SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 623 Title : Dipper: 11 - Lament for Connel Burn Author(s): Dr James A Begg Copyright holder(s): Dr James A Begg Text On a braid knowe-tap by Connel Burn Whaur ance stood Auld Bank Pit, Lang raws o excavators An giant bulldozers sit - - Or raither crouch like muckle beasts Wi great metallic jaws, For rivin oot the bonny hert O braes, an holms an shaws, Whaur peesies ance birlt ower their nests An whaups cried frae the hill, While doun ablow, the tree-clad glen Wad echo tae the trill - As shelfies, reidbreists, blackies, Cushie-doos an wheetie-wrens, Sang in chorus oot o every buss Frae Laglaff, doun by Stepends; As dippers doukit in the burn An flew frae puil tae puil, An stane-chippers "chakkt" atap the dyke, When a roe-buck drank its fill. Frae Burnfuit, Bank an Connelpark, - Like blin-bats tae a flame – The magic o that wild glen Drew laddies faur frae hame. Wi brammlin worms they'd fish for troots, Play sodgers in the wid, In heid-high bracken mak their dens As frae their pals they hid. Burnt berry-broun frae heid tae fuit They'd dam the burn wi stanes, An a gleefu glen wad ring wi cries O bare-scud doukin weans. Nou wae's the herts o daunerin men Harkin back whan they were boys, Tae hear the Connel Burn resoun Tae anither kin o noise - - As screivin, scartin, roarin beasts Wi blades, or clawin airm, Obliterate the hatchery, An auld Culcreoch Ferm; Rivin earth, an trees an rocks, Strivin tae win their goal - Ance hard-wrocht juist wi miners' picks, Yon rich black diamonds - COAL. They maun only hope, as years gae by, When aa the howkin's duin, That muckle bings are levellt oot An craters aa fillt in; Aiblins then the scaurs will heal, The burn rin kirstal clear, An the bairns'll play in Connel Glen Juist like yesteryear. ___ rivin/tearing shaw/coppice peesie/lapwing birl/whirl whaup/curlew shelfie/chaffinch reidbreist/robin cushie-doo/wood pigeon wheetie-wren/willow warbler stane-chipper/wheatear blin-bat/moth bare-scud/naked daunerin/strolling screivin/scraping howkin/digging bing/spoil-heap 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 General public: Audience size: 1000+ Text details Method of composition: Handwritten Year of composition: 1984 Word count: 344 General description: Anthology of prizewinning and other Scots poems, and short stories in Ayrshire Scots. Text medium Book: Radio: Other: Audiocassette Text publication details Published: Publisher: Luath Press Publication year: 1991 Place of publication: Barr, Ayrshire ISBN/ISSN: 0946487227 Edition: First Part of larger text: Contained in: The Dipper an the Three Wee Deils: Tales and Poems in Ayrshire Scots Editor: Authors: Dr. J. A. Begg and J. Reid Page numbers: 23-24 Text setting Leisure/entertainment: Private/personal: Text type Poem/song/ballad: Author Author details Author id: 623 Title: Dr Forenames: James Initials: A Surname: Begg Gender: Male Decade of birth: 1940 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 17 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Medical Practitioner Place of birth: New Cumnock Region of birth: S Ayr Birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Ayr Region of residence: S Ayr Residence CSD dialect area: Ayr Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Clerical Officer, NCB Father's place of birth: Sandbank Father's region of birth: Argyll Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Arg Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Primary Teacher Mother's place of birth: New Cumnock Mother's region of birth: S Ayr Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: Danish Speak: No Read: No Write: No Understand: No Circumstances: A little Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Home, socially, at work Language: French Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Holidaying in France Language: Norwegian Speak: No Read: No Write: No Understand: No Circumstances: A little Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Home, socially, at work