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By Talisker
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12 January 2007 |
With Burns night fast approaching, I feel it appropriate to scrieve some wirds in the Scots vernacular. I'm a wee bit rusty - but here goes the first attempt...
Tak tent tae yon sair stishie in the lift,
The gurl an’ gowl o’ Mahoun’s fell skailwind,
Driech daylicht’s leam is gien sic short a shrift,
An’ in the daurklins fricht bellums the mind
On coorse an’ rammish nichts we gaither ticht,
Inby the bleizing ingle tae screed aff,
Sangs an’ poems an’ yairns by bricht gleed-licht,
Tae ramsh an’ sup an’ greet, an’ mowes an’ laugh
Oor forefaithers gaithered juist the same,
Tae tell o’ ghaists an’ bogles frae the past,
An’ mony a shauchelt sowel het by the flame,
Wid wairm an’ mawsie fa’ asleep at last.
Oli 12/01/07
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bhi se go hiontach!!
Written by gerardconnolly (1186 comments posted) 12th January 2007 | Super, Oli! Just super!
I had to work to get through at first instance. But nothing too cunning to decipher.
After that it was a pleasure to recite.
I shall do so afore me dram an' haggis on th'night.
'Grand health t' Rabbie Burns, the people's poet !
How oft they quote th' gran' Gaelic bard an' never know it!.......
My very fondest compliments to you.
Slan! |
Written by Phil (6963 comments posted) 12th January 2007 | I had to work bloody hard on this one Oli, and that's with a half Cetic background. Got there in the end. Having said that, you don't even have to understand the words to appreciate the musical lilt of this. Scots vernacular lends itself so well to alliteration too. (Or perhaps that's you Oli.)
Strangely, put me in mind of the beginning to Turn of the Screw, Henry James. Odd what connections the mind makes.
Enjoyed this very much. I'm wondering (but undecided) if it pulls my ethnic heart strings.
Phil. |
Written by Phil (6963 comments posted) 12th January 2007 | Sorry Oli. That last comment might not come across as intended. It wasn't a comment about the quality of your work, rather my unaligned patriotism. (Don't know if patriotism is the right word here.)
Phil. |
Written by Witzl (1585 comments posted) 13th January 2007 | I'll bet you anything that 'lift' in your first line doesn't refer to an elevator. As soon as I come close to mastering one dialect, I have to try and figure out another one. Sheesh.
Part of me wants to understand Scots, and part of me loves not understanding it: the mystery of it, the pure poetry of the sound, undisturbed by the nuts-and-bolts of perfect comprehension. What I get is this: a lot of people are gathering around a fire, reciting poetry and telling tales of ghosts and spirits and such.
And I have to ask: what in the world is 'sowel?' I've seen this before, but I can never quite suss what it is. Soul? Shauchelt, I seem to remember, is 'tired' or 'worn-out.' Tired souls? Help me out here. | Thanks folks - a translation for you...
Written by Talisker (1331 comments posted) 13th January 2007 | Listen to the commotion in the sky
The howl and roar of the Devil's hurricane
Dreary daylight's gleam is given short shrift
And in the twilight fear assails the mind
On coarse and stormy nights we gather tight
Close by the blazing fireside to recite
Songs and poems and tales by bright firelight
To eat and drink and cry and joke and laugh
Our ancestors gathered just like this
To tell of ghosts and demons from the past
And many a weary soul heated by the flame
Would warm and comfortable fall asleep at last
Hope that helps Mary. There is a degree of interpretation of words and also local dialect variations (lallans, doric, etc...) Scots is a Germanic tongue which developed parallel to English (not a corruption of English) and was the language of Scottish royalty and nobility before French became "de riguer" in the royal courts throughout Europe.
Oli |
Written by ellipinnock (1786 comments posted) 13th January 2007 | Liked this on the first reading although I didn't have the foggiest idea about what much of it meant! So the translation was much appreciated  Thought both versions were great.
Elli |
Written by ellipinnock (1786 comments posted) 13th January 2007 | Liked this on the first reading although I didn't have the foggiest idea about what much of it meant! So the translation was much appreciated Thought both versions were great.
Elli |
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