SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 337 Title : St Ninian's Isle Author(s): Christine De Luca Copyright holder(s): Christine De Luca Text Hit hed ta be a saint at strayed dis far nort at cared aboot da sowls o Pictish fisherfock. Foo da bairns o Rörick man a gawped at men at biggit chapels, walked in silence. Someen man a shaan dem whaar da piltocks took Sweyn Holm, Selkie Gyo; gied dem bere an kale fae Ireland's strippit rigs or Bigton's toons. Eence here, dey nivver could a left: trist slaked wi beauty; air laced wi saat an honey. St Francis could a felt at hame here if he'd come ta Ninian's Isle. On a warm day he micht a tocht himsel on some green suddern shore. Da burnin pavements o Assisi couldna kyemp wi dis pale nordern straand: a glisk on watter is hit kissed da sheenin saand; a smush o saandiloos aroond his feet, chastin froad alang da shoormal is he gud. He wid a traded martins fur a single laverock i da lift sheerlin blissins on göd an ill alick. An i da waa o Ninian's kirk he wid a fun a font filt wi a stirlin's laachter. An i dis quiet place a wagtail micht a tippit in ta sit wi him - is shö sits apö da altar noo - her flicht a peerie chancel dance wi dips an tirls at's lifted centuries o haerts. She'd be his perfect cantor for a chorus o göd wirds. Here, on a boannie day, wi birds apö da wing aa but da herdest haerts could fin demsels communin wi da greater scheme o things. ___ at: that; dis: this; foo: how; man a: must have; shaan: shown; dem: them; piltocks: saithe (coal fish); dem: them; bere: barley; strippit: striped; rigs: fields; toons: arable fields; dey: they; could a: could have; trist: thirst; saat: salt; suddern: southern; kyemp: compete; dis: this; glisk: glimpse; smush: drizzle; saandiloos: ringed plovers; chastin: chasing; froad: foam; shoormal: tideline; gud: went; wid a: would have; lift: sky; sheerlin: singing; göd: good; alick: alike; waa: wall; fun: found; filt: filled; laachter: brood; tippit: walked jauntily; shö: she; apö: upon; peerie: little; tirls: twirls; at's: that's; göd wirds; prayers; demsels: themselves 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: 1997 Word count: 366 General description: from collection of poems Text medium Book: Text publication details Published: Publisher: Shetland Library Publication year: 2002 Place of publication: Shetland ISBN/ISSN: 0-904562-70-0 Edition: 1st Part of a longer series of texts: Name of series: Plain Song 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