SCOTS
CMSW

Document 213

Snake I The Girss

Author(s): Iain W D Forde

Copyright holder(s): Iain W D Forde

Text

It liggit doverin in a fank
Lik ane outwith birlin idaia
At hed tint aw virr,

Whan we stertit ither;
Masell intil glamourie,
The ether rid wud.

Its peirie tung flauchtert
Wikkit fyre-flauch wairnishins:
A stuid mair stellit nor a trie.

Than it gantit, outshuik
Langorius faulds o itsell
An sliddert unner the rannochs.

Nou A unnerstaun Eve's faw:
Fur whitna lass borne o man
Cuid rasist sic braisent ein,

A maisterfu solempnitie
A sinnonous sklitherin hecht
O kittil paittren?

Whitna winch cuid feinyie ti be dull
Ti treishnins at sypit
Frae a hinnied, jupartous tung?

An Adam, the stodgin crafter chiel
Eydent about the midden, hed foryet
Aw Eve's favoured sangs.

This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document.

Your recently viewed documents:

Close

Cite this Document

APA Style:

Snake I The Girss. 2026. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 10 February 2026, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=213.

MLA Style:

"Snake I The Girss." The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 2026. Web. 10 February 2026. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=213.

Chicago Style

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech, s.v., "Snake I The Girss," accessed 10 February 2026, http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=213.

If your style guide prefers a single bibliography entry for this resource, we recommend:

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. 2026. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk.

Close

Information about Document 213

Snake I The Girss

Text

Text audience

General public
Informed lay people
Specialists
Males
Females
Other Anyone reading Lallans
Audience size 1000+

Text details

Method of composition Handwritten
Year of composition 2002
Title of original (if translation) Snake in the grass
Author of original (if translation) Stanley Roger Green
Language of original (if translation) English
Word count 115
General description translation from English to Scots

Text medium

Periodical/journal

Text publication details

Published
Publisher Lallans
Publication year 2002
Place of publication Perth
Edition 61
Part of larger text
Contained in lallans
Editor John Law
Page numbers 137
Part of a longer series of texts

Text setting

Private/personal
Other Literary interest in language

Text type

Poem/song/ballad

Author

Author details

Author id 624
Forenames Iain
Initials W D
Surname Forde
Gender Male
Decade of birth 1930
Educational attainment College
Age left school 17
Upbringing/religious beliefs Protestantism
Occupation Retired Architect
Place of birth Edinburgh
Region of birth Midlothian
Birthplace CSD dialect area midLoth
Country of birth Scotland
Place of residence Edinburgh
Region of residence Edinburgh
Residence CSD dialect area midLoth
Country of residence Scotland
Father's occupation Publisher
Father's place of birth Edinburgh
Father's region of birth Midlothian
Father's birthplace CSD dialect area midLoth
Father's country of birth Scotland
Mother's occupation Teacher
Mother's place of birth Edinburgh
Mother's region of birth Midlothian
Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area midLoth
Mother's country of birth Scotland

Languages

Language Speak Read Write Understand Circumstances
English Yes Yes Yes Yes Everywhere
Scots Yes Yes Yes Yes Where appropriate

Close