Da Night at Christ wis Boarn

For Yule, a gracefu pensie poem by kenspeckle Shetland writer Stella Sutherland that passed awa no langsyne in 2015. Listen tae Mary Blance read the poem here. Wi thanks tae Linda Sutherland and her sister, and Frieda Morrison o Birseland Media.

A lass, wis gaen ta cry,
ta Bethlehem cam, weary an makkin maen,
an fan dey wir nae wye
ta lay her doon, for aa da beds wis taen.

Da lodgin-mistress said
da byre wid hae ta du dem, till da moarn:
dere, twa clean windlins spread
athin an empty stall, Goad’s Bairn wis boarn.

A peerie whaig, wi a starn
athin her broo, wis tied apo da waak,
an, inbye i da barn,
wi sleepy peesters, hens upo da baak.

Whin aa wis ower an düne
da Midder’s een droopit in sweet relief;
Joseph sat winderin on
dis marvel at wis nearly past belief.

Dan suddenly, da lift
wis filled wi light an singin fae abüne! –
as Pretty Dancers shift,
sae moved da singers o da heevenly tüne,

an whin dey aa wir geen,
doon da lang hilly gait da shepherds cam,
winderin what hit might mean –
an ane wis kerryin a ting o lamb.

Dey cam in trow, an bent
afore da Infant in a glüd o light:
intae demsels, withoot a doot dey kent
hunders o years wid hear aboot dis night.

 

Comments (5)

Leave a Reply to Fay Kennedy. Cancel reply

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  1. Sorley says:

    Many thanks Mary, pro cultur is pressured.

    1. Sorley says:

      Should have been.

      Oor cultur is pressus.

      Predictive text gone daft.

  2. Billy Kay says:

    Bonnie poem in douce Shetlandic Scots. Braw readin bi Mary and thanks tae Frieda an tae Stella’s faimily. Blythe Yule tae you an yours.

  3. Fay Kennedy. says:

    A bonnie poem to start ma day down under. Thanks.

  4. Interpolar says:

    A braw read. Ta!

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