SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 338 Title : Da ballad o Maggie Reid Author(s): Christine De Luca Copyright holder(s): Christine De Luca Text Me laad he gud ta sail da sea in eichteen forty-wan. I helpit raise his faider's bairns fur der midder shö wis gien. I tinkit lang, I virmished sair at he wid come back shön. I'd promised I wid mairry him whin his sailin days wis dön. I waited fur him fowr lang year nae wird cam fae da sea. We tocht him drooned i da ocean's fowld; no lik ta mairry me. His faider tocht at I wid mak a decent wife ta wed. His idder bairns dey likkit me sae he took me fur his bride. I wisna bön a six-mont wed when I hears da voice sae dear. Dere he staands, mi laad, mi love wi sadness in his een. Dat een at lang at I wis sowt is lik ta rive mi sowl, fur noo I canna be his wife sae at his feet I gowl. I canna even bring mesell ta luik apön him eence. I laeve da hoose, mi mind med up a thuddin i mi breest. Doon owre da broo bi Brough I rin Mel beach lies snaawy white Da peerie flooers dey drap der heids aert-bark, tae girse, eye-bricht. I poo some flooers fur mi hair a bouquet fur a bride a boannie wreath ta tak wi me whin I geng tae his side. Da ocean sochs ithin da gyo dark, still an deep hit lies a coffin shape: wir trystin place whaar I man end mi days. I lay mi clugs neat on da banks wind flooers trowe mi hair. Fur I man drap tae a willin grave ta see dat luik nae mair. ___ laad: a young woman's boyfriend; gud: went; der: their; midder: mother; shö: she; wis gien: had died; tinkit lang: missed (someone or some place); virmished: longed anxiously; no lik: not likely; wid; would; shön: soon; wis dön: were done; faider: father; idder: other; likkit: liked; wisna bön: hadn't been; I hears: I heard; een: eyes; dat: that, those; at: that; rive: tear; canna: cannot; gowl: cry; mesell: myself; luik: look; apön: upon; eence: once; rin: run; peerie: lttle; dey: they; aert-bark: tormentil; tae girse: thyme; poo: pull; geng: go; sochs: sighs deeply; ithin: within; gyo: steep, narrow inlet; wir: our; man: must; trowe: through 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: 396 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