listen to him reciting it a couple of times first.

Read the poem now.

Hallaig

Somhairle MacGill-Eain

'Tha tìm, am fiadh, an coille Hallaig'

Tha bùird is tàirnean air an uinneig
trom faca mi an Àird an Iar
's tha mo ghaol aig Allt Hallaig
na craoibh bheithe, 's bha i riamh
eadar an t-Inbhir 's Poll a' Bhainne,
thall 's a bhos mu Bhaile Chùirn:
tha i na beithe, na calltainn,
'na caorann dhìrich sheang ùir.

Ann an Sgreapadal mo chinnidh,
far robh Tarmad 's Eachann Mòr,
tha 'n nigheanan 's am mic nan coille
a' gabhail suas ri taobh an lòin.

Uaibhreach a‑nochd na coilich ghiuthais
a' gairm air mullach Cnoc an Rà,
dìreach an druim ris a' ghealaich –
chan iadsan coille mo ghràidh.

Fuirichidh mi ris a' bheithe
gus an tig i mach an Càrn,
gus am bi am bearradh uile
o Bheinn na Lice fa sgàil.

Mura tig 's ann theàrnas mi a Hallaig
a dh'ionnsaigh sàbaid nam marbh,
far a bheil an sluagh a' tathaich,
gach aon ghinealach a dh'fhalbh.

Tha iad fhathast ann a Hallaig,
Clann Ghill-Eain 's Clann MhicLeòid,
na bh' ann ri linn Mhic Ghille Chaluim:
chunnacas na mairbh beò.

Na fir nan laighe air an lèanaig
aig ceann gach taighe a bh' ann,
na h-igheanan nan coille bheithe,
dìreach an druim, crom an ceann.

Eadar an Leac is na Feàrnaibh
tha 'n rathad mòr fo chòinnich chiùin,
's na h-igheanan nam badan sàmhach
a' dol a Chlachan mar o thùs.

Agus a' tilleadh às a' Chlachan,
à Suidhisnis 's à tir nam beò;
a chuile tè òg uallach
gun bhristeadh cridhe an sgeòil.

O Allt na Feàrnaibh gus an fhaoilinn
tha soilleir an dìomhaireachd nam beann
chan eil ach coitheanal nan nighean
a' cumail na coiseachd gun cheann.

A' tilleadh a Hallaig anns an fheasgar,
anns a' chamhanaich bhalbh bheò,
a' lìonadh nan leathadan casa,
an gàireachdaich nam chluais na ceò,
's am bòidhche na sgleò air mo chridhe
mun tig an ciaradh air na caoil,
's nuair theàrnas grian air cùl Dhùn Cana
thig peilear dian à gunna Ghaoil;
's buailear am fiadh a tha na thuaineal
a' snòtach nan làraichean feòir;
thig reothadh air a shùil sa choille:
chan fhaighear lorg air fhuil rim bheò.

trom faca mi
through which I saw
buailear
will be hit/struck
chan fhaighear lorg
a trace will not be got/found
tuaineal
dizziness
snòtach
sniffing
rim bheò
while I live

You can listen to Somhairle reciting it again, but reading the words at the same time now.

A parallel translation is available at Sorley MacLean Online:

Why don't you have a go at this task! If you have a Gaelic-speaking friend, you could do this together. If you don't—no problem—you can have double the fun!

We've given you these question as a starting point, but you'll certainly have other questions and opinions about the poem.

Dè tha na craobhan a' riochdachadh san dàn?
What do the trees represent in the poem?
Ciamar a tha Somhairle a' cleachdadh ìomhaigh nan craobhan?
How does Somhairle use the image of trees?
Tha sealg a' dol air adhart san dàn seo cuideachd—dè thathar a' sealg is dè tha sin a' riochdachadh a-nis?
A hunt is also going on in this poem—what is being hunted and what does that represent now?
A bheil samhla an fhèidh anns an dà dhàn coltach ri chèile?
Is the symbol of the deer in the two poems similar?
Ciamar a tha iad coltach agus dè tha eadar-dhealaichte mun t-samhla?
How are they similar and what is different about the symbol?

Somhairle can be seen—and heard—reading Hallaig here, first in English and then in Gaelic:

There is also a video on Sorley MacLean's website.

Remember that you can find poetry from other poets on the SpeakGaelic website 22B Duilleagan Obrach agus 22B Duilleag Mìneachaidh.