(Sgeama Cruthachadh Obrach)

Ged a tha mi fàs aosta
   'S craiceann m' aodainn air ciaradh
'S an geamhradh greannach le dhùire
   A' teannadh dlùth ri mo chrìochan,
Tha mi 'm-bliadhna cho spòrsail
   Ri gille-òg ann am fìor-ghaol -
Ged bhiodh fàinneachan òir
   Air mo mheòirean 'nan ceudan,
                              'S mi nis aig Step.

Ged tha mi fo mhùigeachd
   A-muigh air chùlaibh na mòintich
Gun daoine tighinn dlùth dhomh
   A nì rium sùgradh no còmhradh,
Tha eunlaith nan speuran
   Air an éideadh cho bòidheach
'S iad gach là rium ag éigheach:
   "Siud thu, eudail a Dhòmhnaill -
                              Tha thu aig Step."

Thig an t-airgead dhomh feumail:
   Gheibh mi léin' agus còta,
Théid mi 'nam éideadh
   Mar na reultan le leòmachd;
Gheibh mi botal deoch làidir
   A nì slànach' dha m' dhòchas
'S a chuireas sradag 'nam thàlann
   Air chor 's gun càin mi gu'm brògan
                              Muinntir Step.

Cha b'e càineadh a dh'fheumainn:
   Tha iad reusanta 's uasal,
Thug iad furtachd dha m' éiginn
   Nuair nach dèanainn feum anns a' chruaidh-ghleac;
Nuair thig MacAsgaill Di-Haoine
   Tillidh aoibh, 's teichidh gruaman -
Sann a dh'fhàsas mi aotrom
   A-muigh air aodann nan cruadhlach
                              Aig obair Step.

Sann a thilleas an òige
   Agus dòighealachd ùr thugam,
'S théid mi cuairt sìos gu m' eòlas
   Mu chòrs Àird nan Srùban;
Nuair théid a' cheist a chur dòigheil
   Bidh freagairt shònraicht' gam ionnsaigh
'S nì mi Raonaid a phòsadh -
   Ged bhiodh m' òg-bhean fo dhiombadh
                              Aig muinntir Step.

Nì sinn dachaigh an Rònaigh
   Far 'n gin eòrna 's buntàta:
Bidh iasg dhe gach seòrsa
   A' snàmh mu chòrsa nam bàgh ann;
Ged a shéideadh an tuath-ghaoth
   Gheibh sinn uamha bhios sàbhailt' -
Fads bhios m' òg-bhean ri m' ghualainn
   Cha bhi gruaimean gu bràch orm
                              'S mi aig Step.

FREAGAIRT RAONAID

Cha b'e seann daoine riaslach
   Bu mhiann leam air chluasaig
Ach òganach ciatach
   A chumadh rian air mo bhuaidhean,
'S a thigeadh dhachaigh Di-Haoine
   An déidh a shaothair a bhuannachd
'S a chuireadh ceud not air a' bhòrd dhomh -
   'S chan e ròcais na truaighe
                              A tha aig Step!

Tha sgall ort gu d' chùlaibh
   'S chan eil thu flùrach bho d' bhialaibh,
Tha dearbhadh 'nad ghnùis
   Nach d' chuir thu ùidh anns an t-siabann;
'S mas e cùl Eilein Rònaigh
   Àite còmhnaidh do mhiann-sa,
Se mo ghuidhe 's mo dhòchas
   Gun dèan na ròin ann do stialladh
                              'S mar sin leat.

AN CO-DHÙNADH

Fàsaidh feur air na raointean,
   Fàsaidh fraoch air a' mhòintich,
Tillidh Bealltainn is faoilteach
   Gu Uibhist ghaolach Chlann Dhòmhnaill,
Bidh lìonadh is tràghadh
   Mar as gnàth anns na h-òban
Agus sinne ann an sàmhchair,
   Air ar càramh fo fhòidean
                              'S gun chuimhn' air Step.

The Step Song

(Jobs Creation Scheme)

Though I'm growing old
   With the skin of my face getting paler
And surly winter with its dourness
   Coming close to my territory,
This year I'm as active
   As a love-torn adolescent -
As if I had gold rings
   On my fingers in hundreds,
                              Being now with Step.

Though I get moody
   Out at the back of the hill
With no-one coming near me
   For diversion or converse,
The birds of the skies
   Are so beautifully clad
As they cry to me daily:
   "Oh it's you, Donald darling -
                              And you're with Step."

The money will be useful:
   I'll get a shirt and a coat,
And when I dress up
   I'll be posh like the filmstars;
I'll get a bottle of hard stuff
   To salvage my hopes
And put a spark to my talents
   For tearing strips off those Step folk
                              Down to their shoes.

Not that I should complain:
   They're reasonable and polite,
They helped me out in my crisis
   When the struggle defeated me;
When MacAskill comes on Friday
   Cheer will return, gloom will flee -
Indeed I'll grow quite light-hearted
   Out there on the rockface
                              Working for Step.

My youth will come back
   With new expectations,
And down I'll go to my friends
   Round the Àird nan Srùban shore;
When the question's put properly
   I'll get a positive reply
And I'll marry Rachel -
   Though my bride might annoy
                              The folk from Step.

We'll make a home in Ronay
   Where potatoes and barley take:
All sorts of fish will be swimming
   Round the shores of the bays there;
Though the north wind may blow
   We'll find a cave that's secure -
While my bride's at my shoulder
   I'll never be gloomy
                              Since I'm with Step.

RACHEL'S ANSWER

It's not an old man who's troublesome
   That I'd like on my pillow
But a young man who's wholesome
   And a match for my virtues,
Who'd come home on Fridays
   Well paid for his labour
And put a hundred pounds on the table -
   Not that miserable pittance
                              You get from Step!

From behind you're a baldie
   And from the front you're no flower,
There is proof in your face
   That in soap you've no interest;
And if the back end of Ronay
   Is the home of your dreams,
I just pray and hope
   The seals have you for breakfast there
                              And so bye bye.

THE CONCLUSION

Grass will grow on the fields
   And heather on moorland,
May and wolftime will return
   To darling Uist of Clan Donald,
Tides high and low
   Will flow through inlets as usual
As we lie in silence,
   Placed under the sods
                              Without memory of Step.