Athletic Games

Where are the Games to-day?C’aite bheil na cluichean an diugh?
They are on a green meadow down hereTha iad air faich uaine sios an so
Are there many people?’Bheil móran sluaigh ann?
Yes, a large assemblyTha, cruinneachadh mór
What is going on now?’De tha’r a deanamh an traths?
They’re putting the stoneTha’d a cur na cloiche
Are these the competitors?’N iad sin na co-shreipich?
Yes’S iad
Is the competition over?Bheil an co-dheuchann thairis?
I think soTha mi ’n duil sin
Who has won?Co a bhuanaich?
That stalwart championAn curaidh làidir sin
How far did he throw?Cia fada chur e?
Twenty-nine feet three inchesNaoi troi’ fichead ’s tri oirlich
He did very well’Smath a fhuaradh e
What’s the next thing?’De ’n ath rud?
Throwing the hammerTilgeil an ùird
We must clear off thenFeumaidh sinn sgaoileadh mata
Yes, it is sometimes dangerousFeumaidh, tha e air uairean cunnartach
That was a splendid throwBu ghrinn an urchair sud
He gave it a good swingThug e siud math dha
Let us go and see the leapingSiubh’lamaid a choimhead na leum
That’s what they call the long leapSin rud ris an abair iad an leum fada
That fellow crossed the markChaidh am fear sin thar a chomharradh
I could jump as far as that myselfBheirinn fein leum cho fada sin
The ground is too slipperyTha’n talamh ro shleamhuinn
We’re to have high leap nowGheibh sinn leum àrda nis
He cleared it easilyChaidh a thairis glan gu furasda
That was a good springBu mhath a chruinn leum sin
They’re tossing the caber where we leftTha’d a cur a chabair far an robh sinn
Yes, and it’s a heavy caber they haveTha ’s is tomadach an cabair a th’aca
These are fine muscular fellows’S grinn gramail na gillean iad
Yes, indeed, they have well deserved their prizesSeadh, gu dearbh, ’s math thoil iad an duais
We have not seen the race-course yetCha’n fhaca sinn am blàir réis fhathast
No, but the races are overCha’n fhaca, ach tha na réísean seachad
I would have liked to see themBu mhath leam am faicinn
Did many run?An robh móran a ruith?
Yes, there was a good competitionBha, bha deuchann math ann
It would have been a fine sightBu bhriagh an sealladh e
You do not play quoits here?Cha bhi sibh cluich peilistearan an so?
It is a very ancient game’S sean a chluich e
What games do you have in the Lowlands?’De na spòrsan a th’ agaibh air a Mhachair?
We have many games with ball and bat, bowls, football, tennis, and curling stonesTha iomadh cluich againn le ball is slacan, ball-cloiche, ball coise, tennis, is clachan-spéilidh
Do you play shinty?Nach bi’ sibh ri camanachd?
It is a great pastime here in winterTha e ’na chluich mhór an so ’s a gheamhra’
How is it played?Ciamar a chluichear e?
Very like football, but clubs are used instead of feetGle choltach ri ball-coise ach le camanan ’n aite casan
Some games are very coarse and rudeTha cuid a chluichean gle fhiadhaich, borb
Yes, their influence is not of the bestTha, cha’n e bhuaidh is fhearr a th’aca
We seldom have wrestling matches nowCha tric bhi’s deuchann gleac againn a nis
So I believe’Se sin mo bharail
There are always dancing and bagpipe competitionsTha’n comhnuidh farpus ann airson danns’ is piobaireachd
In England there are great contests in rowingAn Sasuinn tha mòr-cho-stridhean aca ann an ràmhachd
A capital thing for the joints and musclesNi ro-mhath airson nan alt ’s nam feithean
I like to see these things’S toigh leam na nithe sin fhaicinn
I like that too’S toigh leamsa sin cuideachd
A bit of friendly competition is a good thing’Smath an rud beagan co-shreipeas càirdeil
That is my opinion’S e sin mo bharail-sa
Especially when the games are of a manly kindGu h-araid nuair ’se cluichean fearail a th’ann
And when the people of the district alone are engagedAgus nuair nach bi ’san ealaidh ach muinntir an àite
I see that Highland games are very frequent in the Lowlands nowTha mi faicinn gu’m beil cluichean Gaidhealach gle bhitheanta air a Mhachair a nis
On the other hand, Lowland games are becoming common in the NorthAir an laimh eile tha spòrsan Gallda fàs cumanta ’s an taobh tuath
Some of the competitors at these games are fine stalwart fellows’S grinn foghainteach na gillean cuid de na co-shreipich aig na cluichean so