#ScotsLanguage

Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-07-01

MICHEL TREMBLAY: PLAYS IN SCOTS
in 2 vols
Translated by Martin Bowman & Bill Findlay
Ed. Martin Bowman

The energy & versatility of 8 of Tremblay’s Quebecois plays, captured in Scots translation. Available from all good booksellers everywhere!

#CanadaDay 🇨🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

6/7

asls.org.uk/publications/books

#Scottish #literature #Drama #theatre #translation #Scots #Scotslanguage #Quebec #Quebecois

Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-07-01

“Tremblay is contemporary theatre’s great melancholy realist; he fits Scotland like a glove and it was a stroke of luck that we had the translators with the vision to see this”

–How Quebec playwright Michel Tremblay became a Scottish sensation

#CanadaDay 🇨🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

5/7

mcgillnews.mcgill.ca/how-miche

#Scottish #literature #Drama #theatre #translation #Scots #Scotslanguage #Quebec #Quebecois #CanadaDay

Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-06-29

Oh ye, wha in your oors o ease, ‍‍
‍‍Are fashed wi golochs, mauks, an flees,
Fell stingin wasps an bumble bees,
Tak tent o this:
There’s ae sma pest that’s waur nor these
To mar your bliss…

—W.R. Darling, “The Pest”
published in Oor Mither Tongue: An Anthology of Scots Vernacular Verse (Alexander Gardner, 1937)

#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #Scots #Scotslanguage #midge #midges

The Pest
W. R. Darling

Oh ye, wha in your oors o ease, ‍‍
‍‍Are fashed wi golochs, mauks, an flees,
Fell stingin wasps an bumble bees,
	Tak tent o this:
There’s ae sma pest that’s waur nor these
	To mar your bliss.

They hing ower hedges, burns, an wuds, ‍‍
‍‍An dance at een in dusky cluds;
Wi aw your random skelps an scuds,
	They’re naeweys worrit:
Gin there’s a hole in aw your duds,
	They’ll mak straucht for it.

I’ve traivled wast, I’ve traivled east; ‍‍
‍‍‍I’m weel aquaint wi mony a beast;
Wi lions, teegers, bears – at least
	I’ve kent their claw:
I’ve been the fell mosquito’s feast –
	But this cowes aw.

Auld Scotland, on thy bonnie face, ‍‍
‍‍Whan Mither Nature gied ye grace,
Lown, birken glens an floery braes,
	Wild windy ridges,
To save ye frae deleerit praise,
	She gied ye midges.
2025-06-26

Happy National Writing Day! ✏️ This is a song I wrote called The Waters Meet. Recorded by Fergus Dingle and Oskar Luiz Bonn as part of Making Tracks 2021. #scotslanguage

Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-06-25

Der a ön o haet ida gairden here,
Whaar da sun-flooer proodly staands,
An dark-red roses trowe da green
Laek da lowe fae fiery braands…

—T.A. Robertson (“Vagaland”), “Haem Tochts”
published in The Collected Poems of Vagaland (Shetland Times, 1975)

scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/p

#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #Scots #Scotslanguage #Shetland #Shetlandic

Poem is too long for ALT-text: full text available via link in the post.
Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-06-23

Currently on BBC Sounds: Melvyn Bragg & guests – Michael Boardman & Rhiannon Purdie of the University of St Andrews,, & Steve Boardman of the University of Edinburgh – discuss ideas of chivalry & freedom in John Barbour's c.1375 epic, the earliest surviving poem in Older Scots

3/3

bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002dpm8

#Scottish #literature #poetry #medieval #14thcentury #history #MiddleAges #Bannockburn #epic #vernacular #poem #Scots #Scotslanguage #chivalry

Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-06-23

Back to the Future: The Bruce & Relevance to the 21st-Century Reader

“Scotland’s Iliad and Odyssey rolled into one”—Christine Robinson discusses how John Barbour’s #medieval epic poem is a liberating text for modern writers & speakers of Scots

2/3

📷Duncan Cumming: Barbour quotation, Makars’ Court, Edinburgh

#Scottish #literature #poetry #medieval #14thcentury #history #MiddleAges #Bannockburn #epic #vernacular #poem #Scots #Scotslanguage

Photograph by Duncan Cumming of the Barbour quotation in the Makars’ Court, Edinburgh.

A grey paving stone, engraved with the words

Fredome
is a noble thing

John Barbour
(c.1320–1395)
Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-06-23

Schyr Hanry myssit the noble king…

Robert I, King of Scots, killed Sir Henry de Bohun in single combat on the first day of the Battle of Bannockburn #OTD, 23 June 1314. The epic vernacular poem “The Brus” by John Barbour (c.1320–1395) describes the event

1/3

gla.ac.uk/schools/critical/abo

#Scottish #literature #poetry #medieval #14thcentury #history #MiddleAges #Bannockburn #epic #vernacular #poem #Scots #Scotslanguage

Text is too long for ALT-text – however full text can be found via the link, lines 25 to 85.

Image description: “Bruce and de Bohun”, by John Duncan (1866–1945), Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum. King Robert I, wearing chain mail, with a gold circlet around his helmet, and a flowing red-gold cloak and a surcoat bearing the Scottish lion rampant (red, on a yellow background) , stands up in the stirrups of the grey horse he is riding. He holds the reins tightly in his left hand and wields a battle-axe in his right. Sir Henry de Bohun, with golden plate armour and a flowing red cloth tied to his helm, rides past, his long lance missing the king. He is crouched low, almost seeming to bow, his head lined up for the blow from the king's axe.
Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-06-20

Frae the broo o’ a brae I saw them gang,
I saw them hirple to a lanesome shore.
I saw them pass abune the ferly seals
Withouten keel and sail and oar…

—William Jeffrey, “The Refugees”
Published in A KIST O SKINKLAN THINGS (ASL, 2017)

20 June is World Refugee Day

asls.org.uk/publications/books

#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #Scots #Scotslanguage #WorldRefugeeDay #refugees #humanrights

William Jeffrey
The Refugees

‘Arise and flee into Egypt’

‘There’s a carline walkin’ the road ootby,
A body wi’ hair o’ the streekit snaw,
And an auld man daunders at her side,
A chiel that’s laggie and bent in twa.’

‘They maun be folk frae a fremit toun.
Bid them come in and bide a wee.’
Sae the carline and the auld man came
And supp’d guid brose anent the swee.

I speer’d the taen, and I speer’d the tither,
And scant the answer did I get—
But O, the licht in their eldren e’en
Shone frae some gouden unkenned yett.

Quo’ the carline frail, ‘There’s hame nae mair
In kintras raxt on the crookit sword’;
But the bodach murmured, ‘Nay, there’s hame
Where folks are free wi’ the kindly word.

‘Natheless,’ quo’ she, ‘gang west, my son,
Westlins to isles o’ Bride and the sea.’
Syne they rose and quaitlike went frae the door
And steppit west by the flowery lea.

Frae the broo o’ a brae I saw them gang,
I saw them hirple to a lanesome shore.
I saw them pass abune the ferly seals
Withouten keel and sail and oar.

I saw them gang in a siller glore,
Walkin’ the sea in’ a calm sae still—
The braid eard faulded like a rose
And Bethlehem gloss’d an island hill.
ScotsBear 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Uraael@kitty.social
2025-06-20
The Kermit Staring Out of the Winow meme. But not presented in the usual meme format, no. It only bears the word "Dreich" at the bottom, a Socts word describing that miserable, grey, overcast rain that falls where the whole world feels soggy and joyless. Pronouced "Dreech", the see aitch at the end being that lovely Scottish rolling dry strangle noise instead of the chirpy English form.
2025-06-18

I’ll be appearing on Scotland Tonight on STV to discuss the Scots Language Act and my hopes for the continued revitalisation of the language. Tune in from 22:30! ❤️ #scotslanguage

Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-06-13

Goonie: Poetry Extravaganza with Michael Mullen & Friends
20 June, Lighthouse Books, Edinburgh. £0–£10.99

Exploring queerness through fierce lyrical poetry & celebrating Scotland through vernacular vignettes, GOONIE is Michael Mullen’s debut collection

lighthousebookshop.com/events/

#Scottish #literature #poetry #queer #queerness #Scotland #Scots #Scotslanguage

A bumfled rug, dark blue, with a red, yellow, pink, white and green floral pattern. Text: 

poetry launch
michael mullen
+ fellow Edwin Morgan Award Winners
friday 20th june
indie bookshop week
poetry extravaganza

Next to the text is a cover image for GOONIE, by Michael Mullen. Looking down at a carpet of the same design, we can see a pair of feet wearing black men's shoes and dark trousers, and a single foot wearing a silver slipper-style woman's shoe and a bright red stocking.
Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-06-13

James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) was born #OTD, 13 June. As a physicist, he ranks alongside Newton & Einstein (“He achieved greatness unequalled”—Max Planck; “I stand on the shoulders of Maxwell”—Albert Einstein).

Maxwell also wrote poetry: “Rigid Body Sings” is based on “Comin’ Through the Rye” by Robert Burns

poetryfoundation.org/poems/457

#Scottish #literature #poetry #19thcentury #Victorian #Scots #Scotslanguage #Physics #science #physicist

In Memory of Edward Wilson, Who Repented of what was in his Mind to Write after Section
BY JAMES CLERK MAXWELL

Rigid Body (sings).

Gin a body meet a body
Flyin’ through the air,
Gin a body hit a body,
Will it fly? and where?
Ilka impact has its measure,
Ne’er a ane hae I,
Yet a’ the lads they measure me,
Or, at least, they try.

Gin a body meet a body
Altogether free,
How they travel afterwards
We do not always see.
Ilka problem has its method
By analytics high;
For me, I ken na ane o’ them,
But what the waur am I?
2025-06-08

After discussing the risk of *slittering* food down your clothes, a term that catches the sense of spilling pasta sauce, for example, like no other, I went looking for origins of that old #ScotsLanguage verb.

Google just wanted to push incorrect AI slop about cutting things, dictionaries other than the #DictionaryOfTheScotsLanguage were lacking.
The DSL does catch the "messy person" meaning, with a decent example: "She's an awfie slitter when she's painting."

Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-06-06

The Muse hersel sent her dochter til us
To set this lamp in the jungle, “to lighten the gentiles
And to be the glory of thy people”, Poetry.

—Tom Scott, “In Handsel o Poetry’s Fifty Light Years”
from POETRY magazine’s 50th Anniversary issue, Oct 1962

3/3

poetryfoundation.org/poetrymag

#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #Scots #Scotslanguage #20thcentury

Tom Scott
In Handsel o Poetry’s Fifty Light Years

The Muse hersel sent her dochter til us
To set this lamp in the jungle, “to lighten the gentiles
And to be the glory of thy people”, Poetry.
Fifty light years we celebrate the-day
Richt doun frae the great original star
Til siccan planetary lichts as I,
Passan on merely reflectit glory.

You yoursel, Poetry, whase jubilee
Prompts this tribute frae my ain minor
Contributory licht, shine for us
Brichter nor ony star in the spangled banner,
Transmittan til the warld the finest rays
Generous (in fauts as weill as virtues) America generates,
A welcome beacon abuin the gaitheran mirk.

Sae I frae here in Scotland whaur the-day
We fret under the accursed Polaris yoke
That’s made our Holy Loch the unholiest of waters,
Send, throu you, America a message—
“Tak hame your Polaris, send us your Poetry!”
And til Poetry yoursel in this your aureate year
I send my love, my poems, and my thanks for being.



Footnote: “Handsel” is a good-luck gift on some commemorative or other important occasion.
Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-06-06

Remember this ae thing, whaeer ye are:
There’s ae place in this toun ye daurna be,
For scholars maunna drink at Paddy’s Bar.

—Tom Scott, “On Hearing a Certain Pub is Not Proper for Academics”
Published in POETRY magazine, Oct 1961

2/3

poetryfoundation.org/poetrymag

#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #Scots #Scotslanguage #20thcentury #Edinburgh #University

Brither bards wha eftir us maun dree
The contumely o hypocrite and fuil,
The middle-clarss’s fake moralitie,
Whether in office, varsity, or schuil,
Tak warnin frae the weird hes owretaen me,
And leaves me broken-hertit wi sic dule:
Wheneer ye toast your Muse in yill or bree,
Remember this ae thing, whacer ye are:
There’s ae place in this toun ye daurna be,
For scholars maunna drink at Paddy’s Bar.

I dinna ken whaur we’re alloued to pree,
Nor whitna howff Us Yins suld lippen til;
I jalouse there maun be ane that bears the gree,
Wi maikless maut and brandy, rum and yill,
Peerless vintage, blend, and densitie:
(Or suld Us Yins hae our ain vat, brew, or still?)
But deil the door (in dern) they’ve lat me see,
Sae I can nocht direct ye, neah or fah:
I juist set doun, til aa eternitie,
It isn’t U to snoht at Peddeh’s Bah.

I have heard tell tho, o an edifie
Whaur gentlemen and scholars drink their fill,
A kin o club, they caa’t, for Vahsteh employee,
That hes its ain bit bar, for guid or ill,
Whaur U can gang, gif you’re o their degree,
And drink lang eftir Paddy’s closed his till—
It cost a quarter million £.S.D.
But thet, of cawss, is neitheh heah nor thah.
I gie this dictum immortalitie:
Messieurs—défense de boire à Peddeh’s Bah!

Sirs, look back frae your futuritie,
And gin ye find us wantin, dinnae rail:
Consider nou—could you hae gane as far
Gin you were gien sic stanes til eat as we?
For Us Yins maunna drink at Paddy’s Bar.
Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-06-06

Ye think thon wes the end?
Yon meetin in the wuids
When Thracian Orpheus heard the drum, the cries,
The whud o the bacchantes’ thrangan feet…

—“Orpheus”, by Tom Scott (1918–1995), born #OTD, 6 June
Published in A KIST O SKINKLAN THINGS

1/3

asls.org.uk/publications/books

#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #Scots #Scotslanguage #20thcentury #Mythology #GreekMythology

Tom Scott
Orpheus

Ye think thon wes the end?
Yon meetin in the wuids
When Thracian Orpheus heard the drum, the cries,
The whud o the bacchantes’ thrangan feet
And, seik in saul,
Mad to be jyned for aye to his Eurydikee,
Strung his harp
And gaed to meet them wi a sang.
Ye think thon wes the end?

Na. Eftir the thrang breeled on, red
Fingert, bluidie-mawed, the riven limbs
Quiveran aye amang the mairtyred gress,
There wes a lull
And throu it syne a roun
And syne as muckle’s a moan
And syne a voice,
Yon voice o his
That quietit the forest and its fowk,
That reconcilit lion and lamb,
Ordert the rain,
Spoke frae the grund
And threept in the greitan tree 
‘Euridikee! Euridikee!’

And at the name
A ferlie thing wes duin.
Thir broken bits o bodie, bits o bane,
Brisket, gash, airm and droukit hair
Cam thegither as gin some will
Mair nor the merely real
Had wrocht on them.
And on yon slauchtert grund was formed
Orpheus anew,
Orpheus the singer, Orpheus the makar,
Orpheus cleansed o the auld despair.
And by the halie tree
In the leaman licht o the wuid,
Squired by a houlet, a hawk and a doo,
Wes his Euridikee.

They say he made a new sang,
A nobler nor the auld,
And sings it aye in the great haa o the warld.

They say it will nevir end.
Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-06-06

“The Sodgers”, by Alexander Scott (1920–1989)

Alexander Scott landed in Normandy with the Gordon Highlanders, & saw action in the Ardennes & crossing the Rhine. He later became Head of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow, & was president of ASL from 1976–79

Published in FROM THE LINE: Scottish War Poetry 1914–1945, ed. David Goldie & Roderick Watson

asls.org.uk/publications/books

#Scottish #literature #Scots #ScotsLanguage #poem #poetry #DDay #WW2 #WarPoetry

The Sodgers
by Alexander Scott

Nae wi the gallus captains
That niver jinkit war
But socht for glory's wildfire lowe
As wise men aince for anither star—

And nae wi the ramstam colonels
That leuch at the din o the drum
And skirled for the bleeze o battle's Inferno
As saunts micht skirl for Kingdom Come—

But aye wi the sweirt sodgers
That niver wished tae dee
And anelie marched the forrart road
Sen onie back they cudna see—

Near blind wi the reek o wappins
And the reek o leean words,
But niver near sae blind wi bluid
As faa in luve wi guns and swords.
Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-06-05

Gaelic & Scots: Cultural Connections & Inspirations in the 20th Century

Talks form the FRLSU’s May 6 webinar are now online, looking at

▶️ George Campbell Hay | Deòrsa Mac Iain Dheòrsa
▶️ William Neill | Uilleam Nèill
▶️ Douglas Young
▶️ translations between Gaelic & Scots
▶️ Derick Thomson | Ruaraidh MacThòmais & GAIRM

youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvL

#Scottish #literature #Gaelic #Gaidhlig #Scots #Scotslanguage #translation #minoritylanguages #20thcentury

Assoc for Scottish Literaturescotlit@mastodon.scot
2025-06-04

Twa Cats anes on a Cheese did light,
To which baith had an equal Right,
But Disputes, sic as aft arise,
Fell out at sharing of the Prize…

“The twa Cats & the Cheese”, by Allan Ramsay (1686–1758)
😾😾🧀🐵

Today, 4 June, is National Cheese Day!

digital.nls.uk/special-collect

#Scottish #literature #Scots #Scotslanguage #poem #poetry #18thCentury #cats #cheese #NationalCheeseDay

The Twa Cats and the Cheese 
Fable IX
by Allan Ramsay

Twa Cats anes on a Cheese did light,
To which baith had an equal Right,
But Disputes, sic as aft arise,
Fell out at sharing of the Prize;
Fair Play said ane, Ye bite o’er thick
Thae Teeth of yours gang wonder quick:
Let’s part it, else lang or the Moon
Be chang’d, the Kebuck will be done.But wha’s to do’t,—They’re Parties baith,
And ane may do the other Skaith,
Sae with Consent away they trudge,
And laid the Cheese before a Judge,
A Monkey with a campsho Face,
Clerk to a Justice of the Peace,
A Judge he seem’d in Justice skill’d,
When he his Master’s Chair fill’d;
Now Umpire chosen for Division,
Baith sware to stand by his Decision.
Demure he looks.—The Cheese he pales,—
He prives it good,—Ca’s for the Scales,
His Knife whops throw’t,—In twa it fell,
He puts ilk Haff in either Shell;
Said he, We’ll truly weigh the Case,
And strickest Justice shall have Place,
Then lifting up the Scales, he fand
The tane bang up, the ither stand;
Syne out he took the heaviest Haff,
And ate a Knoost o’t quickly aff,
And try’d it syne,—It now prov’d light,
Friend Cats, said he, We’ll do ye right.
Then to the ither Haff he fell,
And laid till’t teughly Tooth and Nail,
Till weigh’d again it lightest prov’d:
The Judge wha this sweet Process lov’d,
Still weigh’d the Case, and still ate on,
Till Clients baith were weary grown,And tenting how the Matter went,
Cry’d, Come, come Sir, We’re baith content.
Ye Fools, quoth he, and Justice too
Maun be content as well as you.
Thus grumbled they, thus he went on,
Till baith the Haves were near hand done;
Poor Pousies now the Daffine saw
Of gawn for Nignyes to the Law:
And bill’d the Judge that he wad please
To give them the remaining Cheese:
To which his Worship grave reply’d,
The Dues of Court maun first be paid.
Now Justice pleas’d,—What’s to the Fore
Will but right scrimply clear your Score;
That’s our Decreet,—Gae Hame and Sleep,
And thank us ye’re win aff sae cheap.

Client Info

Server: https://mastodon.social
Version: 2025.04
Repository: https://github.com/cyevgeniy/lmst