Poetry in Scots
Poetry in the Scots language began to be written down in the 14th century, beginning with John Barbour’s ‘The Brus’, and continuing through the makars of the 15th and 16th centuries. The poetic revival of the 18th century led to the work of Robert Burns, and many others, and Scots poetry has continued to be composed in both general and regional forms down to the present day. Poetry probably remains the most common medium by which most Scottish people experience the fullness of Scots as a language and as a written, literary tradition. This section of the website contains articles related to the various traditions of writing poetry in Scots and, in particular, our Poem of the Month, as recommended by the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh. The Scots Language Centre has a growing collection of audio and video material related to poetry in Scots, so please check it out.
Poem of the Month
A Song of Life and Golf
THE thing they ca' the stimy o't,
I find it ilka where!
Ye 'maist lie deid—an unco shot—
Anither's ba' is there!
Ye canna win into the hole,
However gleg ye be,
And aye, where'er ma ba' may roll,
Some limmer stimies me!
Chorus:
Somebody stimying me,
Somebody stimying me,
The grass may grow, the ba' may row
Some limmer stimies me!
I lo'ed a lass, a bonny lass,
Her lips an' locks were reid;
Intil her heart I couldna pass:
Anither man lay deid!
He cam' atween me an' her heart,
I turned wi' tearfu' e'e;
I couldna loft him, I maun part
The limmer stimied me!
I socht a kirk, a bonny kirk,
Wi' teind, an' glebe, an' a';
A bonny yaird to feed a stirk,
An' links to ca' the ba'!
Anither lad he cam' an' fleeched—
A convartit U.P. —
An' a' in vain ma best I preached,
That limmer stimied me!
It's aye the same in life an' gowf;
I'm stimied, late an' ear';
This world is but a weary howf,
I'd fain be itherwhere.
But whan auld deith wad hole ma corp,
As sure as deith ye'll see
Some coof has played the moudiewarp,
Rin in, an' stimied me!
Chorus (if thought desirable)
Andrew Lang
Selected by the Scottish Poetry Library
Archive
- Aug 2010
- Aug 2010
- Jul 2010
- Jun 2010
- May 2010
- Apr 2010
- Mar 2010
- Jan 2010
- Dec 2009
- Nov 2009
- Oct 2009
- Sep 2009
- Aug 2009
- Jul 2009
- Jul 2009
- Jun 2009
- May 2009
- Apr 2009
- Mar 2009
- Jan 2009
- Dec 2008
- Nov 2008
- Oct 2008
- Sep 2008
- Aug 2008
- Jul 2008
- Jul 2008
- May 2008
- May 2008
- Mar 2008
- Mar 2008
- Jan 2008
- Dec 2007
- Dec 2007
- Oct 2007
- Oct 2007
- Aug 2007
- Aug 2007
- Jul 2007
- Jun 2007
- May 2007
- Apr 2007
- Mar 2007
- Jan 2007
- Dec 2006
- Nov 2006
SLC, A K Bell Library, York Place, Perth, PH2 8EP P:(44) (0) 1738 440199 F:(44) (0) 1738 477010 E:info@scotslanguage.com | Terms & Conditions | Un-subscribe | Login
Scots Language Resource Centre Association Ltd. t/a Scots Language Centre, A.K. Bell Library, York Place, Perth, Scotland PH2 8EP
Registered in Scotland as an Industrial & Provident Society No. 2451R(S). Scottish Charity No. SCO21747
Shetland and Orcadian Scots dialect | Caithness Scots dialect | North East Doric Scots dialect | East central Scots dialects | Angus and Tayside Scots Dialect | Galloway Scots Dialect | West Central Scots Dialect | Borders Scots Dialect | Ulster Scots Dialect | Scotch language | Scots leid | Scottish Language | Ulster Scots Dialect |