Dares Paradise: Poems by Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair

This volume presents two significant long poems by the eighteenth-century Scottish Gaelic poet, Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, newly translated for contemporary Anglophone readers. The collection offers a unique perspective on a world and language on the brink of change.

Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, known for his role as a teacher and a captain in the 1745 Jacobite Uprising, published his first volume of poetry in 1751, marking the first nonreligious work in any Celtic language. This edition features his poems "Allt an t-Siùcair" and "Birlinn Chlann Raghnaill," translated by Taylor Strickland. Strickland's translation employs a transatlantic English idiom with Scots and Gaelic inflections, aiming to capture the essence of mac Mhaighstir Alasdair's work for a modern audience.

About the Poems:

• "Allt an t-Siùcair": A lyrical celebration of place, vividly evoking the landscape of Scotland's Ardnamurchan Peninsula.
• "Birlinn Chlann Raghnaill": Considered mac Mhaighstir Alasdair's masterpiece, this poem recounts an epic sea journey from South Uist to Ireland, serving as an allegory for persistence.

Both the English translation and the original Gaelic text are presented on facing pages, allowing for a comparative reading experience.

Specifications:

• Author: Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair
• Translator: Taylor Strickland
• Foreword: Gillebrìde Mac 'IlleMhaoil
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Page Count: 176 pages
• Dimensions: 13.97 x 1.04 x 21.59 cm
• Weight: 213 g
• Publication Date: September 15, 2026
• ISBN-10: 0691289778
• ISBN-13: 978-0691289779

This collection is ideal for readers interested in Scottish Gaelic poetry, Jacobite history, and literary translations.