SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 334 Title : A strynd o sense Author(s): Christine De Luca Copyright holder(s): Christine De Luca Text Whit is it aboot dis jug at stricks at memory: strippit broon lem, a benkled lid, nae special charm? Yet I lift hit again an drink psalms. "Tak dis jug tae dy faider i da yerd." I'd carry hit an da biblical wirds rowed in a cloot. Dem at gowled is dey gud oot carryin da seed 'll come back singin for joy is dey bring in da shaeves. Lookin back hit wis pure 'Song o Songs': up da Kloss o Voe, laevin doon'oose: a mile hit felt lik tryin no ta spill. Dis is da time fur singin; da sang o doos is i da rigs. He wid see me is I roonded da shooder o da Kloss, lift his een, but keep his sye i da rhythm o centuries. Coarn fell in swaars o stoor. I reeselled me wye, truckin da ruckly strae, an antrin flooer. You mak girse grow fur baess an coarn fur man ta use so he can grow his crops an mak bread ta gae him strent. Da haands at med da sye an hed da vynd ta maa wid tak da jug, warm fae me skurt: da haands at riped da pages o Aurelius forbye. Hame is biggit on a steid o wisdom. Whar der is knowledge da rooms is weel plenished. Foonded in a laand at nivver sklent tinkin fae döin: dat saa wisdom i da wark o haands. (from Psalm 126 v 6; Song of Songs 2 v 12; Psalm 104 v 14, 15; Proverbs 24 v 3) ___ strynd: inherited trait; dis: this; stricks: strikes; lem: earthenware; benkled: bent; faider: father; yerd: enclosed field; rowed: rolled; cloot: cloth; dem: them; at: that; gowled: cried ; dey: they; gud: went; Kloss: steep hill; doon'oose: lower part of village; doos: pigeons; een: eyes; sye: scythe; coarn: oats; swaars: swathes cut by scythe; stoor: dust; reeselled: rummaged noisily; truckin: trampling; ruckly: uneven; strae: straw (stubble); antrin: occasional; flooer: flower; girse: grass; baess: cattle; strent: strength; vynd: particular skill; maa: to reap; skurt: the bosom within the folded arms; riped: harvested; biggit: built; steid: foundation; plenished: fitted out; sklent: tore; tinkin: thinking; döin: doing; dat: that; saa: saw. This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience Adults (18+): General public: Males: Females: Audience size: 100+ Text details Method of composition: Wordprocessed Year of composition: 1995 Word count: 368 General description: From collection of poems Text medium Book: Text publication details Published: Publisher: Shetland Library Publication year: 1997 Place of publication: Lerwick ISBN/ISSN: 0-904562-64-6 Edition: 1st Part of a longer series of texts: Name of series: 'Wast wi da Valkyries Text type Poem/song/ballad: Author Author details Author id: 120 Forenames: Christine Surname: De Luca Gender: Female Decade of birth: 1940 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 18 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Head of Assessment, Research and Development Place of birth: Bressay Region of birth: Shetland Birthplace CSD dialect area: Sh Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Edinburgh Region of residence: Edinburgh Residence CSD dialect area: Edb Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Headmaster Father's place of birth: Vidlin Father's region of birth: Shetland Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Sh Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Primary Teacher Mother's place of birth: Cunningsburgh Mother's region of birth: Shetland Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Sh Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: All Language: Scots Speak: No Read: Yes Write: No Understand: Yes Circumstances: Work, read Scots literature