Some Scotch Poems

Pussie at the fireside
source: scottish poems.com Icould find no copyright conditions

Anon

Pussie at the fireside
Suppin' up brose,
Doon cam a cinder
An' brunt Pussie's nose.
"Eich!" cried Pussie,
"That's nae fair!"
"It's a haet", said the cinder,
"Ye sudna been there".
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A Dug a Dug

Hey, Daddy, wid ye get us a dug ?
A big broon alsation ur a wee white pug ?
Ur a skinny wee terrier, ur a big fat collie?
Aw, daddy,get us a dug. Will yi ?

Whit! An' whose dug'll it be when it durties the flerr,
An' wets the carpet and messes the sterr?
Its me ur yer mammy'll be tane furra mug.
Away oot'n play. Yer no getting a dug.

But daddy thur gi'en them away
Down therr at the RSPCA.
Yu'll get wan fur nothin, so ye will.
Aw. Daddy, get us a dug, Will ye?

Dji hear um? Oan aboot dugs again?
Ah think that yins goat dugs'n the brain.
Ah know whit yu'll get: a skite oan the lug
If ah hear ony merr aboot this bloomin dug.

Aw, Daddy, it widny be dear tae keep
An'ah'd make it a basket fur it tae sleep.
An'ah'd take it fur runs away ower the hull.
Aw, Daddy, get us a dug. Will ye?

A doan't think thurs embdy like you:
Yi could wheedle the twist oot a flamin' corkscrew.
Noo! Get doon aff my neck. Gies nane a yur hugs.
Aw right. THAT'S ANUFF. Ah'll get yi a dug.
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A Scots Toast
by George Slater

I have a slightly different version of the toast in today's Flag in the Wind:

Here's tae a' yer days,
May ye niver want for meat or claes.
A widden bowel, a horny speen,
And aye a tattie fan the tither ane's deen.

This was given to my mother by a fisherman in my home town of Findochty, Banffshire, and I have tried to write it as it would be spoken there, i.e. "niver" instead of never, "widden bowel" for wooden bowl and "fan" instead of when. In this area of Scotland words beginning with wh are converted to f. e.g. where lowland Scots would say "whaur" for where, we would say "far", and so when becomes "fan." We also would not say meat but something closer to "mate." My mother's maiden name was Phimister and the locals reversed the aforementioned usage and called her "Wheemster" and the family was referred to as the "Peems." I am sure other parts of Scotland have similar language peculiarities.
During the war the King's Own Scottish Borderers were stationed nearby and we became friendly with many of them. They had a very difficult time understanding us but we had no trouble understanding them.

Sincerely,

George Slater.

Till we meet again -Regards - edmondsallan