| Moladh Uibhist |
| 'S e mis' bhith fada bho thìr m' eòlais |
Being so far from the land I know |
| Chuir le bròn gu gluasad mi |
Is what has stirred me in my sadness |
| Bhon tha an cianalas gam leòn |
Because nostalgia wounds me |
| Gun eòlaich a bhith mun cuairt orm |
Since there are none around me
of the folk I know |
| Feuchaidh mi ri teud mo bheòil |
I will touch the harp-strings
of my voice |
| An cuir i 'n òrdugh duanag dhomh |
To see if it can fashion a little
song for me |
| Air Uibhist ghleannach, ghorm an fheòir |
About green, grassy Uist of the
glens |
| 'S air pàirt de dhòigh an t-sluaigh
a th' ann |
And something of the way of the
people who live there |
| |
|
| Mullach Langais nuair a chì mi |
When I see the crest of Langais |
| Bheir i inntinn shuaimhneach dhomh |
My spirits rise |
| 'S aotrom a ghearras mi sìnteag |
My leap will be light |
| Dìreadh ris a' ghualainn aic' |
As I climb its shoulder |
| Nochdadh sìos ri tìr an aigh |
Looking at the splendid land below
me |
| 'S ri taighean blàth an t-sluaigh
a th' ann |
With the houses of the warm-hearted
folk who live there |
| 'S ri Eilean Mhorghaidh air an tràigh |
Seeing Morghaidh on the strand |
| Ged 's tric muir-làn 'ga chuartachadh |
The island that the full tide
so often goes 'round |
| |
|
| 'M Paibeil far an do bhlais mi tràth |
Paible was the place where I first |
| Air bàidh na màthair bhuanghradhaich |
Tasted a mother's unfailing love |
| Far am fàs an t-eòrna 's fheàrr |
Where the best barley grows |
| Gu diasach, gràinneach, dualanach |
Braided, full-eared, rich in grain |
| Dh'àraich iomadh laoch gun sgàig |
The place that nutures many a
valiant warrior |
| 'S na bàird a b' fheàrr a chuala sinn |
And the best bards that we have
ever heard of |
| Bidh e tighinn gum chuimhne ghnàth |
The warmth and kindness I found
there |
| Gach coibhneas bàidh a fhuair mi ann |
Ever come to my mind |
| |
|
| Bu bhrèagha sealladh sa mhìos Mhàigh |
In the month of May, it was a
beautiful sight |
| Na raontan làn de ghruagaichean |
To see the fields |
| Air an aghaidh fiamh a' ghàire |
Full of smiling girls |
| 'S air an gàirdean buaraichean |
With spancels on their arms |
| Dol dhan bhuailidh leis na laoigh |
Going to the cattle pen with the
calves |
| Nì geum cho binn 's a chuala sinn |
Who call most sweetly |
| An crodh gam freagairt aig a' chuidh' |
And to hear the great lowing of
the cows |
| 'S gum b' àrd a chluinnte nuallraich
iad |
At the fold as they answered them |
| |
|
| An Cille Mhoire 'n am an òrduigh |
In Kilmuir at Communion time |
| 'S an àm nam bòrd a chuartachadh |
When the Communion tables are
being served |
| Dhìreamaid ri leathad Phòil |
We would climb up Paul's slope |
| 'S bhiodh sealladh brònach, truasal
ann |
And there would be a sad and sorrowful
sight |
| Sean is òg a' sileadh dheòir |
Young and old weeping |
| Air tolmain bhòidheach uainbhratach |
On beautiful hillocks, carpeted
in green |
| 'S a' smaointinn air luchd-dàimh nach
beò |
Thinking of loved ones no longer
living |
| Bhith siud fo 'n fhòd air fuarachadh |
Lying there cold in the ground |
| |
|
| Mnathan ciatach, tosdach, ciallach |
Excellent, sensible, reserved
women |
| Modhail, rianail, luathlamhach |
Courteous, orderly, skillful |
| Càite nise 'n cualas riamh |
Could it be said that niggardliness |
| A' spìocaireachd ri fuaite riu'? |
Was ever found in them? |
| 'S minig a thaisbean iad am fialachd |
Often did they show their generosity |
| 'S iomadh dhìomh le truacantas |
In many an act of kindness |
| Gur tric thug iad don acrach biadh |
Often did they give food to the
hungry |
| Is àite-dìon bhon fhuachd thoirt dha |
And a warm place to shelter in |
| |
|
| Tìr mo dhaoine, tìr mo ghràidh |
Land of my people, land of my
love |
| Ged theireadh càch gur duanaidh i |
Although others might say it is
a dreary land |
| Cha do dhealraich grian air àite |
The sun has never shone |
| Leth cho àlainn snuadh rithe |
On a place half as beautiful |
| 'S ged nach fhaicear innte craobh |
And though it is treeless |
| Gu faicear fraoch is luachair innt' |
There are heather and rushes |
| Agus muran dubhghorm na raon |
And the dark-green bent grass
of the fields there |
| 'S iad taobh ri taobh gu cuaileanach |
Growing in tresses side by side |
| |
|
| Tha cuid sliabh mar bha iad riamh |
Its sides are as they ever were |
| Gu fasgach, feurach, fuaranach |
Sheltered and grassy and full
of springs |
| Cnocach, gleannach, sgorach, grianach |
With knolls and glens and crevices |
| Lusach, riasgach, cruachanach |
Sunny, covered with herbage, tussocky
and humped |
| Far am faigh a' chaora dìol |
Hillsides where the sheep finds
abundance |
| 'S gun èis gum biadh i h-uan orra |
And where she can feed her lamb
without stint |
| 'S bheir iad daonnan don fhiadh |
Hillsides that give food and drink |
| A dheoch, a bhiadh, 's a chluasagan |
And pillows to the deer |
| |
|
| Tha 'n sealladh mu dheireadh den ghrèin |
The last glimpse of the sun |
| 'S i 'n dèidh gach speur a chuartachadh |
After it has circled the whole
sky |
| Air fhaicinn na mo dhùthaich fhèin |
May be seen from my land |
| 'S i moch ag èirigh suas oirre |
Just before it rises again on
it |
| Crìochnaichidh mi 'n diugh mo sgeul |
I must cut short my account for
today |
| 'S e tìm a ghèill san uair seo dhomh |
Since my time has gone |
| 'S ged gheibhinn dusan saoghal fèidh |
And even if I lived twelve times
as long as a stag |
| Cha chuir mi 'n cèill gach buaidh
a th' oirr' |
I could not recount all the beauties
of Uist |
