Dà Shaoghal 'na Shùil	Looking at Two Worlds
"Evan MacColl - Bàrd Loch Fìn" le Iain Moireach; Crùisgean agus Comann Gàidhealach Earra Ghàidheal, Gàidhlig/Beurla, £4.50 bog ri fhaighinn bho Chomhairle nan Leabhraichean	"Evan MacColl - The Lochfyneside Bàrd " by John Y Murray; Crùisgean and An Comunn Gàidhealach Argyll Branch, Gaelic/English, £4.50 paperback available from the Gaelic Books Council
Lèirmheas le Eachann MacCoinnich, Inbhir Nis	Review by Hector MacKenzie, Inverness
Bidh togail aig iomadh neach aig a bheil ùidh sna h-òrain Ghàidhlig ris an leabhran seo a tha air nochdadh mar chuimhneachan air Eòghann MacColla, a chaochail air 24 Iuchar 1898. Tha na tha 'na bhroinn air a roinn 'na dhà earrann - a' chiad tè a' tòiseachadh le geàrr chunntas sa Ghàidhlig air beatheachdraidh MhicColla agus dealbh dheth a thogadh dar a bha e 83 bliadhna. 'Sann am Beurla a tha a' chuid eile den phàirt seo. Tha seo a' toirt cothrom don fheadhainn aig nach eil fhathast an comas a bu mhath leo' air a' Ghàidhlig a leughadh, gidheadh aig a bheil ùidh sna bàird Ghàidhealach is 'nam bàrdachd.	Many folks who are interested in Gaelic songs will welcome the appearance of this thin book, celebrating the centenary of the poet's death on 24 July 1898. The contents of the book are divided into two sections - the first one beginning with a summary of MacColl's biography written in Gaelic and a photograph of him taken when he was 83. The remainder of this part is written in English. This gives an opportunity to those who have not yet mastered Gaelic reading as well as they would have wished, yet who have an interest in Gaelic poets and their poetry.
'Sann an Gàidhlig a tha an dàrna earrann, saor on duilleig mu dheireadh dhith, far a bheil tuairisgeul feumail a' liostadh nan leabhraichean as an do thog am fear deasachaidh am fiosrachadh a tha e toirt dhuinn san leabhran tlachdmhor seo. Air taobh eile na duilleige tha map de na sgìreachdan mun cuairt air Loch Obha, Loch Aic is Loch Fìn, le dealbh beag, air mhodh caimio, den bhàrd a' nochdadh eadar Bail' Inbhir Aora agus a' Cheannmhor far an d'rugadh e sa bhliadhna 1808.	The second section is in Gaelic, apart from the last page on which there is a helpful reference listing the books from which the editor gleaned the information we have in this attractive booklet. On the other side of the first page is a map of the parishes around Loch Awe, Loch Eck and Loch Fyne, with a small cameo photo of the poet appearing between Inverary and Kenmore, where he was born in 1808.
Gu tilleadh, ma-thà, dhan chiad chuibhreann den leabhar a tha gu beagnaich sa Bheurla; tha geàrr iomradh air a bheatheachdraidh, agus a thuilleadh air an dealbh don tug sinn aire mar-thà, tha dealbh den charragh chuimhne ann an Canada agus dà dhealbh den Cheannmhor - fear dhiubh a thogadh sa bhliadhna 1880 agus am fear eile san linn seo. A bharrachd air na dealbhan camara tha dealbh sgrìobhte againn an-seo cuideachd den bhàrd dar a bha e 85 bliadhna, is e a' frithealadh cruinneachadh Chomann Gàidhealach Thoronto ann an 1893. B'e caraid a' bhàird, an Còirnealar Alasdair Friseal a sgrìobh e.	Returning, then, to the first part of the book which is mainly written in English; there is a summary of his biography and in addition to the photograph which we have already noted, there is a photograph of his tombstone in Canada and there are two photographs of Kenmore - one of which was taken in 1880 and the other during this century. We have here in addition to the snapshots, a pen-portrait of the poet at 85 years of age while he attended a gathering of the Toronto Highland Society in 1893. It was the poet's friend Colonel Alasdair Fraser who wrote it.
Agus tha fad a bharrachd de dh'fhiosrachadh ùidheachail san earrann seo, a' dèiligeadh ri làithean 'òige san àrainneachd àlainn san do thogadh e, ri sloinneadh is dùthchas 'athar is a mhàthar, ri' theaghlach fhèin, ris na bliadhnachan a thug e mar chlèireach an Glaschu, an Liverpool agus an Canada, ris na tursan a thug e mu thuath a thogail fo-sgrìobhaidhean mu choinneamh nan leabhraichean aige agus, gach dìleas gu deireadh, ris na h-òighean a bha togail a shùl is ga ghluasad gu bàrdachd.	And there is lots more interesting information in this section, dealing with the days of his youth in the lovely environment in which he grew up, with his father and mother's genealogy and heredity district, with his own family, with the years he spent as a clerk in Glasgow, Liverpool and Canada, with his trips to the north collecting subscriptions for his books and, last but not least, with the young ladies who attracted him and inspired him to write poetry.
Sùil eile air an dàrna earrann anns a bheil an taghadh de dheich òrain as na h-iomadh a sgrìobh e. Tha suas ri 80 dhiubh againn ann an "Clàrsach nam Beann" a thàinig am follais sa bhliadhna 1838. Saoilidh mi nach bu mhist' an taghadh nam biodh aon òran aotrom nam measg, m.e. "Baran na Sròine", a bheireadh dhan choigreach sùil a-steach air oisean de dh'eachdraidh shòisealta na Gàidhealtachd mu dheas mu mheadhan an 19 linn. Chan eil agam ach aon ghearan beag eile - corra mhearachd chlò-bhualaidh an-siud 's an-seo.	Another glance at the second section which contains the ten songs selected from the many which he composed. In the 1838 edition of "Clàrsach nam Beann" we have about 80 of them. I think the selection would have benefited from the inclusion of one light-hearted song, eg "The Baron of Strome", which would afford the uninitiated a glimpse into a corner of the social history of the southern Highlands about the middle of the 19th century. I have only one other slight criticism - the odd printing error here and there.
Tha taghadh gast' againn an-seo, ge-tà, a' nochdadh dìreach dar a tha sinn a' dlùthachadh ri deireadh an 20 linn, is sinn ann am fonn a bhith toirt sùil air ais air linn MhicColla anns an robh dà shaoghal a' suathadh ris na bàird is na sgrìobhadairean - saoghal na Gàidhlig, agus aig an aon àm saoghal na Beurla.	Nevertheless, we have a fine selection here, making its appearance just as we are approaching the end of the 20th century, and in a reminiscent mood we look back at MacColl's era during which two worlds impinged on poets and writers - the Gaelic world, and simultaneously the English world.
Am measg nan co-aimsireach aig Bàrd Loch Fìn bha Caraid nan Gàidheal anns a' Mhorairne, Iain MacCoinnich (Sàr Obair) ann an Geàrrloch, Iain MacPhàidein a Muile ann an Glaschu, "Fionn" agus a bhràthair Iain Macillebhàin a Èisdeal, Màiri Mhòr Nic a' Phearsain, Niall MacLeòid is a bhràthair Iain Dubh anns an Eilean Sgitheanach, Uilleam MacDhunlèibhe agus Donnchadh MacIain ann an Ìle, is gu thighinn nas fhaisge air ar linn fhèin Niall Macillesheathanaich a Diùraigh.	Amongst the Lochfyneside Bard's contemporaries were "The Highlander's Friend" in Morvern, John MacKenzie (Sàr Obair) in Gairloch, John MacFadyen from Mull in Glasgow, Mary MacPherson, Neil MacLeod and his brother Iain Dubh in Skye, William Livingstone and Duncan Johnston in Islay, and closer to our own time Neil Shaw from Jura.
Ma tha thu 'nad cho-fharpaiseach aig Mòd, 'nad neach ionnsachaidh na Gàidhlig, neo ma tha ùidh agad an ceòl is an cultar nan Gàidheal, thoir sùil air a' chuimhneachan laghach seo is thèid mi an urras gum bi sibh, mar tha mise, an comain Meur Loch Fìn den Chomann Ghàidhealach.	If you are a Mòd competitor or a Gaelic learner or if you are interested in the music and culture of the Highlanders, take a look at this attractive memoir and I'm sure that you will be, as I am, indebted to the Loch Fyne Branch of An Comunn Gàidhealach.

You can find more articles in the archive under Gaelic Column and information on the organization at C.L.I.