Signed copy of this translation from the Gaelic
MACGILL-EAIN, Somhairle; Seamus HEANEY (translator). Hallaig. Dunblane, Scotland: Urras Shomhairle. The Sorley Maclean Trust. 2002.
8vo. Green printed wrappers; pp. 8; fine copy.
First limited edition, number 16 of 50 copies, signed by the translator.
Heaney translated Sorley MacLean's most famous poem, originally written in Scottish Gaelic. With a title inspired after a deserted village on the Isle of Raasay, a part of the Inner Hebrides, this poem is a significant literary achievement, reflecting the beauty of the environment alongside the burden of history and displacement. Heaney's nuanced translation is revered for its sensitivity and precision to the original Gaelic tone and cadence. Speaking of his intentions when composing his version, Seamus would explain; "I was hoping my English could do what Yeats wanted rhythm to do in poetry: prolong the moment of contemplation".
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