Johnson agus Johnson

by Maoilios Caimbeul

An sgoilear mòr ’s an tuaistear, tha co-ionannachdan ann,
ged a tha còrr agus dà cheud bliadhna gur sgaradh:

leis an aon ainm, Laideann a’ sruthadh bho ur bilean,
à baile mòr na h-ìmpireachd, thèid sibh cuairt a dh’Alba

gu na fineachan borba, a’ tabhann foghlam is oilean,
a’ tadhal air uaislean agus air falbh bhon ghràisg.

Cha mhòr nach deach ur bàthadh, an sgoilear
agus Bozzy ann an stoirm mòr faisg air Colla

agus an tuaistear nuair a bha e fhèin is Carrie
is Dilyn, an cù, air turas dhan Chomraich.

Tòraidhean, daoine mòra anns a h-uile seadh,
Rag-bharalach, mòrchuiseach, fèin-chùiseach,

a’ dèanamh dìmeas air daoine bochda,
ged bha an sgoilear na bheachdan na bu shocaire.

Johnson and Johnson

The great scholar and the jester, there are similarities,
although separated by more than two hundred years:

with the same name, Latin flowing from your lips,
from the imperial city, you take a tour of Scotland

to the barbaric tribes, offering education and breeding,
you visit the gentry and away from the rabble.

You were almost drowned, the scholar
and Bozzy in a fierce storm near Coll

and the jester when he and Carrie
and Dilyn the dog were on a sortie to Applecross.

Tories, great men in all kinds of ways,
opinionated, pompous, self-absorbed,

demeaning the poor people,
although the scholar was milder in his views.