Scots Poems From The Doll's House

Winter Oot in the wids, spitters o sleet faa doon The yowdendrift gaithers in banks o snaa Kent lanscapes droon The onding growes, skiffins o fite blaas wide Flichterin doon like baas o yowie's oo On the heich Bens taps an sides Spindrift rikks frae the park The blin smore haimmers the dyke Ghaistly the ice glents on the trees bark Winter's cranreuch cauld grips the warld in its neive Snaa tummles frae the lift like flooer frae a seive Nessy The watters o Loch Ness are cauld They're oorie an they're derk Hyne ooto sicht doon at its foun A monster sweems the mirk Men caa her Nessie. Fegs, she's fly Her da's a watter dragon Her ma's a Moray eel An she drinks watter bi the flagon Sae mony fowk are eftir her, Photographers an press Scientists, trophy hunters, towrists Scannin aa Loch Ness Bit nane will niver catch her This monster rarity For myths are ill tae corner Sae they hae longevity Halloween Halloween. Deid speerits rise Leave the grave an wauk the lan Till the cock craas at day brakk Syne they dwine like sinkin san Guizin. Littlins dook fur aipples Ghaists an bogles on the spree Neepie lanterns, witches, warlocks Hermless fun or Deevilry? Cantrips, cats, and cauldrons, besoms Eildritch skeletons, ship wrack Peel an aipple, haive it ower Yer shooder, dis't a letter makk? My granfaither lichtit bonfires On his ferm tae haud awa A feary wizard frae his acres Fa's familiar wis a craa Halloween. Deid speerits rise Leave the grave an wauk the lan Till the cock craas at day brakk Syne they dwine like sinkin san The Stooshie At the Mall, a stooshie's ongaun It's like the Colosseum. Guairds staun in a semi-cercle Quines fecht like tigers Hair-teirin, cleuks scrattin Sweir-spittin feral mingers Shoppers gie them a wide berth Security can dae hee-haw Sae bampots rule, OK? Free education, free NHS Benefit-fundit numpties Naethin tae dae bit peint their nails Get heich on hooch or fitiver An cause a richt stramash An this in oor ceevilized kintra Pairt o the shoppin experience Eftir aa, they hae their human richts Tae behave like mingers Nippy sweeties in the quality street O a toun Joe Aitken 10/4/1944-3/4/2024 Tune: Drumdelgie Joe Aitken's life wis filled wi sang O work an bothy days His faither wis a ferm grieve On Perthsire's fertile braes An on thon ferm upon a kist He larned the wirds an tunes Braithed in upon the corn parks By Doric quines an loons Muirheid o Logie's berryfields Near Kirriemuir, Joe ained Wi Pat he raised a faimily Bit aye he entertained A Champion o Champions There's nane could him back The Haa o Fame it hauds his name Ye'll see't on cup an plaque The years rowed on, the eichties cam Joe traivelled far an wide Ower Scotland, England, Ireland At Whitby by the tide The sangs poored oot, fowk gaithered roon By stage or tent or bar Fur Joe could bring tunes bonnie oot A cornkister star In Rudolstadt in Germany, Sivven thoosan fowk wir there Tae hear Joe sing rare North East sangs Upon the caller air Fariver he performed, his cherm Won encores wintin mair An honest, hummle skeely cheil Ay keen tae guide an share Tae cairry a tradition Is a wechty thing tae dae Joe Aitken did it willinly Wi aa that he could gae His loss is felt baith near an far Fowks' hairts he fair could steal Oh he has earned his hinmaist rest Joe Aitken, fare thee weel Midnicht Catkins, daffies, flouerin gean Lochan watter, yalla meen Lullin soun o dwaumin waves Aa the balm a body craves Snapshot o a Glen Mowdies howkin up the park Ilkie post's tapped wi a craa Erne is cerclin the lift Local lammies lowp an baa Ower a fence, the towrists glower Coos glower back, like roch tongued neebors Towerists winner fit coos think Coos chaw quaet, wi teeth an slavers Neither cross the great divide Niver jyne the ither side Overheard on a Bus tour of Loch Lomond Thon rain's taen the curl clean ooto ma hair I niver bowl on a bingo nicht See ae tree ye've seen them aa Ma next holiday's Bulgaria This road wis niver made fur muckle larries They say its snaain in Aiberdeen The sleet's hingin aff bi a threid Ma son's in government in Australia. He weirs his breeks tucked intae his buits Tae stop siders rinnin up his legs Jist me an the cat noo I'm deef in ae lug, bit the ither ane's wirkin Ae wirkin toilet fur 30 fowk…nae winner fowk takk the high road I dinna watch the news. Its aa lees Wid ye really wint tae bide here in the wilds? Shockin. Jist smush in cheenge frae a tenner fur a baked tattie. This if Scotland nae the Riviera I pit ma watch on upside doon. I wis washed, shouered an dressed ready fur brakkfast a 1.30am Oh look. There's a coo! The Urisk Langsyne in the Heilans there lived a clan On heich Ben Venue, tae mortals, faes Hauf goat, hauf human, like bairns o Pan Their ae delicht, tae increase man's waes Ane o them bedd in the Goblin's cave Nearhaun a well far fowk drew watter Guairdit weel bi a bonnie lass Katrine bi nemme, a shepherd's dother A coorse young urisk tuik human form As a handsome Heilander, bearin a bowl Laced wi a potion tae garr her sleep Giein him ower her hale control The urisk cut ilkie sluice frae the well The watter poored on the lan aneth Drooned the shepherds, their kin, their yowes Bringin them aa a tragic daith The lassie waukened, an saw the wrack Aa her faimily deid an gaen Killt bi the breet frae the Goblin's cave She lowped in the loch that tuik her nemme Photo Shoot, Loch Auchray Naethin tae dae bit staun in the dubs Chawin the cweed an thinkin Sivven heilan coos wi hat staun horns Tails sweeshin, baith een blinkin Until a camera comes in sicht The chaunce fur a bonnie view See them plyter up tae the yett Watch the birdie.Moo Midnicht Catkins, daffies, flouerin gean Lochan watter, yalla meen Lullin soun o dwaumin waves Aa the balm a body craves Snapshot o a Glen Mowdies howkin up the park Ilkie post's tapped wi a craa Erne is cerclin the lift Local lammies lowp an baa Ower a fence, the towrists glower Coos glower back, like roch tongued neebors Towerists winner fit coos think Coos chaw quaet, wi teeth an slavers Neither cross the great divide Unnerstaun the ither side Niver gae back Niver gae back. It's nae aboot fit wis there It's aboot fit's there noo It's nae aboot the teem spaces It's fit fulls them noo Forget yer memories Some ither body bides there noo Howk up the graves o yer kin They'll ken far aathin's gaen Climm intae yer kist. Clap tee the lid Aince yer unner the mools Ye'll forget the past Doric Owersetts o Chinese & Japanese poets Tu Mu / Du Mu Du Mu was a Chinese calligrapher, poet, and politician who lived during the late Tang dynasty. His courtesy name was Muzhi, and art name Fanchuan. He is best known for his lyrical and romantic quatrains. Poems for Parting by Du Mu So swack an sae gracefu Nae muckle mair than thirteen The pynt o a cardamom branch in spring Jist aboot tae brier Ten miles doon the Yangzhou road An the spring wins wir blawin A rowth o weemen since, bead hingins heistin, Bit niver like thon again. 2 Ower muckle luve Some wey becam No luve at aa Ower this fareweel bottle We canna manage Even a frienly smile Anely the caunle Seems tae be able Tae shaw a bittie feelin Aa nicht It greets Wee wax tears. Country Journey by Du Mu Hauf wey ben spring The sun sets as I pass Nanyang Aneth tender mulberry trees I gae intae a quaet clachan Greetin saughs Steer saftly in the win Aneth a doonpish o raindraps The fish puil's fulled wi cercles The coo herd loon Weirs a rain-shawl, singin Teets throw a bamboo fence Tae see a quine's reid skirt I peel awa ma weet Traivellin shawl an jaiket Jist as ma host brings oot A bowl o chucken an millet. Pien River blocked by Ice by Tu Mu Fur a thoosan miles alang the river, fin the ice sterts tae steek, Harness jades an girdle jaspers clink at the spikey edge The drift o life's nae different frae the watter aneth the ice Hashin Eastwird day an nicht fin naebody takks tent. …………………………………………………………………………………… Also known as Tu Fu, Du Fu is considered Li Po to be one of China's greatest poets of the Tang dynasty. Du Fu was born to a minor scholar-official in Henan Province. Overnight At The Riverside Tower: Du Fu Evenin colours dauchle on paths on Bens. Oot ayont this study reestin ower River Yett, At the cliff's edge, dweeble clouds bide Aa nicht. Amang waves, a lane, chitterin Meen. As cranes stringle aff in flicht, seelent, Wolves gurr ower their kill. I think on Oor wars, sleepless here an, tae richt A merciless Heiven an Eirde, pouerless. …………………………………………………………………………….. Kakinomoto no Hitomaro He was a Japanese waka poet and aristocrat of the late Asuka period He likely died in Iwami Province around 709 On the Death of His Wife (II) Fin we twa gaed alang The weys o life thegither, An haun in haun thegither luiked Upon the elm trees heezin bi The dike's risin ridge Nearhaun oor hame, Thochts o luve raise as aften As leaves in spring Upon braid enfurlin branches, An leanin on ye Ma soul fand rest. Bit there is a sar Weird Nane may jink; Ower the muir, Far a lane caunle glimmers frae hyne awa, Yer bier is cairriet, Amang fite funeral flags. Ane fa raise at daybrakk As mornin birdies flee, Maun noo be happit Like dwinin day bi gloamin knowes. A wee son is yer memorial, He greets an prigs An sikks comfort frae me. Bit I can gie him naethin, Na toy can cheer him, I can anely bosie him An pet him rochly As a cheil will dae. Foo dowie oor chaumer Far aince oor bowsters Lay sae nearhaun thegither; Frae daybrakk tae derkness The day is full o wae, Frae gloamin tae daybrakk I sab an maen unsleepin, An dinna ken far Tae turn tae in ma wae. I'll lue ye iver Tho I may niver see ye. I ken ye sleep on heich Hakahi, Altho it's kent as cock-craw Ben, Fur cheils brocht me the news. I sclimm the steep an steeny heichts Wi a painfu warssle— Sic eeseless tcyauve, Fur the livin ye I lued I canna see, Nae even fur a meenit dimly Can ma een rest on ye. It is the same meen Brichtens this autumn nicht That shone a year syne, Bit thon year gaen by pairts Us bi a year's braidth. A wikk o murnin by, I gae back hame, An keekin roon oor chaumer Frae ootside the alcove, Ma een rest on yer bowster, An dauchle there, On yer bowster. Lady Ise Lady Ise, also known as Ise no Miyasudokoro, was a Japanese poet in the Imperial court's waka tradition. She was born to Fujiwara no Tsugukage of Ise Province, and eventually became the lover of the Prince Atsuyoshi and a concubine to Emperor Uda; her son by him was Prince Yuki-Akari. On the Watter: Lady Ise On the watter Float thon boats: Gin ane wis yer majesty, 'Berth yersel here! ' Is fit I wid wint tae say. Lady Ise: The Mount of Death This short poem laments the loss of the speaker's ‘darling boy.' The speaker implores the cuckoo, known for traveling between the realms of the living and the dead, to bring news from the ‘mount of death' The Ben o Daith: Ochone, that ye'd cam frae thonner, Gowk bird Syne o ma dearest loon, Ye cud gie me news. Hanging From the Branches: Lady Ise Hingin frae the branches O a green sauch The spring rain Is a Threid o pearls. Because we Suspected: Lady Ise Because we jeloused The bowster wid say ‘I ken' We sleepit wioot it. Hoosaeiver, ma nemme Is blaikened aawye like stoor. Doric Owersetts of 3 poems by Miroslav Holub The Lesson- by Miroslav Holub A tree cams in an sez, fin booin: ‘I'm a tree.' A blaik tear faas frae the lift an sez: ‘I'm a bird.' Doon a wyver's wab a ferlie like luve draas near an sez: ‘I'm seelence.' Bit bi the blaikboord sprauchles a national democratic cuddy in his weskcoat an repeats, heistin his lugs on ilkie side repeats and repeats ‘I'm the engine o history an we aa luve gaun forrit an courage an the fechter's rooze.' Aneth the classroom yett treetles a thin stringgle o bluid. Fur here sterts the massacre o the pure. The Door: Miroslav Holub Gae an lowse the yett. Mebbe ootbye there's a tree, or a wid, a gairden, or an eildritch toun Gae an lowse the yett. Mebbe a tyke's raikin. Mebbe ye'll see a face, or an ee, or the pictur o a pictur. Gae an lowse the yett. Gin there's a haar it'll clear. Gae an lowse the yett. Even gin there's anely the derkness tickin, even gin there's anely the hollow win, even gin nethin is thonner, gae lowse the yet. At least there'll be a draucht. A Loon's Heid In it there's a space-ship an a projeck fur daein awa with pianie lessons An there is Noah's ark, that'll be first. An there is an aathegither new birdie an aathegither new bawd an aathegither new foggy bummer. There is a river that rins upwirds. There's a multiplication table. There's anti-maitter. An it jist canna be trimmed. I believe that fit anely canna be trimmed is a heid. There's a rowth o promise in the fack that sae mony fowk hae heids.