TO ORKNEY
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The ru s hin g o f Wh ose ti des
T h e w ai lin g o f W h ose W i nds
T h e r ythme o f W h ose ro a ds ;
T h e throbbin g o f w h ose p eo p le s h e a r tb e a t
T h e lilt of W h ose l ochs laugh ter
Ma k e th e m u s i c t o w hi c h
These I sland S on g s a re se t
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C O NT ENTS
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1 F AIRY Don
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2 THE HILL
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Wm Pr:
5 R
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3 DBUMEEAD AND
A PARCEL A rr
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nnoo
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6 THE Gm nw m
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GAIEBA! Isu
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WHAT WAD Wm DUNE
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DUNsoo BRA:
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WE HA2
A S EAL!
12 A FAIBING
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13 TII: FLO OEB
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Snow
14 GBAEMSA! L IG H T
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Sm
17 h
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ocxs
um a n:
18 Tu KILLIN G 0
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19
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Wm
WIND
S NA’ , RAIN,
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P1 0
Tm:
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20 B a n
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Ir s
MInnIsmn ton MI:
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FA ERY L ORE
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We l os t th e fa eri es l a n g la n g s y ne
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simmons ro p e th ey m a de th eir li ne
( T h e y ha d n a e b oat th e p eeri e men!
Tae re a c h ta e Hay a n d ba c k a g ain
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T h e hill s s a e hi gh th ey th oc ht t ae scal e
Bu
t o h !th e w i nd beg a n ta e wai l
( T h e y had n a e b o a t the p eeri e men !
Nor co ul d o ne i gh b o u rs g e t a l en
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They workit a ane m o onlich t nicht
Tae m ak th e i r h e a th er ro p e a rich t
( T he y had n a e b oat th e p eeri e men !
Th e ba rn w a s ba re th e f o lk w e
re b en
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Th e sun s h one b ri c ht th e ai r w a s swee t
H oy So u nd s a n g rinnin at th e ir f eet
( T h ey ha d n a e b oat the p eeri e men !
Th e s i mmons fine w a d d a e f or th em
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Th ey t h ocht s a e l on g ta e re a c h th e hill
Th e li p p ened n aught 0 a n y ill
( Th e y ha d n a e b o a t th e p eeri e f olk!
R i c ht i th e S oond th eir s immons b ro k e !
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Tha t s w hy th e knowes are em pty all
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Th e whitem a s cr y th e teaoo s c all ;
For a th e b airnies se ek fu s ai r
Th e y ll never find th e fa eri es m ai r
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THE HIL L
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haste tae bake It s th e hill the morn
Peter s gl a ss is up
Grin th e peats w ere shorn
A ll w ir sowing s done and the t a tie s too
I kenna why Jock ma k s sich tae do
The weather s faxoured Wir work s ah ead
The w a shin o w er and the beasts a fed ;
We v e whitened the kitchen and papered the ben
And four fine goose birds broch t oot by a hen
The neeps are lifted : the kailyard d elled ;
The paint I bo c ht wi the egg s w e re selled
Will sm airten w ir doors and w ir h oo ses fine
And maybe I ll buy a ne w clothes line
Peter s glas s is reliable I no w i se fear
We ll gang tae the hill wir peats tae shear
It s an a w fu tra iy el up in a ca r t
Wi rheuma tic bane s it gie s mony a start
The ruts and the hole s is like tae coup
Talk 0 they flying men louping the loup ;
It s for a the w orld like me and Bess
When she goe s in mire I m fle gg ed I guess
She kens the Tuan 0 R u sht as w eel
A s sh e ken s the mill w her e w e gang W i meal ;
Wir banks are a w fu far a w ay
But it s fine up ther e on a pretty day
The air s that keen and the sky sae blue
And what a loch s I counted too
Hu
ndland and Bo a rdh ou
se and S w annay the sea
By the Bay of Skaill It seemed tae me
The warld w as big and a we say
I maun
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THE HIL L
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w ir neigh b ours faul t s seems hinaw ay
T h e hills are sae great and folk sae small
I w onder God pits up at all
Wi wir ways and w ir ton gues and cruel tales
When w ir quarrels start human patience fails
But no Di v ine ther e s the difier seen
I n th e licht o the hills it appears t a e mean
Nature s Buik is spread for a tae read
But some 0 us h ee d sna and maks nae speed
The loc h s clear water far mair nor w e
R e flec ts the hidden Deity
But w h aur am I gaen w i me t houg h ts no less
I d b een in mire if it w erena for Be ss
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DRUMHEAD
A ND
EA RL Y YO RK
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Drumhead a nd E a rly York !
Wh ere h a e I p it ma fork ?
Th e men are awa tae the t oon the d a y
T h ere s a h eap t ae do w h en they re a away
Besides sit in th e c h air and talk
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Dr umhe a d a nd Earl y York !
I mind w h ere I pi t m a fork !
Th e c a st w i nd s gone doon
And th e M ay mist will soon
Se t my pla n ts a up i th e st alk
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A PAR CEL A FF
WE PI T
10
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W e pit a parcel aff tae Ch o
And w ashed h is claes They had tae go
Meg traivelled to the ro a d and sa t
A dressed man p a ssed her in a hat
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Deed !this is Marget s funer a l d ay
I m cle a n forgot and gaed away
Tae meet the post sa e selfish like
Wee Bess could dune it on her bike
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The peppermint it smell s r eal strong
It maks an auld w ife think richt long
Fo r s w eeties My !but ten s the age
When strip ed ba s is a the rage
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A motor van roars by and shakes
Dear !w hat an a w fu sto ur it makes ;
A mind when j ist an ordinar cart
Tae meet w as like tae take the heart
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And noo its motors aryoplanes
Sausage balloons man !wh itna b rains
They hae tae hae w ha mak the like
And me fair fie g g éd o a bike
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The post gig s by My parcel s weighed
And me a shilling postage paid ;
But Cho he ll be most a w fu blied
There s cheese and bannocks w rapped inside
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WE PIT A P AR CEL AFF
11
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Tw a p a ir 0 sock s for S abbath too
He s sic a lad tae wear th em thro ugh ;
And him a st u den t ney er look s
Down at hi s taes : i t s up a t b oo ks
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I f only pigs keeps high in pri ce
And we c a n sell wir peer i e gri ce
At Lammas time we needna fe a r
And Ch o will h a e new b reek s th e ye a r
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K I TTY BUDDOO
When the heather fires quite burning Ki t ty Budd oo
And th e sowing and the neeps are o w er by ;
W h en in sunny June t h e ni g ht to d a y is turning
In the h eaven th e lark s are soaring h igh
T h en we ll gan g b y G u
ldro o t a e th e meadows K i tt y
de a rie
Wh ere the b urn sings summer songs t a e th ee
W e ll pass queek by Gin ia n Ki tty Budd oo
And w e ll p l uck th ere a th e fiooers that we see
Th e se gs are in b u d i n the ditch es
T h e p e pp erm i n t scents i th e ai r ;
M a rs h m a ri g o l ds re a l as r i c h es
And j u st by m y s i d e I decla re
A muckl e go l d sm a rc o f or Maroo
And M ay flooers f or M a r g et a nd th ee ;
G r a ss 0 Pa rn a ss u s f or a ne o th e la sses
ldary f or me !
A n d a p eeri e pu
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THEGUIDWIFE S HENS
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12
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G UIDWIFE S
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I ken the guidw ife had nae luck
The hens wis either i the pluck
Or fo o d w is up and egg s w is doon
When she w as sending tae the toon
The K arsw oo d spice cam o w er late
And sh airp s and paring s sic a freight ;
In fact sh e kentna wher e tae turn
Three chick s got d roo nd ed i the burn
It seemed a ri c ht but a ef ter that
Nineteen w is taken by a ra t
I ll quite my hen s she c ried yestreen
Man sic a tro uble they hae been ;
And no o they re never oot o debt
Losh !las s says I
they ll pay thee yet
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CAL !ES W ARK
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CAL !ES W AR K
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T h e calves j um pit intae me g a rden
An dinged doon me w a
They never a x ed me p a rdon
T h ey re no mannerly at a
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Jock bigged up th e l ow dyk e
The nich t h e cam fr a e the Kam e ;
W hile Geordie was c leanin his auld bike
But me fioo ers were spo iled a th e same
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T h e Woodr uff w a s laid by th e lily
And t h e peony rose tr a mp ed doon ;
And me puir au l d d aif yd undilly
Just eatit and strew in the g roon
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Jock himse l wis tro w ie a nd fiam p like
Wi w arkin a day i th e h eat ;
T h e evenin g w as saft m euf and damp like
And the c a lve s h a d nae supper tae e a t
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But th ey re dune ower w eel wi me flooers
P uir b e a sties th e y h ad n a e m air sense
W e m a un feed th em a fore we ta k oore
S a id Jock as h e fin i s h ed w i r f ence
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G A IR S A Y
I SLE
G A IR S A Y
ISLE
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I tho c ht a w fu long for my dearie
Yestr een on the G airsay shore :
The tern s w ild whistling w as eerie ;
Mair selkies I d no seen afo re
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They lifted thei r heids by the do!ens
And booed them again i th e sea
The selkie s are Orkney folks cousins
So the selkie s are sib too tae me
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An east wind start soughing and sighing
Like a soul that s gone w il and astray ;
Abune w ere gulls wheeling and crying
And the w a v es riding white i the bay
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ucks nests and the tern s nest
Wi their eggs laid bare tae be seen ;
And whatna sad so o nd frae the b ill s breast
Wis the bleating 0 sheep on the green
The
eid er d
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What a stillness a lo ngor a w eary
On G airsay alone by the tide !
No w onder I thocht o my dearie
Wi never a w hite hor se tae ride
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WHAT WAD WE
D UNE
15
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W h at w ad w e dune l a d if it didna rain w hiles
Man th e rain comes picking at th e door
Thee boots mun be mended whatna miles
They hae carr ied thee the hale f a rm o v er
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So peerie J eannoc k ill bear them tae Jim m o c k
An he ll patch th em and sole th em th e morn ;
For Jim m o c k h as Warked wi the leather
Lang year s afo re J eanno c k was born
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W h at wad I dune if it w er e aye w arkin oot w eath er ?
Man the sun comes keeking th rough w ir bulls eye
pane
Twi x t the knitting and t h e mending and the s h ooing
a to geth er
Best knows I bless the kindly rain
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For peerie J eannoc k s gane doon tae Jim m o c k
An I ll trim h er kirk frock i the time ;
S h e tore h er l a st T h ursday at Sand w ick
Yon barbed W ire s fair a w fu tae climb
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What wa d w e dune w an ting wir l and eh lad
M a n t h ere s a ye t h e sun b ehi nd the rain
E v en since John fell at !imy Ridge Jock
I t s th e w ark th at ha s kept us a g a en
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So peeri e J eannoc k s g a ne doon ta e Jimm oc k
S h e knows trouble for a s h e s bu t t en ;
S h e gr a t sai r f or h er b onnie b ig broth er
H er la ne b y hi s lik eness i th e b en
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WH AT WAD WE DUNE
16
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Wha t wad w e dune if time didna b u sy pass bo y ?
Time—the b ealin han that smoothes out p ain
Pro vidence has left us w i w ir peerie la ss b oy ;
Lad I see her comin up the loan again
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got back frae Jimm o c k s
An she s tram p it ower the b recks th e b airn ;
Wi thee heavy shoon she s tired I m thinking
For I saw h er stop and rest her at the c airn
Peeri e J eannoc k
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D OONS OO
B R AE
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I gaed doon by Doo nsoo B rae
A e bonnie day ae bonnie day
I see d my sweetheart bigging hay
A e bonnie day ae bonnie day
The sun he ki ssed her bunnet blue
The w ind he made a richt tae do
Eh lad says I
I ll dae it too
A s bonni e day ae bonnie day
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WE H AE A SHAL T
W E H AE A SHALT
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W e ha e a s h alt : I drive hi m w hi l es
Our da d dy b ocht him frae th e i s l es
He d ne v er seen a motor c a r
Whic h s h ows h ow ba ck th e is l es f olk are
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We h ae a shalt : he kens th e w a y
From Summerd al e tae Marwick Bay ;
And i t h e dark could tak us h ame
Frae Keelylang rich t ta e the K a me
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W e hae a s h al t : dad went t a e t oon
On Market D a y to buy us s h oon
Yon sandal s h oon wi stra p s th oo mind
D a d and wir s ha lt a re awfu kind
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W e h ae a sh a lt : h e likes t a e s ta nd
And spe ak W i i th er gigs it s g rand !
W e sit a hint and h e a r th em s ay
T ha t b e a sts were doon la s t M ar k et Da y
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W e ha e a s hal t : Wh en h e s at g r a ss
J am esina— that s w i r p eerie l a ss
J um p s aif th e dyk e a nd ha s a ri de
We ho p e w ir s hal t ha s come ta e bide
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A FA IRING
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FA IRING
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I b rocht my las s a fairing
When I gaed tae the toon ;
The dr ess that sh e w as we aring
Was ki nd 0 heather broo n
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my la ss s fai ring
A brooch wi a cairngorm
( O shams I had my sairing !
Twas lic h tso m e b richt and warm
c h oic ed
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I gied my lass her f airing
As I c am ba ck forlorn ;
The Best has blest my daring
We re tae be cri ed th e morn
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G R A EMS A Y
LIGHT
GR A EMS A Y
LIGHT
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When I w as peerie every night
I w oke to w at c h the G raem
s ay Light
T w a s a w fu hard for Mansie John
And a the bairns w hen w ar w as on
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In pea c e time he w as o w er sm a
Tae ken there w a s a licht at a
And w hen he gre w the li c ht wis oot
He only heard it talked aboot
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Often his mither h e would spier
Will they no licht the licht the year ?
Thanks be the w ar is dune at l a st
The lad s are hame the da rknes s past
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And G ra em say L igh t our d ayset star
Guides ti red ships that come from far
Through skerrie s s o unds and stormy sea
Safe to the h a v en where they d be
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GA TA FA CE
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thoch t I spied a Catafa ce
As I gaed ower th e moss ;
It fl egg ed me like an unco pl ace
I stop p ed clean a t a loss
I th ocht I s a w a Ca tafa c e
Eh !bairns !I h eard h er b o o t
I fle d awa at sic h a pace
The l a cer afi me b oo t
G a ve w a y P uir Ca tafac e
Wis q ui te as ma!ed as me
Noo b airns it s j ust a fair disgr a ce
Fr a e Ca tafac e tae flee
An auld wife says sae Catafac e
Has lived a hint t h e hill
Lan g b efore motors s ta r t ta e r a ce :
And bai rns she hoots there s till !
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S IL LOCKS
SILLOCKS
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We tried the fishing ao fine nicht
Eh but the air was s w eet ;
Abune the bay the mune shone bricht
Th e isles lay at wir feet
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Sae still sae quiet not a soon
R ose up frae hoose or f a rm ;
Only the drip drip o wir oars
Man !but the air w as warm
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The sillocks foolish peerie tings
Cam tae w ir hooks sae fast
We had hard wark tae sort them a
While time and tide ran p a st
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birds quite crying then a c lood
Crept o w er the mune Th a t same
We hauled wir boat up on the beach
And happy w ent for h ame
Th e
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INYAR IRE
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W h y did I l eave wer ain pe a t fire
To traiv el ower t ae Inyarire ?
Not a ll t h e windows bli nded were
I w a t c h ed th e lights 0 Mo ssetter ;
But Oh !th e brec ks my banes did tire
T h e nic h t I w ent t a e Inyarire
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W h y did I lea v e wer a in peat fire
To fa re far for a va i n desire ?
Not a the seas th at ran a tween
Cou l d pai rt me fr a e the piece I d b een ;
Bu
t Oh !I dw i ned and klinkit s a ir
Wh en I w ent fr a e wer ain hi ll air
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Nine th oo san mi l e fr a e wer pea t fire
I m i nd th e b ree k s m y ba nes did ti r e
Since th en I v e b een t h e wide w arld o er
Wou l d I could stand ahin t wer door
A nd find th e f olk around wer fire
I l e ft that nic ht o Inyarire
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THE K I LL I NG O
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WIR
T h e oth er d a y we kil led a pig
I n troo th h e seemed n a ower b i g ;
Bu
t Je a n a nd Halc ro t oo k t w a leg
A bi t 0 ba c k we gi ed ta e P e g
Th e h e i d we s ha red wi M a ry A nn
A nd sent it ower i th e van
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PIG
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THE KILLING O WIR P IG
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24
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We washed th e puddin s i th e burn ;
I tried the peerie ba irns ta e l e a rn
T h e proper way tae m ak t h em c l e a n
They pluckit flooers in atween
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Wir peerie Jock h e catched a troo t
The fis h wis plash in in an oot ;
He felt sae big sie w i his fish
He up and hame tae seek a dish
The post gig rattled o w er the b rig
And us s till workin wi wir pig
We stuff ed the p ud dins weel wi fat
The banes wis boiling i the pat
The liver m ade us sic a fry
Th e d a y a neebor man c am b y
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The bacon hung upon the be am
And Jo c k made tell he used tae dre am
Wir pig cam back and speired him why
We d h anged h is sides and legs sae hig h ?
No w Bill maun yoke Auld Bess and seek
A peerie grice tae fatten que c k
We took the puddin s tae wir tea
They w ere richt guid w e 3 agree ;
The bairns and J oc kie frae th e sch ule
Coul d scarcely sp eak their mooth s a e full
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S NA
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WIND T I DE
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Th ere s th e starlin g sn a
G in this ena s aw a
A n th e la m bi ng sn a
What th e s to ur does bla
A ab oo t w ir w a
S na sna sn a
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R ain
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r ain rain
Th ere s th e Lamm a s floods
L ik e ta e tak wir g oods
E h !th e wi n t er s r ain
Be at s agi n wir pane
Ne a r ta e t urn th e b rain
R ai n rain r a in
,
.
,
’
’
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’
,
.
,
,
.
Wi nd w i nd w i nd
What a c aul d I find !
Th ere s th e equ i no x
M a n !it s no a h o a x
A n th e west wind ta e ;
W ee l h e k ens th e w a y
Bli n d bli nd bli nd
,
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,
’
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’
’
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’
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,
,
.
Ti de tide tid e
M u ckl e h orses r i de
Th ere s th e March tide whi rl s
A n th e sw i lkie swi rls ;
H o l m S oond ri ns beside
Wa re Eynh allow wide
Ti de tide t i de
,
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25
HAERST
26
.
Th e fields seem awfu strange like wi yon unco
great machine :
Nae lasses bending tae the she av es an resting in
atween
Nae pink and blue and bonnie b a irns like flooers i
th e w ind
Fo r the happy h a ersts 0 long ago a poor e x c h a nge
I find
’
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,
’
,
,
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.
Deed I m no complainin w eel I ken tha e e a sy d a ys
are dune
Days when w e w e re no that big sie and wir time telt
by the sun
A mind a e Do unby market ; a w ir wonted folk w ere
there ;
T w as a Thursday in October sich a still and qui e t
air ;
’
’
’
’
,
.
’
’
’
,
A the tongue s w ere w agging w a gging o w er G eord
ie s roup yes treen
When presently from nowher e a wind rose on th e
green
No man w as left at Dounb y
In a quarter 0 an
oor
Wi scythe s on e very hillside ilka farmer worked
like fo w er
’
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’
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’
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’
,
’
So w e beat the wild nor w aster and garnered in wir
grain
Afo re tw a s shak en by the gale or laid destroyed
by rain
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,
I T S MIRBIS TER
28
F OR
’
ME
.
oy
There s lots 0 loch s in Harray There s Bosq u
and the burn ;
T h ere s Ginian and there s Pad a gin a nd moss
where er ye tu rn ;
But the folk in a th e toonsh ip s like th e fis h es i the
sea
Think their ain brig stanes th e bes t a nes—so it s
Mirbister for me !
’
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’
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,
,
’
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,
’
There s Harray lairds a hundred who work th e l and
themselv es ;
They re honest and they re mannerly f or old b lood
always tells
There s guid folk i the parishes as there s fishes i
the sea ;
There s Orphir Holm a nd Deerness b u
t—th e
Harray Lairds for me !
’
,
’
’
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’
’
’
’
,
’
eeks
Br
Ro u
gh
.
u
h
gro nd
Cataface
Owl
Dayset
D win
To p in
Ela m p —L im p
G ri c —Pig
Far away
H ina way —
e
e
—
e ath er
.
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.
.
Kno w — Gra ssy or h ath
hillo c k
Mayfloo er — ri mro s
Meuf —Mu
gg
—Sma l
ri
i c k — To knoc k
—la c
i c
’
lu
th —Mou
l ting
ck, i
Pu
lda ry — Orchi s
.
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P ee e
P
Pe e P
P
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e
P
e
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y
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e
e
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~
e
ety
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.
sa ti
.
Se
e
Selki e —
Seal
Shalt —Pony
Shoo — To sew
Sib — Re 1ated
S il lo c k a —Bec om e s a c uith e
a f t er
thr ee d r ink s of th e
May fl oo d
Sm arc o — Birdsf oo t Tref o il
Tsao o —P l ov er
Trowi e
A ili ng b ewi tc h ed b y
th e Tro ws or Fairi e s
Wh itema —S
11
Wil to go
lo se o ne s
o
.
.
stop
Ba iting —F ill,
—Iri s s
gs
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.
ite —Cease ,
!u
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e
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,
ery
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