Document 732

Homage til Carl Nielsen

Author(s): Tom Hubbard

Copyright holder(s): Tom Hubbard

1
Ti reenge aa owre the globe in bairnlie wunner
At spreid o oceans, continents an deserts;
Ti mairvel at the awesome bens, the reek an steir o
Buirdlie cities;
Ti tak aa this, an mair,

An yit ti keek sidelins,
Lattin the erd turn on an turn awaa
Fae my inmaist thochts - it's then I mak repone
Straucht ti the beckonin o the merest inch,
A raggit scrap, a crum
Lang drapt fae Europe's bouk intil the sea,
Syne tuckt inby this corner o aa corners -
Ti whilk comes me, e'en smaaer nor itsel.
Still bairnlie aboot it,
Kittled up fir adventure,
But quaitlik tae, as gin my ferlie quest
Wis airtit ti a grun whaur ye micht growe
Ti flooer warld-wide.

2
The great man's wark
Latent in the first skirl o the bab;
Ilk ootcome o a phrase,
Subtle, but somehou naitral,
As gin it cuidna tak anither gate:
Aa this wis formin in a wee loun's pliskies.
Whan he an his muckler pals
Cam traikin throu the loan
Fae rammies wi the gangs o neibourin clachans,
His faither's dander wis fairlie up, nae doot,
Yit bluidie neb or skelpit bum's a stert -
Fir he'd hae wechtier warsles ti record.
Ay, this wis the foond o it aa;
Aiblins at hairst-time a ballant heard i the park,
Gut-scrapers at the ingle-cheek,
A blin maisician
Airnin gey few bawbees in a bevvie-hous -
Sae Carl wad lear o maitters in this life
Cryin ti be confrontit:
The speerit o his fowk
Raxin ootby, an throu him, faurer yit,
'Yont Marx's 'idiocie' o the kailyaird;
Nae kailyaird thon, but apen ti the cheenge
O ilka tid an saison.

3
The sangs o innocence an experience:
The twa can soond in bairnheid - an thereëfter;
The 'yince upon a time' is fir aa time,
As kent thon skinnie Hans fae up the road.
A glaikit laird, vauntin his cheatrie claes -
An ugsome burd o the dub -
Images that baith plaise an stertle
In a blink:
The instant whilk lichts up the hale o a life
Wi an unexpeckit turn fae plus ti minus
Or minus ti plus. It's this that sairs us weill,
Gin that we're lawdie or deuklin,
High heidyin or swan.

4
Sic wis the pad I tuik throu thon wuid
Whan I socht the monument:
I didna ken whaur it wad lead me nixt ...
The zig-zag o a snake,
Pynt an coonterpynt:
First, choleric; then, phlegmatic;
Melancholic succeedit bi sanguine;
Saul, Goliath - but Dauvit;
Jeronimus, solemn, fou-breekit,
Wi a lauch an a daunce deflatit;
An wi aa its twynin an trauchlin agin its faes,
Wad thon theme fae the clarinet win throu at the end?

5
Cleirin my wey mang fankle o the trees,
I fund the brek o the mirk as the leaves pairtit,
Wi the pedestal afore me in a neuk
Whaur I cuid lay by;

Then aa the simmer skinkled on the bronze
o a peerie chiel wi his whussle, an his een
Kest up fou birkie:
- Fir there wis naethin else athort the universe
That wis worth daein!

Information about Document 732

Homage til Carl Nielsen