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British Council Scotland
Poet Anne Frater
New Scottish Poetry
About Anne Frater
Anne Frater - An Sgeilp
An Sgeilp - Scots translation
An Sgeilp - English translation
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Da Sjælf
Ann Frater

Apo da waa a chært
trekkin da koors a’ilka sjip mie fædir sælt apo;
owir da Atlaantik;
trow da Med
an doon trow Sooiz;
da Red Sie an da Indiein Oshin,
da Pisiefik –
quhyl we lippint his hemfærin
t’da yl ati’da Minsh.

A doll fir me fae ilka laand he laandit,
hunkirt apo’da sjælf læk a biddin
t’laands I bit saa
atill a mynd’s-ie proagit bie da tæls he telt.

Da Spaaniesh daansirs
stakkfast atill a Flamenko riel;
a gowcho fae Argintiena apo’is swart stied;
hunkirt choost da sam wy
mær as twintie jieir;
twa aaldwyvs fae Chipan
da war fir wær an vyndlisniss
(bit æn’s still boannie jit –
fæs quhyt, moo red),
jun æns fae Kiriea
bryght-kulirt atill a gless kjist.

Da wirld atill a njook
o a pierie njook a’da wirld,
piktirs’at ir turnt mie fit ta væg
sæ’at I myght læ mie æin myndins
up apo jun sjælf.

An Sgeilp
translated into Scots by Alan Jamieson

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