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Document 735

The Colourist

Author(s): Tom Hubbard

Copyright holder(s): Tom Hubbard, NMS Enterprises Limited

Text

It wis the licht he desired:
The mellin pinks o the stane,
At Cassis, that myndit him o Mull;
But here wis flesh upon the bane,
And by unglowerin gods sae fired

That he lauched aff the hamewart pull.
A luve-bed in his studio
Celebrates auldest alliance:
A winnock apen to the sea
Lats in the Mediterranean dance
O air and virr and the echo
O aa that Scotland's yit to be.

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APA Style:

The Colourist. 2026. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 14 February 2026, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=735.

MLA Style:

"The Colourist." The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 2026. Web. 14 February 2026. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=735.

Chicago Style

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech, s.v., "The Colourist," accessed 14 February 2026, http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=735.

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.

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Information about Document 735

The Colourist

Text

Text audience

General public
Audience size 100+

Text details

Method of composition Handwritten
Word count 74

Text medium

Book

Text publication details

Published
Publisher NMS Enterprises Limited - Publishing
Publication year 1999
Place of publication Edinburgh
ISBN/ISSN 1-901663-39-6
Edition 1st
Part of larger text
Contained in Present Poets 2: Scotland to the World, the World to Scotland
Editor Jenni Calder
Page numbers 31

Text setting

Leisure/entertainment

Text type

Poem/song/ballad

Author

Author details

Author id 232
Forenames Tom
Surname Hubbard
Gender Male
Decade of birth 1950
Educational attainment University
Age left school 18
Upbringing/religious beliefs N/A
Occupation Academic, librarian and writer
Place of birth Kirkcaldy
Region of birth Fife
Birthplace CSD dialect area Fif
Country of birth Scotland
Place of residence Kirkcaldy
Region of residence Fife
Residence CSD dialect area Fif
Country of residence Scotland
Father's occupation Caterer
Father's place of birth Dysart
Father's region of birth Fife
Father's birthplace CSD dialect area Fif
Father's country of birth Scotland
Mother's occupation Caterer
Mother's place of birth Dysart
Mother's region of birth Fife
Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area Fif
Mother's country of birth Scotland

Languages

Language Speak Read Write Understand Circumstances
English Yes Yes Yes Yes Everyday
Italian Yes Yes Yes Yes Work, holiday, fluency fluctuating
Polish No No No No Smattering. Work, holiday
Scots Yes Yes Yes Yes Everyday. Scots spoken in relaxed circumstances

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