Òran na h-aoise

 

Och! Och! ‘S i’n aois a iomadh caochladh

Is beag a shaoilinn an làithean m’òige

Nuair dh’innseadh càirdean na bh’ann san dàn dhomh

‘S ann dhèanainn gàireachdainn air an leòireas

 

‘S e’n aois a’bhèist a bheir iomadh èis oirnn

Ged tha sinn spèiseanda agus spòrsail

Le cion na lèirsinn cha dèan mi leughadh

S mur gabh mi speuclair cha lèir dhomh mòran

 

Gur tric mi rùrach air feadh nan cùiltean

An tha dlùth dhomh is far’m bu choir dha

Leis mar tha m’inntinn nis le di-chuimhn

Chan fhàg mi sion gun a chur an òrdugh

 

Le taic na luatha bidh crithean fuachd orm

Is teine guail air a dhèanadh ròsadh

Càch a’glaodhaich mu fhàileadh m’aodaich

Is m’fheòil gu slaobach ‘s nach dèan mi ‘mhothaich’nn

 

Mo chasan crùbach, cha lùb mo ghlùinean

Cha dèan mi sùgradh am measg na h-òigridh

Nuair bhios gaoth tuath ann, bidh smuig den fhuar-uisg

A’gabhail cuairtean mu bhàrr mo shròine

 

Sibhseillean tha làidir, lùghmhor

Air feadh na dùthcha, is aig gach còmhail

Creidimh mise gun sguir an sùrd ud

Am beagan ùine, nuair thig an lòine

 

Ged ‘s tric le dèideadh bha mi gam lèireadh

Spìon mi na bèistean bha toirt dhomh dòrainn

Ach far eil cuislean, is feòil, is fèithean

Cha dean e feum dhomh a dhol ga stròiceadh

 

Bu bheag do strì leam dol dhionns’ an t-Sìthein

Air m’ais, is sgrìob a thoirt do Lag an Dòbhrain

Nis tha pìochan air tigh’nn nam phìoban

‘S gur gann gun dìrich mi Bealach Gòdhaidh

 

Bidh cuid ri bòilich a liuthad òg-bhean

Bha deas gum pòsadh sa thug an gràdh dhaibh

Ach chuir iad rùn ann an trusadh stòrais

‘S i sud an seòrstha nan culaidh ghràin leam

 

Le Aonghas Macphàil, Eilean Idhe

 

The song of Age

 

Och! Och! Age makes many changes

Little did I think when I was young

When friends told me what was in store for me

I would laugh at their exaggeration

 

 

Age is the beast that will obstruct us

Though we are hopeful and fit

With my eyesight failing I can’t read

And without spectacles I can’t see much

 

I often search in all the corners

For the thing that is close to me where it should be

Because of my mind now with forgetfulness

I can’t leave anything out of place

 

Beside the ashes, I shiver with cold

And a coal fire that would make anyone rosy

Others shouting about the smell of my clothes

And my flesh is dowdy, and I don’t notice.

 

 

My legs are crippled, my knees won’t bend

I can’t go courting among the young folk

When there is a north wind, there is a drop of water

Travelling about on the tip of my nose.

 

 

You boys who are strong and full of power

About the country, and at every gathering

Believe me that happiness will stop

In a short time, when the arthritis strikes!

 

Though I used to often suffer with toothache

I pulled out the beasts that were giving me trouble

But as for arteries, and flesh and veins

It does no good to tear them apart.

 

It was no struggle for me to go to the Sithean

Come back and then go to Lag an Doran

Now there is a wheeze in my pipes

And I can hardly climb the Goay pass.

 

Some boast of the number of young women

Who were ready to marry them and gave them love

But they put their desire in gathering wealth

Those are the kind that I really hate!

 

By Angus MacPhail, Iona