Document 640

Dipper: 28 - O It's Cauld Abune the Blankets

Author(s): Dr James A Begg

Copyright holder(s): Dr James A Begg

As ben the room my silent braiths
fufft oot like railway trains,
An Cranreuch's fernie feathers
froze across the windae-panes,
Gin deep inby the windae-sole
lay driven pouthert snaw,
I wis sweirt tae pairt wi snug warm claes -
semmit, socks an aa!
- O it's cauld abune the blankets,
an gey cauld atween the sheets!
Whan I chittert on the lino flair
as intae bed I crept,
An juist like ony ither lad
in dreamless depths I slept,
Wi my heid ablow the bedclaes,
an my knees up tae my kist,
That piggy snugglt at my feet
wad shuir be sairly misst.
- For it's cauld atween the blankets,
an gey cauld atween the sheets!

Wi a florin in the meter,
the ane-bar heater glowed
In my wee smaa attic bedroom
heich abune Great Western Road,
As yellae damp November fogs
smoord oot the freenlie licht,
An I courit ower the textbuiks
by the fire till deid o nicht.
- O it's cauld abune the blankets,
an gey cauld atween the sheets!
Whan founert wi a fever,
streamin neb an stounin heid,
I'd hap me up, an tak my bed,
an wish that I were deid,
Twa pullovers, three aspirin,
an ne'er a drap o toddy
Tae heat my banes, an brek my sweit,
an sooth my gowpin body!
- O it's cauld abune the blankets,
an gey cauld atween the sheets!

Thae cauldrife years are weel awa -
nae mair the lanesome bed,
They vanished in the mists o time,
the day that I wis wed;
I swappt my piggy for a wife!
Sae saft, sae fresh, sae fair -
O whit a chynge cam ower my life,
a chynge ayont compare.
- Tho it's cauld abune the blankets,
nou it's warm atween the sheets!
For whit rid-bluidit laddie
cuid forsweir his lassie's chairms,
As they snugglt up thegither
in ane anither's airms,
As 'neath the surgin billows
o the bedclaes owerheid,
The tide o love eternal
wis rinnin strang indeed!
- O it's het abune the blankets,
an hetter 'tween the sheets!

The seas fin caumer nou-adays,
but whiles a tempest howls,
An opens up a three-fuit gap
atween twa sundert sowls,
Wi lourin silence up abune,
as back tae back they lie,
First ane an then the tither,
gies a wee bit souch an sigh.
- O it's cauld abune the blankets -
an cauld atween the sheets!
Twa heids fidgin on the pillows,
twa hauns ruggin at the claes,
Twa feet raxin ower sideweys
till there's kittlin o the taes,
Twa bodies birl thegither,
twa pair o airms entwine
In silent hugs that say it aa -
'I'm yours, an ye are mine!'
- O it's warm abune the blankets,
an it's warm atween the sheets!

May God grant us lang thegither -
forbye a tiff or twa,
Tae lou baith ane anither,
afore ane's caad awa,
An laes the tither aa their lane,
tae dree whit auld folk dread,
Lang waefu nichts a-steirin
in a waukrife, lanesome bed.
- Whaur it's cauld abune the blankets,
an aye cauld atween the sheets!

___
fufft/puffed
cranreuch/frost
pouthert/powdered
sundert/split apart
lourin/overcast
kittlin/tickling
lou/love
dree/endure

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Dipper: 28 - O It's Cauld Abune the Blankets