Document 332

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Author(s): Christine De Luca

Copyright holder(s): Christine De Luca

Fedaland c 1887

Dis is wir hidmost simmer here at Fedaland.
Twal ton a olicks fur a saison's wark:
spleet eence apo da beach ta dry, but spleet
again bi da swing o da bismar's reckonin.

I sall miss da simmers on da outer rim; da bluntin
wind at lifts da sail, keeps wirds clos ta her breest.
An A'll miss da tilfer underfit, da gunwale's tilt,
relief when da green heicht o Fedaland comes near.

Foo fine hit wis apon a simmer's nicht, ta lay
da boat aff fae da aester ayre; ta sit
on da briggistane, broch at wir backs;
let faa da fear, recount da bravery.

I sall miss da beach at sheens lik mackreel scales,
da spreadin sillerweed, ticht glims o gowld;
tirricks liftin in a tirse, scarfs swaapin on da craigs
an weel kent stacks an taings an peerie gyos.

But A'll no miss da factor's graspin haand,
his tongue sharp is da horn aff da waster ayre; nor
da tocht at der's naethin ta shaa fur a saison's strug,
naethin ta fill a winter press. Na, far mair

I sall miss da sicht o a ranksman at da haaf;
a glisk o licht on his sail is we rin for hom,
reefed in, ridin da vaelensi - no aert fast - seekin
a noost at da nort end o a nordern laand.

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dis: this; wir: our; hidmost: final; twal: twelve; olicks: young ling; spleet: split; eence: once; apo, apon: on; da: the; ta: to; bi: by; bismar: wooden beam used for weighing goods; sall: shall; at: that; wirds: words; clos: close; tilfer: floor plank in a boat; foo: how; hit: it; wis: was; aff: off; aester: lying towards the east; briggistane: path of flat stones laid in front of house; mackreel: mackerel; sillerweed: silverweed; glim: gleam; gowld: gold; tirricks: arctic tern; tirse: temper, agitation; scarfs: shags; swaapin: beating their wings; craigs: flat rocks by the shore; taings: flat promentaries; peerie: little; gyo: deep, narrow inlet; no: not; horn: rocky stack shaped like a horn; waster: lying towards the west; tocht: thought; at: that; shaa: show; strug: hard work; ranksman: one of two boats which fished in pairs for mutual aid; haaf: deep sea fishing grounds; glisk: glimpse; vaelensi: violent gale; aert-fast: fixed firmly in the ground; noost: hollow at edge of beach where boat is drawn up for safety.

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