Mac Iain Gheàrr leis an Dr Mìcheal Newton	Mac Iain Gheàrr by Dr Michael Newton
Bha Mac Iain Gheàrr 'na spùinneadair ainmeil a bha togail creiche mu mheadhan 17 ceud. Bha e seòlta 'na dhòigh siubhail, oir bha dubh air aona taobh den bhàta aige agus geal air an taobh eile do bhrìgh 's nach aithnichte i nuair a thilleadh e bho thogail creiche. Uime sin, bha seanfhacal ann a chanadh tu mu dhuine, "Tha taobh dubh is taobh geal air, mar a bha air bàta Mhic Iain Gheàrr."	Mac Iain Ghearr was a famous pirate who was engaged in raids in about the middle of the 17th century. He had a devious means of travel: his boat was black on one side and white on the other in order that it might not be recognised when he returned from raiding. A proverb arose from this that you would say about a person, "He has a black side and a white side, just like Mac Iain Ghearr's boat."
A rèir beul-aithris, bha buidheann Mhic Iain Ghearr a' goid each air muinntir Eilein Muile uair, ach gun fhios daibh, bha na tuathanaich gan leanailt gun de dh'airm aca ach bataichean daraich. Lean iad orra tro Ghleann Siolastair gu Caolas Ulbha, far an robh luingeas an dà dhath. Chaidh a' bhuidheann 'na dà leth, an dara cuid dhiubh a' deasachadh nam bàtaichean is a' chuid eile a' saodachadh nan each air bòrd nam bàtaichean.	According to oral tradition, Mac Iain Ghearr's warriors were once raiding horses from the people of the Island of Mull, but unknown to them the populace was following, although they had no weapons but oaken sticks. They followed them through Gleann Siolastair to the Sound of Ulva, where the two-coloured fleet lay waiting. The warriors divided into two groups, one group preparing the boats and the other leading the horses on board the ships.
Ach bha loth rag a' srì ri Mac Iain Gheàrr, is gun i toileach dol don bhàta. Nuair chunnaic an tuathanach leis bu leis i sin, is e am falach, gheàrr e leum agus sìos don chladach gun deach e agus a chàirdean còmhla ris, a' bualadh bhuillean leis na bataichean agus a' marcachd air falbh air muin an each.	But there was a stubborn mare struggling with Mac Iain Gheàrr, unwilling to go into the boat. The farmer who owned her was in hiding, but when he saw this he leapt up and rushed down to the shore, followed by his companions. They struck blows with their oaken cudgels and rode away on their horses.
Co-dhiubh no co-dheth, siud na leanas òran mun spùinneadair seo. Ged a ghlèidhte e 'na òran snìomh, cha b'iongnadh ged b'e òran bleoghain a bha ann air tùs. Tha e a' nochdadh dhuinn cho dèidheil 's a bha daoine air an cuid sprèidh, is mar a b'aithne dhaibh an ainmeannan is fiù 's an sloinneadh a cheart mar gum biodh iad den chinneadh daonna!	Anyway, what follows is a song about this pirate. Although it was preserved as a spinning-song, it is likely to have originally been a milking song. It shows us that people were very fond of their cattle and that they knew their names and even their lineages, just as if they were human!
Tighinn gu tràigh le làn nan eathar Gràdh, mo bhò, nach dòirt mo chuinneag Cha toir Mac Iain Gheàrr a Muil' thu Ogha Ciaraig, iar-ogha Duinneig Nighean na bà 'ghoid e 'n-uiridh O hù o ò, hù o hùg a ri hùg a ri leag	O hù o ò, hù o hùg a ri hùg a ri leag O hù o. I remember well, although you were but small O hù o. When the raid struck Dunvegan O hù o. The sumptuous banquet of the MacLeods at other tables* Coming to the shore with their ships full My love, my cow, who would not overturn my milk bucket Mac Iain Gheàrr will not take you from Mull Grand-daughter of Dusky, great-grand-daughter of Brown Daughter of the cow he stole last year O hù o ò, hù o hùg a ri hùg a ri leag

* This line may be a pun on the words Ròic and Roic, and Bòrd, so that the line lends itself to two interpretations: "The roars of the MacLeods on other planks" and the line given.

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