Biography

Archibald MacDonald, or Eairdsidh Dhòmhnaill 'ic Lachlainn as he was better known, was from Bayhead, North Uist. He was born in 1874 and although he spent most of his life working in Glasgow, he moved back to Bayhead when he retired. He never married.

He wrote spiritual poems and wrote the famous song known in English as The Uist Tramping Song, recorded by famous singers such as Robert Wilson and Kenneth Mackellar:

Chorus:

Thugainn leam, thugainn leam, o hi rì 's o ho rò,
Thugainn leam, thugainn leam, o hi rì 's o ho rò,
Thugainn leamsa thar na mara null do dh'Uibhist bheag nam beannaibh,
'S gheibh sibh mil ann agus bainne, thugainn leam, thugainn leam.

Tha a' ghrian anns an àird dheas is blàth ghaoth bhon iar,
Tha an lochan cho còmhnard 's cho stòlda san fhèath,
Tha tuinn mhara crònan an òrain bho chian,
A' tairgse dhuinn sòlais 's a' tàladh gach miann.

Nuair a theirgeas an samhradh 's thig foghar an àigh
Bidh cruach air an achadh agus maorach san tràigh;
'S cha bhi sinn gun annlan gach ceann de na bhòrd
Fhad 's bhios breac anns an linne 's lacha riabhach air lòn.

'S a-nis, bhean mo ghràidh-sa, thoir dhòmhsa do làmh,
'S thèid sinn null don eilean far am faod sinn bhith tàmh,
Gun bhreislich, gun ghleadhraich, gun ùpraid, gun cheò,
'S bidh a' ghrian air an uinneig cumail tìm dhuinn air dòigh.

Archibald died in 1942.

List of compositions

Teann a-nall