Ewart Alan Mackintosh
The pipes in the streets were playing bravely,
The marching lads went by
With merry hearts and voices singing
My friends marched out to die;
But I was hearing a lonely pibroch
Out of an older war,
Farewell, farewell, farewell, MacCrimmon,
MacCrimmon comes no more.’
And every lad in his heart was dreaming
Of honour and wealth to come,
And honour and noble pride were calling
To the tune of the pipes and drum;
But I was hearing a woman singing
On dark Dunvegan shore,
In battle or peace, with wealth or honour,
MacCrimmon comes no more.’
And there in front of the men were marching
With feet that made no mark,
The grey old ghosts of the ancient fighters
Come back again from the dark;
And in front of them all MacCrimmon piping
A weary tune and sore,
On gathering day, for ever and ever,
MacCrimmon comes no more.’
© by owner. provided at no charge for educational purposes
Analysis (AI Assisted)
This poem is a haunting meditation on the tension between youthful idealism and the brutal realities of war, using the symbol of MacCrimmon, a legendary piper, to evoke the past and its ghosts. The poem contrasts the energetic, optimistic march of soldiers heading to battle with the echoes of loss and remembrance from an earlier time, suggesting that the price of honor, glory, and war is often the loss of something more enduring—the legacy of those who came before.
The opening stanza sets the scene of a lively, celebratory march. The “pipes in the streets” are a traditional symbol of Scottish pride, and the soldiers marching “bravely” with “merry hearts and voices singing” embody the youthful hope and courage that often accompanies the decision to go to war. The emphasis on “merry hearts” and the sound of the pipes and drums reflects the communal sense of pride and purpose that soldiers might feel as they march off to fight, blind to the horrors ahead. However, the speaker’s experience contrasts with this image. Rather than joining in the youthful optimism, the speaker hears “a lonely pibroch / Out of an older war,” a lament from the past, a song of sorrow that resonates deeply, invoking memories of those who fought and died before. The repetition of “MacCrimmon comes no more” throughout the poem functions as a refrain, emphasizing the irreplaceable loss of past generations.
MacCrimmon is a figure drawn from Scottish history and legend, often associated with the MacCrimmon clan and its esteemed tradition of pipers. In this poem, MacCrimmon’s tune is not a triumphant anthem, but a mournful, longing farewell—a call from the past that contrasts sharply with the youthful excitement of the soldiers marching off. The line “MacCrimmon comes no more” suggests that a once-vibrant tradition is now gone, not just in the literal sense of the musician’s death, but as a symbol of the passing of time, of a world that has been irrevocably changed by war.
The second stanza deepens this contrast, as the soldiers march forward dreaming of “honor and wealth”—the promises that often accompany war—while the speaker hears the voice of a woman singing “on dark Dunvegan shore,” a more personal, quieter lament. This woman represents the enduring sorrow that war brings, not the heroic glorification of battle. While the soldiers are caught up in dreams of noble pride and riches, the speaker is connected to a deeper, more painful reality: the loss of something irreplaceable, the emotional toll on those left behind, and the way in which the past lingers, unchanged by the optimistic future of the men marching. The refrain repeats again, and MacCrimmon’s absence resonates as a reminder of all that has been lost over time, of the things forgotten or overshadowed by the excitement of new battles.
The final stanza introduces the image of “grey old ghosts” of “ancient fighters,” who march ahead of the living soldiers. These ghosts—who have already fought, bled, and died—are reminders of the cyclical nature of war, a never-ending procession of the dead who are summoned once more. The imagery of these ghosts marching “with feet that made no mark” suggests their spectral, fading presence, emphasizing that while the physical bodies of the soldiers may march forward, the spirits of the past can never truly be forgotten. The line “a weary tune and sore” conveys the exhaustion and sorrow that these spirits bear with them. The inclusion of MacCrimmon piping again adds to the sense of inevitability and loss. The tune is no longer the vibrant, youthful music of the living but a “weary” and “sore” refrain from a past that haunts the present.
The poem’s conclusion, “for ever and ever, MacCrimmon comes no more,” serves as a final, mournful note. There is no return to the past, no revival of the lost glory or the ancient ways. The repetition of this line throughout the poem creates a sense of closure and finality—MacCrimmon, the symbol of old Scotland and its traditions, will not return, and neither will the innocence or optimism that the soldiers feel as they march off to war.
In summary, this poem presents a powerful meditation on the contrast between youthful enthusiasm and the harsh lessons of history. The figure of MacCrimmon functions as a tragic reminder of what is lost in war—not only the soldiers’ lives but the larger cultural, emotional, and spiritual toll that war extracts. The refrain of “MacCrimmon comes no more” underscores this, suggesting that no matter how much the world changes or how much people try to carry on, the cost of war is always the loss of something essential, something irreplaceable. Through the juxtaposition of idealistic marching soldiers and the haunting call of the past, the poem poignantly explores the themes of memory, loss, and the cyclical nature of violence.