To Finlay MacDonald, St Kilda / Dha Fionnlagh MacDhomnaill a Hiort
This poem was written by Norman Campbell from Ness, Lewis for Finlay MacDonald, one of the last great gannet hunters on St Kilda. To slaughter the gannets, the hunters first had to target the watch bird. The community left the island in 1930, leaving the jagged cliffs to the gannets (solan geese).
Finlay Macdonald – before this summer night falls
that island is west of us still; and still the
beautiful solan goose returns to Stac-a-Li and
Stac-an-Armuinn; jagged is Borerary, dark
its shadows, rising out of an angry sea.
And Levinish is there as always; An Dun, the
bay, and your village – a change has come
over the street that was yours –
But still round Oiseabhal and Conochair the
great gusts are blowing, sweeping sometimes
down their slopes to shores and steep rocks
O where you and the heroes climbed, there is
silence tonight my friend; and the bird that
keeps the nightwatch can safely sleep now.
-
- St Kilda had its own Parliament. Adult males met daily on The Street to decide on the appropriate communal tasks.
A Fionnlaigh MhicDhomhnaill
– mas tuit an oidhche shamhraidh seo –
tha ‘n t-ait’ ud an iar oirnn fhathast;
is fhathast thig a’ sulair’ aluinn
gu Stac a Li
is Stac an Armuinn;
‘s gur corrach Boirearaigh, dorch a sgailean,
as eirigh ard a fairge ghreannach.
‘s tha Leibhinis a-siod mar bha
An Dun, am bagh, is baile d’arach –
thainig caochladh air an t-sraid a bh’agaibhs’
Ach fhathast mu Oiseabhal is Chonachair
than a gaoitean mor a’ seideadh;
a’ sguabadh uairean sios a sleibhtean
gucladaichean is creagan casa …
O far na shreap thu-fhein ‘s na seoid
tha samhchantas a-nochd a charaid
‘s an t-eun a bhiodh a’ caithris oidhch’
faodaidh e le saoirsinn cadal.
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