Document 786
Dipper: 25 - The Doukie
Author(s): Dr James A Begg
Copyright holder(s):
Dr James A Begg
Audio transcription
M623 |
The Doukie
Some wad say the bairns are lucky
Tae be cairtit frae the schule,
An learn the wey tae dive an soum
In a brent new indoor puil,
Wi heich gless waas an fancy rules
- 'Ye cannae throw that baa!'
An chlorinated watter
Tae keep the germs awa
Withoot a dout they hae their fun,
Wi loupin splash an yell,
Whit's mair forbye, if truth be tellt,
I hae some fun mysel!
But I aye think back on boyhood days
Whan soumin puils we'd nane,
Syne doun the burn on a simmer morn
We'd gang an mak oor ain.
We'd lippen on a likely puil,
Pou aff oor socks an shune,
Oor troosers, sarks an semmits tae,
An syne get yokit in
Tae big a dyke o sods an stanes
Across its shalla tail,
An mak it baith sae braid an deep
'Twad gey near float a whale!
Then clarty weans, frae heid tae fuit
Aa slairit ower wi glaur,
Wi gleefu yells wad lowp richt in
An splash - - an gin they daur
The gallus yins wad tak a dive
Heid-furst frae aff the bank,
While ithers mebbe no sae guid
Juist swam twa strokes an sank!
Sic capers in the burn ere lang
Shuin syned aff aa the mud,
Some laddies wore their bathin-suits
An ithers doukt bare-scud;
But whiles the lassies came alang
An stymied siclike ploys,
An garrd the lads stert showin-aff
Wi daffin, dirlin noise.
Some chiels wad dae the back-stroke,
While ithers for a lark
Wad soum ablow the watter,
Like submarine or shark;
Or mebbe try a haun-staun,
Or daft-like duggie-paidle,
An shuin the kirstal-rinnin burn
Wis steirt up's thick as aidle!
But whiles we doukt an cairrit oan
Ilk body there wis gleg,
Whan a beastie happt on someyin's back
The cry went up - 'A cleg!'
Wi that we aa dived doun ablow,
Steikt nebs an haudin braith,
An whan we rose abune yince mair,
The cleg wis drount tae daith!
We'd soum awa the lee-lang day
At breist-stroke or the crawl,
Till yin an aa, baith big an smaa,
Wis chitterin wi the cauld;
Then courit-doun by a roarin fire,
Set roun-aboot wi stanes,
Wi ootstreitcht hauns we'd sit an talk,
An warm oor cauldrife banes.
Abune the Waa-heids tae the West
The sun sank doun fou low,
The heat went oot o sun an fire,
An nou 't wis time to go.
Forfochen, happy, hame we went,
Deid-weirit wi oor play,
Ye can keep new-farrant soumin puils
- Gie's a Doukie ony day!
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Information about Document 786
Dipper: 25 - The Doukie