Biography

Angus MacLellan was born in St Joseph's Parish in Southwest Margaree, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia in 1879. His patronymic was recorded as Aonghas Iain mac Iain 'ic Caluim, and his grandfather was from Morar. In his youth, he was involved in farming and agricultural work. For a long time, he was the lighthouse keeper on Margaree Island.

A poetic tribute to him, Òran do dh'Fhear an Taigh-sholais, was written by another poet, Donald MacFarlane, a scholar and merchant. This poem reflects on his character and his poetry:

Soraidh bhuamsa le deagh bhrìgh
Null do dh'Eilean beag Mhàrgaraidh
Àite tàmhachd fir mo chridh'
Aig a bheil an inntinn aighearach.

On tha theisteanas glè àrd
Thagh an Riaghaltas e thar chàich
Thug gach aon da cridhe blàth
Oir cha robh nàmhaid aigesan.

Nuair bhios soithichean a' chuain
Oidhche dhorch an èiginn chruaidh
Togaidh Aonghas solas suas
A dh'fhògras gruaim a' mharaiche.

Cha bhi meang no èis na dhreuchd
Cha bhi fàillinn bheag na ghnìomh
Gnothach ceart, 's e sin a mhiann
'S chan e bhith 'g iarraidh fathamais.

Fhuair mi òrain bhuaith' tha grinn
Òrain fhonnmhor, cheòlmhor, bhinn,
Cuid dhiubh mu na "Cnuic 's na Glinn"
Is gu bheil inntinn fhathast annt'.

Air an deilbh le dreach is loinn
Tha chuid òran còrdadh rinn
Tha iad mùirneach le luchd-seinn
Is faighneachd aig gach banais orr'.

Bhon a chaidh e thar a' Chaoil
Gu bheil ionndrainn air an laoch
Tric a chuir e bròn gu taobh
'S a chuir e faoin air smalanachd.

In the poem Angus composed in response to Donald MacFarlane's praise song, it is clear that he was a humble man:

Rinn thu luaidh air àird mo chliù
Seinn mum mheas, mum chiall, 's mum thùr
Ach tha teagamh ann co-dhiù
Gun ruig do bhiùthas fhathast orm.

Ionndrainn air an laoch, mas fhìor
Cò a chual' a leithid riamh!
'S ann thug daoine taing do Dhia
Nuair thriall e às an sealladh-san.

Five of Angus's songs are included in the book Smeòrach nan Cnoc 's nan Gleann, edited by Bernard Gillis and Professor P. J. Nicolson in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and published in Glasgow in 1939.

Angus passed away in 1962.

List of compositions

An Innis Àigh