Donald Sinclair

Donald Sinclair | Dòmhnall Mac na Ceàrdaich (5 December 1885, Leideag, Barra – 5 May 1932, Manchester) was one of the most prolific contributors to Erskine’s periodicals as playwright, poet, critic, essayist, and translator. His publications were usually signed as ‘D. M. N. C.’ He spent most of his later life in Edinburgh and Manchester, working as an electrical engineer.

Erskine translated extracts from his prose, poetry, and dramatic works into English. Some of these appeared in the magazines; Act I Scene 1 from Sinclair’s play Crois-Tara! was included in Voices from the Hills | Guthan o na Beanntaibh (Glasgow, 1927), ed. John MacDonald, and reprinted in The Old Tribute (1929), which also featured ‘Powers of the Sea’, Erskine’s translation of Sinclair’s ‘Luatharachd na Mara’.

Publications in Erskine’s Periodicals

Guth na Bliadhna

  • Dòmhnull nan Trioblaid [play, GD], Volume IX, Issue 2 (Spring 1912)
  • Suiridhe Raoghail Mhaoil [play, GD], Volume IX, Issue 4 (Autumn 1912)
  • Fearrann a Shinnsir [play, GD], Volume X, Issue 3 (Summer 1913)
  • ‘Faoileag an Droch-Chladaich’ [poetic dialogue, GD], Volume X, Issue 4 (Autumn 1913)
  • ‘Cainnt Mo Mhàthar’ [poetry, GD], Volume IX, Issue 2 (Summer 1914)
  • Crois-Tara! [play, GD], Volume XI, Issue 3 (Autumn 1914)
  • ‘Innse-Gall’ [poetry, GD], Volume XI, Issue 3 (Autumn 1914)
  • ‘A’ Mhòr-Roinn agus am Fearann’ [essay, GD], Volume XI, Issue 4 (Winter 1914)
  • ‘Creag nan Sgarbh’ [poetry, GD], Volume XII, Issue 1 (Spring 1915)
  • ‘Canach an t-Slèibhe’ [prose, GD], Volume XII, Issue 2 (Summer 1915)
  • ‘Loch na h-Ob’ [poetry, GD], Volume XII, Issue 2 (Summer 1915)
  • ‘Latha nan Seachd Sìon’ [poetry, GD], Volume XII, Issue 3 (Autumn 1915)
  • ‘Latha nan Seachd Sìon’ [poetry, GD], Volume XII, Issue 4 (Winter 1915)
  • ‘A’ Ghàidhlig agus a Muinntir’ [essay, GD], Volume XIII, Issue 1 (Spring 1916)
  • ‘Latha nan Seachd Sìon’ [poetry, GD], Volume XIII, Issue 1 (Spring 1916) – Volume XIII, Issue 2 (Summer 1916)
  • ‘Seudan Peairseach’ [poetry, GD; translation by D. M. N. C.], Volume XIII, Issue 3 (Autumn 1916)
  • ‘Bàrdachd Leòdhais’ [review, GD; Bàrdachd Leòdhais, edited by Iain N. MacLeòid], Volume XIII, Issue 3 (Autumn 1916)
  • ‘Inbhe ar Bàrdachd’ [essay, GD], Volume XIII, Issue 4 (Winter 1916)
  • ‘Danta Gradha’ [review, GD], Volume XIV, Issue 1 (Spring 1917)
  • ‘Gaol-Mhulad’ [prose, GD], Volume XIV, Issue 2 (Summer 1917)
  • ‘Comunn nam Bàrd Albannach’ [report and statues of the association, GD], Volume XIV, Issue 2 (Summer 1917)
  • ‘An Duradan Duslaich’ [poetry, GD], Volume XIV, Issue 3 (Autumn 1917)
  • ‘An Sgoth Ghaidhealach’ [essay, GD], Volume XIV, Issue 3 (Autumn 1917)
  • ‘Gairm Dùsgaidh’ [poetry, GD], Volume XIV, Issue 4 (Winter 1917)
  • ‘Gaol-Aoibhneas’ [prose, GD], Volume XIV, Issue 4 (Winter 1917)
  • ‘Fàilte air a’ Chuan’ [poetry, GD], Volume XV, Issue 1 (Spring 1918)
  • Ramon de Campoamor: ‘Gach Nì agus Neoni’ [poetry, GD; translation by D. M. N. C.], Volume XV, Issue 2 (Summer 1918)
  • ‘Innis-na-Breige’ [essay, GD], Volume XV, Issue 3 (Autumn 1918)
  • ‘Fribidean’ [poetry, GD], Volume XV, Issue 4 (Winter 1918)
  • ‘Leabhraichean Ùra Bàrdachd’ [review, GD], Volume XVI, Issue 2 (Summer 1919)
  • ‘Òran an t-Samhraidh’ [poetry, GD; translated from Ancient Gaelic Poetry by Kuno Meyer], Volume XVII, Issue 1 (Spring 1920)
  • ‘Na h-Innse Sona’ [poetry, GD; translated from Ancient Gaelic Poetry by Kuno Meyer], Volume XVII, Issue 2 (Summer 1920)
  • ‘Beannachadh Moire’ [translated from the book Ancient Gaelic Poetry by Kuno Meyer], Volume XVII, Issue 3 (Autumn 1920)
  • ‘Seann Eachdraidh – Tiomnadh Bhruis air Neo-eisimeileachd na h-Albann’ [essay, GD], Volume XVIII, Issue 1 (Spring 1921)
  • ‘Tàladh’ [poetry, GD], Volume XVIII, Issue 1 (Spring 1921)
  •  ‘Innse Ra-Soluis’ [poetry, GD], Volume XIX, Issue 1 (Winter 1923)
  • ‘Litir Dhachaidh’ [prose, GD], Volume XIX, Issue 2 (Spring 1924)
  • ‘Bilean’ [poetry, GD], Volume XIX, Issue 2 (Spring 1924)
  • ‘Long nan Daoine’ [poetry, GD], Volume XIX, Issue 3 (Summer 1924)
  • A’ Bheannachd Bharrach’ [poetry, GD], Volume XIX, Issue 3 (Summer 1924)
  • ‘Tìr mo Dhùthchais’ [poetry, GD], Volume XIX, Issue 4 (Autumn 1924)
  • ‘Ruaireachan’ [play for children, GD], Volume XX, Issue 1 (Winter 1924)
  • ‘Oidheam’ [prose, GD], Volume XX, Issue 2 (Spring 1925)

An Ròsarnach

  • ‘Innis Deoin-a’-Chridhe’ [poetry, GD], Volume I (1917)
  • ‘Uamh an Òir’ [prose, GD], Volume I (1917), with an illustration by Hugh Munro
  • ‘Ros Aluinn’ [poetry, GD], Volume I (1917)
  • ‘Faoileag Tìr-an-Aidh’ [poetry, GD], Volume II (1918)
  • ‘Lughain Lir’ [prose, GD], Volume III (1921)
  • ‘Cogais Nàiseanta’ [essay, GD], Volume IV (1930)
  • ‘Slighe nan Seann Seun’ [poetry, GD], Volume IV (1930)
  • ‘Duan an Dòmhnaich’ [poetry, GD; ed. by D. M. N. C.], Volume IV (1930)

Alba II

  • ‘Eire’ [poetry, GD], Issue 12 (20 March 1920)
  • ‘Rann’ [poetry, GD; translation from Scots by D. M. N. C.], Issue 25 (July 1920)

The Scottish Review

  • ‘The Cotton-Flower of the Hills’ [prose, ENG; translated from Gaelic by Ruaraidh Erskine], Issue 82, Volume 39 (Summer 1916)
  • ‘Innis-Deoin-a’Chridhe’ [poetry, ENG; translated from Gaelic by T. Gwynn Jones; original first published in An Ròsarnach; translation reprinted from The Welsh Outlook], Issue 86, Volume 40 (Summer 1917)
  • ‘The Land of His Sires’ [play, ENG; translated from Gaelic by Ruaraidh Erskine], Issue 95, Volume 42 (Autumn 1919)

The Pictish Review

  •  ‘The Ship of Youth’ [poetry, ENG; free and unrhymed translation of a song from Sinclair’s play Long-nan-Òg by Ruaraidh Erskine], Issue 1, Volume I (November 1927)
  • ‘Powers of the Sea’ [prose, ENG; translated from Gaelic by Ruaraidh Erskine], Issue 1, Volume I (November 1927) – Issue 5, Volume I (March 1928)
  • ‘Cogais Nàiseanta’ [essay, GD], Issue 7, Volume I (May 1928) – Issue 8, Volume I (June 1928)

Resources