Èigh Dheireannach
San Departure Lounge airson
Barraigh ‘s Beinn a’ Bhaghla,
Cailleach thapaidh leatha fhèin a’ feitheamh
Ris an èigh dheireannaich
Agus guth gu h-Ã rd ag iarraidh mathanais
Leis gu bheil maill’ ann.
Bidh a’ chailleach ga cromadh fhèin
Is ag rà dh ri neach
Nach eil san là thair fon teanga:
Coma leat, a luaidh!
Cho cinnteach ris a’ bhà s,
Thig i uair no uaireigin.
Translations of this Poem
Final Call
In the Departure Lounge –
it’s all the one
terminal and zone –
for Lewis and Harris,
a hardy old cailleach waits on
the final call on her own
and a voice out of nowhere
from above apologises for the delay.
The cailleach turns
and says in Gaelic to someone
who’s not there, under her breath:
Don’t you worry.
Sure as death,
it’ll come sometime.