SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 732 Title : Homage til Carl Nielsen Author(s): Tom Hubbard Copyright holder(s): Tom Hubbard Text 1 Ti reenge aa owre the globe in bairnlie wunner At spreid o oceans, continents an deserts; Ti mairvel at the awesome bens, the reek an steir o Buirdlie cities; Ti tak aa this, an mair, An yit ti keek sidelins, Lattin the erd turn on an turn awaa Fae my inmaist thochts - it's then I mak repone Straucht ti the beckonin o the merest inch, A raggit scrap, a crum Lang drapt fae Europe's bouk intil the sea, Syne tuckt inby this corner o aa corners - Ti whilk comes me, e'en smaaer nor itsel. Still bairnlie aboot it, Kittled up fir adventure, But quaitlik tae, as gin my ferlie quest Wis airtit ti a grun whaur ye micht growe Ti flooer warld-wide. 2 The great man's wark Latent in the first skirl o the bab; Ilk ootcome o a phrase, Subtle, but somehou naitral, As gin it cuidna tak anither gate: Aa this wis formin in a wee loun's pliskies. Whan he an his muckler pals Cam traikin throu the loan Fae rammies wi the gangs o neibourin clachans, His faither's dander wis fairlie up, nae doot, Yit bluidie neb or skelpit bum's a stert - Fir he'd hae wechtier warsles ti record. Ay, this wis the foond o it aa; Aiblins at hairst-time a ballant heard i the park, Gut-scrapers at the ingle-cheek, A blin maisician Airnin gey few bawbees in a bevvie-hous - Sae Carl wad lear o maitters in this life Cryin ti be confrontit: The speerit o his fowk Raxin ootby, an throu him, faurer yit, 'Yont Marx's 'idiocie' o the kailyaird; Nae kailyaird thon, but apen ti the cheenge O ilka tid an saison. 3 The sangs o innocence an experience: The twa can soond in bairnheid - an thereëfter; The 'yince upon a time' is fir aa time, As kent thon skinnie Hans fae up the road. A glaikit laird, vauntin his cheatrie claes - An ugsome burd o the dub - Images that baith plaise an stertle In a blink: The instant whilk lichts up the hale o a life Wi an unexpeckit turn fae plus ti minus Or minus ti plus. It's this that sairs us weill, Gin that we're lawdie or deuklin, High heidyin or swan. 4 Sic wis the pad I tuik throu thon wuid Whan I socht the monument: I didna ken whaur it wad lead me nixt ... The zig-zag o a snake, Pynt an coonterpynt: First, choleric; then, phlegmatic; Melancholic succeedit bi sanguine; Saul, Goliath - but Dauvit; Jeronimus, solemn, fou-breekit, Wi a lauch an a daunce deflatit; An wi aa its twynin an trauchlin agin its faes, Wad thon theme fae the clarinet win throu at the end? 5 Cleirin my wey mang fankle o the trees, I fund the brek o the mirk as the leaves pairtit, Wi the pedestal afore me in a neuk Whaur I cuid lay by; Then aa the simmer skinkled on the bronze o a peerie chiel wi his whussle, an his een Kest up fou birkie: - Fir there wis naethin else athort the universe That wis worth daein! 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: 100+ Text details Method of composition: Handwritten Word count: 532 Text medium Book: Text publication details Published: Publisher: Aberdeen University Press Publication year: 1988 Place of publication: Aberdeen ISBN/ISSN: 0-08-036417-9 Edition: 1st Part of larger text: Contained in: Four Fife Poets Page numbers: 95-97 Text setting Leisure/entertainment: Text type Poem/song/ballad: Author Author details Author id: 232 Forenames: Tom Surname: Hubbard Gender: Male Decade of birth: 1950 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 18 Upbringing/religious beliefs: N/A Occupation: Academic, librarian and writer Place of birth: Kirkcaldy Region of birth: Fife Birthplace CSD dialect area: Fif Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Kirkcaldy Region of residence: Fife Residence CSD dialect area: Fif Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Caterer Father's place of birth: Dysart Father's region of birth: Fife Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Fif Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Caterer Mother's place of birth: Dysart Mother's region of birth: Fife Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Fif Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Everyday Language: Italian Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Work, holiday, fluency fluctuating Language: Polish Speak: No Read: No Write: No Understand: No Circumstances: Smattering. Work, holiday Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Everyday. Scots spoken in relaxed circumstances