[1] Marsail nic Ailpean is the Gaelic of which an English translation would be Marjory MacAlpine. Nic is a contraction for nighean mhic, “daughter of the line of.”
[2] Baille-’na-aonar’sa mhonadh, “the solitary farm on the hill-slope.”
[3] “Thy love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women.”
[4] “I shall worship thee, ay even after I have become old.”
[5] Contullich: i.e. Ceann-nan-tulaich, “the end of the hillocks.” Loch-a-chaoruinn means the loch of the rowan-trees.
[6] The farm in the hollow of the yellow flowers.
[7] (1) A chuid do Pharas da! “His share of heaven be his.” (2) Gu’n gleidheadh Dia thu, “May God preserve you.” (3) Gu’n beannaicheadh Dia an tigh! “God’s blessing on this house.”
[8] (1) Droch caoidh ort! “May a fatal accident happen to you” (lit. “bad moan on you”). (2) Gaoth gun direadh ort! “May you drift to your drowning” (lit. “wind without direction on you”). (3) Dia ad aghaidh, etc., “God against thee and in thy face … and may a death of woe be yours … Evil and sorrow to thee and thine!”
[9] i.e. With a criminal secret, or an undiscovered crime.
[10] Ivor, of course, gave these words in the Gaelic, the sound of which has the sweet wail of the sea in it.