I my last post there's a mis-spelling in the fourth line of the lyrics: mire should be mireadh. And I should have included a translation, so here is one now:

I hope, I hope,
I hope to be returning
To the Land of MacLeod
Where I played when young.

We got letters from the King
To get ourselves ready
In order to go over to France
And to put a stop to the destroyer (ie Napoleon).

I got a keen sword of steel, a belt to hold it around my middle, a red coat of Lowland cloth, so I was quite the faultless lad.

When they put us aboard
in the most elegant order,
every man and woman (the spectators, not the soldiers) was saying
"Some of them will not return".

When they put us onto land
amongst spindrift and marrom grass,
we began a battle on the shore,
and some of did not stay (ie did survive to move on)

The French were routed
when they heard the drum,
they took off to the glen
and have not looked at us since.

HE came, my King's son;
he was like one of us in the company.
"My darling Gaels from the North,
I was in need of you, now I have you."

You man who travels to the west
Though it should be years before you get there
Take this greeting to my love:
"If I survive I shall come".