# Transcript

SORLEY MACLEAN FUARAN
Tha cluaineag ann an iomall sleibh far an ith na feidh ius biolaire; 'na taobh suil uisge rnhor reidh, fuaran leugach cuimir ann. Air latha thainig mi le m' ghaol gu taobh a' chaochain iomallaich, chrom i h-aodann sios ri bhruaich 'S cha robh a thuar fhein tuilleadh air. Rainig mi a' chluaineag chein a rithist liom fhein iomadh uair, agus nuair choirnhead mi 'san t-srulaich cha robh ach gnuis te m' ulaidh innt'. Ach bha na glinn is iad a'falbh is calbh nam beann gun fhuireach rium, cha robh a choltas air na sleibhtean gum facas m'eudail ulaidhe.
SIMON MACKENZIE
A SPRING
At the far edge of a mountain there is a green nook where the deer eat water-cress, in its side a great unruffled eye of water, a shapely jewel-like spring. One day I came with my love to the side of the remote brook. She bent her head down to its brink and it did not look the same again. I reached the distant little green many a time again, alone and when I looked into the swirling water there was in it only the face of my treasure-trove. But the glens were going away and the pillared mountains were not waiting for me: the hills did not look as if my chanced-on treasure had been seen.
IAIN CRICHTON-SMITH
This poem of course shows again these assonances very strongly I think in this particular poem. I think this one probably more than any of the others shows these kind of assonances.
SORLEY MACLEAN
Tha cluaineag ann an iomall sleibh far an ith na feidh lus biolaire; 'na taobh suil uisge mhor reidh, fuaran leugach cuimir ann.
IAIN CRICHTON-SMITH
Is this incident, if we can call it a particular incident, is this based again on a real incident, or something that you actually imagined as a poem?
SORLEY MACLEAN
I don't think it is based on a real incident.
IAIN CRICHTON-SMITH
Remember that I mentioned about your way of humanising landscape. I notice tht in this one for instance you've got
SIMON MACKENZIE
in its side a great unruffled eye of water
IAIN CRICHTON-SMITH
Is this something that happens in Gaellic poetry previous to your own?
SORLEY MACLEAN
I think it is a perfectly natural thing, I mean it's a very Gaellic thing, but for instance, if you take the word "ridge" in English, the Gaellic for that is "dhruim", and
IAIN CRICHTON-SMITH
"dhruim" of course meaning, meaning
SORLEY MACLEAN
"the back",
IAIN CRICRTON-SMITH
"the back"
SORLEY MACLEAN
And how you use the word for a neck and for an arm, the forearm, and the upper arm, and the knee, is so very often used, and the shin, for what you might call topographical features. I think it is very Gaellic but I think. . .
IAIN CRICHTON-SMITH
It's not exclusively Gaellic.
SORLEY MACLEAN
It's not exclusively Gaellic, but I think the Gaels are more inclined to it than other languages that I can think of.
IAIN CRICHTON-SMITH
I was wondering looking at this poem again, when you're writing your poems were there any particular poets that influenced you either in Gaellic or in English, even though you're writing in Gaellic.
SORLEY MACLEAN
Well, I find it very difficult to say, when I wrote English as well as Gaellic I was affected by people like the early Pound and Eliot, and people like that. It's curious that I had a kind of youthful mania for Shelley, but I don't think he influenced my own verse in the least. Blake I think did, and of course in Gaellic it was more the anonymous song and probably William Ross.
IAIN CRICHTON-SMITH
I suppose one of the differences that people would notice if they could actually read Gaellic in comparison with modern English poetry certainly is the musical quality of your poetry. Obviously you believe strongly in the oral side of poetry don't you?
SORLEY MACLEAN
Oh yes. Yes, I believe very strongly in the oral side of poery. I always have, and I think it is difficult for a Gael to be otherwise inclinded. For instance when you think that practically all Gaellic poetry up to this century, practical1 all was meant to be sung or in the case of the old herioc ballards to be chanted. It's a very, very, very, very strong tradition in Gaellic, until this century and after all it's awfully difficult to get out of your roots altogether.