Hallaig
Encyclopedia
Hallaig is a poem by Sorley MacLean
. It was originally written in Scots Gaelic and has also been translated into both English and Lowland Scots. A recent translation was made by Seamus Heaney
, an Irish
Nobel Prize
winner.
The poem is named after a deserted township located on the south-eastern corner of the Hebridean island of Raasay
, the poet's birthplace. It is a reflection on the nature of time and the historical impact of the Highland Clearances
, leaving an empty landscape populated only by the ghosts of the evicted and those forced to emigrate.
The poem is notable for its deployment of imagery of nature, and in this respect is redolent of Duncan Ban MacIntyre
's Beinn Dorain
, particularly in its references to woodlands and deer.
Hallaig is incorporated in the lyrics of The Jacobite Rising, an opera
by Peter Maxwell-Davies, and can be heard as part of the song "Hallaig" on Martyn Bennett
's album Bothy Culture
.
MacLean talked extensively about the poem in Timothy Neat's documentary for RTE
, Hallaig: the Poetry and Landscape of Sorley MacLean in 1984.
The poem inspired an organ work by William Sweeney
called " Hallaig 12' " commissioned for the inaugural concert of the Flentrop Organ in Dunblane Cathedral
.
Sorley MacLean
Sorley MacLean was one of the most significant Scottish poets of the 20th century.-Early life:He was born at Osgaig on the island of Raasay on 26 October 1911, where Scottish Gaelic was the first language. He attended the University of Edinburgh and was an avid shinty player playing for the...
. It was originally written in Scots Gaelic and has also been translated into both English and Lowland Scots. A recent translation was made by Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
, an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
winner.
The poem is named after a deserted township located on the south-eastern corner of the Hebridean island of Raasay
Raasay
Raasay is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. It is separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay and from Applecross by the Inner Sound. It is most famous for being the birthplace of the poet Sorley MacLean, an important figure in the Scottish literary renaissance...
, the poet's birthplace. It is a reflection on the nature of time and the historical impact of the Highland Clearances
Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
, leaving an empty landscape populated only by the ghosts of the evicted and those forced to emigrate.
The poem is notable for its deployment of imagery of nature, and in this respect is redolent of Duncan Ban MacIntyre
Duncan Bàn MacIntyre
Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir is one of the most renowned of Scottish Gaelic poets and formed an integral part of one of the golden ages of Gaelic poetry in Scotland during the 18th century...
's Beinn Dorain
Beinn Dorain
Beinn Dorain , is a mountain located in the Bridge of Orchy hills of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is one of the most recognisable mountains in Scotland, as it curves gracefully up from the West Highland Way...
, particularly in its references to woodlands and deer.
Hallaig is incorporated in the lyrics of The Jacobite Rising, an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
by Peter Maxwell-Davies, and can be heard as part of the song "Hallaig" on Martyn Bennett
Martyn Bennett
Martyn Bennett was a Scottish musician who was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada...
's album Bothy Culture
Bothy Culture (album)
Bothy Culture is the second studio album by Scottish celtic fusion artist Martyn Bennett. It was released in 1998 on the Rykodisc label.Track four, Hallaig, features a performance by Gaelic poet Sorley MacLean of his poem of the same name....
.
MacLean talked extensively about the poem in Timothy Neat's documentary for RTE
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
, Hallaig: the Poetry and Landscape of Sorley MacLean in 1984.
The poem inspired an organ work by William Sweeney
William Sweeney (composer)
-Biography:Born in Glasgow, he attended Knightswood Secondary School. He studied the clarinet and composition at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama from 1967 to 1970, and at the Royal Academy of Music from 1970 to 1973, where his teachers included Alan Hacker and Harrison Birtwistle. He...
called " Hallaig 12' " commissioned for the inaugural concert of the Flentrop Organ in Dunblane Cathedral
Dunblane Cathedral
Dunblane Cathedral is the larger of the two Church of Scotland parish churches serving Dunblane, near the city of Stirling, in central Scotland.-History:...
.
External links
- Full text of the poem in Gaelic, with Sorley Maclean's own translation into English
- Translation by Seamus Heaney
- Article summarizing a lecture by Seamus Heaney on Hallaig and Maclean's writing
- A list of William Sweeney's works to 1996 including " Hallaig 12' "
- Version of the poem in Scots