4 / 36
2
battle of arras
Òran Arras
‘I
hillean,
march at ease!
Righ na sìth bhith mar rinn
A’ dol chun na strì
‘S chun na cill aig Arras
‘Ihillean,
march at ease!
Tha nochd oidche Luain
Teannadh suas ri faire,
A’ dol chun na h-uaigh
Far nach fhuasg’ lear barrall.
‘Ihillean,
march at ease!
Tillidh cuid dhinn slàn,
Cuid fo chràdh lann fala,
‘S mar a tha e ‘n dàn,
Roinn le bàs a dh’ fhanas.
‘Ihillean, march at ease!
Song of Arras
L
ads,
march at ease!
The King of Peace be with us
Going to the strife
And to the tomb at Arras;
Lads,
march at ease!
Tonight, Monday night,
Moving up to guard,
Going to the grave,
Where no bootlace is untied;
Lads,
march at ease!
Some of us will return unscathed,
Some in agony of bloody blade,
And, according to our fate,
Some in company of death will stay;
Lads, march at ease!
Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna (Donald MacDonald),
(1887–1967)
Donald MacDonald was born at Corunna near Claddach Baleshare
in North Uist and was educated at village school in Carinish.
During the war he served on the Western Front with 7
th
Cameron
Highlanders and although his poetry reflects his horror at the
conditions faced by the men they were not transcribed until
later in life. He was best known for his composition of the
song An Eala Bhan (‘The White Swan’). His poems and songs were
published in a bilingual edition in 1995.
Translated by Ronald Black.