SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 339 Title : Starn sign Author(s): Christine De Luca Copyright holder(s): Christine De Luca Text Vidlin, Shetland 21.10.1914 Nor haeven nor aert is bön at paece da nicht. War's runnicks barely cut, still lines on maps. But life gengs on: a ting o lass is boarn. Birth's bassel owre, da howdie maks fur hom doon da toons o Neegirt, wi tengs o fire fur licht. An i da firmament, a comet's flicht records da moment, ootstrips a hairst mön is shö rides da sky. Da haevens demsels blaze furt nativity hap a blissin on a peerie ting whase first braeth reincarnates da stoor o galaxies, obscures reveals: links daeth wi life an love an po'er. reference to excerpts from Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar', Act 2, Scene 2 ___ aert: earth; is bön: has been; runnicks: byre drains (trenches); gengs: goes; a ting a lass: a little girl; bassel: struggle; owre: over; howdie: local (untrained) midwife; maks for: goes towards; toons: arable fields; wi: with; tengs o fire: burning peat held aloft in tongs; hairst: harvest; mön: moon; shö: she; demsels: themselves; furt: forth; hap: wrap; peerie ting: little one; stoor: dust; po'er: power. 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: 189 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