3849: Donald Macphail

Dòmhnall

Donald (1891-1916) was the son of Kenneth Macphail and Christina Macmillan, 19 Southside Gravir. Shortly after going to the Nicolson Institute, his health broke down and he had to return to the family home at Gravir.  Because of the nature of his illness, he spent a lot of his time in the house and as a result of this, his thoughts were often on his childhood friends who had been called up to fight in the Great War.

Disappointed at not being able to participate in this awful war, he wrote a couple of songs about the fighting, describing events as seen through the eyes of a front line soldier and seaman.

One of these was the beautiful and well-known song Smuaintean Saighdeir an Deidh Blar Mhons or as it is more popularly known Isean Bhoidhich.

The last two verses describe his feelings for his native village, and the yearning he has to return there:

S truagh nach b' urrainn dhomh leat amharc
Thar nam monaidhean, 's nan caol;
Chithinn sealladh air Gleann Ghrabhair
Far na dhealaich mi ri m ghaol

Chithinn a Chabag fearann m eolais
'S I le ceo air bharr na stuc
Far na dh'araicheadh o m' oig mi
'S mi fo bhron nach fhaic mi thu.

He also wrote <<46442##Tha sinn uile an diugh fo bhròn>>.

Donald Macphail died at his home in Gravir in 1916 at the age of  24.